Chesterfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Toby Perkins of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile The constituency is located in the north of Derbyshire. It covers most of the Borough of Chesterfield and includes the large town of Chesterfield, parts of the smaller town of Staveley and the village of Brimington. Chesterfield has an industrial heritage; coal mining was economically important to the town, and the boring machines used to create the Channel Tunnel were partly manufactured by Chesterfield-based Markham & Co. Parts of the town are highly deprived, particularly Birdholme and the north-west of the town, whilst the suburb of Walton is affluent. House prices are generally low.

On average, residents of Chesterfield are older, have lower incomes and lower levels of education and professional employment compared to the rest of the country. White people make up 95% of the population. At the local district council, most of the town elected Labour Party councillors whilst the wealthier suburbs are represented by Liberal Democrats. At the county council, most of the town is represented by Reform UK. Most voters in Chesterfield supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum with an estimated 59% voting in favour of Brexit.

Boundaries

2010–2023 From the 2010 general election, the boundaries were defined as comprising the following Borough of Chesterfield wards: Brimington North, Brimington South, Brockwell, Dunston, Hasland, Hollingwood and Inkersall, Holmebrook, Linacre, Loundsley Green, Middlecroft and Poolsbrook, Moor, Old Whittington, Rother, St Helen's, St Leonard's, Walton, and West.

The boundaries include the town of Chesterfield, together with areas to the north towards Dronfield and to the east towards Bolsover. The other two Borough of Chesterfield wards (Barrow Hill and New Whittington; Lowgates and Woodthorpe) fell within the neighbouring North East Derbyshire seat.

Boundary changes before the 2010 general election, when the Mid Derbyshire constituency was created, meant that Chesterfield lost New Whittington to North East Derbyshire but otherwise retained its shape.

Current Further to a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the Borough of Chesterfield:

Brampton East & Boythorpe; Brampton West & Loundsley Green; Brimington North; Brimington South; Brockwell; Dunston; Hasland; Linacre; Rother; Spire; Staveley Central (most); Staveley South; Walton; Whittington (part); Whittington Moor. The boundaries were unchanged by the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies (which was based on the ward structure in place on 1 December 2020).

History Chesterfield has mainly been a Labour seat, with periods when it has been held by other parties; it was gained by the Liberal Democrats in 2001 and held by them until 2010. Chesterfield was safe seat for Labour from 1935 until 2001. Andrew Cavendish, later the Duke of Devonshire, was the National Liberal candidate at the 1945 and 1950 elections.

The seat was held in succession by two prominent Labour politicians for over 35 years. The former Labour cabinet minister Eric Varley held the seat from October 1964 to January 1984, and was succeeded by his ex-government colleague Tony Benn, who held the seat following a by-election in March 1984. He remained the town's MP until his retirement from the House of Commons in 2001, when he famously remarked that his decision was taken to "spend more time on politics". Benn had been a Labour Cabinet Minister between 1966–70 and 1974–1979, while Varley was in the Wilson and Callaghan cabinets in the latter period. Paul Holmes gained the seat for the Liberal Democrats at the 2001 general election, the party's first Commons seat in the East Midlands, but were narrowly defeated at the 2010 by the Labour candidate Toby Perkins, one of only three seats the Labour Party gained at the 2010 general election. In 2015, a collapse in the Liberal Democrat vote nationwide had them fall behind to fourth place, the Conservatives move into second place, and Labour having their largest majority in the seat since 1979.

Members of Parliament

Derbyshire East prior to 1885

Year Member Party 1885 Alfred Barnes Liberal 1886 Liberal Unionist 1892 Thomas Bayley Liberal 1906 James Haslam Lib-Lab 1910 Labour 1913 by-election Barnet Kenyon Lib-Lab 1918 Liberal 1929 George Benson Labour 1931 Roger Conant Conservative 1935 George Benson Labour 1964 Eric Varley Labour 1984 by-election Tony Benn Labour 2001 Paul Holmes Liberal Democrat 2010 Toby Perkins Labour

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

At the 2015 general election, this seat was the 25th most marginal constituency in Great Britain, the Liberal Democrats requiring a swing from Labour of 0.6% to take the seat (based on the result of the 2010 general election).

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

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; *Labour: George Benson, Conservative:

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1880s

See also 1913 Chesterfield by-election List of parliamentary constituencies in Derbyshire

Notes

References Specific

General Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. . Guardian Unlimited Politics (Election results from 1992 to the present) http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/ (Election results from 1951 to the present)

External links nomis Constituency Profile for Chesterfield — presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics. Chesterfield UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Chesterfield UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Chesterfield UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK