Derby South (/ˈdɑːrbi/) is a constituency[n 1] 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.[n 2]
Boundaries
Derby city centre has been in this constituency since 1974; from 1950 it had been in Derby North.
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.
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–present: The City of Derby wards of Alvaston, Arboretum, Blagreaves, Boulton, Chellaston, Normanton, and Sinfin.
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.
^A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
^As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
^"The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – East Midlands". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 1)
^"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Here's all the candidates in Derbyshire for the General Election". Derbyshirelive. 8 June 2017 – via www.derbytelegraph.co.uk.
^"Who's standing in Derby South and key info about the constituency". derbytelegraph. 8 June 2017. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Derby South parliamentary constituency – Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
^"Evonne Williams". Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
^"| Parliamentary Candidates Detail". www.libdems.org.uk. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
^"General Election: Green Party announces it will contest both Derby seats | Derby Telegraph". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
^"MORE TUSC CANDIDATES IN PLACE AS ELECTION CHALLENGE GROWS". www.tusc.org.uk.
^"David Gale to stand for British Independents in Derby South | Derby Telegraph". Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^"British Independents – A Message from David Gale". Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ ab"British Parliamentary Election results 1997–:English Boroughs part 1". David Boothroyd. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
^ abcd"Election history". London: The Guardian newspaper. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ ab"United Kingdom Parliamentary Election results 1983–97: English Boroughs part 1". David Boothroyd. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"UK General Election results May 1979". Richard Kimber. Archived from the original on 27 September 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
^"UK General Election results: October 1974". Richard Kimber. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
^"UK General Election results: February 1974". Richard Kimber. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
^"UK General Election results: 1970". Richard Kimber. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2009.