Rutland and Stamford

Rutland and Stamford
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Location within the East Midlands
CountyLincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Rutland
Electorate70,864 (March 2020)[1]
Major settlementsOakham, Stamford and Uppingham
Current constituency
Created2024
Member of ParliamentAlicia Kearns (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromRutland & Melton
Grantham & Stamford
1918–1983
Created fromRutland and Stamford
Replaced byRutland & Melton
Stamford & Spalding

Rutland and Stamford is a county constituency comprising the area of Lincolnshire centred on the town of Stamford; the entire county of Rutland; and also parts of rural Leicestershire, making it a very unusual parliamentary constituency in that it spans three counties. It returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, using the first-past-the-post voting system. It was recreated for the 2024 general election, since when it has been represented by Alicia Kearns of the Conservative Party. Kearns was previously the MP for the predecessor seat of Rutland and Melton.

Constituency profile

Barn Hill, Stamford

Rutland and Stamford is a constituency in the East Midlands of England, covering the small county of Rutland and parts of Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. Its largest town is Stamford, which has a population of around 21,000.[2] Other settlements include the towns of Oakham and Uppingham and the villages of Thurlby, Thurnby and Bushby.

This is a large, rural, sparsely-populated constituency characterised by low, rolling hills and many small villages and hamlets. Stamford is a historic market town known for its well-preserved Jacobean and Georgian-era town centre. Oakham and Uppingham are also historic rural towns and, like Stamford, are popular with tourists. The constituency is generally affluent with low levels of deprivation;[3] Stamford and Uppingham have both been described as some of the best places to live in the country.[4][5] House prices across the constituency are generally higher than the UK average and considerably higher than the rest of the East Midlands.[6]

Rutland and Stamford has a high proportion of retirees and a low young adult population.[7] Residents have high levels of income and homeownership and the child poverty rate is low.[6][8] They are generally well-educated and a high proportion work in the agriculture and tourism sectors.[6][9] The percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is around half the UK-wide rate.[8] White people made up 93% of the population at the 2021 census.[10] Asians, mostly of Indian origin, were 4% of the population, but they made up around a quarter of residents in Thurnby, Bushby and Scraptoft which lie on the edge of Leicester.[11]

At the local council level, the constituency is represented by a mixture of Liberal Democrats and Conservatives; Liberal Democrats were mostly elected in the towns and large villages whilst Conservatives were elected in the rural areas. An estimated 53% of voters in Rutland and Stamford supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, similar to the UK-wide figure of 52%.[6]

History

The constituency was originally created for the 1918 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election. It was succeeded by the Rutland & Melton and Stamford & Spalding constituencies.

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election.[12]

Boundaries

Historic

1918–1950: The administrative county of Rutland, the Municipal Borough of Stamford, the Urban District of Bourne, the Rural Districts of Bourne and Uffington, and part of the Rural District of Grantham.

1950–1983: The administrative county of Rutland, the Municipal Borough of Stamford, the Urban District of Bourne, the Rural District of South Kesteven, and parts of the Rural Districts of East Kesteven and West Kesteven.

Current

The re-established constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

It includes the following areas:

Members of Parliament

MPs 1918–1983

Rutland and Stamford prior to 1918

ElectionMemberParty[15]
1918 Claud Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby Conservative
1922 Charles Harvey Dixon Conservative
1923 by-election Neville Smith-Carington Conservative
1933 by-election Lord Willoughby de Eresby Conservative
1950 Sir Roger Conant Conservative
1959 Kenneth Lewis Conservative
1983 Constituency abolished. See Rutland & Melton and Stamford & Spalding

In 1983 Rutland became part of the Rutland and Melton constituency, as did Melton borough and part of Harborough District in Leicestershire.

MPs since 2024

Rutland & Melton and Grantham & Stamford prior to 2024

ElectionMemberParty
2024 Alicia Kearns Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Rutland and Stamford[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alicia Kearns 21,248 43.7 −19.6
Labour Joe Wood 10,854 22.3 +7.6
Reform Chris Clowes 7,008 14.4 New
Liberal Democrats James Moore 6,252 12.9 −2.9
Green Emma Baker 2,806 5.8 +2.2
Rejoin EU Joanna Burrows 409 0.8 New
Majority 10,394 21.4 −27.2
Turnout 48,577 67.7 −8.2
Registered electors 71,711
Conservative win (new seat)

Reform UK removed Ginny Ball as its candidate in March 2024 after "exposure of a range of racist comments on her social media feed".[17]

Elections 1918–1983

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Rutland and Stamford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Claud Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 8,838 53.6
Labour Fleming Eccles 7,639 46.4
Majority 1,199 7.2
Turnout 16,477 61.8
Registered electors 26,647
Unionist win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Rutland and Stamford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Harvey Dixon 10,278 46.8 −6.8
Labour Fleming Eccles 7,236 32.9 −13.5
National Farmers' Union Edward Clark 4,471 20.3 New
Majority 3,042 13.9 +6.7
Turnout 21,985 81.2 +19.4
Registered electors 27,074
Unionist hold Swing +3.4
1923 Rutland and Stamford by-election[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Neville Smith-Carington 11,196 57.1 +10.3
Labour Arthur Sells 8,406 42.9 +10.0
Majority 2,790 14.2 +0.3
Turnout 19,602 71.5 −9.7
Registered electors 27,409
Unionist hold Swing +0.2
General election 1923: Rutland and Stamford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Neville Smith-Carington 10,803 51.4 +4.6
Liberal Frank Stapledon Hiley 5,203 24.8 New
Labour Arthur Sells 5,005 23.8 −9.1
Majority 5,600 26.6 +12.7
Turnout 21,011 76.7 −4.5
Registered electors 27,409
Unionist hold Swing +6.9
General election 1924: Rutland and Stamford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Neville Smith-Carington 13,286 66.7 +15.3
Labour H F Wheeler 6,633 33.3 +9.5
Majority 6,653 33.4 +6.8
Turnout 19,919 71.5 −5.2
Registered electors 27,869
Unionist hold Swing +2.9
General election 1929: Rutland and Stamford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Neville Smith-Carington 12,607 47.4 −19.3
Labour Henry James Jones 7,403 27.9 −5.4
Liberal Harry Payne 6,561 24.7 New
Majority 5,204 19.5 −13.9
Turnout 26,571 76.7 +5.2
Registered electors 34,647
Unionist hold Swing −7.0

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Rutland and Stamford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Neville Smith-Carington 19,086 71.9 +24.5
Labour F E Church 7,446 28.1 +0.2
Majority 11,640 43.8 +24.3
Turnout 26,532 75.3 −1.4
Conservative hold Swing
1933 Rutland and Stamford by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 14,605 53.3 −18.6
Labour Arnold William Gray 12,818 46.7 +18.6
Majority 1,787 6.6 −37.2
Turnout 27,423 77.2 +1.9
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Rutland and Stamford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 16,799 59.9 −12.0
Labour Arnold William Gray 11,238 40.1 +12.0
Majority 5,561 19.8 −24.0
Turnout 28,037 78.4 +3.1
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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Rutland and Stamford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby 15,359 53.7 −6.2
Labour Arnold William Gray 13,223 46.3 +6.2
Majority 2,136 7.4 −12.4
Turnout 28,582 72.9 −5.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Rutland and Stamford[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Conant 16,498 49.6 −4.1
Labour Tom Bradley 13,712 41.3 −5.0
Liberal Cyril Valentine 3,024 9.1 New
Majority 2,786 8.3 +0.9
Turnout 33,234 83.8 +10.9
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Rutland and Stamford[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Conant 17,850 54.1 +4.5
Labour Tom Bradley 15,127 45.9 +4.6
Majority 2,723 8.2 −0.1
Turnout 32,977
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Rutland and Stamford[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Conant 17,675 54.3 +0.2
Labour Tom Bradley 14,856 45.7 −0.2
Majority 2,819 3.6 −4.6
Turnout 32,531 79.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Rutland and Stamford[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Lewis 19,078 57.4 +3.1
Labour Christopher S B Attlee 14,137 42.6 −3.1
Majority 4,941 14.8 +11.2
Turnout 33,215
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Rutland and Stamford[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Lewis 18,720 55.5 −1.9
Labour Co-op A Victor Butler 14,990 44.5 +1.9
Majority 3,730 11.0 −3.8
Turnout 33,710 79.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Rutland and Stamford[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Lewis 17,991 53.4 −2.1
Labour Co-op A Victor Butler 15,704 46.6 +2.1
Majority 2,287 6.8 −4.2
Turnout 33,695
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Rutland and Stamford[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Lewis 22,803 60.1 +6.7
Labour Henry Toch 15,136 39.9 −6.7
Majority 7,667 20.2 +13.4
Turnout 37,939 75.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Rutland and Stamford[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Lewis 21,088 47.25
Labour Anthony Byrne 12,203 27.34
Liberal David Howie 11,336 25.40 New
Majority 8,885 19.91
Turnout 44,627 82.40
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Rutland and Stamford[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Lewis 19,101 46.2 −1.0
Labour Malcolm R.C. Withers 12,111 29.3 +2.0
Liberal David Howie 10,113 24.5 −0.9
Majority 6,990 16.9 −3.0
Turnout 41,325 72.0 −10.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Rutland and Stamford[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Lewis 26,198 56.48 +10.28
Labour Malcolm R.C. Withers 11,383 24.54 −4.76
Liberal Peter Blaine 8,801 18.98 −5.52
Majority 14,815 31.94
Turnout 46,382 78.08
Conservative hold Swing

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – East Midlands". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "Stamford". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Constituency data: Deprivation in England". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "The winners: Our four top spots". The Sunday Times. 17 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  5. ↑ The Times. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Seat Details - Rutland and Stamford". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Constituency data: Population, by age". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Constituency dashboard". House of Commons Library. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Constituency data: businesses and industries". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "2021 census results: Ethnic groups in your constituency". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "2021 census results: Ethnic groups in your constituency". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 1 East Midlands Region.
  14. ↑ "New Seat Details – Rutland and Stamford". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)
  16. ↑ "Rutland and Stamford – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  17. ↑ Ofori, Morgan; Quinn, Ben; Walker, Peter (21 March 2024). "Tory Manchester mayoral candidate defects to Reform UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Craig, Fred WS (1969). British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949. Political Reference Publications. ISBN 978-0-900178-01-6.
  19. ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fred WS Craig, ed. (1983). British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0900178078.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  21. 1 2 3 Craig, Fred WS (1984). British parliamentary election results, 1974–1983. ISBN 978-0-900178-23-8.