# Rutland and Melton (UK Parliament constituency)

Rutland and Melton was a county constituency spanning Leicestershire and Rutland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 2024. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election. For its entire existence, the seat elected members of the Conservative Party.

## History

The constituency was created in 1983 from the former seats of Rutland and Stamford and Melton. Initially, it covered all of Rutland and Melton borough and part of Charnwood. A boundary change implemented in 1997 saw the area of Charnwood replaced with part of Harborough district up to the boundary of the city of Leicester (for example Scraptoft).
The constituency was considered a safe Conservative seat throughout its existence, electing a Conservative with a significant margin even with the 1997 national swing towards the Labour Party. Sir Alan Duncan held the seat from 1992 to 2019, when he was replaced by Alicia Kearns.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed as follows:
* The Borough of Melton to the newly created seat of Melton and Syston
* The County of Rutland and the parts in Harborough District, including Thurnby, to the re-established seat of Rutland and Stamford

## Boundaries

1983–1997: The district of Rutland, the Borough of Melton, and the borough of Charnwood wards of East Goscote, Queniborough, Six Hills, Syston, and Thurmaston.
1997–2010: The county of Rutland, the Borough of Melton, and the District of Harborough wards of Billesdon, Easton, Houghton, Scraptoft, Thurnby, and Tilton.
2010–2024: The county of Rutland, the Borough of Melton, and the District of Harborough wards of Billesdon, Nevill, Thurnby and Houghton, and Tilton.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Michael Latham | Conservative |
| 1992 | Sir Alan Duncan | Conservative |
| 2019 | Alicia Kearns | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alicia Kearns | 36,507 | 62.6 | −0.2 |
| | Labour | Andy Thomas | 9,583 | 16.4 | −6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carol Weaver | 7,970 | 13.7 | +5.5 |
| | Green | Alastair McQuillan | 2,875 | 4.9 | +1.9 |
| | UKIP | Marietta King | 917 | 1.6 | −1.7 |
| | Independent | Anthony Watchorn | 458 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26,924 | 46.2 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,310 | 70.5 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
General election 2017: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Duncan | 36,169 | 62.8 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Heather Peto | 13,065 | 22.7 | +7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ed Reynolds | 4,711 | 8.2 | +0.1 |
| | UKIP | John Scutter | 1,869 | 3.2 | −12.7 |
| | Green | Alastair McQuillan | 1,755 | 3.0 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,104 | 40.1 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,569 | 73.4 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.05 | |
General election 2015: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Duncan | 30,383 | 55.6 | +4.4 |
| | UKIP | Richard Billington | 8,678 | 15.9 | +11.3 |
| | Labour | James Moore | 8,383 | 15.4 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ed Reynolds | 4,407 | 8.1 | −17.7 |
| | Green | Alastair McQuillan | 2,325 | 4.3 | New |
| | Independent | Marilyn Gordon | 427 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,705 | 39.7 | +14.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,603 | 68.4 | −3.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.4 | |
General election 2010: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Duncan | 28,228 | 51.2 | ±0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Grahame Hudson | 14,228 | 25.8 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | John Morgan | 7,839 | 14.2 | −10.8 |
| | UKIP | Peter Baker | 2,526 | 4.6 | +1.4 |
| | BNP | Keith Addison | 1,757 | 3.2 | New |
| | Independent | Leigh Higgins | 588 | 1.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,000 | 25.4 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,166 | 71.7 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.6 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Duncan | 25,237 | 51.2 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Linda Arnold | 12,307 | 25.0 | −4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Grahame Hudson | 9,153 | 18.6 | +0.8 |
| | UKIP | Peter Baker | 1,554 | 3.2 | +0.6 |
| | Veritas | Duncan Shelley | 696 | 1.4 | New |
| | Independent | Helen Pender | 337 | 0.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,930 | 26.2 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,284 | 65.0 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.0 | |
General election 2001: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Duncan | 22,621 | 48.1 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | Matthew O'Callaghan | 14,009 | 29.8 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kim Lee | 8,386 | 17.8 | −1.4 |
| | UKIP | Peter Baker | 1,223 | 2.6 | +1.0 |
| | Green | Chris Davies | 817 | 1.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,612 | 18.3 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,056 | 64.2 | −10.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Duncan | 24,107 | 45.8 | −15.6 |
| | Labour | John Meads | 15,271 | 29.0 | +13.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kim Lee | 10,112 | 19.2 | −1.6 |
| | Referendum | Rupert King | 2,317 | 4.4 | New |
| | UKIP | Jeff Abbott | 823 | 1.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,836 | 16.8 | −23.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,630 | 75.0 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -14.5 | |
General election 1992: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Duncan | 38,603 | 59.0 | −3.0 |
| | Labour | Joan Taylor | 13,068 | 20.0 | +5.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Lustig | 12,682 | 19.4 | −4.1 |
| | Green | Jim Berreen | 861 | 1.3 | New |
| | Natural Law | R Gray | 237 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,535 | 39.0 | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,451 | 80.8 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Latham | 37,073 | 62.0 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal | Robert Renold | 14,051 | 23.5 | −3.6 |
| | Labour | Leslie Burke | 8,680 | 14.5 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,022 | 38.5 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,804 | 76.8 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1983: Rutland and Melton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Latham | 33,262 | 60.4 | |
| | Liberal | David Farrer | 14,909 | 27.1 | |
| | Labour | John Whitby | 6,414 | 11.6 | |
| | Ecology | Heather Goddard | 532 | 1.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,353 | 33.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,804 | 73.3 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |