# Louth and Horncastle (UK Parliament constituency)

Louth and Horncastle is a constituency in Lincolnshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Victoria Atkins, a Conservative.

## Boundaries
### History of boundaries

From 1885 to 1983, Louth and Horncastle both existed as separate constituencies. Then in 1983, Horncastle was moved into the new seat of Gainsborough and Horncastle, while Louth was moved into the newly formed East Lindsey constituency. These boundaries remained the same until 1997, when the current Louth and Horncastle constituency was formed.

### 1997–2010

The District of East Lindsey wards of Alford, Chapel St Leonards, Coningsby, Donington on Bain, Fotherby, Grimoldby, Halton Holegate, Hogsthorpe, Holton le Clay, Horncastle, Hundleby, Legbourne, Mablethorpe, Mareham le Fen, Marshchapel, New Leake, North Holme, North Somercotes, North Thoresby, Partney, Priory, Roughton, St James', St Margaret's, St Mary's, St Michael's, Spilsby, Sutton and Trusthorpe, Tattershall, Tetford, Tetney, Theddlethorpe St Helen, Trinity, Willoughby with Sloothby, Withern with Stain, and Woodhall Spa.

### 2010–2024

The District of East Lindsey wards of Alford, Binbrook, Chapel St Leonards, Coningsby and Tattershall, Grimoldby, Halton Holegate, Holton le Clay, Horncastle, Hundleby, Legbourne, Ludford, Mablethorpe Central, Mablethorpe East, Mablethorpe North, Mareham le Fen, Marshchapel, North Holme, North Somercotes, North Thoresby, Priory, Roughton, St James', St Margaret's, St Mary's, St Michael's, Skidbrooke with Saltfleet Haven, Spilsby, Sutton on Sea North, Sutton on Sea South, Tetford, Tetney, Trinity, Trusthorpe and Mablethorpe South, Willoughby with Sloothby, Withern with Stain, and Woodhall Spa.

### Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
* The District of East Lindsey wards of: Alford; Binbrook; Coningsby & Mareham; Fulstow; Grimoldby; Hagworthingham; Halton Holegate; Holton-le-Clay & North Thoresby; Horncastle; Legbourne; Mablethorpe; Marshchapel & Somercotes; North Holme; Priory & St. James’; Roughton; St. Margaret’s; St. Mary’s; St. Michael’s; Spilsby; Sutton on Sea; Tetford & Donington; Tetney; Trinity; Withern & Theddlethorpe; Woodhall Spa; Wragby.
The two wards of Chapel St Leonards and Willoughby with Sloothby were transferred to Boston and Skegness, whilst the previously orphaned ward of Wragby was added from Gainsborough.

## Constituency profile

This large stretch of Lincolnshire coastline includes the seaside resorts of Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea, this immediate coastline has a minority of small output areas with severe deprivation following the decline of the tourism industry apart from holiday cottages, being further north than popular family resorts in Skegness. The seat's eponymous towns of Louth and Horncastle lie inland amid a rural area of the Lincolnshire Wolds where farming is an important sector, with most constituents on modest to mid-level income and low unemployment.

## History

The seat was created in 1997. Conservatives have been dominant in the area for decades, the closest result was in 1997, when a Labour Party candidate came the closest of any opponents to being elected.

## Members of Parliament

The MP for this seat is Victoria Atkins. She succeeded Peter Tapsell at the 2015 general election. He previously represented the predecessor seats of East Lindsey and Horncastle from 1966 to 1997, and before that represented Nottingham West from 1959 to 1964 before being defeated by Labour. Prior to standing down, he was the longest-serving Conservative MP, albeit with the break in service, and from 2001, he was the only MP of any party first elected in the 1950s. Following the retirement of Alan Williams, Tapsell became, on his re-election in 2010, Father of the House. He was succeeded in the honorific position in 2015 by Sir Gerald Kaufman.
Before 1997, see East Lindsey
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1997 | Sir Peter Tapsell | Conservative |
| | 2015 | Victoria Atkins | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Louth and Horncastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Victoria Atkins | 17,441 | 37.5 | −35.0 |
| | Reform UK | Sean Matthews | 11,935 | 25.7 | New |
| | Labour | Jonathan Slater | 10,475 | 22.5 | +4.8 |
| | Green | Robert Watson | 2,504 | 5.4 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ross Pepper | 2,364 | 5.1 | −2.7 |
| | Independent | Paul Hugill | 1,359 | 2.9 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Iconic Arty-Pole | 309 | 0.7 | −1.3 |
| | SDP | Marcus Moorehouse | 92 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,506 | 11.8 | −43.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,479 | 60.6 | −4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,882 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Louth and Horncastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Victoria Atkins | 38,021 | 72.7 | +8.8 |
| | Labour | Ellie Green | 9,153 | 17.5 | −9.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ross Pepper | 4,114 | 7.9 | +4.1 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | The Iconic Arty-Pole | 1,044 | 2.0 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 28,868 | 55.2 | +18.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,332 | 65.5 | −3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +8.95 | |
General election 2017: Louth and Horncastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Victoria Atkins | 33,733 | 63.9 | +12.7 |
| | Labour | Julie Speed | 14,092 | 26.7 | +8.7 |
| | UKIP | Jonathan Noble | 2,460 | 4.7 | −16.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lisa Gabriel | 1,990 | 3.8 | −0.7 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | The Iconic Arty Pole | 496 | 0.9 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,641 | 37.2 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,771 | 69.2 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.0 | |
General election 2015: Louth and Horncastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Victoria Atkins | 25,755 | 51.2 | +1.6 |
| | UKIP | Colin Mair | 10,778 | 21.4 | +17.1 |
| | Labour | Matthew Brown | 9,077 | 18.0 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lisa Gabriel | 2,255 | 4.5 | −17.7 |
| | Green | Romy Rayner | 1,549 | 3.1 | New |
| | Lincolnshire Independent | Daniel Simpson | 659 | 1.3 | +0.2 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Peter Hill | 263 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,977 | 29.8 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,336 | 67.23 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −7.8 | |
General election 2010: Louth and Horncastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Tapsell | 25,065 | 49.6 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fiona Martin | 11,194 | 22.2 | +1.6 |
| | Labour | Patrick Mountain | 8,760 | 17.3 | −8.0 |
| | BNP | Julia Green | 2,199 | 4.4 | New |
| | UKIP | Pat Nurse | 2,183 | 4.3 | −3.4 |
| | Lincolnshire Independent | Daniel Simpson | 576 | 1.1 | New |
| | English Democrat | Colin Mair | 517 | 1.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,871 | 27.4 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,494 | 65.0 | +2.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Louth and Horncastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Tapsell | 21,744 | 46.6 | −1.9 |
| | Labour | Frank Hodgkiss | 11,848 | 25.4 | −6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fiona Martin | 9,480 | 20.3 | +0.2 |
| | UKIP | Christopher Pain | 3,611 | 7.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,896 | 21.2 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,683 | 62.0 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.1 | |
General election 2001: Louth and Horncastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Tapsell | 21,543 | 48.5 | +5.1 |
| | Labour | David Bolland | 13,989 | 31.5 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fiona Martin | 8,928 | 20.1 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,554 | 17.0 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,460 | 62.1 | −10.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Louth and Horncastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Tapsell | 21,699 | 43.4 | |
| | Labour | John Hough | 14,799 | 29.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fiona Martin | 12,207 | 24.4 | |
| | Green | Rosemary Robinson | 1,248 | 2.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,900 | 13.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,953 | 72.6 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |