Sheffield Central

Boundaries

;First creation 1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Sheffield wards of St Peter's and St Philip's, and part of St George's ward.

1918–1950: The County Borough of Sheffield wards of St Peter's and St Philip's, and part of Broomhall ward.

1950-1983: See other seats.

;Second creation (current) 1983–1997: The City of Sheffield wards of Burngreave, Castle, Manor, Netherthorpe, and Sharrow.

1997–2010: as above plus Nether Edge

Sheffield City Council was subject to new ward boundaries from 2004, which removed Castle, Manor, Netherthorpe and Sharrow, whilst adding Central and Manor Castle wards.

2010–2016: The City of Sheffield wards of Broomhill, Central, Manor Castle, Nether Edge, and Walkley (as they existed on 12 April 2005).

2016–2024: Following a local government boundary review, which did not effect the parliamentary boundaries, the contents of the constituency were as follows with effect from May 2016:

• The City of Sheffield wards of Broomhill & Sharrow Vale, City, Manor Castle, Nether Edge & Sharrow, and Walkley; and parts of the wards of Crookes & Crosspool, Ecclesall, Fulwood and Hillsborough.

2024–present: Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency comprises:

• The City of Sheffield wards of: Broomhill & Sharrow Vale; City; Nether Edge & Sharrow; and Walkley.

The Manor Castle ward was transferred to Sheffield Heeley, bringing the electorate within the permitted range. Other minor losses to align with new ward boundaries. ;Present boundaries The seat covers central Sheffield and extends as far as Nether Edge and the Lower Walkley. It covers a similar area to the former Sheffield Park seat. It borders Sheffield Hallam, Sheffield Heeley, Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough and Sheffield South East.

History

1885–1950

Created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the election that year, Sheffield Central was one of five divisions of the former Sheffield constituency. Sheffield Central was abolished in 1950 and the sitting MP, Harry Morris, stood and won in the new seat (now extinct) of Sheffield Neepsend.

1983–present

;Revival In varied form the constituency was brought back into existence for the 1983 general election.

;MPs Labour's Richard Caborn represented Sheffield Central from its recreation in 1983 until he retired in 2010 and was narrowly succeeded at the ballot box by another Labour MP, Paul Blomfield. Blomfield retired for the 2024 general election, with the Labour Party selecting Sheffield city councillor Abtisam Mohamed to fight the seat, beating Eddie Izzard in the selection contest. Mohamed was duly elected with a much reduced, but still comfortable majority.

;Winning margin The 2015 result made the seat the 32nd-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.

Labour majorities since 1983 in Sheffield Central have been in the top quartile save for 2010, when the Liberal Democrat share of the vote came 0.4% short of winning the seat — a highly marginal result.

;Opposition parties The Green Party took second place in 2015, gaining a +12.1% swing (compared with +2.8% nationwide). This was the main target seat of the party in Yorkshire. Its 2012-2016 Leader Natalie Bennett, chose to settle locally on stepping down from the policy-steering role in 2016 and had chosen to contest Sheffield Central at the 2017 general election, when its vote share halved and they fell back to third place. The Green candidate at the 2024 general election regained second place with 26% of the vote. Lib Dem candidates scored variable second places in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2010 then took fourth place in 2015.

;Turnout Turnout has ranged from 62.5% in 1987 to 49.5% in 2001.

Constituency profile

The constituency has a working population whose income is close to the national average and lower than average reliance upon social housing. At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 4.0% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, see table.

There is a large student population and in 2015, the constituency had the youngest median age of voters at 26 years, compared to 39 years for the UK.

The district contributing to the bulk of the seat has a medium 33% of its population without a car. A medium 24.3% of the city's population are without qualifications, a high 15.8% of the population with level 3 qualifications and a medium 25.7% with level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure a relatively low 58.3% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage by occupants as at the 2011 census across the district.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1885–1950

MPs since 1983

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

| access-date = 12 May 2017}} |

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Election results 1885–1950

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 9,923

|reg. electors = 9,923

Elections in the 1890s

|reg. electors = 9,728

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 9,142

Elections in the 1910s

|reg. electors = 8,684

|reg. electors = 8,684

Bailey was sponsored by the National Amalgamated Union of Labour

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1940s

Notes

References

References

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7. "Labour Members of Parliament 2015".
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10. Chalabi, Mona. (1 May 2015). "The U.K.'s Youngest Constituency".
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13. {{rayment-hc. s. 3. (March 2012)
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19. "Sheffield Central Parliamentary constituency". [[BBC News]].
20. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
21. (7 May 2010). "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Sheffield Central". BBC.
22. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
23. "Election 2005 | Results | Sheffield Central".
24. "Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
25. "VOTE 2001 | RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES | Sheffield Central".
26. "Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
27. "Sheffield Central". The Guardian.
28. (May 2018)
29. "Election Data 1992". [[Electoral Calculus]].
30. "Election Data 1987". [[Electoral Calculus]].
31. "Politicsresources.net - Official Web Site ✔".
32. "Election Data 1983". [[Electoral Calculus]].
33. (25 July 1885). "Mr Mervyn Lanark Hawkes and the Sheffield Central Division". [[Sheffield Telegraph]].
34. (1974). "British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918". Macmillan Press.
35. ''Whittaker's Almanack'' (1910), p.159
36. ''British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918'', [[F. W. S. Craig]]
37. Craig, F. W. S.. (1983). "British parliamentary election results 1918-1949". Parliamentary Research Services.