The seat had been, relative to others, a marginal seat from 2005 to 2017 as its winner's majority had not exceeded 5.7% of the vote since the 23.2% majority won in that year. The seat changed hands in 2017 as the first Conservative victory since 1935 but reverted to Labour in 2024.
History
Summary of results
The seat was created in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Until 1910, the area was regularly represented by a Liberal MP. From the 1935 to the 2015 elections inclusive N.E. Derbyshire returned Labour candidates in succession. In 2010 and 2015 the results featured marginal majorities (a majority of relatively few percentage points between the winner's and the runner-up's tallies). The runner-up candidate from 1945 to 2015 inclusive was Conservative. The 2015 result for example gave the seat the 17th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[2] The seat was at the following election one of six gains between the two parties counterbalancing Conservative losses (the party emerged as the biggest single party by more than fifty seats and with an increased share of the vote but with a net loss of thirteen seats). Rowley's local majority was 5.7% of votes cast.[3]
Other parties
In line with nationwide swing in 2015, UKIP fielded a candidate who won more than 5% of the vote therefore kept their deposit; the Liberal Democrat candidate forfeited their deposit in 2015. The Green Party fielded a candidate for the first time in 2015; the party's Kesteven forfeited his deposit. These three parties forfeited their deposits in 2017.
Turnout
Turnout has ranged from 58.9% in 2001 to 86.4% in 1950.
Constituency profile
In the 20th century, mining and associated industries were an important source of employment and primary industries for the wider economy, though the former ceased around 1970. At about the same time, some ex-mining towns like Dronfield saw much middle class commuter house building in areas like Dronfield Woodhouse; jobs were typically in Sheffield and Chesterfield.
The western edge of the constituency borders the Peak District and is home to many rural villages.
1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Clay Cross and Dronfield, and part of the Rural District of Chesterfield.
1983–2010: The District of North East Derbyshire wards of Ashover, Barlow and Holmesfield, Brampton and Walton, Clay Cross North, Clay Cross South, Coal Aston, Dronfield North, Dronfield South, Dronfield Woodhouse, Eckington North, Eckington South, Gosforth Valley, Hasland, Holmewood and Heath, Killamarsh East, Killamarsh West, North Wingfield Central, Renishaw, Ridgeway and Marsh Lane, Tupton, Unstone, and Wingerworth, and the Borough of Chesterfield wards of Barrow Hill and Hollingwood, and Lowgates and Woodthorpe.
2010–present: The District of North East Derbyshire wards of Ashover, Barlow and Holmesfield, Brampton and Walton, Clay Cross North, Clay Cross South, Coal Aston, Dronfield North, Dronfield South, Dronfield Woodhouse, Eckington North, Eckington South, Gosforth Valley, Grassmoor, Killamarsh East, Killamarsh West, North Wingfield Central, Renishaw, Ridgeway and Marsh Lane, Tupton, Unstone, and Wingerworth; and the Borough of Chesterfield wards of Barrow Hill and New Whittington, and Lowgates and Woodthorpe1.
1 Further to a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023,[4][5] the parts in the Borough of Chesterfield now comprise the Stapeley North ward, the majority of the Whittington ward, and a small part of the Stapeley Central ward.[6]
The North East Derbyshire constituency covers the north eastern part of Derbyshire, surrounding Chesterfield on three sides. It covers most of the area of North East Derbyshire District Council.
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
^A county 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 3 July 2024.
^"Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
^ ab"Derbyshire North East parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
^LGBCE. "Chesterfield | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^"The Chesterfield (Electoral Changes) Order 2022".
^"New Seat Details - Derbyshire North East". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 1 East Midlands.
^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 1)
^"North East Derbyshire - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
^"Derbyshire North East Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ ab"BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Derbyshire North East". BBC News.
^ ab"DERBYSHIRE NORTH EAST 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
^Bush, James (22 February 2015). "@AndyJSajs yes I am the Ukip candidate for NE Derbyshire".
^"David Batey - Parliamentary Candidate for North East Derbyshire".