In the 1997 United Kingdom general election, it returned a memorable result when prominent Conservative Michael Portillo lost the previously safe seat to Stephen Twigg of the Labour Party.

In 1984, Conservative MP Sir Anthony Berry who represented Enfield Southgate was killed in the Brighton hotel bombing by the Provisional IRA, triggering a by-election.

It was regarded as a safe seat for the Conservative party, but it gained national attention in the 1997 general election when Michael Portillo, Secretary of State for Defence was unexpectedly defeated on a massive swing - the 'Portillo moment'.

Enfield Southgate is one of five constituencies, the others being Croydon Central, Leeds North West, Peterborough and Reading East, which elected Labour MPs in 2017 having not done so since 2001.

Less out-of-work benefits (7.4%) are claimed here than the average for London (8.4%, which compares to 6.4% nationally in April 2021) and among those aged 18 to 24 the percentage is 10.4% in the seat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[5] To the north, the seat is semi-rural taking in Trent Park and the former campus of Middlesex University, and the Cockfosters terminus of the Piccadilly line, stretching into the wealthy Hadley Wood area.