# Rugby and Kenilworth (UK Parliament constituency)

Rugby and Kenilworth was a county constituency in Warwickshire, England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It existed from 1983 to 2010.

## History

The constituency of Rugby and Kenilworth was created for the 1983 election and was held by the Conservative Jim Pawsey until the 1997 election when the Labour candidate Andy King was narrowly elected. In the 2001 election he increased his majority slightly. The Conservatives regained the seat in 2005, with Jeremy Wright becoming the Member of Parliament.
Rugby and Kenilworth was a marginal seat from 1997 onwards, but had been a safe Conservative seat previously (see Elections). Rugby, being an industrial town, traditionally leans towards Labour. Kenilworth, however, is a prosperous dormitory town and leans towards the Conservatives.

## Boundaries

1983–2010: The Borough of Rugby wards of Admirals, Benn, Bilton, Brownsover, Caldecott, Clifton and Newton, Dunchurch and Thurlaston, Eastlands, Hillmorton, Knightlow, Lawford, Leam Valley, New Bilton, Newbold, Overslade, Paddox, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, St Mary's, and Wolston, and the District of Warwick wards of Abbey, Park Hill, St John's, and Stoneleigh.
This Warwickshire seat took in areas from the Rugby and Warwick local authorities. From Rugby came the town itself, and parishes on the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire borders. From neighbouring Warwick came Kenilworth and country villages bordering Coventry and Solihull.

### Boundary review

Following the Boundary Commission for England's review of parliamentary representation in Warwickshire, the Rugby and Kenilworth constituency was abolished for the 2010 general election.
The successor seats were Kenilworth and Southam, which was originally to be named "Mid Warwickshire", and a re-created Rugby constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Jim Pawsey | Conservative |
| 1997 | Andy King | Labour |
| 2005 | Jeremy Wright | Conservative |
| 2010 | constituency abolished: see Kenilworth & Southam and Rugby | constituency abolished: see Kenilworth & Southam and Rugby |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Rugby and Kenilworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jeremy Wright | 23,447 | 41.2 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | Andy King | 21,891 | 38.4 | −6.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Allanach | 10,143 | 17.8 | +4.0 |
| | UKIP | John Thurley | 911 | 1.6 | +0.1 |
| | Independent | Brian Hadland | 298 | 0.5 | New |
| | Independent | Lillian Phallikaropoulos | 258 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,556 | 2.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,949 | 68.4 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +4.0 | |
General election 2001: Rugby & Kenilworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andy King | 24,221 | 45.0 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | David Martin | 21,344 | 39.7 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gwen Fairweather | 7,444 | 13.8 | −0.5 |
| | UKIP | Paul Garrett | 787 | 1.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,877 | 5.3 | +4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,796 | 67.4 | −9.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.3 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Rugby & Kenilworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andy King | 26,356 | 43.0 | +11.0 |
| | Conservative | Jim Pawsey | 25,861 | 42.2 | −10.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeremy Roodhouse | 8,737 | 14.3 | −1.0 |
| | Natural Law | Michael Twite | 251 | 0.4 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 495 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,205 | 77.1 | −6.6 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.6 | |
General election 1992: Rugby and Kenilworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jim Pawsey | 34,110 | 52.4 | +0.8 |
| | Labour | J Airey | 20,862 | 32.0 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | JM Roodhouse | 9,934 | 15.3 | −8.2 |
| | Natural Law | SH Withers | 202 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,248 | 20.4 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,108 | 83.7 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.1 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Rugby and Kenilworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jim Pawsey | 31,485 | 51.57 |
| | Labour | John Airey | 15,221 | 24.93 |
| | Liberal | David Owen-Jones | 14,343 | 23.49 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,264 | 26.64 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,409 | 79.64 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1983: Rugby and Kenilworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jim Pawsey | 29,622 | 50.91 | |
| | Liberal | David Owen-Jones | 15,381 | 26.44 | |
| | Labour | Philip Blundell | 13,180 | 22.65 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,241 | 24.47 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,223 | 78.10 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |