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Leicester West (UK Parliament constituency)

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Leicester West is a constituency[n 1] in Leicestershire. The seat was created in 1974, and existed in a previous form from 1918 to 1950. The seat has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by Liz Kendall of the Labour Party since 2010.[n 2] Kendall currently serves as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under the government of Keir Starmer. Since its creation in 1918 (and its recreation in 1974), the seat has sided with parties from the left wing of politics.

Leicester West
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary within the East Midlands
CountyLeicestershire
Electorate72,848 (2023)[1]
Current constituency
Created1974 (1974)
Member of ParliamentLiz Kendall (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromLeicester North West and Leicester South West
1918–1950
SeatsOne
Created fromLeicester
Replaced byLeicester North West and Leicester South West

Boundaries

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1918–1950: The County Borough of Leicester wards of Abbey, Newton, St Margaret's, Westcotes, and Wyggeston.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Leicester wards of Abbey, Newton, North Braunstone, St Margaret's, and Westcotes.

1983–2010: The City of Leicester wards of Abbey, Beaumont Leys, Mowmacre, New Parks, North Braunstone, Rowley Fields, St Augustine's, Westcotes, and Western Park.

2010–2024: The City of Leicester wards of Abbey, Beaumont Leys, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields, Fosse, New Parks, Westcotes, and Western Park.

2010–2024: As above plus Aylestone ward.[2]

Constituency profile

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Leicester West is the whitest of the three Leicester constituencies, and the one with the highest proportion of social housing. Some areas of the seat, such as Braunstone and Beaumont Leys, are made up of large local authority estates, and around 30% of the housing is council- or housing association-owned, the second-highest in the Midlands. The centre of the seat, the Westcotes area, is more inner-city in character and is popular with young professionals and students.[3]

This used to be the safest Labour seat in Leicester; at the 1983 general election it was the only one to remain in Labour hands. However, the high South Asian populations in Leicester South and Leicester East have tended to push them away from the Conservative Party; conversely, while Leicester West is still a safe Labour seat and has been represented by that party since the Second World War, it has become the most marginal of the three Leicester seats.[3] While it did, like the other two Leicester constituencies, see a significant swing to Labour in 2017, Liz Kendall's majority was not a record high for the constituency, unlike with the results in Leicester East and Leicester South.

As of 2009, in the depths of the late-2000s recession, the constituency had the fourth-highest level of unemployment in Britain, with 13.8% of residents registered unemployed. Most of the unemployment is concentrated in areas such as Braunstone, which is traditionally one of the most deprived parts of the city.[4]

History

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In 1950, the seat was replaced by the constituencies of Leicester North West and Leicester South West, until 1974. In that period, Leicester North West was represented by Barnett Janner until 1970, and then by his son Greville Janner.

Members of Parliament

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MPs 1918–1950

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Leicester prior to 1918

Election Member[5] Party
1918 Joseph Frederick Green Coalition National Democratic
1922 Alfred Hill Labour
1923 Frederick Pethick-Lawrence Labour
1931 Ernest Pickering Liberal
1935 Harold Nicolson National Labour
1945 Barnett Janner Labour
1950 constituency abolished

MPs since 1974

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Leicester North West and Leicester South West prior to 1974

Year Member Party
Feb 1974 Greville Janner Labour
1997 Patricia Hewitt Labour
2010 Liz Kendall Labour

Elections

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Leicester West election results

Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Leicester West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liz Kendall 15,798 44.6 −4.7
Conservative Max Chauhan 7,021 19.8 −16.8
Reform UK Ian Hayes 5,666 16.0 +11.5
Green Aasiya Bora 4,089 11.6 +8.8
Liberal Democrats Benjamin Feist 2,179 6.2 −0.5
One Leicester Rahoul Naik 327 0.9 N/A
TUSC Steve Score 317 0.9 N/A
Majority 8,777 24.8 +12.7
Turnout 35,397 48.0 −5.2
Registered electors 74,102
Labour hold Swing +6.1

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Leicester West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liz Kendall 17,291 49.7 –11.1
Conservative Amanda Wright 13,079 37.6 +6.2
Liberal Democrats Ian Bradwell 1,808 5.2 +3.1
Brexit Party Jack Collier 1,620 4.7 New
Green Ani Goddard 977 2.8 +1.2
Majority 4,212 12.1 –17.3
Turnout 34,775 53.6 –4.3
Labour hold Swing –8.7
General election 2017: Leicester West[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liz Kendall 22,823 60.8 +14.3
Conservative Jack Hickey 11,763 31.4 +5.8
UKIP Stuart Young 1,406 3.7 –13.5
Liberal Democrats Ian Bradwell 792 2.1 –2.3
Green Mel Gould 607 1.6 –3.8
Independent David Bowley 121 0.3 New
Majority 11,060 29.4 +8.5
Turnout 37,512 57.9 +3.3
Labour hold Swing +4.3
General election 2015: Leicester West[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liz Kendall 16,051 46.5 +8.1
Conservative Paul Bessant 8,848 25.6 –1.6
UKIP Stuart Young 5,950 17.2 +14.7
Green Peter Hague 1,878 5.4 +3.6
Liberal Democrats Ian Bradwell 1,507 4.4 –18.2
TUSC Heather Rawling 288 0.8 +0.4
Majority 7,203 20.9 +9.7
Turnout 34,522 54.6 –0.6
Labour hold Swing +4.8
General election 2010: Leicester West[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liz Kendall 13,745 38.4 –12.4
Conservative Celia Harvey 9,728 27.2 +2.8
Liberal Democrats Peter Coley 8,107 22.6 +4.4
BNP Gary Reynolds 2,158 6.0 New
UKIP Stephen Ingall 883 2.5 New
Green Geoff Forse 639 1.8 –3.0
Independent Steven Huggins 181 0.5 New
TUSC Steve Score[12] 157 0.4 New
Pirate Shaun Dyer 113 0.3 New
Independent David Bowley 108 0.3 New
Majority 4,017 11.2 –16.1
Turnout 35,819 55.2 +2.6
Labour hold Swing –7.6

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Leicester West[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patricia Hewitt 17,184 51.7 –2.5
Conservative Sarah Richardson 8,114 24.4 –0.8
Liberal Democrats Zuffar Haq 5,803 17.5 +2.2
Green Geoff Forse 1,571 4.7 +1.5
Socialist Alternative Steve Score 552 1.7 New
Majority 9,070 27.3 –1.7
Turnout 33,224 53.3 +2.4
Labour hold Swing –0.8
General election 2001: Leicester West[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patricia Hewitt 18,014 54.2 –1.0
Conservative Christopher Shaw 8,375 25.2 +1.5
Liberal Democrats Andy Vincent 5,085 15.3 +1.1
Green Matthew Gough 1,074 3.2 +1.8
Socialist Labour Sean Kirkpatrick 350 1.1 0.0
Socialist Alliance Stephen Score 321 1.0 New
Majority 9,639 29.0 −2.5
Turnout 33,219 50.9 –12.2
Labour hold Swing –1.2

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Leicester West[9][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patricia Hewitt 22,580 55.2 +8.4
Conservative Richard Thomas 9,716 23.7 –14.8
Liberal Democrats Mark Jones 5,795 14.2 +0.9
Referendum William Shooter 970 2.4 New
Green Geoff Forse 586 1.4 +0.3
Socialist Labour David Roberts 452 1.1 New
Socialist Alternative Josephine Nicholls 327 0.8 New
BNP Adrian Belshaw 302 0.7 New
National Democrats Clive Potter 186 0.5 New
Majority 12,864 31.5 +23.2
Turnout 40,914 63.1 –10.6
Labour hold Swing +11.6
General election 1992: Leicester West[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Greville Janner 22,574 46.8 +2.3
Conservative John Guthrie 18,596 38.5 –3.6
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey F. Walker 6,402 13.3 –0.2
Green Claire D. Wintram 517 1.1 New
Natural Law Jenny M. Rosta 171 0.4 New
Majority 3,978 8.3 +5.9
Turnout 48,260 73.7 +0.2
Labour hold Swing +2.9

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: Leicester West[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Greville Janner 22,156 44.5 –0.3
Conservative James Cooper 20,955 42.1 +1.0
SDP William Edgar 6,708 13.5 +0.8
Majority 1,201 2.4 –1.3
Turnout 49,819 73.5 +4.7
Labour hold Swing –1.3
General election 1983: Leicester West[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Greville Janner 20,837 44.8 –8.8
Conservative Robert Meacham 19,125 41.1 +5.7
SDP Sumal Fernando 5,935 12.8 New
BNP Ray Hill 469 1.0 New
Workers Revolutionary B.J. Prangle 176 0.4 New
Majority 1,712 3.7 –14.5
Turnout 46,542 68.8 –3.5
Labour hold Swing –7.3

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1979: Leicester West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Greville Janner 26,032 53.60 +0.69
Conservative Alastair Ross Goobey 17,194 35.40 +5.01
Liberal A. Lycett 4,032 8.30 –3.31
National Front P. Ash 1,308 2.69 –0.75
Majority 8,838 18.20
Turnout 48,566 72.26
Labour hold Swing –4.32
General election October 1974: Leicester West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Greville Janner 23,406 52.91
Conservative A. Simpson 13,446 30.39
Liberal J. Windram 5,135 11.61 New
National Front W. Newcombe 2,253 5.09
Majority 9,960 22.52
Turnout 44,240 68.43
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Leicester West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Greville Janner 27,195 56.28
Conservative A. Simpson 18,543 38.38
National Front W. Newcombe 2,579 5.34
Majority 8,652 17.90
Turnout 48,317 75.45
Labour win (new seat)

Election in the 1940s

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General election 1945: Leicester West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Barnett Janner 20,563 53.34
National Labour Harold Nicolson 13,348 34.63
Liberal Joseph Arnold Kirby 4,639 12.03
Majority 7,215 18.71 N/A
Turnout 38,550 76.80
Labour gain from National Labour Swing

Elections in the 1930s

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General election 1935: Leicester West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Labour Harold Nicolson 15,821 43.73 New
Labour John Morgan 15,734 43.49
Liberal Horace Crawfurd 4,621 12.77
Majority 87 0.24 N/A
Turnout 35,636 66.83
National Labour gain from Liberal Swing
General election 1931: Leicester West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ernest Pickering 26,826 67.49
Labour Frederick Pethick-Lawrence 12,923 32.51
Majority 13,903 34.98 N/A
Turnout 39,749 74.64
Liberal gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

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General election 1929: Leicester West[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Pethick-Lawrence 22,635 55.3 +4.1
Unionist Paul Emrys-Evans 10,691 26.1 New
Liberal Charles William Hartshorn 7,617 18.6 −30.2
Majority 11,944 29.2 +26.8
Turnout 40,943 78.3 +2.2
Registered electors 52,318
Labour hold Swing +17.2
General election 1924: Leicester West[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Pethick-Lawrence 16,047 51.2 +6.6
Liberal Maurice Alfred Gerothwohl 15,310 48.8 +18.6
Majority 737 2.4 −12.0
Turnout 31,357 76.1 +0.1
Registered electors 41,207
Labour hold Swing −6.0
General election 1923: Leicester West[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Pethick-Lawrence 13,634 44.6 −0.4
Liberal Winston Churchill 9,236 30.2 +3.6
Unionist Alfred Instone 7,696 25.2 New
Majority 4,398 14.4 −2.2
Turnout 30,566 76.0 +3.5
Registered electors 40,244
Labour hold Swing −2.0
General election 1922: Leicester West[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alfred Hill 12,929 45.0 +21.4
National Democratic Joseph Frederick Green 8,137 28.4 −48.0
Liberal Ernest Spero 7,631 26.6 New
Majority 4,792 16.6 N/A
Turnout 28,697 72.5 +6.3
Registered electors 39,604
Labour gain from National Democratic Swing +34.7

Election in the 1910s

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General election 1918: Leicester West[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C National Democratic Joseph Frederick Green 20,570 76.4
Labour Ramsay MacDonald 6,347 23.6
Majority 14,223 52.8
Turnout 26,917 66.2
Registered electors 40,634
National Democratic win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

See also

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Notes

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  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

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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 2 July 2024.
  2. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 1 East Midlands.
  3. ^ a b "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
  4. ^ "Unemployment Blackspots".[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)
  6. ^ "Leicester West - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Leicester West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Leicester West parliamentary constituency – Election 2017". BBC.
  9. ^ a b "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Election 2010 – Constituency – Leicester West". BBC. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  12. ^ "Candidates for TUSC". tusc.org.uk.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Leicester West [Archive]". politicsresources.net. 12 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  18. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ a b c d e British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
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52°39′N 1°10′W / 52.65°N 1.16°W / 52.65; -1.16

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