The Sessional Divisions of Beccles, Bungay, Lothingland, and Mutford;
Part of the Sessional Division of Blything; and
The part of the Borough of Great Yarmouth in the county of Suffolk.[3]
As Great Yarmouth formed a separate Parliamentary Borough, only non-resident freeholders of the Borough were entitled to vote in this constituency.
Throughout its existence, the Lowestoft constituency covered the North-Eastern corner of Suffolk and, although encompassing some rural areas, drew the majority of its voters from the towns of Lowestoft, a resort and fishing port, and Beccles; it also included the smaller towns of Bungay and Southwold, with its brewing interests. Southwold is now in the Suffolk Coastal constituency.
The constituency established in 1885, which was formally named The Northern or Lowestoft Division of Suffolk (and was sometimes referred to simply as "Suffolk North"), also included the town of Halesworth and the rural areas in between.
1918–1950
The Boroughs of Beccles, Lowestoft, and Southwold;
The Urban Districts of Bungay and Oulton Broad;
The Rural Districts of Mutford and Lothingland, and Wangford; and
The Rural District of Blything parishes of Benacre, Covehithe, Easton Bavents, Frostenden, Henstead, Reydon, South Cove, and Wrentham.[4]
In the boundary changes of 1918, when the constituency became simply the "Lowestoft Division of East Suffolk" or EastSuffolk, Lowestoft, Halesworth was transferred to the neighbouring Eye division.
1950–1983
The Boroughs of Beccles, Lowestoft, and Southwold;
The Urban Districts of Bungay and Halesworth; and
The Rural Districts of Lothingland and Wainford.[5]
At the 1950 general election, Halesworth was once more placed in the revised Lowestoft County Constituency, but it otherwise underwent only minor changes to reflect local government rationalisations. The boundaries were not altered in the boundary review implemented in 1974.
The constituency was revised in 1983 and renamed Waveney, as its new boundaries were now identical with those of the local government district of that name. The new constituency was very similar to the old Lowestoft one except a small area in the north, including Bradwell (comprising about 10,000 voters), which had been transferred from Suffolk to Norfolk as a result of the Local Government Act 1972, and was now transferred to the county constituency of Great Yarmouth.
2023 Boundary review
Map of boundaries from 2024
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the re-established constituency will be composed of the following wards of the District of East Suffolk (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
General Election 1939–40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
^Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
^ abDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
^ abDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
^ abcdefgCraig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN0-900178-06-X.
