South Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency)


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South Leicestershire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Alberto Costa, a member of the Conservative Party.

South Leicestershire
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map

Boundaries since 2024

Map of constituency

Boundary of South Leicestershire in the East Midlands

CountyLeicestershire
Electorate75,634 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsLutterworth, Whetstone, Narborough and Blaby
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentAlberto Costa (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromBlaby, Harborough
1832–1885
SeatsTwo
Created fromLeicestershire
Replaced byBosworth, Harborough

The current constituency has similar boundaries to the previous Blaby constituency. Historically the "Southern Division of Leicestershire", was a county constituency, less formally known as South Leicestershire. From 1832 to 1885 it elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election.

1832–1885: The Hundreds of Gartree (excluding the parishes of Baggrave, Burrough, Knossington, Marefield, Pickwell-cum-Leesthorpe, Ouston, and Newbold-Saucey), Sparkenhoe and Guthlaxton, and the Borough of Leicester and the Liberties thereof.[2]

Following its review of parliamentary representation in Leicestershire, the Boundary Commission for England recommended replacing the Blaby constituency with a new South Leicestershire seat, with some boundary changes. This change occurred for the 2010 general election.

The electoral wards used to create the new constituency were;

  • Broughton Astley-Astley, Broughton Astley-Broughton, Broughton Astley-Primethorpe, Broughton Astley-Sutton, Dunton, Lutterworth Brookfield, Lutterworth Orchard, Lutterworth Springs, Lutterworth Swift, Misterton, Peatling, and Ullesthorpe in the Harborough District
  • Blaby South, Cosby with South Whetstone, Countesthorpe, Croft Hill, Enderby and St John's, Millfield, Narborough and Littlethorpe, Normanton, North Whetstone, Pastures, Ravenhurst and Fosse, Saxondale, Stanton and Flamville, and Winstanley in the Blaby District[3]

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was defined as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The District of Blaby wards of: Blaby South; Cosby with South Whetstone; Countesthorpe; Croft Hill; Enderby and St. John’s; Narborough and Littlethorpe; Normanton; North Whetstone; Pastures; Saxondale; Stanton and Flamville.
  • The District of Harborough wards of: Bosworth; Broughton Astley-Primethorpe & Sutton; Broughton Astley South & Leire; Dunton; Fleckney; Lutterworth East; Lutterworth West; Misterton; Ullesthorpe.[4]

The Blaby District wards of Millfield, Ravenhurst and Fosse, and Winstanley (comprising the community of Braunstone Town) were transferred to the new constituency of Mid Leicestershire; the Harborough District wards of Bosworth and Fleckney were transferred in from Harborough.

Following a local government boundary review in Blaby which came into effect in May 2023,[5][6] the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

  • The District of Blaby wards of: Blaby; Cosby & South Whetstone; Countesthorpe; Enderby; Fosse Highcross; Fosse Normanton; Fosse Stoney Cove; Glen Parva; Narborough & Littlethorpe; North Whetstone; and a small part of Leicester Forest & Lubbesthorpe.
  • The District of Harborough wards of: Bosworth; Broughton Astley-Primethorpe & Sutton; Broughton Astley South & Leire; Dunton; Fleckney; Lutterworth East; Lutterworth West; Misterton; Ullesthorpe.[7]

Constituency profile

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The current South Leicestershire is a slice of Leicestershire to the south west of Leicester, with most of the population in commuter towns and villages like Whetstone, Blaby and Narborough. Further south it is more rural, with the largest settlement the old market town of Lutterworth. Nearby is the former site of RAF Bitteswell, since redeveloped as Magna Park, one of the largest distribution centres in Europe.[8]

The constituency name of South Leicestershire was new for 2010, but the seat was not massively changed from the old seat of Blaby. Both this and its predecessor are safe Tory seats held by the party since Blaby's creation in 1974. The best known MP to represent the area is the former Chancellor Nigel Lawson.

The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election, when the two-seat Leicestershire constituency was replaced by the Northern and Southern divisions, each of which elected two MPs.

Both divisions of the county were abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, when they were replaced by four new single-seat constituencies: Bosworth, Harborough, Loughborough and Melton.

Prominent members in this period included Thomas Paget (Jnr) (1807–1892) who followed the footsteps of his father in this role (his father having represented Leicestershire) and as partner in Leicester Bank, and Albert Pell, a member of a group of MPs, which included Henry Chaplin, Sir Massey Lopes and Clare Sewell Read, who supported farming interests. He was also a member of the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of England.

Members of Parliament

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Leicestershire prior to 1832

Election 1st Member[9] 1st Party 2nd Member[9] 2nd Party
1832 Edward Dawson Whig[10] Sir Henry Halford, Bt Tory[10]
1834 Conservative[10]
1835 Thomas Frewen Turner Conservative[10]
1836 by-election Charles Packe Conservative[10]
1857 Viscount Curzon Conservative
1867 by-election Thomas Paget Liberal Party
1868 Albert Pell Conservative Party
1870 by-election William Unwin Heygate Conservative
1880 Thomas Paget Liberal Party
1885 Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished

Blaby and Harborough prior to 2010

Election Member[9] Party
2010 Andrew Robathan Conservative
2015 Alberto Costa Conservative

Elections in the 2020s

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Elections in the 2010s

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* Served as an MP in the 2005–2010 Parliament

Elections in the 1830s

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  • Caused by Turner's resignation

Elections in the 1840s

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Elections in the 1850s

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Elections in the 1860s

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  • Caused by Packe's death.

Elections in the 1870s

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  • Caused by Curzon-Howe succeeding to the peerage, becoming Earl Howe.

Elections in the 1880s

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – East Midlands". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  2. ^ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. XLV: An Act to amend the Representation of the People in England and Wales". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 154–206. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  3. ^ 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
  4. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 1 East Midlands.
  5. ^ LGBCE. "Blaby | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  6. ^ "The Blaby (Electoral Changes) Order 2022".
  7. ^ "New Seat Details - Leicestershire South". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b "UK Polling Report".
  9. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 192. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  11. ^ "South Leicestershire - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Leicestershire South Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  13. ^ "General Election 2017: South Leicestershire". The Daily Express. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ Election 2010: South Leicestershire, BBC News
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 417–418. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  18. ^ "South Leicestershire Election". Leicester Journal. 16 July 1841. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 16 May 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ "Leicester Chronicle". 17 July 1841. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 16 May 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.

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