Gainsborough | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Lincolnshire |
Electorate | 74,750 (2023)[1] |
Major settlements | Market Rasen and Gainsborough |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1997 |
Member of Parliament | Sir Edward Leigh (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Gainsborough and Horncastle |
1885–1983 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | North Lincolnshire |
Replaced by | Gainsborough and Horncastle and Boothferry[2] |
Gainsborough is a constituency[n 1] in Lincolnshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1983 by Sir Edward Leigh of the Conservative Party, who, since the 2024 general election, is the Father of the House.[n 2]
The constituency was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 that year, which lasted until it was reformed as Gainsborough and Horncastle on a boundary change for the 1983 election. That seat lasted until 1997, as from the mid-1990s population changes led to removal of Horncastle from the seat and recreation of the old seat with largely similar boundaries.
The constituency is named for its largest town of Gainsborough, on the western edge of the constituency.
1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Lincoln, the Sessional Divisions of Epworth, Gainsborough, Lincoln, and the parish of Bracebridge.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Crowle and Gainsborough, and the Rural Districts of Gainsborough, Isle of Axholme, and Welton.
1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Gainsborough and Market Rasen, and the Rural Districts of Caistor, Gainsborough, Isle of Axholme, and Welton.
Constituency was abolished in 1983 and re-established in 1997
1997–2010: The District of West Lindsey, and the District of East Lindsey wards of Binbrook and Wragby.
2010–2024: The District of West Lindsey, and the District of East Lindsey ward of Wragby.
2024–present: The District of West Lindsey.[3]
This relatively vast rural seat north of Lincoln is named after the small market town at its western boundary. Regeneration projects are attempting to reduce pockets of severe deprivation in the constituency, but most of the area is affluent, albeit remote from many major cities; the closest conurbation is the city of Lincoln to the immediate south. Scunthorpe and Grimsby are both close enough to the northern edge of the constituency to be significant to residents. Though arable farming dominates the landscape and noteworthy pig farming industry (see Lincolnshire sausages), agriculture is in decline and the service/creative sector dominates.[4] The seat has elected Conservative MPs since 1924 and is a stronghold, as well as giving its MPs very long tenures, having been represented by only three people since 1924.
North Lincolnshire prior to 1885
Gainsborough and Horncastle prior to 1997
Year | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Sir Edward Leigh | Conservative |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Leigh | 16,636 | 35.6 | −30.7 | |
Labour | Jess McGuire | 13,104 | 28.1 | +6.9 | |
Reform UK | Pat O'Connor | 9,916 | 21.2 | N/A | |
Liberal Democrats | Lesley Rollings | 5,001 | 10.7 | +0.3 | |
Green | Vanessa Smith | 1,832 | 3.9 | N/A | |
SDP | Tim Mellors | 196 | 0.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,532 | 7.6 | −37.4 | ||
Turnout | 46,685 | 61.8 | −5.1 | ||
Registered electors | 75,836 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −18.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Leigh | 33,893 | 66.4 | +4.6 | |
Labour | Perry Smith | 10,926 | 21.4 | −7.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Lesley Rollings | 5,157 | 10.1 | +3.0 | |
Independent | Mary Cavill | 1,070 | 2.1 | New | |
Majority | 22,967 | 45.0 | +11.9 | ||
Turnout | 51,046 | 66.9 | −1.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +5.95 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Leigh | 31,790 | 61.8 | +9.1 | |
Labour | Catherine Tite | 14,767 | 28.7 | +7.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Lesley Rollings | 3,630 | 7.1 | +0.4 | |
Green | Victoria Pearson | 1,238 | 2.4 | −0.2 | |
Majority | 17,023 | 33.1 | +1.7 | ||
Turnout | 51,575 | 68.0 | +0.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.85 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Leigh | 25,949 | 52.7 | +3.4 | |
Labour | David Prescott | 10,500 | 21.3 | +5.7 | |
UKIP | John Saxon[10] | 7,727 | 15.7 | +11.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Lesley Rollings | 3,290 | 6.7 | −21.1 | |
Green | Geoff Barnes | 1,290 | 2.6 | New | |
Lincolnshire Independent | Chris Darcel | 505 | 1.0 | New | |
Majority | 15,449 | 31.4 | +9.9 | ||
Turnout | 48,261 | 67.3 | −1.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -1.15 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Leigh | 24,266 | 49.3 | +5.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Pat O'Connor | 13,707 | 27.8 | +1.8 | |
Labour | Jamie McMahon | 7,701 | 15.6 | −10.5 | |
UKIP | Steven Pearson | 2,065 | 4.2 | +0.1 | |
BNP | Malcolm Porter | 1,512 | 3.1 | New | |
Majority | 10,559 | 21.5 | +4.0 | ||
Turnout | 49,251 | 68.3 | +3.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Leigh | 20,040 | 43.9 | −2.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Heath | 12,037 | 26.4 | −0.3 | |
Labour | John Knight | 11,744 | 25.7 | −1.4 | |
UKIP | Steven Pearson | 1,860 | 4.1 | New | |
Majority | 8,003 | 17.5 | −1.6 | ||
Turnout | 45,681 | 64.6 | +0.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Leigh | 19,555 | 46.2 | +3.1 | |
Labour | Alan Rhodes | 11,484 | 27.1 | −1.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Steve Taylor | 11,280 | 26.7 | −1.4 | |
Majority | 8,071 | 19.1 | +4.8 | ||
Turnout | 42,319 | 64.2 | −10.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Leigh | 20,593 | 43.1 | ||
Labour | Paul Taylor | 13,767 | 28.8 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Neil Taylor | 13,436 | 28.1 | −1.5 | |
Majority | 6,826 | 14.3 | |||
Turnout | 47,796 | 74.6 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph Bennett | 4,955 | 56.3 | ||
Conservative | Charles Alexander Sim | 3,850 | 43.7 | ||
Majority | 1,105 | 12.6 | |||
Turnout | 8,805 | 79.3 | |||
Registered electors | 11,107 | ||||
Liberal win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Eyre | 4,123 | 50.5 | +6.8 | |
Liberal | Joseph Bennett | 4,038 | 49.5 | −6.8 | |
Majority | 85 | 1.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,161 | 73.5 | −5.8 | ||
Registered electors | 11,107 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph Bennett | 4,945 | 55.1 | +5.6 | |
Conservative | Henry Eyre | 4,037 | 44.9 | −5.6 | |
Majority | 908 | 10.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,982 | 77.8 | +4.3 | ||
Registered electors | 11,546 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Emerson Bainbridge | 5,077 | 54.1 | −1.0 | |
Conservative | Edward Pearson | 4,301 | 45.9 | +1.0 | |
Majority | 776 | 8.2 | −2.0 | ||
Turnout | 9,378 | 71.8 | −6.0 | ||
Registered electors | 13,057 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | -1.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Seymour Fitzroy Ormsby-Gore | 4,661 | 50.2 | +4.3 | |
Liberal | Emerson Bainbridge | 4,624 | 49.8 | −4.3 | |
Majority | 37 | 0.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,285 | 75.3 | +3.5 | ||
Registered electors | 12,328 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Leslie Renton | 5,922 | 53.9 | +4.1 | |
Conservative | Charles Algernon Moreing | 5,071 | 46.1 | −4.1 | |
Majority | 851 | 7.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 10,993 | 88.9 | +13.6 | ||
Registered electors | 12,370 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Jackson Bentham | 6,178 | 52.2 | −1.7 | |
Conservative | Robert Henderson | 5,663 | 47.8 | +1.7 | |
Majority | 515 | 4.4 | −3.4 | ||
Turnout | 11,841 | 89.9 | +1.0 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | -1.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Jackson Bentham | 5,825 | 50.3 | −1.9 | |
Conservative | Archibald Weigall | 5,745 | 49.7 | +1.9 | |
Majority | 80 | 0.6 | −3.8 | ||
Turnout | 11,570 | 87.9 | −2.0 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | -1.9 |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | John Molson | 8,634 | 56.8 | +7.1 |
Liberal | George Jackson Bentham | 6,556 | 43.2 | −7.1 | |
Majority | 2,078 | 13.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 15,190 | 55.2 | −32.7 | ||
Registered electors | 27,503 | ||||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.1 | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | John Molson | 9,015 | 42.7 | −14.1 | |
Liberal | Joel Seaverns | 7,216 | 34.2 | −9.0 | |
Labour | James Read | 4,884 | 23.1 | New | |
Majority | 1,799 | 8.5 | −5.1 | ||
Turnout | 21,115 | 77.6 | +22.4 | ||
Registered electors | 27,219 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −2.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Winfrey | 9,694 | 47.1 | +12.9 | |
Unionist | John Molson | 7,841 | 38.1 | −4.6 | |
Labour | James Read | 3,039 | 14.8 | −8.3 | |
Majority | 1,853 | 9.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 20,574 | 75.4 | −2.2 | ||
Registered electors | 27,294 | ||||
Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | 8.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Harry Crookshank | 10,281 | 47.1 | +9.0 | |
Labour | F J Knowles | 5,958 | 27.3 | +12.5 | |
Liberal | Richard Winfrey | 5,590 | 25.6 | −21.5 | |
Majority | 4,323 | 19.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 21,829 | 79.0 | +3.6 | ||
Registered electors | 27,619 | ||||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | −1.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Harry Crookshank | 10,058 | 37.1 | −10.0 | |
Liberal | Arthur Neal | 9,991 | 36.9 | +11.3 | |
Labour | George Deer | 7,032 | 26.0 | −1.3 | |
Majority | 67 | 0.2 | −19.6 | ||
Turnout | 27,081 | 79.7 | −0.7 | ||
Registered electors | 33,977 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −10.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Crookshank | 14,839 | 51.7 | +14.6 | |
Liberal | Henry Purchase | 8,009 | 27.9 | −9.0 | |
Labour | George Deer | 5,856 | 20.4 | −5.6 | |
Majority | 6,830 | 23.8 | +23.6 | ||
Turnout | 28,704 | 83.2 | +3.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Crookshank | 12,597 | 44.8 | −6.9 | |
Liberal | John Johnson Till Ferens | 10,840 | 38.5 | +10.6 | |
Labour | E Pittwood | 4,698 | 16.7 | −3.7 | |
Majority | 1,757 | 6.3 | −17.5 | ||
Turnout | 28,135 | 80.4 | −2.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
General Election 1939–40:
Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Crookshank | 11,081 | 38.5 | −6.3 | |
Labour | Gerald Samson Saville | 9,436 | 32.8 | +16.1 | |
Liberal | Roy Desmond Robinson | 8,284 | 28.8 | −9.7 | |
Majority | 1,645 | 5.7 | −0.6 | ||
Turnout | 28,801 | 75.2 | −5.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Crookshank | 17,066 | 41.4 | ||
Labour | Gerald Samson Saville | 14,890 | 36.1 | ||
Liberal | Henry Ivan Spence | 9,276 | 22.5 | ||
Majority | 2,176 | 5.3 | |||
Turnout | 41,232 | 83.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Crookshank | 19,915 | 49.1 | +7.7 | |
Labour | Gordon RS Hawkins | 16,074 | 39.6 | +3.5 | |
Liberal | John Gregory | 4,580 | 11.3 | −11.2 | |
Majority | 3,841 | 9.5 | +4.2 | ||
Turnout | 40,569 | 80.1 | −3.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Crookshank | 22,576 | 55.8 | +6.7 | |
Labour | Gordon RS Hawkins | 17,107 | 44.2 | +4.6 | |
Majority | 4,469 | 11.6 | +2.1 | ||
Turnout | 39,683 | 76.8 | −3.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Kimball | 12,836 | 40.8 | −15.0 | |
Labour | Henry Walston | 11,830 | 37.6 | −6.6 | |
Liberal | Henry Ivan Spence | 6,806 | 21.6 | New | |
Majority | 1,006 | 3.2 | −8.4 | ||
Turnout | 31,472 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Kimball | 20,056 | 49.6 | −6.2 | |
Labour | Henry Walston | 13,247 | 32.8 | −11.4 | |
Liberal | Roy Douglas | 7,147 | 17.7 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,809 | 16.8 | +5.2 | ||
Turnout | 40,450 | 80.8 | +4.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Kimball | 19,235 | 47.7 | −1.9 | |
Labour | Douglas Poirier | 12,126 | 30.1 | −2.7 | |
Liberal | Roy Douglas | 8,930 | 22.2 | +4.5 | |
Majority | 7,109 | 17.6 | +0.8 | ||
Turnout | 40,291 | 78.2 | −2.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Kimball | 18,770 | 47.2 | −0.5 | |
Labour | Alan Day | 14,904 | 37.5 | +7.4 | |
Liberal | Geoffrey R S Stevenson | 6,064 | 15.3 | −6.9 | |
Majority | 3,866 | 9.7 | −7.9 | ||
Turnout | 39,738 | 75.8 | −2.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.95 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Kimball | 22,163 | 50.2 | +3.0 | |
Labour | Maurice P Tracy | 14,454 | 32.7 | −4.8 | |
Liberal | Roger Blackmore | 7,543 | 17.1 | +1.8 | |
Majority | 7,709 | 17.5 | +7.8 | ||
Turnout | 44,163 | 74.6 | −1.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Kimball | 22,177 | 44.2 | −6.0 | |
Liberal | Roger Blackmore | 15,967 | 31.8 | +14.7 | |
Labour | Terry J Lansbury | 12,011 | 24.0 | −8.7 | |
Majority | 6,210 | 12.4 | −5.1 | ||
Turnout | 50,155 | 82.0 | +7.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Kimball | 19,163 | 41.5 | −2.7 | |
Liberal | Roger Blackmore | 15,195 | 32.9 | +1.1 | |
Labour | Terry J Lansbury | 11,797 | 25.6 | +1.6 | |
Majority | 3,968 | 8.6 | −3.8 | ||
Turnout | 46,155 | 74.8 | −7.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Kimball | 24,040 | 46.4 | +4.9 | |
Liberal | Roger Blackmore | 16,885 | 32.6 | −0.3 | |
Labour | Willy Bach | 10,335 | 20.0 | −5.6 | |
Ind. Conservative | R E August | 570 | 1.1 | New | |
Majority | 7,155 | 13.8 | +5.2 | ||
Turnout | 51,830 | 79.0 | +4.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
For 1983 – 1992, see Gainsborough and Horncastle (UK Parliament constituency)