# Blaby (UK Parliament constituency)

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 | Party | Notes |
| February 1974 | Nigel Lawson | Conservative | Later Baron Lawson of Blaby; Cabinet minister 1981–1989 |
| 1992 | Andrew Robathan | Conservative | Later Baron Robathan of Poultney |
| 2010 | Constituency abolished: see South Leicestershire | Constituency abolished: see South Leicestershire | Constituency abolished: see South Leicestershire |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1970s

General election February 1974: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 12,298 | 22.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,235 | 85.6 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election October 1974: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 12,161 | 23.9 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,939 | 78.3 | −7.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 20,640 | 36.1 | +12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,135 | 83.3 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 17,116 | 30.7 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,668 | 77.4 | −5.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1987: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 22,176 | 35.5 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,334 | 80.9 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 25,347 | 37.1 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 68,210 | 83.4 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1997: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 6,474 | 12.0 | −25.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,593 | 76.1 | −7.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 6,209 | 13.0 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,642 | 64.5 | −11.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 2005: Blaby :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 7,873 | 15.9 | +2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,388 | 65.5 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
From the general election of 2010, Blaby has been re-shaped and renamed South Leicestershire.