Waveney Valley (UK Parliament constituency) explained

Waveney Valley is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament, created following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.^[2] Since its first election in 2024, it has been represented by Adrian Ramsay of the Green Party and is the first Green seat in the East of England.

Boundaries

The constituency straddles the River Waveney between Norfolk and Suffolk and is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

• The District of East Suffolk wards of: Bungay & Wainford; Halesworth & Blything.
• The District of Mid Suffolk wards of: Bacton; Eye; Fressingfield; Gislingham; Haughley, Stowupland & Wetherden; Hoxne & Worlingworth; Mendlesham; Palgrave; Rickinghall; Stradbroke & Laxfield; Walsham-le-Willows.
• The District of South Norfolk wards of: Beck Vale, Dickleburgh & Scole; Bressingham & Burston; Bunwell; Diss & Roydon; Ditchingham & Earsham; Harleston.^[3]

It covers the following areas:

• Areas to the north of the river, including Diss and Harleston, transferred from South Norfolk
• Bungay, transferred from Waveney (renamed Lowestoft)
• Halesworth, transferred from Suffolk Coastal
• Rural areas of north Suffolk, including Eye, transferred from Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, and Bury St Edmunds (renamed Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket)

The seat was created from parts of five pre-2024 constituencies:

Contributions of pre-2024 constituencies to Waveney Valley constituency^[4]

Pre-2024 constituency	Pre-2024 party		%age area of new constituency	%age population of new constituency
			30.9%	41.1%
			30.8%	20.5%
			18.6%	19.6%
Waveney			14.0%	9.9%
Suffolk Coastal			5.7%	9.8%

The notional 2019 result as predicted by British academics Rallings and Thrasher for the revised constituency was calculated to be a Conservative victory.^[5]

Constituency profile

Electoral Calculus characterises the proposed seat as "Strong Right", with right-wing economic and social views, high home ownership levels and strong support for Brexit.^[6]

The seat was a target seat, in the 2024 general election, for the Green Party^[7] who won half of the council wards in the seat in the 2023 local elections.

Elections

Notional 2019 result

Constituency level polling

Dates conducted	Pollster	Client	Sample size	Con.	Lab.	Lib. Dems	Green	Ref.	Others	Lead
			data-sort-type="number" style="background:"		data-sort-type="number" style="background:"		data-sort-type="number" style="background:"		data-sort-type="number" style="background:"		data-sort-type="number" style="background:"
	2024 general election		–	30.3%	9.4%	2.5%	41.7%	15.8%	0.2%	11.4
	We Think[8]	The Green Party	500	24%	17%	7%	37%	16%	–	13

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Norfolk
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Suffolk
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region)

External links

• Waveney Valley UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

52.47°N 1.71°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern . Boundary Commission for England . 27 June 2024 . dmy .
2. Web site: The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – Eastern Boundary Commission for England . 2023-07-14 . boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk.
3. Web site: The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023 . Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
4. Web site: Waveney Valley (31 May 2024 -) - overlaps . UK Parliament election results . 9 July 2024.
5. Web site: Notional election for the constituency of Waveney Valley on 12 December 2019. . UK Parliament election results . 9 July 2024.
6. Web site: New Seat Details - Waveney Valley. 2024-02-06 . www.electoralcalculus.co.uk.
7. News: Walker . Peter . 2023-10-06 . Green party says it plans to focus its effort on four seats at general election . 2024-02-06 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
8. News: Polling for Greens suggests party could take two rural seats from Tories . The Guardian . 21 June 2024 . Walker . Peter.