Corby (UK Parliament constituency)

UK Parliament constituency since 1983

Corby and East Northamptonshire

County constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Corby and East Northamptonshire in the East Midlands

County| Northamptonshire
Electorate| 81,941 (2018)[1]
Major settlements| Corby, Irthlingborough, Raunds, Thrapston and Oundle
Current constituency
Created| 2023
Member of Parliament| Tom Pursglove (Conservative)
Created from| Kettering and Wellingborough

Corby and East Northamptonshire is a constituency[n 1] in the English county of Northamptonshire. It is represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since May 2015 by Tom Pursglove, a Conservative.[n 2]

Prior to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was known as Corby. The 2024 general election will be the first general election that the 'Corby and East Northamptonshire' constituency will be contested following the boundary changes of 2023.[2]

## History[edit]

From 1832 - 1918, the then village of Corby was part of the North Northamptonshire constituency, which consisted of most of the Soke of Peterborough, the towns of Oundle and Thrapston and many of the surrounding villages and hamlets of rural north-eastern Northamptonshire such as King's Cliffe, Apethorpe, Easton-on-the-Hill, Collyweston, Harringworth, Wakerley and Gretton.[3]

The North Northamptonshire constituency boundaries were revised and changed slightly in 1885, with some of the constituency being transferred to the newly created  Mid Northamptonshire constituency. However, Corby remained within the revised constituency of North Northamptonshire.[4]

The North Northamptonshire constituency was abolished in 1918 for that year's general election and from 1918 - 1974, the village and later 'New Town' of Corby was part of the  Peterborough constituency. The Peterborough constituency consisted of most of the former North Northamptonshire constituency - including the Soke of Peterborough, Corby, Oundle, Thrapston and surrounding villages.[5]

Boundary changes set in 1971 saw Corby transferred to the  Kettering constituency for the next general election; Corby remained part of the Kettering constituency until 1983. The Parliamentary seat of 'Corby' was created due to population increases in and around the town of Corby for the 1983 general election. Since creation, the Corby constituency has been a marginal seat alternating between Labour and the Conservative representatives with marginal majorities relative to national averages on all but two occasions, the 1997 Labour landslide and the 2012 by-election. The first Member of Parliament elected for the constituency in 1983 was William Powell, who represented the Conservatives for three sessions of Parliament until 1997. Labour then held the seat until 2010.

On 6 August 2012, MP for the seat since 2010 Louise Mensch (formerly Louise Bagshawe) announced she was resigning, triggering a by-election held on 15 November 2012. Labour's Andy Sawford won, becoming the first Labour MP for the seat since Phil Hope was defeated in 2010, and only the second in the seat's history. This was Labour's first by-election win from a Conservative since the 1997 Wirral South by-election. At the 2015 general election Tom Pursglove standing for the Conservatives won with a small majority. He won again with a similar margin in 2017 and in 2019 Tom Pursglove took the seat for the third time, but with a majority of over 10,000, turning Corby into a non-marginal seat by Conservative Party standards.

## Boundaries[edit]

Map of boundaries 2010-2024

### Historic (Corby)[edit]

1983–2010: The District of Corby, and the District of East Northamptonshire wards of Barnwell, Brigstock, Drayton, Forest, Irthlingborough, King's Cliffe, Lower Nene, Margaret Beaufort, Oundle, Raunds, Ringstead, Stanwick, Thrapston, Willibrook, and Woodford.

2010–2021: The Borough of Corby, and the District of East Northamptonshire wards of Barnwell, Dryden, Fineshade, Irthlingborough, King's Forest, Lower Nene, Lyveden, Oundle, Prebendal, Raunds Saxon, Raunds Windmill, Ringstead, Stanwick, Thrapston, and Woodford.

2021–2023: With effect from 1 April 2021, the Borough of Corby and the District of East Northamptonshire were abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of North Northamptonshire.[6] From that date, the constituency comprised the District of North Northamptonshire wards of Corby Rural, Corby West, Irthlingborough, Kingswood, Lloyds, Oakley, Oundle, Raunds and Thrapston.

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Kettering and Wellingborough. It is named after the town of Corby in Northamptonshire, and also covers much of the local government district of East Northamptonshire, but excluding Rushden and Higham Ferrers which are in the Wellingborough constituency. The seat is a highly marginal contest between the Tories and Labour, with Labour's vote strongest in the town of Corby itself, against the solidly Conservative rural areas of East Northamptonshire.[7]

The constituency was sometimes informally called "Corby and East Northamptonshire",[8] but the 2007 Parliamentary Constituencies Order[9] and Whitaker's Almanack both make it clear that, until 2024, its official name was "Corby".

### Current (Corby and East Northamptonshire)[edit]

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 April 2021):

* The District of North Northamptonshire wards of: Corby Rural (polling districts CRWA, CSCA, CWGA, CWGB and CWGC); Corby West; Irthlingborough (polling districts RA, RB, RR, SG, SZ and UQ); Kingswood; Lloyds; Oakley; Oundle; Raunds; Thrapston.[10]

Parts of the Corby Rural and Irthlingborough wards were transferred to Kettering, and Wellingborough and Rushden respectively.

## Members of Parliament[edit]

Election | Member[11] | Party

|
|

| 1983 | William Powell | Conservative
| 1997 | Phil Hope | Labour
| 2010 | Louise Bagshawe | Conservative
| 2012 by-election | Andy Sawford | Labour
| 2015 | Tom Pursglove | Conservative

## Elections[edit]

### Elections in the 2020s[edit]

General election 2024: Corby and East Northamptonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Lee Barron[12] |  |  |
| Independent | Karen Blott[13] |  |  |
| Green | Lee Forster[14] |  |  |
| Liberal Democrats | Chris Lofts[15] |  |  |
| Reform UK | Edward McDonald[16] |  |  |
| Conservative | Tom Pursglove[17] |  |  |
Majority  |  |  |
Turnout |  |  |

### Elections in the 2010s[edit]

General election 2019: Corby[18] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Tom Pursglove | 33,410  | 55.2  | +6.0
| Labour | Beth Miller  | 23,142  | 38.3  | -6.4
| Liberal Democrats | Chris Stanbra  | 3,923  | 6.5  | +3.9
Majority  | 10,268  | 16.9  | +12.4
Turnout | 60,475  | 70.2  | -2.6
| Conservative hold | Swing | +6.25  |
General election 2017: Corby  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Tom Pursglove | 29,534  | 49.2  | +6.4
| Labour | Beth Miller  | 26,844  | 44.7  | +6.2
| Liberal Democrats | Chris Stanbra  | 1,545  | 2.6  | 0.0
| UKIP | Sam Watts  | 1,495  | 2.5  | −11.2
| Green | Steven Scrutton  | 579  | 1.0  | −1.4
Majority  | 2,690  | 4.5  | +0.2
Turnout | 59,637  | 72.8  | +2.4
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1  |

See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Corby

General election 2015: Corby[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Tom Pursglove | 24,023  | 42.8  | +0.6
| Labour Co-op | Andy Sawford | 21,611  | 38.5  | -0.1
| UKIP | Margot Parker | 7,708  | 13.7  | N/A
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Harris  | 1,458  | 2.6  | -11.9
| Green | Jonathan Hornett  | 1,374  | 2.4  | N/A
Majority  | 2,412  | 4.3  | +0.7
Turnout | 56,174  | 70.4  | +1.2
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4  |
2012 Corby by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour Co-op | Andy Sawford | 17,267  | 48.4  | +9.8
| Conservative | Christine Emmett  | 9,476  | 26.6  | −15.6
| UKIP | Margot Parker  | 5,108  | 14.3  | New
| Liberal Democrats | Jill Hope  | 1,770  | 5.0  | −9.5
| BNP | Gordon Riddell  | 614  | 1.7  | −3.0
| English Democrat | David Wickham  | 432  | 1.2  | New
| Green | Jonathan Hornett  | 378  | 1.1  | New
| Independent | Ian Gillman  | 212  | 0.6  | New
| Cannabis Law Reform | Peter Reynolds  | 137  | 0.4  | New
| Elvis Loves Pets | David Bishop  | 99  | 0.3  | New
| Independent | Mr Mozzarella  | 73  | 0.2  | New
| Young People's Party  | Rohen Kapur  | 39  | 0.1  | New
| Democracy 2015  | Adam Lotun  | 35  | 0.1  | New
| United People's Party  | Christopher Scotton  | 25  | 0.1  | New
Majority  | 7,791  | 21.8  | N/A
Turnout | 35,665  | 44.8  | -24.4
| Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.57  |
General election 2010: Corby[20][21] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Louise Bagshawe | 22,886  | 42.2  | +2.3
| Labour Co-op | Phil Hope | 20,935  | 38.6  | −4.5
| Liberal Democrats | Portia Wilson  | 7,834  | 14.5  | +1.7
| BNP | Roy Davies  | 2,525  | 4.7  | New
Majority  | 1,951  | 3.6  | N/A
Turnout | 54,180  | 69.2  | +3.6
| Conservative gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | +3.4  |

### Elections in the 2000s[edit]

General election 2005: Corby[22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour Co-op | Phil Hope | 20,913  | 43.1  | −6.2
| Conservative | Andrew Griffith | 19,396  | 40.0  | +2.8
| Liberal Democrats | David Radcliffe  | 6,184  | 12.7  | +2.6
| UKIP | Ian Gillman  | 1,278  | 2.6  | +0.8
| Socialist Labour | Steven Carey  | 499  | 1.0  | −0.6
| Independent | John Morris  | 257  | 0.5  | New
Majority  | 1,517  | 3.1  | -9.0
Turnout | 48,527  | 65.6  | +0.6
| Labour Co-op hold | Swing | -4.5  |
General election 2001: Corby[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour Co-op | Phil Hope | 23,283  | 49.3  | −6.1
| Conservative | Andrew Griffith | 17,583  | 37.2  | +3.8
| Liberal Democrats | Kevin Scudder  | 4,751  | 10.1  | +2.6
| UKIP | Ian Gillman  | 855  | 1.8  | +0.9
| Socialist Labour | Andrew Dickson  | 750  | 1.6  | New
Majority  | 5,700  | 12.1  | -9.9
Turnout | 47,222  | 65.0  | −12.9
| Labour Co-op hold | Swing | -5.0  |

### Elections in the 1990s[edit]

General election 1997: Corby[24] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour Co-op | Phil Hope | 29,888  | 55.4  | +11.5
| Conservative | William Powell | 18,028  | 33.4  | −11.1
| Liberal Democrats | Ian Hankison  | 4,045  | 7.5  | −2.7
| Referendum | Sebastian Riley-Smith  | 1,356  | 2.5  | New
| UKIP | Ian Gillman  | 507  | 0.9  | New
| Natural Law | Jane Bence  | 133  | 0.2  | New
Majority  | 11,860  | 22.0  | N/A
Turnout | 53,957  | 77.9  | −5.0
| Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Swing | +11.3  |
General election 1992: Corby[25][26] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Powell | 25,203  | 44.5  | +0.2
| Labour | Harry Feather  | 24,861  | 43.9  | +3.0
| Liberal Democrats | Melvyn Roffe  | 5,792  | 10.2  | −4.6
| Liberal | Judith I. Wood  | 784  | 1.4  | New
Majority  | 342  | 0.6  | −2.8
Turnout | 56,640  | 82.9  | +3.3
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4  |

### Elections in the 1980s[edit]

General election 1987: Corby[27] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Powell | 23,323  | 44.3  | +1.7
| Labour | Harry Feather  | 21,518  | 40.9  | +4.8
| Liberal | Terrence Whittington  | 7,805  | 14.8  | −5.5
Majority  | 1,805  | 3.4  | −3.1
Turnout | 52,646  | 79.6  | +2.1
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.5  |
General election 1983: Corby[28] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Powell | 20,827  | 42.6  |
| Labour | William Homewood | 17,659  | 36.1  |
| Liberal | Terrence Whittington  | 9,905  | 20.3  |
| Ecology | Rosy J. Stanning  | 505  | 1.0  |
Majority  | 3,168  | 6.5  |
Turnout | 48,896  | 77.5  |
| Conservative win (new seat)

## See also[edit]

* List of parliamentary constituencies in Northamptonshire

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – East Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
3. ^ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. XLV: An Act to amend the Representation of the People in England and Wales". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 154–206. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
4. ^ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 48 & 49 Victoria. Ch. 23: Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Schedule 7". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1885. pp. 166–167. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
5. ^ S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. ^ "The Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020".
7. ^ "UKPollingReport Election Guide 2010 » Corby". ukpollingreport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
8. ^ Coupe, Kerry (14 November 2019). "General Election 2019: Corby and East Northamptonshire candidates announced". Stamford Mercury. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
9. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk.
10. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 1 East Midlands.
11. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 5)
12. ^ "The Labour candidate who wants to turn Corby red again at the next general election". Northamptonshire Telegraph. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
13. ^ "Corby and East Northamptonshire". BBC News. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
14. ^ "Your local candidates". Northants Green Party. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
15. ^ "Liberal Democrat general election candidate for Corby constituency announced". Northamptonshire Telegraph. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
16. ^ "Find My PPC" (PDF). Reform UK. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
17. ^ "General Election statement | Tom Pursglove". Retrieved 3 June 2024.
18. ^ "Declaration of Results UKPE 2019". Corby.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
19. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
20. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
21. ^ of Persons Nominated[permanent dead link], Corby Borough Council
22. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
23. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
24. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
25. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
26. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
27. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
28. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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Constituencies in the East Midlands (47)

Conservative (32)|

* Amber Valley
* Bassetlaw
* Bolsover
* Boston and Skegness
* Broxtowe
* Corby and East Northamptonshire
* Daventry
* Derby North
* Derbyshire Dales
* Erewash
* Gainsborough
* Gedling
* Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
* High Peak
* Hinckley and Bosworth
* Kettering
* Lincoln
* Loughborough
* Louth and Horncastle
* Mansfield
* Mid Derbyshire
* Newark
* Northampton North
* Northampton South
* North East Derbyshire
* Rushcliffe
* Sherwood Forest
* Sleaford and North Hykeham
* South Derbyshire
* South Holland and The Deepings
* South Leicestershire
* South Northamptonshire

Labour (7)|

* Chesterfield
* Derby South
* Leicester South
* Leicester West
* Nottingham East
* Nottingham South
* Wellingborough and Rushden

Independent (2)|

* Leicester East
* North West Leicestershire

Reform UK (1)|

* Ashfield

Not yet contested (5)|

* Grantham and Bourne
* Melton and Syston
* Mid Leicestershire
* Nottingham North and Kimberley
* Rutland and Stamford

* East Midlands
* East of England
* London
* North East England
* North West England
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* South East England
* South West England
* Wales
* West Midlands
* Yorkshire and the Humber

Party affiliations are based on the situation as of the dissolution of parliament on 30 May 2024. Technically all seats are now vacant until the general election on 4 July 2024.

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