Hertfordshire is set for a new political landscape

Lib Dem MP Daisy Cooper will be hoping to keep her seat in St Albans

Whoever wins in Hertfordshire, there's going to be a fresh look to the political landscape.

Four Conservative MPs are standing down in the county, meaning more than 80 years of Westminster experience will be lost.

Thanks to boundary changes, an extra seat has been gained though, bringing the total number of constituencies up to 12.

Here's a quick rundown on all of them.

Broxbourne (Majority 19,807, currently Conservative)

This has been one of the safest Conservative seats since it was set up in 1983.

It will get a new MP as Sir Charles Walker is retiring after 19 years, with Broxbourne Council leader Lewis Cocking hoping to replace him.

Two thirds of people in Broxbourne voted Leave in the 2016 referendum, the highest in the Three Counties, and this seat isn't on the Labour target list.

Candidates:

• Nicholas Belfitt (Liberal Democrat)

• Owen Brett (Green)

• Lewis Cocking (Conservative)

• Catherine Deakin (Labour)

• Brett Frewin (English Constitution Party)

• Martin Harvey (UKIP)

• Tom Holdsworth (Reform UK)

BBC debates with candidates have been taking place across the county, like here in Harpenden

Harpenden and Berkhamsted (Majority N/A)

Harpenden and Berkhamsted has been created using parts of three different seats.

It will cover Redbourn, Sandridge and Wheathampstead from the now-abolished Hitchin and Harpenden constituency, as well as Tring and Berkhamsted from South West Hertfordshire - and some rural parts of Hemel Hempstead.

Whatever happens there will be a brand new MP here as none of the incumbent Conservative MPs in the area are standing in this seat.

The Liberal Democrats fancy their chances, with leader Sir Ed Davey launching the parties local election campaign in Harpenden in April.

It’s not a battleground seat for Labour though as they named a candidate late in the day.

You can hear more from some of the candidates who took part in our General Election debate here.

Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat)

Paul de Hoest (Green)

Nigel Gardner (Conservative)

Zara Layne (Labour)

Mark Patten (Social Democratic Party)

Saba Poursaeedi (Reform UK)

Sir Ed Davey launched the Liberal Democrat campaign in Harpenden on 31 May

Hemel Hempstead (Majority 14,563, currently Conservative)

This seat gets a new MP as Conservative Sir Mike Penning has chosen to stand down after 19 years.

The recent boundary review has taken Tory strongholds like Kings Langley and Flamsted away from the constituency, so Labour will be keen to regain a seat they last held in 2005.

The Lib Dems can't be ruled out though having taken control of Dacorum Council in May 2023, which is an authority that covers part of Hemel Hempstead.

There was a last-minute drama when Tory Jaymey McIvor was suspended by the party, just hours before the nominations closed, meaning he had to be replaced as a candidate.

Candidates:

Sammy Barry-Mears (Liberal Democrat)

Sherief Hassan (Green)

David Taylor (Labour)

Noel Willcox (Reform UK)

Andrew Williams (Conservative)

Hertford and Stortford (Majority 19,620, currently Conservative)

A traditional Hertfordshire Tory constituency - it's become the norm for the party to hold a five figure majority there and in the 41-year history of this seat the three MPs have all worn a blue rosette.

Incumbent Julie Marson has a cockapoo dog called Boris, but it was reported locally she survived a selection no-confidence vote as the candidate for this seat.

Candidates:

John Burmicz (Reform UK)

Helen Campbell (Liberal Democrat)

Nick Cox (Green),

Josh Dean (Labour)

Jane Fowler (Alliance for Democracy and Freedom)

Barry Hensall (Heritage Party)

Julie Marson (Conservative)

Hertsmere (Majority 21,313, currently Conservative)

Hertsmere is another traditional Conservative safe seat and currently it's a constituency represented by the Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, who holds a majority of more than 21,000.

The constituency is made up towns and villages including Bushey, Radlett, Potters Bar and Borehamwood.

It's a part of Hertfordshire famous for making people famous, being home to an expanding film industry.

Candidates:

Ray Bolster (Independent)

Oliver Dowden (Conservative)

John Humphries (Green)

Emma Matanle (Liberal Democrat)

Darren Selkus (Reform UK)

Josh Tapper (Labour)

Could the colour of the political landscape change in Hitchin?

Hitchin (Majority N/A)

After 41 years of being joined up with Harpenden, Hitchin is back as a seat again in its own right.

Boundary changes mean parts of Bedfordshire are now in this redrawn constituency and that means two incumbent MPs will do battle, with only one winner.

Bim Afolami's been MP for what was the Hitchin and Harpenden seat since 2017, while Alistair Strathern has been Labour MP for Mid Beds since last October's by-election.

However, where Mr Strathern lives is now in this seat - so he's chosen to fight for his home constituency instead.

Candidates:

Bim Afolami (Conservative)

Charles Bunker (Reform UK)

Sid Cordle (CPA)

William Lavin (Green)

Chris Lucas (Liberal Democrat)

Alistair Strathern (Labour)

North East Herts (Majority 18,189, currently Conservative)

In North East Herts the Tories have an 18,000 advantage, but there will be a brand new MP here as Sir Oliver Heald is retiring after more than thirty years representing this area.

The woman aiming to replace him in this seat is Nikki Da Costa, known for working as a special adviser to two prime ministers, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Candidates:

Steven Adelantado (Reform UK)

Ruth Brown (Liberal Democrat)

Vicky Burt (Green)

Nikki Da Costa (Conservative)

Chris Hinchliff (Labour)

Twelve seats will be fought in Hertfordshire after boundary changes

South West Herts (Majority 14,408, currently Conservative)

There are major changes in these seat, which means if you live in Kings Langley, Abbots Langley, Chorleywood or Rickmansworth it is still your constituency, but places like Tring, Berkhamsted, Bovingdon and Chipperfield are now part of nearby seats instead.

South West Herts has been a Conservative seat since 1950, aside from two months when David Gauke became an Independent after resigning from the party in 2019, following Boris Johnson’s elevation to prime minister.

Candidates:

Michael McGetrick (Social Democratic Party)

Gagan Mohindra (Conservative)

Bernadette O’Malley (Party of Women)

Ketankumar Pipaliya (UK Voice)

Narinder Sian (Green)

Victor Silkin (Rejoin EU)

Keith Steers (Reform UK)

Alex Sufit (Labour)

Sally Symington (Liberal Democrats)

St Albans (Majority 6,293, currently Liberal Democrat)

The only seat in Beds, Herts and Bucks that has had an MP from all three of the major parties since the turn of the century.

Lib Dem Daisy Cooper is the incumbent MP as well as being the deputy leader of the party - and the Lib Dems also hold a big majority on the local council in the city.

Candidates:

Sophia Adams Bhatti (Labour)

Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat)

John Dowdle (Reform UK)

Simon Grover (Green)

Dafyyd Morris (Heritage Party)

Stewart Satterly (Social Democratic Party)

James Spencer (Conservative)

The prime minister visited Airbus in Stevenage on 26 April

Sir Keir made a trip to Airbus a month later, on 28 May

Stevenage (Majority 8,562, currently Conservative)

A seat that will have a new MP as Conservative Stephen McPartland announced in February 2023 that he was standing down, its a bellwhether constituency meaning people there tend to vote the way country does.

In fact the Labour Party calls a stereotypical undecided female voter Stevenage Woman.

Labour has frequently targeted this seat with Sir Keir Starmer and predecessor Jeremy Corbyn regular visitors to a town with a Labour run Council. In 2019 though, despite suggestions the seat could turn Red, Mr McPartland actually more than doubled his majority.

Candidates:

Kevin Bonavia (Labour)

Alexander Clarkson (Conservative)

Paul Dawson (Green)

Peter Hopper (Reform)

Lisa Nash (Liberal Democrat)

Joshua Smith (Christian People's Alliance)

The Conservatives have held Watford since 2010

Watford (Majority 4,433, currently Conservative)

An interesting constituency, as it has had a Conservative MP since 2010, but the Liberal Democrat-run council in Watford hasn’t had a Tory councillor since 2015.

Dean Russell more than doubled Lord Richard Harrington’s majority from 2017 when he won the seat in 2019.

In May 2023, it was confirmed that Watford General Hospital would be one of 40 that would be fully-funded by the government as part of the £20bn New Hospital Programme, although campaigners say any development should be on a new site.

Recent boundary changes have led to some Conservative concerns over the loss of some key wards for them in this seat.

Candidates:

Arran Bowen-la Grange (Green)

Khalid Chahon (Workers Party)

Sarah Knott (Heritage Party)

Gary Ling (Reform UK)

Dean Russell (Conservative)

Ian Stotesbury (Liberal Democrat)

Matt Turmaine (Labour)

Conservative Grant Shapps has been Welwyn's MP since 2005

Welwyn Hatfield (Majority 10,955, currently Conservative)

This seat was created in 1974, and it has been served by both Labour and Conservative MPs, although it has been Tory since 2005.

In those 18 years the MP has been the current Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps.

The constituency is split into three parts: Labour tends to do well in Hatfield, while Welwyn Garden City is stronger for the Tories, and then there’s Welwyn Village/Brookmans Park, which is also seen as a strong area for Conservative voters.

Candidates:

Jack Aaron (Reform UK)

Sarah Butcher (Green)

Andrew Lewin (Labour)

John Munro (Liberal Democrat)

Grant Shapps (Conservative)