Derby South (UK Parliament constituency)

Template:Use British English Template:Infobox UK constituency main Derby South () is a constituency formed of part of the city of Derby, most recently represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Baggy Shanker of the Labour and Co-op Party. Previous MP, Margaret Beckett, served the constituency for 41 years (from 1983 to 2024). She served under the Labour governments of Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. She became interim Leader of the Labour Party in 1994 when John Smith suddenly died. She also served in the Opposition front bench under Neil Kinnock and Smith himself.

Boundaries

Derby city centre has been in this constituency since 1974; from 1950 it had been in Derby North.

Historic

1950–1955: The County Borough of Derby wards of Alvaston, Arboretum, Castle, Dale, Litchurch, Normanton, Osmaston, and Peartree.

1955–1974: The County Borough of Derby wards of Alvaston, Arboretum, Castle, Dale, Litchurch, Normanton, Osmaston, and Peartree, and the parish of Littleover in the Rural District of Shardlow.

1974–1977: The Borough of Derby wards of Alvaston, Arboretum, Babington, Chellaston, Litchurch, Littleover, Normanton, Osmaston, and Peartree.

1977–1983: The City of Derby wards of Alvaston, Arboretum, Babington, Chellaston, Litchurch, Littleover, Normanton, Osmaston, and Peartree.

1983–1997: The City of Derby wards of Alvaston, Babington, Blagreaves, Kingsway, Litchurch, Littleover, Normanton, Osmaston, and Sinfin.

File:DerbySouthConstituency.svg

Boundaries of Derby South from 1997 to 2010

1997–2010: The City of Derby wards of Alvaston, Babington, Blagreaves, Kingsway, Litchurch, Littleover, Mickleover, Normanton, Osmaston, and Sinfin.

2010–2023: The City of Derby wards of Alvaston, Arboretum, Blagreaves, Boulton, Chellaston, Normanton, and Sinfin.

Current

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the City of Derby:

• Abbey (small part); Alvaston North; Alvaston South; Arboretum (nearly all); Blagreaves; Chellaston & Shelton Lock; Darley (small part); Normanton (most); Sinfin & Osmaston.

The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structure in place at 1 December 2020, left the boundaries unchanged.

Constituency profile

The constituency takes in Derby city centre including much of its varied income inner-city, a narrow majority of which used to be local council-built however which is offset by conservation areas including beside Derby Cathedral and Derby Catacombs. The remainder of the seat is generally more affluent suburbs, and much of the engineering industry traditionally associated with the city.

History

The constituency was created in 1950, when the former two-seat constituency of Derby was split into two single-member seats. Unlike Derby North, this seat has been held by the Labour Party continuously since its creation.

A notable former MP for the seat was its first incumbent, Philip Noel-Baker of the Labour Party. He served as a Cabinet minister in the post-war Attlee government, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1959 for his campaigning for disarmament. He had previously represented the former two-seat constituency of Derby since a by-election in 1936.

The former Cabinet minister Margaret Beckett, who had represented Lincoln (under her maiden name of Margaret Jackson) from 1974 to 1979, represented Derby South for the Labour Party from 1983 until 2024. In 1983, Beckett won the seat with one of the smallest majorities seen of just 421 over the Conservative Party–she always achieved larger majorities since. The 2019 result, in line with other seats that voted for Brexit, saw a drop in votes for Labour, with both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates making gains. Beckett still won a majority of all votes cast, however, representing a higher vote share than in the elections between 2005 and 2015, making Derby South a safe seat for the Labour Party.

Members of Parliament

Derby prior to 1950

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1950	Philip Noel-Baker	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1970	Walter Johnson	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1983	Margaret Beckett	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2024	Baggy Shanker	Labour Co-op

Elections

File:Derby South Election Results.png

Derby south election results 1983–2024

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Baggy Shanker	Template:Replace	38.8
		Alan Graves	8,501	22.7
		Chris Williamson	5,205	13.9
		Jamie Mulhall	5,192	13.9
		Sam Ward	1,899	5.1
		Joe Naitta	1,807	4.8
		Zephyr Tair	292	0.8
Majority			6,002	16.1
Turnout			37,399	51.3
Registered electors			72,952
	hold		Swing	−14.6

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	51.1
		Ed Barker	15,671	36.9
		Joe Naitta	2,621	6.2
		Timothy Prosser	2,480	5.8
Majority			6,019	14.2
Turnout			42,462	58.1
	hold		Swing	-5.3

