Leicester South (UK Parliament Constituency) - History

History

Leicester South has over the past few decades seen demographic changes which have altered the balance of the constituency. The seat saw close contests between the Conservatives and Labour in the 1980s, with Labour MP Jim Marshall losing the seat by just 7 votes to the Conservatives in the 1983 general election but regaining it in 1987. In subsequent elections the majority grew to the point where it was considered substantially safe.

Marshall died in 2004 and the resulting by-election was fiercely contested. Along with a by-election in Birmingham Hodge Hill held on the same day, the seat saw a fierce challenge by the Liberal Democrats, hoping to build on their previous by-election gain at Brent East, as well as competition for the anti-war vote from RESPECT The Unity Coalition. The seat was won by the Liberal Democrats' Parmjit Singh Gill with a majority of 1,654.

Sir Peter Soulsby, who had been the unsuccessful Labour candidate at the 2004 by-election, won the seat at the 2005 election and was re-elected in 2010. Sir Peter resigned in order to fight the election for the new position of Mayor of Leicester in 2011, triggering a by-election on 5 May 2011, coinciding with the referendum on the voting system. Jon Ashworth was elected as his successor, holding the seat for the Labour Party.