North West Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency)

History

The constituency was contested for the first time in 1983, and Conservative candidate David Ashby became its first MP that year. He stood down in 1997 and Labour's David Taylor won the seat, holding it until he died of a heart attack in December 2009. Taylor had already announced that he would stand down at the 2010 general election. With the next election being due on 6 May 2010, it was considered uneconomic and (based on precedent) unnecessary to arrange a by-election. In the 2010 election, Andrew Bridgen took the seat for the Conservatives, with a swing of 12% from Labour to the Conservatives and with a smaller Labour–Liberal Democrats swing. Bridgen's majority was 7,511 or 14.5% of the total votes cast.

Constituency profile

North West Leicestershire's main settlements are the small towns of Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The population is divided between Labour-inclined former mining areas with high rates of employment and low social housing dependency, and Conservative-inclined rural villages, with most people focused close to the two towns named. The seat has been a bellwether since 1983, as the winning party has formed the government.

In 2011, UK Coal were given permission to develop an opencast coal mining pit on the site of the former Minorca colliery on the outskirts of Measham, in the seat. However, the mine never opened and UK Coal ceased operations in 2015.

Boundaries

Historic

North West Leicestershire constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Bosworth to the south and Loughborough to the east.

1983–1997: The District of North West Leicestershire, and the Borough of Charnwood wards of Shepshed East and Shepshed West.

1997–2024: The District of North West Leicestershire.

Current

Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the size of the constituency was reduced to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the two small wards of Appleby, and Oakthorpe and Donisthorpe to the newly named constituency of Hinckley and Bosworth.

Members of Parliament

Bosworth and Loughborough prior to 1983

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

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Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Notes

References

References

1. "2011 census interactive maps".
2. "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics".
3. "OpenStreetMap".
4. (23 June 2011). "Leicestershire opencast coal mine gains approval". BBC News.
5. "At a glance". Harworth Group.
6. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
7. {{Rayment-hc. l. 2. (March 2012)
8. "Election of a Member of Parliament - The following is a statement of the persons nominated for election as a Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire Constituency".
9. "Leicestershire North West Parliamentary constituency". BBC.
10. (9 June 2017). "General Election 2017: North West Leicestershire". The Daily Express.
11. Andrew Bridgen. (25 April 2017). "Delighted and honoured to have been unanimously readopted as the NW Leics Conservative candidate for the forthcoming General Election.".
12. "East Midlands Labour candidates announced - East Midlands Labour".
13. "General election results - 2017".
14. "Elections - North West Leicestershire District Council".
15. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
16. "UK Polling Report".
17. http://www.markargent4nwleics.org.uk {{Dead link. (February 2022)
18. "Prospective General Election Candidates | Green Party".
19. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
20. "Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
21. [http://www.nwleics.gov.uk/elections/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=4917 North West Leicestershire general election, 2005 results], North West Leicestershire District Council
22. Henig, Simon. (2002). "The Political Map of Britain". [[Politico's]].
23. "Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
24. "Election Data 1992". [[Electoral Calculus]].
25. (9 April 1992). "Politics Resources". Politics Resources.
26. "Election Data 1987". [[Electoral Calculus]].
27. "Election Data 1983". [[Electoral Calculus]].