General election 2017: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	58.3
		Evonne Williams	15,182	33.5
		Alan Graves	2,011	4.4
		Joe Naitta	1,229	2.7
		Ian Sleeman	454	1.0
Majority			11,248	24.8
Turnout			45,306	64.8
	hold		Swing	+1.6

General election 2015: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	49.0
		Evonne Williams	11,179	27.4
		Victor Webb	6,341	15.5
		Joe Naitta	1,717	4.2
		David Foster	1,208	3.0
		Chris Fernandez	225	0.6
	British Independents	David Gale	143	0.4
Majority			8,828	21.6
Turnout			40,820	58.1
	hold		Swing	+3.4

General election 2010: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	43.3
		Jack Perscke	11,729	28.5
		David Batey	8,430	20.5
		Stephen Fowke	1,821	4.4
		Alan Graves	1,357	3.3
Majority			6,122	14.8
Turnout			41,188	58.0
	hold		Swing	-9.25

The vote share changes on 2005 and the turnout figures were notional based on boundary changes.

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	45.4
		Lucy Care	14,026	32.3
		David Brackenbury	8,211	18.9
		David Black	845	1.9
		Frank Leeming	608	1.4
Majority			5,657	13.0
Turnout			43,373	61.6
	hold		Swing	-12.0

General election 2001: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	56.4
		Simon Spencer	10,455	24.3
		Anders Hanson	8,310	19.3
Majority			13,855	32.1
Turnout			43,075	55.9
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	56.3
		Javed Arain	13,048	25.2
		Jeremy Beckett	7,438	14.4
		John K. Browne	1,862	3.6
		Rob Evans	317	0.6
Majority			16,106	31.1
Turnout			51,819	67.8
	hold		Swing

General election 1992: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	51.7
		Nicholas P. Brown	18,981	37.9
		Simon J. Hartropp	5,198	10.4
Majority			6,936	13.8
Turnout			50,096	75.5
	hold		Swing	+5.2

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	43.7
		Paul Leighton	19,487	40.5
		Nora Mellor	7,608	15.8
Majority			1,516	3.2
Turnout			48,098	69.9
	hold		Swing

General election 1983: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Beckett	Template:Replace	39.3
		Gerald Hales	17,748	38.4
		Ivor Smith	9,976	21.6
		Eric Wall	297	0.7
Majority			421	0.9
Turnout			46,190	67.4
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Johnson	Template:Replace	50.0
		Michael Stern	20,853	38.7
		J.D. Somerset Sullivan	5,196	9.7
		L.A. Verity	587	1.1
		W.A. Biggs	146	0.3
	United English National	J. Short	122	0.2
Majority			6,092	11.3
Turnout			53,849	71.4
	hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Johnson	Template:Replace	51.0
		A.J. Bussell	17,010	32.9
		R. Palmer	7,520	14.6
	United English National	A.S. Ashby	793	1.5
Majority			9,332	18.1
Turnout			51,665	69.5
	hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Johnson	Template:Replace	47.4
		R.S.W. Clements	19,470	34.6
		J. Mills	10,121	18.0
Majority			7,143	12.8
Turnout			56,204	76.2
	hold		Swing

General election 1970: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Johnson	Template:Replace	54.4
		Royden Greene	16,258	45.6
Majority			3,149	8.8
Turnout			35,665	67.3
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Noel-Baker	Template:Replace	57.6
		Michael CG Fidler	11,857	31.8
		A Leslie Smart	3,966	10.7
Majority			9,576	25.8
Turnout			37,256	72.6
	hold		Swing

General election 1964: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Noel-Baker	Template:Replace	57.7
		T.M. Wray	16,420	42.3
Majority			6,012	15.4
Turnout			38,852	74.8
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Noel-Baker	Template:Replace	48.5
		T.M. Wray	17,345	40.5
		A. Leslie Smart	4,746	11.1
Majority			3,431	8.0
Turnout			42,867	79.2
	hold		Swing

General election 1955: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Noel-Baker	Template:Replace	53.6
		Marcus Kimball	16,572	38.5
		A. Leslie Smart	3,408	7.9
Majority			6,509	15.1
Turnout			43,061	78.8
	hold		Swing

General election 1951: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Noel-Baker	Template:Replace	62.6
		Richard Cecil Dudley Grimes	16,344	37.4
Majority			10,989	25.2
Turnout			43,677	84.5
	hold		Swing

General election 1950: Derby South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Noel-Baker	Template:Replace	60.1
		Richard Cecil Dudley Grimes	13,926	31.2
		Lyndon Irving	3,900	8.7
Majority			12,960	28.9
Turnout			44,712	87.1
	win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Derbyshire

External links

• Derby South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Derby South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Derby South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK