South East · England · 77,697Boundary · 2023

North East Hertfordshire

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A marginal seat — won by just 1,923 votes (3.7%) in 2024. Covers Letchworth, Royston (North Hertfordshire) and Baldock. Population 101,274.

One of Labour's more rebellious new MPs, Hinchliff broke with his party five times in the last parliament session -- most significantly joining the left-wing rebellion against welfare cuts in July 2025, voting against the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at both committee stage and third reading, while backing amendments to protect disabled people with fluctuating conditions and uprate Northern Ireland LCWRA payments with inflation. He also defied the whip in January 2026 by voting against expanded Public Order Act powers targeting protest groups -- a stance consistent with his low alignment on both "tough-on-crime" (28%) and "pro-parliamentary-scrutiny" (13%) metrics. His voting deviations are striking: he sits 88 percentage points above his Labour colleagues on disability benefits protection.

Beyond the rebellions, Hinchliff is a reasonably active parliamentarian -- 87% vote participation is close to the Commons average -- and has made 137 contributions across 98 debates since entering parliament in 2024. His speeches cluster heavily around environment, local government, economy and housing. He sits on the Environmental Audit Committee, which tracks his most prominent local campaigns: launching an environmental protection drive against government deregulation, backing curlew conservation through a parliamentary motion, and pushing for a social media ban for children following more than 700 constituent emails.

424
Commons votes
This parliament
£33k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
77.7k
Electorate
2024 GE

Lab took this seat from Con after 4 consecutive elections.

Current Member of Parliament

Chris Hinchliff

Chris Hinchliff

Labour Party

Chris Hinchliff is the Labour MP for North East Hertfordshire, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.

Notable Votes

MPs voted on new regulations expanding the Public Order Act 2023 to criminalise interference with key national infrastructure, such as energy, transport, and water systems. This extends powers introduced to tackle disruptive protest tactics used by groups like Just Stop Oil.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

MPs voted on whether to pass the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at its final stage in the Commons. The Bill makes changes to welfare benefits, including a gradual increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance, and had been debated at length including proposed amendments to speed up or expand those increases.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

Vote on Amendment 38 to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which would have provided greater certainty and protections for disabled people with fluctuating conditions while the government's review of PIP assessments (the Timms review) is ongoing. Critics argued the Bill was putting cuts before the review, leaving vulnerable people uncertain about their entitlements.

MP voted YesAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

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Voting at a Glance

A marginal seat — won by just 1,923 votes (3.7%) in 2024. Covers Letchworth, Royston (North Hertfordshire) and Baldock. Population 101,274.

2024 General Election

§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Hinchliff’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.440 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Hinchliff has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Economy
77
Taxation
76
Employment
48
Crime & Policing
42
Education
38
Welfare and Benefits
30
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Draft Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 202514 Jan 2026
No
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill: Third Reading09 Jul 2025
No
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: Amendment 3809 Jul 2025
Aye
§ 08The local picture.11 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Baldock WestAlistair Willoughby1,002Labour P
Baldock WestEmma Rowe960Labour P
Baldock WestMichael Muir847Conserva
Braughing StandonFrankie Woolf541Conserva
Braughing StandonStan Bull646Conserva
BuntingfordDavid Rupert Woollcombe978Green Pa
BuntingfordSue Nicholls1,055Green Pa
BuntingfordVicky Burt1,151Green Pa
Great AshbyLaura Williams520Labour P
Great AshbyVijaiya 'VJ' Poopalasingham546Labour P
Hertford RuralBob Deering474Conserva
Letchworth NortonDaniel Allen794Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
101,274
Electorate 77,697 · 2024 register
Median income
£32,700
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
13.1%
England average 20.0%
Schools
64
49 primary · 6 secondary
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