Lab took this seat from Con after 4 consecutive elections.
MP News Approval i
+58
Josh Dean
Labour PartyJosh Dean is the Labour MP for Hertford and Stortford, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance, devolution, and regulatory consultation. The excerpts focus on New Clause 20, which would require the Secretary of State to issue guidance (consulting chief medical officers and palliative/hospice care providers) and enable Welsh Ministers to issue guidance on devolved health matters.
Sign up free to read the full briefing on Josh Dean.
Sign up freeCoverage of Hertford and Stortford has been mixed for Josh across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“'Health service misogyny left me in serious pain'” — BBC
Represented by Lab since 2024. Covers Bishop's Stortford, Hertford and Ware. Population 109,556.
The 11 Hertfordshire bus route changes coming into force from next week
The Watford Observer · 9 Apr 2026
Sign up free to see how Josh Dean votes, their stance profile, speeches, and committee roles.
Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£35,800
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£51,200
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
5,290
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
57
36 primary, 11 secondary, 10 other
Total Income Tax▼
£689m
from 65,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£4,040
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£10,600
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
52.8
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
78.9%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
2 large towns, 2 towns, 2 villages, rural areas — 105,702 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
35 councillors across 16 wards · Last elections: May 2023
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishops Stortford All Saints | Liberal Democrats | Chris Wilson | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Paul Adams | May 2023 | |
| Bishops Stortford Central | Labour Party | David John Jacobs | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Yvonne Roger Estop | May 2023 | |
| Bishops Stortford North | Liberal Democrats | Mione Goldspink | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Miriam Joy Swainston | May 2023 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Sarah Ann Copley | May 2023 | |
| Bishops Stortford Parsonage | Liberal Democrats | Calvin Laurie Horner | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Richard George Victor Townsend | May 2023 | |
| Bishops Stortford South | Conservative and Unionist Party | Diane Lavinia Elizabeth Hollebon | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Simon Marlow | May 2023 | |
| Bishops Stortford Thorley Manor | Labour Party | David Edward John Willcocks | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Graham McAndrew | May 2023 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | John Fraser Wyllie | May 2023 | |
| Hertford Bengeo | Green Party of England and Wales | Alex Daar | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Ben Crystall | May 2023 | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Vicky Smith | May 2023 | |
| Hertford Castle | Green Party of England and Wales | Rachel Elizabeth Carter | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Sarah Jane Hopewell | May 2023 | |
| Hertford Kingsmead | Green Party of England and Wales | Carl Andrew Brittain | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Maura Catherine Connolly | May 2023 | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Vicky Glover-Ward | May 2023 | |
| Hertford Sele | Labour Party | Carolyn Ann Redfern | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Thomas Nahum Clements | May 2023 | |
| Hunsdon | Green Party of England and Wales | John Nevin Dunlop | May 2023 |
| Much Hadham | Conservative and Unionist Party | Ian Devonshire | May 2023 |
| Sawbridgeworth | Conservative and Unionist Party | Angus James Parsad-Wyatt | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Eric Henry Buckmaster | May 2023 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Ruth Buckmaster | May 2023 | |
| Ware Priory | Green Party of England and Wales | George Robert Kenneth Williams | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Graeme Crerar Hill | May 2023 | |
| Ware St Marys | Green Party of England and Wales | Martin Francis Butcher | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Steven Graham Watson | May 2023 | |
| Ware Trinity | Green Party of England and Wales | Chris Hart | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Nick Cox | May 2023 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab | 20,808 | 38.5% | |
Won 2019 GE | Con | 16,060 | 29.7% |
| Ref | 8,325 | 15.4% | |
| Green | 4,373 | 8.1% | |
| LD | 4,167 | 7.7% | |
| Ind | 139 | 0.3% | |
| Ind | 137 | 0.3% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Con | 33,712 | 56.1% | |
Won 2024 GE | Lab | 14,092 | 23.4% |
| LD | 8,596 | 14.3% | |
| Green | 2,705 | 4.5% | |
| Ind | 681 | 1.1% | |
| Ind | 308 | 0.5% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 36,184 | 60.3% |
| Lab | 17,149 | 28.6% | |
| LD | 4,845 | 8.1% | |
| Green | 1,814 | 3.0% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 31,593 | 56.1% |
| Lab | 10,084 | 17.9% | |
| Ind | 7,534 | 13.4% | |
| LD | 4,385 | 7.8% | |
| Green | 2,681 | 4.8% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 29,810 | 53.8% |
Won 2024 GE | LD | 14,373 | 25.9% |
| Lab | 7,620 | 13.8% | |
| Ind | 1,716 | 3.1% | |
| Ind | 1,297 | 2.3% | |
| Ind | 325 | 0.6% | |
| Ind | 236 | 0.4% |
Josh Dean has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
25 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
Hertfordshire bus services are undergoing timetable changes across 11 routes from April 12-13, with most adjustments aimed at improving punctuality. The changes affect multiple areas including routes serving Hoddesdon to Bishop's Stortford and other key corridors across the county.
Greater Anglia trains serving Stansted Airport and Bishop Stortford experienced significant disruptions due to a points failure between Tottenham Hale and Clapton, causing delays, alterations, and cancellations. The incident affected commuters from London Liverpool Street to both Stansted and Bishop Stortford, with Network Rail assistance required to resolve the issue.
A Hertford woman describes how medical misogyny led to her serious abdominal pain going undiagnosed for months, eventually requiring private treatment to be diagnosed with adenomyosis. Her local MP Josh Dean raised the issue in Parliament and arranged a meeting with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to address systemic failures in how the NHS treats women's health concerns.
A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash involving a motorcycle and a Nissan Qashqai on London Road in Sawbridgeworth on Saturday, April 4. Hertfordshire Police are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage to assist with their investigation.
Essex Police are appealing for information about Jared, a 17-year-old missing from Uttlesford who has known links to Bishop's Stortford. The police are concerned for his welfare and are asking the public for help locating him.
A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a collision with a Nissan Qashqai near Sawbridgeworth in the Hertford and Stortford constituency. Police have launched an appeal for witnesses and dash cam footage to help investigate the incident.
Hertfordshire Police is seeking Jonathan Young, 34, who is wanted in connection with threats to kill and stalking. Young has links to Essex, Bishop's Stortford, and Hertford, making this directly relevant to the Hertford and Stortford constituency.
Neil Higgins, 50, from Kings Langley in Hertfordshire, has been jailed for six years after deliberately setting fire to a shed with another man inside in August 2025. The victim escaped unharmed, and the fire spread to neighboring property causing around £2,570 in damage; the court and emergency services praised the quick response of Hertford Fire and Rescue Service.
A lifestyle article featuring energy-saving tips from households, including Katherine Twigg from Albury near Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, who uses smart meters and smart home devices to reduce her energy bills to £100 per month. The article provides practical advice on energy conservation ahead of potential winter bill increases.
A new digital reporting system called ShopSafe Alert is being piloted across four retail hubs in Hertfordshire, including Bishop's Stortford, to help retailers report shoplifting incidents more effectively and share intelligence with police. The scheme aims to tackle retail crime through better communication and evidence sharing between businesses and law enforcement.
Bethany Norton, a 19-year-old from Hertford and Newcastle University student, won gold at the ISSF World Cup shooting competition in Morocco, setting a junior world record with a score of 28 in women's skeet. The achievement is particularly notable as she defeated Olympic and world championship medallists in her first senior competition final.
Iliffe Media Group, which owns the Bishop's Stortford Independent, has acquired 30 regional newspapers from Tindle across Wales, the West Country, Surrey, Hampshire and the Isle of Man. The deal expands Iliffe's portfolio of local news titles and strengthens its digital transformation capabilities across regional UK markets.
A Hertfordshire father, Gareth Sowter of Great Amwell, has been jailed for two years and two months for fraudulently transferring over £100,000 to family and friends to avoid paying school fees debt to St Edmund's College in Ware. His former partner, Kim Sowter of Hertford, received an eight-month suspended sentence for her role in moving £50,000 of the fraudulent transfers, including using some funds for family holidays.
A feature article highlighting five historic pubs across Hertfordshire, including The Salisbury Arms Hotel in Hertford town centre (dating to 1431) and The Eight Bells in Old Hatfield (linked to Dickens' Oliver Twist). The article celebrates the cultural and heritage value of these establishments as tourist attractions and community venues.
Subscribe to unlock AI parliamentary agenda analysis: what's coming up, how it affects this constituency, and how your MP is likely to vote.
See plansSign up free to ask AI questions about Josh Dean — 3 questions per month on the free tier.
Sign up freeMore constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.