Leicester South
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Leicester South in Leicestershire
Outline map
Location of Leicestershire within England
CountyLeicestershire
Electorate78,433 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsLeicester
Current constituency
Created1974 (1974)
Member of ParliamentJonathan Ashworth (Labour Co-op)
SeatsOne
Created fromLeicester South East and Leicester South West
1918–1950
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyBorough constituency
Created fromLeicester
Replaced byLeicester South East, Leicester South West and Leicester North East

Leicester South is a constituency[n 1], recreated in 1974, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2011 by Jonathan Ashworth of the Labour Co-op Party (which denotes he is a member of the Labour Party and Co-operative Party, one of 38 such current Labour MPs, and requires members to contribute practically to a cooperative business).[n 2] A previous version of the seat existed between 1918 and 1950. Except for a 2004 by-election when it was won by the Liberal Democrats, Leicester South has been held by the Labour Party since 1987.

Boundaries

1918–1950: The county borough of Leicester wards of Aylstone, Castle, Charnwood, De Montfort, Knighton, Martin's, and Wycliffe.[2]

The initial report of the Boundary Commission for England dated October 1947 and published in December 1947 recommended that Leicester retain three seats, including a revised Leicester South constituency consisting of the wards of Aylestone, De Montfort, Knighton, North Braunstone and Spinney Hill, giving an electorate of 67,574 as of the review date of 15 October 1946.[3] When the Representation of the People Bill enacting the commission's recommendations was debated in the House of Commons, the Government brought forward amendments at Committee stage on 24 March 1948 to allow 17 more constituencies in England. Home Secretary James Chuter Ede announced that the Boundary Commission would be invited to consider an additional constituency to each of nine cities, including Leicester.[4] The Government issued a White Paper proposing the new boundaries which created new borough constituencies of Leicester South East and Leicester South West in place of Leicester South. The Boundary Commission recommended no alteration to the proposals,[5] and the revised constituencies were therefore enacted.

In 1969, the Second Periodical Report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England reduced Leicester from four seats to three, and recreated Leicester South as a borough constituency.

1974–1983: The county borough of Leicester wards of Aylestone, De Montfort, Knighton, Spinney Hill, The Castle, and Wycliffe wards of Leicester.[6][7]

1983–2010: The City of Leicester wards of Aylestone, Castle, Crown Hills, East Knighton, Eyres Monsell, Saffron, Spinney Hill, Stoneygate, West Knighton and Wycliffe.[8][9]

Minor boundary changes were made as a result of the Third Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission in 1983. The new constituency took in about 3,000 voters who were previously in other Leicester seats.[10] No changes were made in the Fourth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission in 1995.[11]

2010–present: The City of Leicester wards of Aylestone, Castle, Eyres Monsell, Freemen, Knighton, Spinney Hills, and Stoneygate.[12]

In the Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission in 2007, the constituency had only minor changes with 73 voters being added from Leicester West.[13]

Presently the seat is centred on the southern part of Leicester, and covers leafy suburbs such as Stoneygate and Knighton, inner-city areas with a strong Asian community, and deprived outer estates such as Saffron and Eyres Monsell. Another demographic feature is the presence of a large number of students studying at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University, which are both situated in the constituency.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be reduced by the transfer of Aylestone ward to Leicester West. To partly compensate, polling district EVF in Evington ward will be added from Leicester East.[14]

Constituency profile

Leicester South is a varied constituency. It contains some of the most pleasant and affluent areas of Leicester such as Stoneygate, Knighton and Aylestone, as well as more deprived areas such as Saffron and Eyres Monsell. The centre of Leicester, also within the constituency, is more ethnically diverse than the southern part of the area. The seat also contains HM Prison Leicester and both of Leicester's universities.[15]

History

The seat was held by Derek Spencer for the Conservative Party between the general elections of 1983 and 1987. Its electorate demonstrated increased Labour support thereafter in local and national elections. A 2004 by-election caused by the death of Labour MP Jim Marshall was fought under the shadow of the Iraq War, and was won by Parmjit Singh Gill who became at the time the only Liberal Democrat MP from an ethnic minority. He held the seat for a year before being defeated by Labour candidate Sir Peter Soulsby at the 2005 general election. Soulsby subsequently resigned in order to seek election as Mayor of Leicester in 2011, giving Leicester South its second by-election in the space of seven years; this time the seat was safely held by Labour.[15]

The expansion of the city's suburbs and commuter belt has altered the incomes and other demographic measures of the constituency. The seat saw close contests between Conservative and Labour candidates in the 1980s, with Jim Marshall losing the seat by 7 votes to the Conservatives in the 1983 general election, but regaining it in 1987.

Marshall died in 2004, and the resulting by-election was fiercely contested. As in a by-election in Birmingham Hodge Hill held on the same day, the Liberal Democrat candidates hoped—despite having additional competition for the anti-Iraq War vote from Respect—to build on their previous by-election gain at Brent East. The seat was won by the Liberal Democrat Parmjit Singh Gill, with a majority of 1,654.

Sir Peter Soulsby won the seat at the 2005 election, and was re-elected in 2010. Sir Peter resigned to seek election for the new position of Mayor of Leicester in 2011, triggering a by-election on 5 May 2011, that coincided with the referendum on the voting system.[16] Jonathan Ashworth was elected as his successor, holding the seat for the Labour Party; he was re-elected in 2015 and 2017.

Despite being the only seat in Leicester that has been served by all three major parties in the past 35 years, Leicester South is also currently the safest of the three Labour seats in the city, with a majority in 2017 of 26,261 votes (52.0%), which, as in neighbouring Leicester East, is also the highest-ever majority for Labour in the seat.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1918–1950

ElectionMember[17]Party
1918 Thomas Blane Conservative
1922 William George Waterhouse Reynolds Conservative
1923 Ronald Wilberforce Allen Liberal
1924 Charles Waterhouse Conservative
1945 Herbert Bowden Labour
1950 constituency abolished

MPs since 1974

ElectionMember[17]Party
Feb 1974 Tom Boardman Conservative
Oct 1974 Jim MarshallLabour
1983 Derek Spencer Conservative
1987 Jim Marshall Labour
2004 by-election Parmjit Singh Gill Liberal Democrat
2005 Sir Peter Soulsby Labour
2011 by-election Jonathan Ashworth Labour and Co-operative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Leicester South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform UK Craig Harwood[18]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Leicester South[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Jonathan Ashworth 33,606 67.0 -6.6
Conservative Natalie Neale 10,931 21.8 +0.2
Liberal Democrats Chris Coghlan 2,754 5.5 +3.0
Green Mags Lewis 1,669 3.3 +1.0
Brexit Party James Potter 1,187 2.4 New
Majority 22,675 45.2 -6.8
Turnout 50,147 64.6 -2.4
Labour Co-op hold Swing -3.35
General election 2017: Leicester South [20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Jonathan Ashworth 37,157 73.6 +13.8
Conservative Meera Sonecha 10,896 21.6 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Harrish Bishnauthsing 1,287 2.5 -2.1
Green Mags Lewis 1,177 2.3 -3.2
Majority 26,261 52.0 +13.1
Turnout 50,517 67.0 +4.5
Labour Co-op hold Swing +6.56
General election 2015: Leicester South[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Jonathan Ashworth 27,493 59.8 +14.2
Conservative Leon Hadji-Nikolaou 9,628 20.9 -0.5
UKIP Peter Stone 3,832 8.3 +6.8
Green Gabriella Garcia 2,533 5.5 +3.9
Liberal Democrats Anita Prabhakar 2,127 4.6 -22.3
TUSC Andrew Walton 349 0.8 New
Majority 17,845 38.9 +20.2
Turnout 45,962 62.5 +1.4
Labour Co-op hold Swing +7.4
By-election 2011: Leicester South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jonathan Ashworth 19,771 57.8 +12.2
Liberal Democrats Zuffar Haq 7,693 22.5 -4.4
Conservative Jane Hunt 5,169 15.1 -6.3
UKIP Abhijit Pandya 994 2.9 +1.4
Monster Raving Loony Howling Laud Hope 553 1.6 New
Majority 12,078 35.3 +16.6
Turnout 34,180
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General election 2010: Leicester South[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Soulsby 21,479 45.6 +6.2
Liberal Democrats Parmjit Singh Gill 12,671 26.9 -3.7
Conservative Ross Grant 10,066 21.4 +3.6
BNP Adrian Waudby 1,418 3.0 New
Green Dave Dixey 770 1.6 -1.6
UKIP Christopher Lucas 720 1.5 New
Majority 8,808 18.7 +9.9
Turnout 47,124 61.1 +3.4
Labour hold Swing +5.0

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Leicester South[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Soulsby 16,688 39.3 -15.2
Liberal Democrats Parmjit Singh Gill 12,971 30.6 +13.4
Conservative Martin McElwee 7,549 17.8 -5.3
Respect Yvonne Ridley 2,720 6.4 N/A
Green Matthew Follett 1,379 3.3 +0.4
Veritas Ken Roseblade 573 1.4 New
Socialist Labour Dave Roberts 315 0.7 -0.9
Independent Paul Lord 216 0.5 N/A
Majority 3,717 8.8 -22.6
Turnout 42,411 58.7 +0.7
Labour hold Swing
By-election 2004: Leicester South[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Parmjit Singh Gill 10,274 34.9 +17.7
Labour Peter Soulsby 8,620 29.3 -25.2
Conservative Chris Heaton-Harris 5,796 19.7 -3.4
Respect Yvonne Ridley 3,724 12.7 New
Socialist Labour Dave Roberts 263 0.9 -0.7
Monster Raving Loony R. U. Seerius 225 0.8 New
Independent Pat Kennedy 204 0.7 New
Independent Paul Lord 186 0.6 New
Independent Mark Benson 55 0.2 New
Independent Jitendra Bardwaj 36 0.1 New
Independent Alan Barrett 25 0.1 New
Majority 1,654 5.6 N/A
Turnout 29,438 41.6 -16.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing +21.5
General election 2001: Leicester South[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Marshall 22,958 54.5 -3.5
Conservative Richard Hoile 9,715 23.1 -0.7
Liberal Democrats Parmjit Singh Gill 7,243 17.2 +3.4
Green Margaret Layton 1,217 2.9 New
Socialist Labour Arnie Gardner 676 1.6 New
UKIP Kirti Ladwa 330 0.8 New
Majority 13,243 31.4 -2.9
Turnout 42,139 58.0 -8.3
Labour hold Swing -1.4

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Leicester South[26][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Marshall 27,914 58.0 +5.7
Conservative Chris Heaton-Harris 11,421 23.7 -10.9
Liberal Democrats Barry Coles 6,654 13.8 +2.1
Referendum John Hancock 1,184 2.5 New
Socialist Labour Jim Dooher 634 1.3 New
National Democrats Kevin Sills 307 0.6 New
Majority 16,493 34.3 +16.6
Turnout 48,194 66.3 -8.8
Labour hold Swing +8.3
General election 1992: Leicester South[28][27][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Marshall 27,934 52.3 +8.1
Conservative Michael K. Dutt 18,494 34.6 −6.2
Liberal Democrats Anne Crumbie 6,271 11.7 −2.1
Green John McWhirter 554 1.0 +0.3
Natural Law Patricia A. Saunders 154 0.3 New
Majority 9,440 17.7 +14.3
Turnout 53,407 75.1 −1.9
Labour hold Swing +7.2

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Leicester South[30][31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Marshall 24,901 44.2 +3.9
Conservative Derek Spencer 23,024 40.8 +0.5
Liberal Robert Pritchard 7,773 13.8 −3.9
Green Brian Fewster 390 0.7 −0.2
Independent Labour Mian Mayat 192 0.3 New
Workers Revolutionary Robert Manners 96 0.2 New
Majority 1,877 3.4 N/A
Turnout 56,376 77.0 +4.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +1.7
General election 1983: Leicester South[32][33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Spencer 21,424 40.3 -2.3
Labour Jim Marshall 21,417 40.3 -6.1
Liberal Rob Renold 9,410 17.7 +8.5
Ecology C. Davis 495 0.9 New
BNP C. Pickard 280 0.6 New
Socialist Workers (Indian Workers' Association) Dave Roberts 161 0.3 New
Majority 7 0.0 N/A
Turnout 53,187 72.3 -2.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.9

The Conservatives' 7 vote majority made Leicester South their most marginal constituency after the 1983 election and was the closest result in any constituency in the United Kingdom in the election.[34]

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Leicester South[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Marshall 24,548 46.4 +3.2
Conservative Ray Godsall 22,550 42.6 +1.7
Liberal John Pick 4,856 9.2 -2.2
National Front A. R. Cartwright 940 1.8 -2.3
Majority 1,998 3.8 +1.5
Turnout 52,894 74.8 +5.9
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Leicester South[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Marshall 21,588 43.2 +4.6
Conservative Tom Boardman 20,455 40.9 -0.9
Liberal H. Young 5,709 11.4 -5.3
National Front A. R. Cartwright 2,072 4.1 +1.1
Marxist-Leninist (England) G. H. Rousseau 136 0.3 New
Majority 1,133 2.3 N/A
Turnout 49,960 68.9 -7.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election February 1974: Leicester South[37]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Boardman 22,943 41.8
Labour Jim Marshall 21,177 38.6
Liberal Gordon Willey 9,148 16.7
National Front John Kynaston 1,639 3.0
Majority 1,766 3.2
Turnout 54,907 76.4
Conservative win (new seat)

