Following its review of parliamentary representation in Leicestershire, the Boundary Commission for England recommended replacing the
Blaby constituency with a new South Leicestershire seat, with some boundary changes. This change occurred for the
2010 general election.
The electoral wards used to create the new constituency are;
Broughton Astley-Astley, Broughton Astley-Broughton, Broughton Astley-Primethorpe, Broughton Astley-Sutton, Dunton, Lutterworth Brookfield, Lutterworth Orchard, Lutterworth Springs, Lutterworth Swift, Misterton, Peatling, and Ullesthorpe in the
Harborough District
Blaby South, Cosby with South Whetstone, Countesthorpe, Croft Hill, Enderby and St John's, Millfield, Narborough and Littlethorpe, Normanton, North Whetstone, Pastures, Ravenhurst and Fosse, Saxondale, Stanton and Flamville, and Winstanley in the
Blaby District[3]
The District of Blaby wards of: Blaby South; Cosby with South Whetstone; Countesthorpe; Croft Hill; Enderby and St. John’s; Narborough and Littlethorpe; Normanton; North Whetstone; Pastures; Saxondale; Stanton and Flamville.
The District of Harborough wards of: Bosworth; Broughton Astley-Primethorpe & Sutton; Broughton Astley South & Leire; Dunton; Fleckney; Lutterworth East; Lutterworth West; Misterton; Ullesthorpe.[4]
The Blaby District wards of Millfield, Ravenhurst and Fosse, and Winstanley (comprising the community of
Braunstone Town) will be transferred to the new constituency of
Mid Leicestershire. The Harborough District wards of Bosworth and Fleckney will be transferred from
Harborough.
Following a local government boundary review in Blaby which came into effect in May 2023,[5][6] the constituency will now comprise the following from the next general election:
The District of Blaby wards of: Blaby; Cosby & South Whetstone; Countesthorpe; Enderby; Fosse Highcross; Fosse Normanton; Fosse Stoney Cove; Glen Parva; Narborough & Littlethorpe; North Whetstone; and a small part of Leicester Forest & Lubbesthorpe.
The District of Harborough wards of: Bosworth; Broughton Astley-Primethorpe & Sutton; Broughton Astley South & Leire; Dunton; Fleckney; Lutterworth East; Lutterworth West; Misterton; Ullesthorpe.[7]
Constituency profile
The current South Leicestershire is a slice of
Leicestershire to the south west of Leicester, with most of the population in commuter towns and villages clustered close to Leicester itself, both in the suburb of
Braunstone Town, including the large modern development of Thorpe Astley, and commuter villages like
Whetstone,
Blaby and
Narborough. Further south it is more rural, with the largest settlement the old market town of
Lutterworth. Nearby is the former site of
RAF Bitteswell, since redeveloped as Magna Park, one of the largest distribution centres in Europe.[8]
The constituency name of South Leicestershire was new for
2010, but the seat was not massively changed from the old seat of
Blaby. Both this and its predecessor are safe Tory seats held by the party since Blaby's creation in
1974. The best known MP to represent the area is the former Chancellor
Nigel Lawson.
Prominent members in this period included
Thomas Paget (Jnr) (1807–1892) who followed the footsteps of his father in this role (his father having represented Leicestershire) and as partner in Leicester Bank, and
Albert Pell, a member of a group of MPs, which included
Henry Chaplin,
Sir Massey Lopes and
Clare Sewell Read, who supported farming interests. He was also a member of the Council of the
Royal Agricultural Society of England.