# North West Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency)

North West Leicestershire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Amanda Hack of the Labour Party. It had previously been held by Andrew Bridgen since 2010, as a Conservative from 2010 until 2023, a Reclaim Party member between May and December 2023 and as an Independent for the remainder of his term.

## History

The constituency was contested for the first time in 1983, and Conservative candidate David Ashby became its first MP that year. He stood down in 1997 and Labour's David Taylor won the seat, holding it until he died of a heart attack in December 2009. Taylor had already announced that he would stand down at the 2010 general election. With the next election being due on 6 May 2010, it was considered uneconomic and (based on precedent) unnecessary to arrange a by-election. In the 2010 election, Andrew Bridgen took the seat for the Conservatives, with a swing of 12% from Labour to the Conservatives and with a smaller Labour–Liberal Democrats swing. Bridgen's majority was 7,511 or 14.5% of the total votes cast.

## Constituency profile

North West Leicestershire's main settlements are the small towns of Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The population is divided between Labour-inclined former mining areas with high rates of employment and low social housing dependency, and Conservative-inclined rural villages, with most people focused close to the two towns named. The seat has been a bellwether since 1983, as the winning party has formed the government.
In 2011, UK Coal were given permission to develop an opencast coal mining pit on the site of the former Minorca colliery on the outskirts of Measham, in the seat. However, the mine never opened and UK Coal ceased operations in 2015.

## Boundaries
### Historic

North West Leicestershire constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Bosworth to the south and Loughborough to the east.
1983–1997: The District of North West Leicestershire, and the Borough of Charnwood wards of Shepshed East and Shepshed West.
1997–2024: The District of North West Leicestershire.

### Current

Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the size of the constituency was reduced to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the two small wards of Appleby, and Oakthorpe and Donisthorpe to the newly named constituency of Hinckley and Bosworth.

## Members of Parliament

Bosworth and Loughborough prior to 1983
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | David Ashby | Conservative |
| 1997 | David Taylor | Labour |
| 2010 | Andrew Bridgen | Conservative |
| Apr 2023 | Andrew Bridgen | Independent |
| May 2023 | Andrew Bridgen | Reclaim |
| Dec 2023 | Andrew Bridgen | Independent |
| 2024 | Amanda Hack | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North West Leicestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Amanda Hack | 16,871 | 34.7 | +9.3 |
| | Conservative | Craig Smith | 15,859 | 32.7 | −29.4 |
| | Reform UK | Noel Matthews | 9,678 | 19.9 | N/A |
| | Green | Carl Benfield | 2,831 | 5.8 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alice Delemare | 1,629 | 3.4 | −3.4 |
| | Independent | Andrew Bridgen | 1,568 | 3.2 | N/A |
| | Independent | Siobhan Dillon | 136 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,012 | 2.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,572 | 63.0 | 4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,757 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 19.4 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: North West Leicestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Bridgen | 33,811 | 62.8 | +4.6 |
| | Labour | Terri Eynon | 13,411 | 24.9 | −8.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Grahame Hudson | 3,614 | 6.7 | +0.3 |
| | Green | Carl Benfield | 2,478 | 4.6 | +2.5 |
| | Independent | Edward Nudd | 367 | 0.7 | New |
| | Libertarian | Dan Liddicott | 140 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,400 | 37.9 | +13.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,821 | 68.2 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.6 | |
General election 2017: North West Leicestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Bridgen | 31,153 | 58.2 | +8.7 |
| | Labour | Sean Sheahan | 17,867 | 33.4 | +6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Wyatt | 3,420 | 6.4 | +2.5 |
| | Green | Mia Woolley | 1,101 | 2.1 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,286 | 24.8 | +2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,541 | 71.0 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
General election 2015: North West Leicestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Bridgen | 25,505 | 49.5 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | Jamie McMahon | 14,132 | 27.4 | −2.7 |
| | UKIP | Andy McWilliam | 8,704 | 16.9 | +14.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Argent | 2,033 | 3.9 | −12.7 |
| | Green | Benjamin Gravestock | 1,174 | 2.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,373 | 22.1 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,548 | 71.4 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.8 | |
General election 2010: North West Leicestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Bridgen | 23,147 | 44.6 | +8.6 |
| | Labour | Ross Willmott | 15,636 | 30.1 | −15.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Reynolds | 8,639 | 16.6 | +4.5 |
| | BNP | Ian Meller | 3,396 | 6.5 | +3.4 |
| | UKIP | Martin Green | 1,134 | 2.2 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,511 | 14.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,952 | 72.9 | +6.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +12.0 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North West Leicestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | David Taylor | 21,449 | 45.5 | −6.6 |
| | Conservative | Nicola Le Page | 16,972 | 36.0 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roderick Keys | 5,682 | 12.1 | +1.8 |
| | UKIP | John Blunt | 1,563 | 3.3 | +1.0 |
| | BNP | Clive Potter | 1,474 | 3.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,477 | 9.5 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,140 | 66.8 | +1.0 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −4.4 | |
General election 2001: North West Leicestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | David Taylor | 23,431 | 52.1 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | Nick Weston | 15,274 | 33.9 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charlie Fraser-Fleming | 4,651 | 10.3 | +1.7 |
| | UKIP | William Nattrass | 1,021 | 2.3 | New |
| | Independent | Robert Nettleton | 632 | 1.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,157 | 18.2 | −7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,219 | 65.8 | −14.2 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | -3.6 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North West Leicestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | David Taylor | 29,332 | 56.4 | +12.5 |
| | Conservative | Robert Goodwill | 16,113 | 31.0 | −14.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stan Heptinstall | 4,492 | 8.6 | −1.6 |
| | Referendum | Maurice Abney-Hastings | 2,008 | 4.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,219 | 25.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,945 | 80.0 | −6.1 |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.5 | |
General election 1992: Leicestershire North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Ashby | 28,379 | 45.5 | −2.1 |
| | Labour | David Taylor | 27,400 | 43.9 | +9.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeremy Beckett | 6,353 | 10.2 | −6.9 |
| | Natural Law | David Fawcett | 229 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 979 | 1.6 | −11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,361 | 86.1 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.9 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Leicestershire North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Ashby | 27,872 | 47.6 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | Susan Waddington | 20,044 | 34.3 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal | David Emmerson | 10,034 | 17.1 | −4.6 |
| | Green | Helen Michetschlager | 570 | 1.0 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,828 | 13.3 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,520 | 82.85 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1983: Leicestershire North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Ashby | 24,760 | 44.6 | |
| | Labour | Mel Read | 18,098 | 32.6 | |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Cort | 12,043 | 21.7 | |
| | Ecology | Dinah Freer | 637 | 1.15 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,662 | 12.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,538 | 81.07 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |