Blaby (UK Parliament constituency)

Blaby
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Blaby in Leicestershire for the 2005 general election
Outline map
Location of Leicestershire within England
CountyLeicestershire
1974 (1974)–2010
SeatsOne
Created fromHarborough
Replaced bySouth Leicestershire

Blaby was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1974 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was a safe seat for the Conservative Party, being held by Conservative MPs throughout its existence.

History

Blaby constituency was created in 1974 from parts of the Harborough seat. It is named after the village of Blaby in south west Leicestershire. A safe Conservative seat consisting mostly of middle-class commuter towns and villages for the neighbouring city of Leicester, it was held for many years by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson. Lawson was succeeded in 1992 by Andrew Robathan, who held the seat until its abolition.

Following its review of parliamentary representation in Leicestershire, the Boundary Commission for England renamed the Blaby constituency as South Leicestershire, with minor alterations to its boundaries, in time for the 2010 election.

Boundaries

1974–1983: The Rural Districts of Blaby and Lutterworth.

1983–1997: The District of Blaby, and the District of Harborough wards of Broughton, Dunton, Gilmorton, Kilworth, Lutterworth Linden, Lutterworth St Mary's, Lutterworth Sherrier, Lutterworth Wycliffe, Peatling, and Ullesthorpe.

1997–2010: The District of Blaby wards of Cosby, Countesthorpe, Croft Hill, Enderby, Flamville, Fosse, Glen Parva, Millfield, Narborough, Normanton, Northfield, Ravenhurst, St John's, Stanton, Whetstone, Winchester, and Winstanley, and the District of Harborough wards of Broughton, Dunton, Gilmorton, Kilworth, Lutterworth Linden, Lutterworth St Mary's, Lutterworth Sherrier, Lutterworth Wycliffe, Peatling, and Ullesthorpe.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[1] Party Notes
February 1974 Nigel Lawson Conservative Later Baron Lawson of Blaby; Cabinet minister 1981-89
1992 Andrew Robathan Conservative Later Baron Robathan of Poultney
2010 Constituency abolished: see South Leicestershire

Elections

General election results

Elections in the 1970s

General election February 1974: Blaby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Lawson 26,892 48.7
Liberal G. Broad 14,594 26.4
Labour D. E. Lack 13,749 24.9
Majority 12,298 22.3
Turnout 55,235 85.6
Conservative win (new seat)
General election October 1974: Blaby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Lawson 25,405 49.9 +1.2
Labour Malcolm Fox 13,244 26.0 +1.1
Liberal D. Inman 12,290 24.1 −2.3
Majority 12,161 23.9 +1.6
Turnout 50,939 78.3 −7.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Blaby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Lawson 33,221 58.1 +8.2
Labour Keith Hill 12,581 22.0 −4.0
Liberal D. Inman 9,277 16.2 −7.9
National Front P. Gegan 2,056 3.6 New
Majority 20,640 36.1 +12.2
Turnout 57,135 83.3 +5.0
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Blaby[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Lawson 32,689 58.7 +0.6
Alliance (Liberal) Richard Lustig 15,573 28.0 +11.8
Labour Christopher Wrigley 6,838 12.3 −9.7
National Front P. Gegan 568 1.0 −2.6
Majority 17,116 30.7 −5.4
Turnout 55,668 77.4 −5.9
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1987: Blaby[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Lawson 37,732 60.5 +1.8
Alliance (Liberal) Richard Lustig 15,556 25.0 −3.0
Labour James Roberts 9,046 14.5 +2.2
Majority 22,176 35.5 +4.8
Turnout 62,334 80.9 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Blaby[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Robathan 39,498 57.9 −2.6
Labour Ethel Ranson 14,151 20.8 +6.3
Liberal Democrats Marjorie Lewin 13,780 20.2 −4.8
BNP John Peacock 521 0.8 New
Natural Law Sue Lincoln 260 0.4 New
Majority 25,347 37.1 +1.6
Turnout 68,210 83.4 +2.5
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1997: Blaby[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Robathan 24,564 45.8 −12.1
Labour Ross Willmott 18,090 33.8 +13.0
Liberal Democrats Geoff Welsh 8,001 14.9 −5.3
Referendum Robert Harrison 2,018 3.8 New
BNP John Peacock 523 1.0 +0.2
Independent Terence Stokes 397 0.7 New
Majority 6,474 12.0 −25.1
Turnout 53,593 76.1 −7.3
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Blaby[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Robathan 22,104 46.4 +0.6
Labour John Morgan 15,895 33.4 −0.4
Liberal Democrats Geoff Welsh 8,286 17.4 +2.5
BNP Edward Scott 1,357 2.8 +1.8
Majority 6,209 13.0 +1.0
Turnout 47,642 64.5 −11.6
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2005: Blaby[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Robathan 22,487 45.5 −0.9
Labour John Morgan 14,614 29.6 −3.8
Liberal Democrats Jeff Stephenson 9,382 19.0 +1.6
BNP Michael Robinson 1,704 3.5 +0.7
UKIP Delroy Young 1,201 2.4 New
Majority 7,873 15.9 +2.9
Turnout 49,388 65.5 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing +1.5

From the general election of 2010, Blaby has been re-shaped and renamed South Leicestershire.

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
  2. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  3. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  6. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the chancellor of the Exchequer
1983–1989 		Succeeded by


52°30′N 1°12′W / 52.50°N 1.20°W / 52.50; -1.20