# Selby and Ainsty (UK Parliament constituency)

Selby and Ainsty was a constituency in North Yorkshire.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to boundary changes involving the loss of the Ainsty area. As a consequence, it reverted to the name of Selby, which was first contested at the 2024 general election.

## History

For 2010, the Boundary Commission recommended the creation of this seat following a review of parliamentary representation in York and North Yorkshire. The constituency was formed from the former Selby constituency, except for some villages near York that were moved to the new York Outer constituency and rural areas south and east of Harrogate previously in the Vale of York constituency.
Until 2023, the seat had been won by the Conservative Party by a successively larger set of majorities each time it has been contested, though the 2017 general election had the unusual result of the Conservatives slightly increasing their majority despite a slight swing towards the Labour Party, mostly due to a significantly higher turnout.
On 12 June 2023 the seat became vacant following the formal resignation of the incumbent, Nigel Adams, and the resulting by-election returned Labour's Keir Mather.
Before 2024 general election, Boundary Commission's 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies abolished the constituency. It was succeeded by newly reformed Selby constituency with similar boundaries.

## Boundaries

The constituency consists of:
* The entire former District of Selby
* The electoral wards of Marston Moor, Ouseburn, Ribston, and Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale in the former Borough of Harrogate

## Constituency profile

The constituency was mainly rural. The only towns were Selby, Tadcaster, and Sherburn in Elmet. The rural areas included parts of the ancient Wapentake of the Ainsty of York.

### In statistics

The constituency consisted of Census Output Areas of two local government districts with similar characteristics: a working population whose income is close to the national average and lower than average reliance upon social housing. At the end of 2012, 2.2% of the population were claiming jobseekers' allowance, compared with the regional average of 4.7%. The district contributing to the bulk of the seat has a low 14.5% of its population without a car, 21.2% of the population without qualifications, and a relatively high 26.1% with level 4 qualifications or above. 75.0% of homes were owned outright or on a mortgage by occupants as of the 2011 census across the Selby district.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 2010–2024

Selby prior to 2010
| Election | Member | Party |
| 2010 | Nigel Adams | Conservative |
| 2023 by-election | Keir Mather | Labour |
| 2024 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Election results 2010–2024
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Selby and Ainsty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nigel Adams | 25,562 | 49.4 | |
| | Labour | Jan Marshall | 13,297 | 25.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tom Holvey | 9,180 | 17.7 | |
| | UKIP | Darren Haley | 1,635 | 3.2 | |
| | BNP | Duncan Lorriman | 1,377 | 2.7 | |
| | English Democrat | Graham Glynn | 677 | 1.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,265 | 23.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,728 | 71.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 2015: Selby and Ainsty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nigel Adams | 27,725 | 52.5 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Mark Hayes | 14,168 | 26.8 | +1.1 |
| | UKIP | Colin Heath | 7,389 | 14.0 | +10.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicola Turner | 1,920 | 3.6 | −14.1 |
| | Green | Ian Richards | 1,465 | 2.8 | New |
| | TUSC | Ian Wilson | 137 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,557 | 25.7 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,804 | 69.4 | −1.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.0 | |
General election 2017: Selby and Ainsty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nigel Adams | 32,921 | 58.7 | +6.2 |
| | Labour | David Bowgett | 19,149 | 34.1 | +7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Callum Delhoy | 2,293 | 4.1 | +0.5 |
| | UKIP | Tony Pycroft | 1,713 | 3.1 | −10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,772 | 24.6 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,222 | 74.1 | +4.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
General election 2019: Selby and Ainsty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nigel Adams | 33,995 | 60.3 | +1.6 |
| | Labour | Malik Rofidi | 13,858 | 24.6 | −9.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Katharine Macy | 4,842 | 8.6 | +4.5 |
| | Yorkshire | Mike Jordan | 1,900 | 3.4 | New |
| | Green | Arnold Warneken | 1,823 | 3.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,137 | 35.7 | +10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,418 | 71.7 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.5 | |

### Elections in the 2020s

By-election 2023: Selby and Ainsty :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Keir Mather | 16,456 | 46.0 | +21.4 |
| | Conservative | Claire Holmes | 12,295 | 34.3 | −26.0 |
| | Green | Arnold Warneken | 1,838 | 5.1 | +1.9 |
| | | Mike Jordan | 1,503 | 4.2 | +0.8 |
| | Reform UK | Dave Kent | 1,332 | 3.7 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matt Walker | 1,188 | 3.3 | −5.3 |
| | Independent | Nick Palmer | 342 | 1.0 | New |
| | SDP | John Waterstone | 314 | 0.9 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Sir Archibald Stanton | 172 | 0.5 | New |
| | Heritage | Guy Phoenix | 162 | 0.5 | New |
| | | Andrew Gray | 99 | 0.3 | New |
| | Independent | Tyler Wilson-Kerr | 67 | 0.2 | New |
| | Climate | Luke Wellock | 39 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,161 | 11.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,807 | 44.8 | −26.9 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +23.7 | |