| Hinckley and Bosworth | |
| Parliament: | uk |
| Year: | 1885 |
| Type: | County |
| Population: | 98,282 (2011 census)[1] |
| Electorate: | 75,683 (2023)[2] |
| Region: | England |
| European: | East Midlands |
| Elects Howmany: | One |
Hinckley and Bosworth is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Luke Evans, a Conservative.
Prior to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was known as Bosworth up until the 2024 general election,[3]
1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Ashby-de-la-Zouch (except the parishes of Bardon, Breedon, Thringstone, Osgathorpe, and Whitwick) and Market Bosworth.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Coalville and Hinckley, the Rural Districts of Hinckley and Market Bosworth, and the parish of Bardon in the Rural District of Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Coalville and Hinckley, and the Rural District of Market Bosworth.
1955–1974: The Urban District of Coalville as constituted by the County of Leicester (Coalville Urban District) Confirmation Order 1953, the Urban District of Hinckley, and the Rural District of Market Bosworth.
1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Coalville and Hinckley as altered by the West Midland Counties Order 1965 and the County of Leicester (Coalville Urban District) Confirmation Order 1969, and the Rural District of Market Bosworth.[4]
1983–1997: The Borough of Hinckley and Bosworth, and the Borough of Charnwood ward of Bradgate.
1997–2010: The Borough of Hinckley and Bosworth wards of Ambien, Bagworth, Barleston, Nailstone and Osbaston, Barwell, Burbage, Cadeby, Carlton and Market Bosworth, Castle, Clarendon, De Montfort, Desford and Peckleton, Earl Shilton, Markfield, Newbold Verdon, Sheepy and Witherley, Trinity, and Twycross and Shackerstone.
2010–2024: The Borough of Hinckley and Bosworth wards of Ambien, Barlestone, Nailstone and Osbaston, Barwell, Burbage St Catherines and Lash Hill, Burbage Sketchley and Stretton, Cadeby, Carlton and Market Bosworth with Shackerstone, Earl Shilton, Hinckley Castle, Hinckley Clarendon, Hinckley De Montfort, Hinckley Trinity, Markfield, Stanton and Fieldhead, Newbold Verdon with Desford and Peckleton, Ratby, Bagworth and Thornton, and Twycross and Witherley with Sheepy.
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 December 2020):
Two Borough of Hinckley and Bosworth wards were transferred to the new constituency of Mid Leicestershire, partly offset by the addition of two small wards from the District/constituency of North West Leicestershire.
The Western, or Bosworth, division was created in 1885, and included part of the Ashby de la Zouch and all of the Market Bosworth petty sessional divisions. It was redefined in 1918 to cover the urban districts of Coalville and Hinckley, the rural districts of Hinckley and Market Bosworth and the civil parish of Bardon from Ashby RD. Hinckley RD was abolished in the 1930s and in 1948 and 1970 the Bosworth constituency by which date it was shaped to eventually all of Coalville, Hinckley and Market Bosworth RD. Coalville has been part of North West Leicestershire since the 1983 election.
The seat was held by Labour for 25 years until the Conservatives gained it in the 1970 general election and they have represented it since then. Hinckley expanded greatly after World War II and is the most economically significant town other than Leicester in Leicestershire however unlike the borough the constituency retains under the independent Boundary Commission the poetic name of Bosworth, alluding to the Battle of Bosworth of the medieval Wars of the Roses which is recreated annually on the battlefield.
The seat had a coal mining tradition; however, other industry, such as defence, trade and retail supports the residential town of Hinckley and its rural hinterland. The area of strongest Labour support is the former mining village of Earl Shilton, which is now in local elections generally over-shadowed by surrounding areas with majority-Conservative support. The constituency was once held for Labour by Woodrow Wyatt, who later left the party and became one of its most voluble critics in the 1980s.
During the 2015 count, a police car outside the Hinckley Leisure Centre, where the count was taking place, caught fire then exploded while being hosed down by firefighters. Five men were arrested.[6]
South Leicestershire prior to 1885
| Election | Member | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | James Ellis | Liberal | ||
| 1892 | Charles McLaren | Liberal | ||
| 1910 | Henry McLaren | Liberal | ||
| 1922 | Guy Paget | Unionist | ||
| 1923 | George Ward | Liberal | ||
| 1924 | Robert Gee | Unionist | ||
| 1927 by-election | Sir William Edge | Liberal | ||
| 1931 | Liberal National | |||
| 1945 | Arthur Allen | Labour | ||
| 1959 | Woodrow Wyatt | Labour | ||
| 1970 | Adam Butler | Conservative | ||
| 1987 | David Tredinnick | Conservative | ||
| 2019 | Luke Evans | Conservative | ||
Going into the 2015 general election, this was the 180th most marginal constituency in Great Britain, the Liberal Democrats requiring a swing from the Conservatives of 4.6% to take the seat (based on the result of the 2010 general election).[7]
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;