Ashfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Ashfield is a Nottinghamshire constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament most recently by Lee Anderson of the Conservative Party.

Constituency profile 
Until the Conservatives winning the 2019 general election, almost always a Labour Party seat since its creation for the 1955 general election, the Ashfield constituency has been served by a former Secretary of State, Geoff Hoon, and since its creation until now, for only two years has been served by one member of another party, Tim Smith of the Conservative Party, from 1977 to 1979. Ashfield's 2019 results indicate quite large Conservative majorities. In 2010, the seat had a marginal majority of only 192 over the Liberal Democrats, but this was increased to 8,820 in 2015 after a collapse in the Liberal vote, with the Conservatives finishing second. In 2017, there was another narrow margin of victory for Labour after an 8.9 swing to the Conservatives, who squeezed most of the fairly substantial UKIP vote from two years earlier, and also a large vote for the Ashfield Independents candidate of nearly 10%, but Labour on that occasion did just enough to hang on by just over 400 votes. In 2019, the Independent candidate Jason Zadrozny, who had come close to winning the seat for the Liberal Democrats nine years earlier, came second with a substantial vote, and the Conservatives took the seat despite achieving fewer votes and a smaller percentage of the total vote than in 2017.

Boundaries 
1955–1974: The Urban Districts of Eastwood, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and Sutton-in-Ashfield, and in the Rural District of Basford the parishes of Annesley, Bestwood Park, Brinsley, Felley, Linby, Newstead, Papplewick, and Selston.

1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Hucknall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and Sutton-in-Ashfield, and in the Rural District of Basford the parishes of Annesley, Felley, and Selston.

1983–2010: The District of Ashfield wards of Jacksdale, Kirkby-in-Ashfield Central, Kirkby-in-Ashfield East, Kirkby-in-Ashfield West, Selston, Sutton-in-Ashfield Central, Sutton-in-Ashfield East, Sutton-in-Ashfield North, Sutton-in-Ashfield West, Underwood, and Woodhouse, and the Borough of Broxtowe wards of Brinsley, Eastwood East, Eastwood North, and Eastwood South.

2010–present: The District of Ashfield wards of Jacksdale, Kirkby-in-Ashfield Central, Kirkby-in-Ashfield East, Kirkby-in-Ashfield West, Selston, Sutton-in-Ashfield Central, Sutton-in-Ashfield East, Sutton-in-Ashfield North, Sutton-in-Ashfield West, Underwood, and Woodhouse, and the Borough of Broxtowe wards of Brinsley, Eastwood North and Greasley Beauvale, and Eastwood South.

Members of Parliament 
The former Cabinet minister Geoff Hoon represented the seat for the Labour Party from 1992, when he succeeded the three-term Labour member Frank Haynes, to 2010 when he retired. Ashfield is now represented by Conservative MP Lee Anderson. Formerly, Gloria De Piero came close to losing the seat after a 17.2% swing to the Liberal Democrats in 2010 but increased her majority again in 2015, only for it to be reduced to 441 in 2017.

Elections

Elections in the 2010s 

The Liberal Democrats had again selected Jason Zadrozny, but he was suspended by the Liberal Democrat party after being arrested and questioned for historic child sex abuse allegations.  He was later removed from the election a few weeks prior to the election and was replaced by Philip Smith.

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

See also 
 1977 Ashfield by-election
 List of Parliamentary constituencies in Nottinghamshire

Notes and references
Notes 
 
References

Sources
 Youngs, Frederic A., Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol II, Northern England, London, 1991

Category:Parliamentary constituencies in Nottinghamshire
Category:United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies established in 1955