Loughborough (UK Parliament constituency)

Loughborough is a constituency in Leicestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Jeevun Sandher of the Labour Party. The constituency is a considered a bellwether, as it has reflected the national result at every general election since February 1974.

Historic
1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Loughborough (except the parishes of Cossington, Seagrave, and Sileby), and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Leicester.

1918–1950: The Borough of Loughborough, the Urban Districts of Ashby-de-la-zouch, Ashby Woulds, and Shepshed, the Rural Districts of Castle Donington and Loughborough, and the Rural District of Ashby-de-la-Zouch except the parish of Bardon.

1950–1955: The Borough of Loughborough, the Urban Districts of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Ashby Woulds, and Shepshed, and the Rural Districts of Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Castle Donington.

1955–1974: The Borough of Loughborough, the Urban Districts of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Ashby Woulds, and Shepshed, the Rural District of Ashby-de-la-Zouch as constituted by the County of Leicester (Coalville Urban District) Confirmation Order 1953, and the Rural District of Castle Donington.

1974–1983: The Borough of Loughborough, the Urban Districts of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Ashby Woulds, and Shepshed, the Rural District of Ashby-de-la-Zouch as altered by the West Midland Counties Order 1965, and the Rural District of Castle Donington as altered by the East Midland Counties Order 1965 and the County of Leicester (Coalville Urban District) Confirmation Order 1969.

1983–1997: The Borough of Charnwood wards of Ashby, Barrow upon Soar and Quorndon, Birstall Goscote, Birstall Greengate, Birstall Netherhall, Birstall Riverside, Birstall Stonehill, Garendon, Hastings, Hathern, Lemyngton, Nanpantan, Mountsorrel and Rothley, Outwoods, Sileby, Southfields, Storer, The Wolds, Thurcaston, Woodhouse and Swithland, and Woodthorpe.

1997–2010: The Borough of Charnwood wards of Ashby, Barrow upon Soar and Quorndon, Garendon, Hastings, Hathern, Lemyngton, Nanpantan, Outwoods, Shepshed East, Shepshed West, Sileby, Southfields, Storer, The Wolds, and Woodthorpe.

2010–2024: The Borough of Charnwood wards of Barrow and Sileby West, Loughborough Ashby, Loughborough Dishley and Hathern, Loughborough Garendon, Loughborough Hastings, Loughborough Lemyngton, Loughborough Nanpantan, Loughborough Outwoods, Loughborough Shelthorpe, Loughborough Southfields, Loughborough Storer, Quorn and Mountsorrel Castle, Shepshed East, Shepshed West, Sileby, and The Wolds.

Current
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was reduced to bring the electorate within the permitted range with the transfer of Sileby ward (as it existed on 1 December 2020) to the newly created constituency of Melton and Syston.

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the Borough of Charnwood from the next general election:


 * Barrow upon Soar; Dishley, Hathern & Thorpe Acre; Loughborough Ashby; Loughborough East; Loughborough Nanpantan, Loughborough Outwoods & Shelthorpe; Loughborough Southfields; Loughborough Storer; Loughborough Woodthorpe; Quorn & Mountsorrel Castle, Shepshed East, Shepshed West; The Wolds; and a small part of Sileby & Seagrave.

History
Loughborough was originally part of a larger constituency, Leicestershire, which was split into two districts in the Reform Act of 1832.

In the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885 Leicestershire was divided into five parts, Eastern (Melton), Mid [or] (Loughborough), Western (Bosworth) and Southern (Harborough), each returning one member, the last part was a borough constituency for Leicester which returned two MPs.

In 1983 the Leicestershire coalfield, an area loyal to Labour, was removed from the constituency and replaced by much of the Soar Valley, a rural area that tended to vote Conservative. Opencast coal mining is still relevant to the west of the seat only at Measham, one of the few high-profile excavations planned by Coalfield Resources PLC (formerly UK Coal). In 1995 the Soar Valley was moved to the newly created Charnwood constituency approximately reinstating the old version of the seat.

The last time that Loughborough was not represented by an MP from a governing political party was prior to the February 1974 general election, making the constituency a bellwether.

Members of Parliament
North Leicestershire prior to 1885

Elections in the 2000s
The 2005 general election saw Andy Reed returned with a decreased majority after his share of the vote dropped by 8.3%. Loughborough was the 126th target seat of the Conservative Party and their share of the vote increased slightly but the Liberal Democrats had the largest increase. The swing of 5.0% from Labour to Conservative was higher than the national swing of 3.0% and turnout was above average.