It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 as a County Constituency, comprising: Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural areas were transferred from Mid Bedfordshire; and Dunstable, Leagrave and Limbury from the abolished constituency of Luton.

(Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies) Gained the former Urban District of Linslade from Buckingham in Buckinghamshire - this had been merged with Leighton Buzzard to form the Urban District of Leighton-Linslade in 1965.

[4]  Leagrave and Limbury were included in the new constituency of Luton West.

It was largely absorbed into the new constituency of South West Bedfordshire, including Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard and Linslade.