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Leicester South[38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Herbert Bowden 19,541 45.0 +10.0
Conservative Charles Waterhouse 18,373 42.3 +7.3
Liberal Thomas Allan Pratt 5,509 12.7 New
Majority 1,168 2.7 N/A
Turnout 43,423 76.8 +6.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Leicester South[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Waterhouse 24,868 65.0 -11.8
Labour Leslie Maddock 13,395 35.0 +11.8
Majority 11,473 30.0 -23.6
Turnout 38,263 70.2 -8.5
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: Leicester South[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Waterhouse 32,767 76.8 +34.5
Labour John Dugdale 9,892 23.2 -14.2
Majority 22,875 53.6 +48.7
Turnout 42,659 78.7 -1.7
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

Purchase
General election 1929: Leicester South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Waterhouse 18,343 42.3 −7.7
Labour Herbert Brough Usher 16,198 37.4 +7.7
Liberal Henry Purchase 8,811 20.3 0.0
Majority 2,145 4.9 −15.4
Turnout 43,352 80.4 −1.1
Registered electors 53,890
Unionist hold Swing −7.7
General election 1924: Leicester South[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Waterhouse 15,005 50.0 +7.9
Labour Herbert Brough Usher 8,912 29.7 New
Liberal Ronald Wilberforce Allen 6,079 20.3 −37.6
Majority 6,093 20.3 N/A
Turnout 29,996 81.5 +10.5
Registered electors 36,805
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +22.8
General election 1923: Leicester South[40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ronald Wilberforce Allen 14,692 57.9 +8.1
Unionist William George Waterhouse Reynolds 10,674 42.1 −8.1
Majority 4,018 15.8 New
Turnout 25,366 71.0 −0.7
Registered electors 35,710
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +8.1
General election 1922: Leicester South[41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William George Waterhouse Reynolds 12,534 50.2 −27.0
Liberal Ronald Wilberforce Allen 12,425 49.8 New
Majority 109 0.4 −54.0
Turnout 24,959 71.7 +5.0
Registered electors 34,789
Unionist hold Swing −27.0

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Leicester South[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Thomas Blane 18,498 77.2
Labour Frederick Fox Riley 5,463 22.8
Majority 13,035 54.4
Turnout 23,961 66.7
Registered electors 35,909
Unionist win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the People Act, 1918: with explanatory notes. London: Sweet and Maxwell.
  3. ↑ "Initial Report", Boundary Commission for England, Cmd. 7260, p. 30-1.
  4. ↑ "All-Night Debate on New Constituencies", The Times, 25 March 1948, p. 4.
  5. ↑ "Report of Boundary Commissioners for England on Representations relating to certain proposed new Constituencies", Cmd. 7400, p. 5.
  6. ↑ F. W. S. Craig, "Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972", Political Reference Publications, Chichester, 1972, p. 138.
  7. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Leicester South and Harborough) Order 1971. SI 1971/2111". Statutory Instruments 1971. Part III Section 2. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1972. pp. 6226–6227.
  8. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1983/417, retrieved 5 March 2023
  9. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1995/1626, retrieved 5 March 2023
  10. ↑ "The BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", Parliamentary Research Services, Chichester, 1983, p. 89.
  11. ↑ "Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky (Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre), 1995, p. 109.
  12. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2007/1681, retrieved 5 March 2023
  13. ↑ "Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies (Fifth Periodical Review)", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky (Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre), 2007, p. 108.
  14. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part I.
  15. 1 2 "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
  16. ↑ "Vote 2011: Details of elections taking place across UK". BBC News. 13 April 2011.
  17. 1 2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)
  18. ↑ "Find My PPC (East Midlands)" (PDF). Reform UK. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "Leicester South Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  20. ↑ "Parliamentary election". www.leicester.gov.uk.
  21. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 2001-2005 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Leicester South", Guardian Online
  28. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  29. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  30. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  31. ↑ "Politico's Guide to the History of British Political Parties". Politico's. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  32. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  33. ↑ "UK General Election results: June 1983 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  34. ↑ The Times Guide to the House of Commons June 1983. London: Times Books Ltd. 1983. p. 282. ISBN 0-7230-0255-X.
  35. ↑ "UK General Election results: May 1979 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net.
  36. ↑ "UK General Election results: October 1974 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net.
  37. ↑ "UK General Election results: February 1974 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net.
  38. ↑ "UK General Election results: July 1945 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  39. 1 2 3 4 The Constitutional Year Book (1937), p.210
  40. ↑ The Constitutional Year Book (1933), p.198
  41. ↑ The Constitutional Year Book (1930), p.234

52°36′N 1°08′W / 52.60°N 1.14°W / 52.60; -1.14

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