Leicester South (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Leicester South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It elects one Member of Parliament
(MP), by the first past the post voting system. The constituency was first created in 1918, abolished in 1950, and reconstituted in 1974.
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. 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. 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, 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 consisting of the Aylestone, De Montfort, Knighton, Spinney Hill, The Castle and Wycliffe wards of Leicester.
Minor boundary changes were made as a result of the Third Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission in 1983. Ward boundaries having changed, the constituency was defined as including the Aylestone, Castle, Crown Hills, East Knighton, Eyres Monsell, Saffron, Spinney Hill, Stoneygate, West Knighton and Wycliffe wards. The new constituency took in about 3,000 voters who were previously in other Leicester divisions. No changes were made in the Fourth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission in 1995, and 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
.
The seat is centred on the southern part of Leicester
covering leafy suburbs such as Stoneygate and Knighton, as well as inner city areas with a strong Asian community and deprived outer estates such as Saffron and Eyres Monsell. The constituency encompasses the council wards of Spinney Hills
, Stoneygate
, Knighton, Leicester, Freemen, Aylestone
, Eyres Monsell
and virtually all of Castle. 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.
losing the seat by just 7 votes to the Conservatives in the 1983 general election
but regaining it in 1987
. In subsequent elections the majority grew to the point where it was considered substantially safe.
Marshall died in 2004 and the resulting by-election
was fiercely contested. Along with a by-election in Birmingham Hodge Hill held on the same day, the seat saw a fierce challenge by the Liberal Democrats, hoping to build on their previous by-election gain at Brent East
, as well as competition for the anti-war vote from RESPECT The Unity Coalition
. The seat was won by the Liberal Democrats' Parmjit Singh Gill
with a majority of 1,654.
Sir Peter Soulsby
, who had been the unsuccessful Labour candidate at the 2004 by-election, won the seat at the 2005 election
and was re-elected in 2010. Sir Peter resigned in order to fight the election for the new position as Mayor of Leicester in 2011, triggering a by-election
on 5 May 2011, coinciding with the referendum on the voting system. Jon Ashworth was elected as his successor, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elects one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP), by the first past the post voting system. The constituency was first created in 1918, abolished in 1950, and reconstituted in 1974.
Boundaries
When originally created in 1918, the South division of the Parliamentary Borough of Leicester was defined as including the municipal wards of Aylestone, Castle, Charnwood, De Montfort, Knighton, Martin's, and Wycliffe.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. When the Representation of the People Bill
Representation of the People Act 1948
The Representation of the People Act 1948 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the law relating to parliamentary and local elections...
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
James Chuter Ede
James Chuter Ede, Baron Chuter-Ede CH, PC, DL was a British teacher, trade unionist and Labour politician. He notably served as Home Secretary under Clement Attlee from 1945 to 1951.-Early life:...
announced that the Boundary Commission would be invited to consider an additional constituency to each of nine Cities, including Leicester. The Government issued a White Paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
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, 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 consisting of the Aylestone, De Montfort, Knighton, Spinney Hill, The Castle and Wycliffe wards of Leicester.
Minor boundary changes were made as a result of the Third Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission in 1983. Ward boundaries having changed, the constituency was defined as including the Aylestone, Castle, Crown Hills, East Knighton, Eyres Monsell, Saffron, Spinney Hill, Stoneygate, West Knighton and Wycliffe wards. The new constituency took in about 3,000 voters who were previously in other Leicester divisions. No changes were made in the Fourth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission in 1995, and 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
Leicester West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicester West is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
.
The seat is centred on the southern part of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
covering leafy suburbs such as Stoneygate and Knighton, as well as inner city areas with a strong Asian community and deprived outer estates such as Saffron and Eyres Monsell. The constituency encompasses the council wards of Spinney Hills
Spinney Hills
Spinney Hills is an inner city area of Leicester, England. It is situated to the north of the core Highfields area, around Spinney Hill Park. To the north is Northfields, to the east North Evington, to the west is the railway line, and to the south is the main part of Highfields....
, Stoneygate
Stoneygate
Stoneygate is part of the City of Leicester, England.Situated on the south-east side of the city some two miles from the centre, Stoneygate is a mainly residential suburb characterised by its large Victorian houses...
, Knighton, Leicester, Freemen, Aylestone
Aylestone
Aylestone is a suburb of Leicester, England at . It is south-west of the city centre, but to the east of the River Soar.It was formerly a separate village, but the growth of the city has meant that it is now part of the urban area, largely surrounded by 20th century housing. However, the area...
, Eyres Monsell
Eyres Monsell
Eyres Monsell is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, comprising the southern Leicester suburb of Eyres Monsell.-Geography:Eyres Monsell is bounded to the north by the wards of Aylestone, Freemen and Knighton...
and virtually all of Castle. Another demographic feature is the presence of a large number of students studying at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
and De Montfort University
De Montfort University
De Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens...
, which are both situated in the constituency.
History
Leicester South has over the past few decades seen demographic changes which have altered the balance of the constituency. The seat saw close contests between the Conservatives and Labour in the 1980s, with Labour MP Jim MarshallJim Marshall (UK politician)
James Marshall was a British Labour Party politician.-Education:Marshall was born into a working class family in the Attercliffe district of Sheffield...
losing the seat by just 7 votes to the Conservatives in the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
but regaining it in 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
. In subsequent elections the majority grew to the point where it was considered substantially safe.
Marshall died in 2004 and the resulting by-election
Leicester South by-election, 2004
A by-election was held in Leicester South on 15 July, the same day as the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election. It was won by Parmjit Singh Gill of the Liberal Democrats, over-turning a Labour majority of 13,243 votes at the 2001 General Election....
was fiercely contested. Along with a by-election in Birmingham Hodge Hill held on the same day, the seat saw a fierce challenge by the Liberal Democrats, hoping to build on their previous by-election gain at Brent East
Brent East by-election, 2003
The Brent East by-election, 2003 was caused by the death on 18 June 2003 of the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Brent East, Paul Daisley, of the Labour Party....
, as well as competition for the anti-war vote from RESPECT The Unity Coalition
RESPECT The Unity Coalition
Respect is a socialist political party in England and Wales founded in 2004. Its name is a contrived acronym standing for Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environmentalism, Community and Trade Unionism.-Policies:...
. The seat was won by the Liberal Democrats' Parmjit Singh Gill
Parmjit Singh Gill
Parmjit Singh Gill is a British Liberal Democrat politician. As Member of Parliament for Leicester South from 2004 to 2005, he is the only ever ethnic-minority Liberal Democrat MP....
with a majority of 1,654.
Sir Peter Soulsby
Peter Soulsby
Sir Peter Alfred Soulsby is a British Labour Party politician and the current Mayor of Leicester. He was the Member of Parliament for Leicester South from 2005 until he resigned in order to contest the new post of mayor in April 2011...
, who had been the unsuccessful Labour candidate at the 2004 by-election, won the seat at the 2005 election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
and was re-elected in 2010. Sir Peter resigned in order to fight the election for the new position as Mayor of Leicester in 2011, triggering a by-election
Leicester South by-election, 2011
The Leicester South by-election was held to elect a Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom for the Leicester South constituency on 5 May 2011. It was prompted by the resignation of Sir Peter Soulsby of the Labour Party, who stood down from Parliament to contest the election for Mayor of...
on 5 May 2011, coinciding with the referendum on the voting system. Jon Ashworth was elected as his successor, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
MPs 1918-1950
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 United Kingdom general election, 1918 The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did... |
Thomas Blane | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1922 United Kingdom general election, 1922 The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John... |
William George Waterhouse Reynolds | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1923 United Kingdom general election, 1923 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
Ronald Wilberforce Allen Ronald Wilberforce Allen Sir Ronald Wilberforce Allen was an English lawyer and Liberal politician.-Family and education:Allen was born in Stamford Hill in north London, the son of the Reverend William Allen, a Wesleyan minister. He was educated at Scarborough College and King’s College, London where obtained his BA... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| 1924 United Kingdom general election, 1924 - Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *... |
Charles Waterhouse Charles Waterhouse (English politician) Captain Charles Waterhouse PC MC was a British Conservative politician.-Biography:Born in Salford, the second surviving son of Thomas Crompton Waterhouse, of Lomberdale Hall, Bakewell, Derbyshire, he was educated at Cheltenham and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, graduating with an MA degree in... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1945 United Kingdom general election, 1945 The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to... |
Herbert Bowden Herbert Bowden Herbert William Bowden, Baron Aylestone, CH CBE PC was a British Labour politician.Born in Cardiff, Wales, Bowden was a councillor on Leicester City Council 1938–45 and president of Leicester Labour Party in 1938. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1950 United Kingdom general election, 1950 The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five... |
constituency abolished | ||
MPs since 1974
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1974 United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
Tom Boardman Tom Boardman, Baron Boardman Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Gray Boardman, Baron Boardman MC, TD, DL, PC was an English Conservative politician and businessman.... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| Oct 1974 United Kingdom general election, October 1974 The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of... |
Jim Marshall Jim Marshall (UK politician) James Marshall was a British Labour Party politician.-Education:Marshall was born into a working class family in the Attercliffe district of Sheffield... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
Derek Spencer Derek Spencer Sir Derek Harold Spencer, QC , is a British Conservative Party politician.-Professional career:Born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, he became a barrister in 1961 and 'took silk' as a QC in 1980.He is a Master of the Bench, Gray's Inn.... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1987 United Kingdom general election, 1987 The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd... |
Jim Marshall Jim Marshall (UK politician) James Marshall was a British Labour Party politician.-Education:Marshall was born into a working class family in the Attercliffe district of Sheffield... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 2004 by-election Leicester South by-election, 2004 A by-election was held in Leicester South on 15 July, the same day as the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election. It was won by Parmjit Singh Gill of the Liberal Democrats, over-turning a Labour majority of 13,243 votes at the 2001 General Election.... |
Parmjit Singh Gill Parmjit Singh Gill Parmjit Singh Gill is a British Liberal Democrat politician. As Member of Parliament for Leicester South from 2004 to 2005, he is the only ever ethnic-minority Liberal Democrat MP.... |
Liberal Democrat | |
| 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Peter Soulsby Peter Soulsby Sir Peter Alfred Soulsby is a British Labour Party politician and the current Mayor of Leicester. He was the Member of Parliament for Leicester South from 2005 until he resigned in order to contest the new post of mayor in April 2011... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 2011 by-election Leicester South by-election, 2011 The Leicester South by-election was held to elect a Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom for the Leicester South constituency on 5 May 2011. It was prompted by the resignation of Sir Peter Soulsby of the Labour Party, who stood down from Parliament to contest the election for Mayor of... |
Jon Ashworth | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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