Leeds North West is a constituency in the City of Leeds which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Katie White, of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile Leeds North West is a constituency located in West Yorkshire. It forms part of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, although it consists mostly of outlying towns and villages unconnected to the rest of Leeds. It contains the towns of Horsforth, Yeadon, Guiseley and Otley and the villages of Rawdon, Bramhope and Adel. Like the rest of Leeds, the constituency's towns have a history of textile manufacturing. Leeds Bradford Airport is located just east of Yeadon and is the headquarters of airline Jet2.com. Leeds Trinity University is in Horsforth and has around 14,000 students. The constituency is affluent with low levels of deprivation; most of it falls within the top 10% least-deprived areas of England. House prices are similar to the national average and considerably higher than the rest of Yorkshire.

Residents of Leeds North West are older, well-educated and likely to be homeowners compared to the rest of the country. They have high rates of household income and professional employment. A high proportion work in the education and transport sectors. White people made up 92% of the population at the 2021 census. At the local city council, Horsforth, Yeadon and Guiseley are represented by Labour Party councillors, Otley by Liberal Democrats and Adel and Bramhope by Conservatives. An estimated 57% of voters supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 48%.

History The constituency was created in 1950, as Leeds North-West; the name was changed by dropping the hyphen in 1955. Before the 1950 general election, Leeds was represented by the constituencies of: Leeds Central, Leeds North, Leeds South, Leeds West, (all created 1885); Leeds North-East and Leeds South-East (both created 1918). There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley (created 1918) and Pudsey and Otley (created 1918 replacing Pudsey). Leeds North West was created before the 1950 election, and at the same time the Pudsey and Otley constituency was abolished, re-creating the Pudsey constituency and moving Otley into the Ripon constituency.

The constituency was held for the Conservative Party by Donald Kaberry from its creation in 1950 until his retirement in 1983, and then by Keith Hampson (1983–1997), who had previously been MP for Ripon. It was taken for Labour in the 1997 general election by Harold Best, who was re-elected in the 2001 general election. Best retired at the 2005 general election. The seat was contested for Labour by Judith Blake (at that time Deputy Leader of the Labour Group on Leeds City Council, and later also Labour's candidate in the 2010 general election), but it was taken for the Liberal Democrats by Greg Mulholland. Mulholland was re-elected in 2010 and 2015. Alex Sobel regained the seat for Labour in the 2017 general election, and was re-elected in 2019.

The notional 2019 result for the reconfigured constituency was a Conservative win. Accordingly, Alex Sobel decided to stand (successfully) in the 2024 general election for the new and much safer seat of Leeds Central and Headingley. The Leeds North West seat was won by Katie White for Labour, making it a notional gain from the Conservatives.

Boundaries 1950–1951: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Far Headingley, Hyde Park, and Kirkstall.

1951–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Far Headingley, Hyde Park, Kirkstall, and Meanwood.

1955–1974: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Far Headingley, Hyde Park, Kirkstall, Meanwood, and Moortown.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Cookridge, Headingley, Kirkstall, Moortown, and Weetwood.

1983–2010: The City of Leeds wards of Cookridge, Headingley, Otley and Wharfedale, and Weetwood.

The Leeds North West boundary was revised for the 1983 general election, bringing in Otley and the nearby villages of Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Arthington from the abolished Ripon constituency. Moortown was transferred to Leeds North East, and Kirkstall to Leeds West.

2010–2024: The City of Leeds wards of Adel and Wharfedale, Headingley, Otley and Yeadon, and Weetwood.

Minor changes to reflect changes to ward names and boundaries.

2024–present: The City of Leeds wards of Adel and Wharfedale, Guiseley and Rawdon, Horsforth, and Otley and Yeadon.

Following the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency boundaries were substantially changed although its name was unchanged. Headingley and Weetwood in the south of the 2010 constituency were moved to the new constituency of Leeds Central and Headingley, while Guiseley, Rawdon and Horsforth were transferred in from Pudsey (reconfigured and renamed Leeds West and Pudsey).

The old constituency was divided between the new constituency (85.7% by area and 50.2% by population of the old constituency) and Leeds Central and Headingley (14.3% by area and 49.8% by population). The new constituency was made up predominantly of parts of the old constituency (62.2% by area and 47.3% by population of the new constituency) and Pudsey (37.7% by area and 52.7% by population), with a small contribution from Leeds North East (0.1% by area and 0.0% by population).

The constituency currently covers the northwestern part of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire. It stretches from Otley in the north to Horsforth in the south, with Guiseley and Yeadon in between them in terms of major settlements.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty 1950 Sir Donald Kaberry Conservative 1983 Keith Hampson Conservative 1997 Harold Best Labour 2005 Greg Mulholland Liberal Democrat 2017 Alex Sobel Labour Co-op 2024 Katie White Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Note that the figures for gain and loss refer to comparisons with the notional 2019 result for the constituency with its revised boundaries.

Elections in the 2010s 2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 23,311 41.9 Labour 21,310 38.3 Liberal Democrats 8,212 14.8 Green 1,266 2.3 Others 844 1.5 Brexit Party 729 1.3Turnout55,67277.7Electorate71,607

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 Parliamentary constituencies in West Yorkshire Parliamentary constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber

Notes

References

External links Leeds North West UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Leeds North West UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Leeds North West UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK