Carlford Division, Suffolk

{{Infobox constituency

|name = Carlford

|type = County Council

|constituency_link =

|parl_name = Suffolk County Council

|map1 =

|map_size =

|image = Map Carlford Electoral District, Suffolk.png

|image_size =

|map_entity =

|map_year =

|caption = Carlford Electoral Division

|district = East Suffolk

|region = East of England

|population = 9,029 (2019)

|electorate = 7,263 (2021)

|towns = Grundisburgh

|future =

|year = 1985

|abolished =

|member = Elaine Bryce (Conservative)

|members_label = Councillor

|seats = 1

|elects_howmany = 1

|local_council = East Suffolk District Council

|previous = Deben No. 3

|next =

}}

Carlford Division is an electoral division of Suffolk which returns one county councillor to Suffolk County Council.{{cite web |title=Carlford Electoral Division Profile 2017 |url=https://www.suffolkobservatory.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/47-Carlford.pdf |website=www.suffolkobservatory |publisher=Suffolk Observatory |accessdate=9 June 2020}}

Geography

Carlford is a entirely rural division covering the villages north east of Ipswich and south west of Framlingham. It contains a considerably higher-than-average proportion of people over the age of 45.

History

Like many rural parts of Suffolk, Carlford has historically been a stronghold for the Conservative Party and has never failed to elect a Tory County Councillor.

On 8 June 2020 Robin Vickery, the then County Councillor resigned following over 600 complaints were made concerning racist posts he had shared on Facebook. He resigned before a Council investigation could be put in place, also resigning as a Borough councillor for Castle Hill Ward, Ipswich and from the Conservative Party.{{cite news |last1=Geater |first1=Paul |title=No new councillors for 11 months after Vickery quits over sharing racist posts |url=https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/long-delay-for-new-suffolk-councillor-1-6692519 |work=Ipswich Star |issue=9 June 2020 |publisher=Archant Community Media Ltd |date=2020 |language=en}} Suffolk County Council stated that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the seat would not be contested until May 2021.

Boundaries and boundary changes

=1985–2005=

Suffolk Coastal District Wards of Bealings, Grundisburgh and Witnesham, and Rushmere.{{cite web |title=Local Government Boundary Commission For England Report No. 429 |url=https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/11744/429.-suffolk.pdf |website=lgbce.org.uk/ |publisher=Local Government Boundary Commission for England |access-date=5 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401013934/https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/11744/429.-suffolk.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2018 |date=June 1982}}

=2005–present=

Suffolk Coastal District Wards of Earl Soham, Grundisburgh, Otley and Witnesham.{{cite web |title=Carlford |url=https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/councillors-and-elected-representatives/find-your-councillor/vacancy/ |website=www.suffolk.gov.uk |publisher=Suffolk County Council |accessdate=9 June 2020}}{{cite web |title=Final recommendations on the future electoral arrangements for Suffolk County Council |url=https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/6397/suffolkfinal_14270-10789__e__.pdf |website=lgbce.org.uk/ |publisher=Local Government Boundary Commission for England |access-date=5 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401075146/https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/6397/suffolkfinal_14270-10789__e__.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2018 |date=July 2004}}

Members for Carlford

class="wikitable"
colspan="2"\|Member	Party	Term
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Simon Bestow \| Conservative \| 1985–2001
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Steven Hudson \| Conservative \| 2001–2005
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Peter Bellfield \| Conservative \| 2005–2016
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Robin Vickery \| Conservative \| 2016–2020
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Elaine Bryce \| Conservative \| 2021–present

class="wikitable"

colspan="2"|Member

Party

Term