Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1974 onwards
Leicester East |
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Borough constituency for the House of Commons |
Boundary of Leicester East in Leicestershire |
Location of Leicestershire within England |
County | Leicestershire |
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Electorate | 74,377 (December 2010)[1] |
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Current constituency |
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Created | 1974 (1974) |
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Member of Parliament | Claudia Webbe (Independent) |
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Seats | One |
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Created from | Leicester South East Leicester North East |
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1918–1950 |
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Seats | One |
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Created from | Leicester |
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Replaced by | Leicester South East Leicester North East |
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Leicester East is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since December 2019 by Claudia Webbe, who was elected as a Labour MP, but now sits as an Independent due to her suspension and subsequent expulsion from the party in November 2021 after she was convicted of harassment.[2][3]
Boundaries
Historic
Map of boundaries 2010-2024
1918–1950: The County Borough of Leicester wards of Belgrave, Latimer, Spinney Hill, and West Humberstone.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Leicester wards of Belgrave, Charnwood, Evington, Humberstone, and Latimer.
1983–2010: The City of Leicester wards of Belgrave, Charnwood, Coleman, Evington, Humberstone, Latimer, Rushey Mead, Thurncourt, and West Humberstone.
2010–2024: The City of Leicester wards of Belgrave, Charnwood1, Coleman, Evington, Humberstone & Hamilton, Latimer, Rushey Mead, and Thurncourt.
1 Further to a local government boundary review which became effective in May 2015,[4] the newly created Troon ward replaced the old Charnwood ward covering the Northfields Estate and the adjacent Industrial Estate Area to the north, of which it takes its name.
Current
Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was adjusted slightly to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring polling district EVF in Evington ward to Leicester South.[5]
Constituency profile
This is an urban seat in the commercial and engineering centre of Leicester. The seat excludes the heart of the city centre, skirting its tightly planned ring road. A golf course is situated in the southeast and a large municipal garden in the northwest of the boundaries.
Leicester East has an extremely high South Asian population. Almost a third of the population are Hindu and the majority of others of Asian ethnicity are of Muslim or Sikh faiths. Those of mixed ethnicities are gradually increasing — to 3.1% of the population in 2011.
The bulk of the eastern outskirts are relatively compact and much of the remainder of the county by the 21st century has become transformed economically into a retirement and commuter belt for the city and its railway links. The division's south-west quarter is within normal walking distance of all parts of Leicester City Centre and the seat is served by buses and cycle routes into the city centre.
Place
History
First creation
The seat was created in 1918 and for the next four years was served by Sir Gordon Hewart KC, resigning to become Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. In 1950 the area was divided between Leicester North East and Leicester South East, which also covered part of the present Charnwood seat and Rutland and Melton.
Second creation, current creation
In 1974 the seat was recreated.
- Summary of results
Leicester East has been won by the Labour Party's candidate in 10 of 11 elections since its recreation. Its MP, Keith Vaz, had won an absolute majority (plurality) of votes since the 1992 general election. The 2015 result made the seat the 37-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[7] Leicester East was narrowly won by Conservative candidate Peter Bruinvels at the height of the Tory party's popularity in 1983;[n 2] the following election saw Labour's Keith Vaz regain the seat; he had held it at every election thereafter, and since 1992 had always won by margins of over 20% and 11,000 votes until standing down at the 2019 general election. Vaz won his highest majority ever, 22,428 votes (42.8%), in 2017. In 2019 Labour held the seat with a substantially reduced majority of 6,019, down from 22,428 - a swing of 15%.
- Opposition parties
The candidate fielded by the Conservative Party has been runner-up in every election save for Bruinvels' win in 1983. The candidate of UKIP for the first time took third place in 2015, her 2010 counterpart having won 1.5% of the vote and the party not having stood before. The pro-UKIP swing between 2010 and 2015 elections, of 7.4%, was less than the national average of 9.5%. Susan Cooper was 1.8% away from second place in 2005, giving the best result of a Liberal Democrat to date, attracting just under one fifth of the vote.
- Turnout
Turnout in the recreated seat has ranged between 78.7% in 1992 to 62.1% in 2001.
Members of Parliament
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
- * Webbe is contesting the election as an Independent - but will be supported by the Workers Party of Britain.[15]
Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Leicester East[16] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Claudia Webbe | 25,090 | 50.8 | –16.2 |
| Conservative | Bhupendra Dave | 19,071 | 38.6 | +14.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | Nitesh Dave | 2,800 | 5.7 | +3.1 |
| Brexit Party | Tara Baldwin | 1,243 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Green | Melanie Wakley | 888 | 1.8 | -0.2 |
| Independent | Sanjay Gogia | 329 | 0.7 | N/A |
Majority | 6,019 | 12.2 | –30.6 |
Turnout | 49,421 | 63.0 | –4.4 |
| Labour hold | Swing | –15.3 | |
General election 2017: Leicester East Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Keith Vaz | 35,116 | 67.0 | +5.9 |
| Conservative | Edward Yi He | 12,688 | 24.2 | +1.2 |
| Independent | Sujata Barot | 1,753 | 3.3 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | Nitesh Dave | 1,343 | 2.6 | 0.0 |
| Green | Melanie Wakley | 1,070 | 2.0 | –1.1 |
| Independent | Ian Fox | 454 | 0.9 | N/A |
Majority | 22,428 | 42.8 | +4.6 |
Turnout | 52,424 | 67.4 | +3.7 |
| Labour hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
General election 2015: Leicester East[17] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Keith Vaz | 29,386 | 61.1 | +7.4 |
| Conservative | Kishan Devani | 11,034 | 23.0 | –1.5 |
| UKIP | Susanna Steptoe | 4,290 | 8.9 | +7.4 |
| Green | Nimit Jethwa | 1,468 | 3.1 | +1.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | Dave Raval | 1,233 | 2.6 | –11.6 |
| TUSC | Michael Barker | 540 | 1.1 | N/A |
| Independent | Tom Darwood | 117 | 0.2 | N/A |
Majority | 18,352 | 38.2 | +8.9 |
Turnout | 48,599 | 63.7 | –2.1 |
| Labour hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Leicester East[21] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Keith Vaz | 24,015 | 58.1 | +0.5 |
| Conservative | Suella Fernandes | 8,139 | 19.7 | −4.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | Susan Cooper | 7,052 | 17.1 | +4.8 |
| Veritas | Colin Brown | 1,666 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Socialist Labour | Valerie Smalley | 434 | 1.1 | −1.0 |
Majority | 15,876 | 38.4 | +5.3 |
Turnout | 41,306 | 62.2 | +0.1 |
| Labour hold | Swing | +2.6 | |
In 2005 this seat bucked the national trend as there was a swing to Labour whereas the national swing was 2.5% to the Conservatives.
General election 2001: Leicester East[22] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Keith Vaz | 23,402 | 57.6 | −7.9 |
| Conservative | John Mugglestone | 9,960 | 24.5 | +0.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | Harpinder Athwal | 4,989 | 12.3 | +5.3 |
| Socialist Labour | David Roberts | 837 | 2.1 | +1.1 |
| BNP | Clive Potter | 772 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Independent | Shirley Bennett | 701 | 1.7 | +1.5 |
Majority | 13,442 | 33.1 | –8.4 |
Turnout | 40,661 | 62.1 | −7.0 |
| Labour hold | Swing | –4.2 | |
Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Leicester East[23] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Keith Vaz | 29,083 | 65.50 | +9.2 |
| Conservative | Simon Milton | 10,661 | 24.01 | –9.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | Jay Matabudul | 3,105 | 6.99 | −1.1 |
| Referendum | Philip Iwaniw | 1,015 | 2.29 | N/A |
| Socialist Labour | Sohan Singh Sidhu | 436 | 0.98 | N/A |
| Independent | Neil Slack | 102 | 0.23 | N/A |
Majority | 18,422 | 41.49 | +18.9 |
Turnout | 44,402 | 69.11 | |
| Labour hold | Swing | +9.4 | |
General election 1992: Leicester East[24][25] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Keith Vaz | 28,123 | 56.3 | +10.1 |
| Conservative | Jeffery C. Stevens | 16,807 | 33.7 | −8.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | Sheila A. Mitchell | 4,043 | 8.1 | −3.3 |
| Green | Murray R. Frankland | 453 | 0.9 | N/A |
| Independent | Dennis J. Taylor | 308 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Natural Law | ASK Mahaldar | 186 | 0.4 | N/A |
Majority | 11,316 | 22.6 | +18.9 |
Turnout | 49,920 | 78.7 | +0.1 |
| Labour hold | Swing | +9.5 | |
Elections in the 1980s
General election 1983: Leicester East[27] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Peter Bruinvels | 19,117 | 38.9 | –2.3 |
| Labour | Patricia Hewitt | 18,184 | 37.0 | –9.9 |
| SDP | Tom Bradley | 10,362 | 21.1 | N/A |
| Independent | RV Ganatra | 970 | 2.0 | N/A |
| BNP | RL Sutton | 459 | 0.9 | N/A |
Majority | 933 | 1.9 | N/A |
Turnout | 49,092 | 73.2 | –2.4 |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.8 | |
Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: Leicester East Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Tom Bradley | 23,844 | 46.9 | +2.1 |
| Conservative | M Waterhouse | 20,988 | 41.3 | +4.8 |
| Liberal | B Andrews | 4,623 | 9.1 | –3.2 |
| National Front | BJ Calver | 1,385 | 2.7 | –3.7 |
Majority | 2,856 | 5.6 | –2.6 |
Turnout | 50,840 | 75.6 | +3.3 |
| Labour hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
General election October 1974: Leicester East Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Tom Bradley | 20,688 | 44.8 | +0.1 |
| Conservative | KG Reeves | 16,877 | 36.5 | –8.3 |
| Liberal | W Capstick | 5,668 | 12.3 | N/A |
| National Front | A Reed-Herbert | 2,967 | 6.4 | −1.1 |
Majority | 3,811 | 8.3 | +5.4 |
Turnout | 46,200 | 72.3 | –5.5 |
| Labour hold | Swing | +4.2 | |
General election February 1974: Leicester East[28] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Tom Bradley | 23,474 | 47.7 | N/A |
| Conservative | K.G. Reeves | 22,061 | 44.8 | N/A |
| National Front | K. Sanders | 3,662 | 7.5 | N/A |
Majority | 1,413 | 2.9 | N/A |
Turnout | 49,199 | 77.8 | N/A |
| Labour win (new seat) |
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Election in the 1910s
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "2011 Electorate Figures". Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ Walker, Peter; Syal, Rajeev (28 September 2020). "Labour suspends MP Claudia Webbe over harassment charge". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ Mack, Tom (4 November 2021). "MP Claudia Webbe expelled from Labour Party after being handed suspended prison sentence". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ LGBCE. "Leicester | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 1 East Midlands.
- ^ https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/topic/home-affairs/communities/demography/census/
- ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)
- ^ "Leicester East Labour MP candidate Rajesh Agrawal steps down as Deputy Mayor of London". Leicestershire Live. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Liberal Democrats pick well-known Leicester figure to battle for scandal-hit Leicester East seat". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Greens pick Leicester parliamentary candidates to battle for city's three seats at election". LeicesterMercury. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ Shivani Raja [@ShivaniRaja_LE] (29 May 2024). "…It's an honour to be selected to serve my home city, the hard work starts now" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Find My PPC (East Midlands)" (PDF). Reform UK. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Leicester MP Claudia Webbe will fight again for her seat in Westminster". Leicestershire Live. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "General election 2024". Workers Party of Britain. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Leicester East Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Full slate in Leicestershire as BNP candidate nominated in Leicester East". BNP. March 2010. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010.
- ^ "Green Candidate Mo Taylor for Leicester East". Green Party. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "General Election 1992". Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "UK General Election results: February 1974 [Archive]". Politics Resources. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Craig, F. W. S. (1969). British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications.
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