Ilkeston is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by one Member of Parliament. In 1983 it was abolished, together with South East Derbyshire, when the Derbyshire county constituencies were redrawn - the constituencies of Amber Valley and Erewash were created and the constituency of South Derbyshire was re-created.
Contents
Boundaries
1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Smalley, and the parishes of Breaston, Draycott and Wilne, Hopwell, Longeaton, Ockbrook, Risley, and Sawley and Wilsthorpe in the Sessional Division of Derby.
1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Ilkeston, the Urban Districts of Heanor and Ripley, and the Rural District which consisted of the parishes of Codnor Park and Shipley.
1950–1983: The Municipal Borough of Ilkeston, the Urban Districts of Alfreton, Heanor, and Ripley, and in the Rural District of Belper the parish of Shipley.
History
The seat was represented by Liberal-affiliated candidates from its creation in 1885 until 1922, when Labour gained it for the first time. Aside from being gained from the National Labour party in 1931 (by a majority of just 2 votes), Ilkeston became one of the Labour Party's safest seats in the country for decades, regularly getting majorities between 20 to 30,000 votes, dominated as it was by heavy industries like coal mining and engineering, though the majorities gradually declined throughout the 1970s, with the seat being abolished and incorporated into a new marginal constituency (Erewash), which was more favourable to the Conservatives and became an important Bellwether constituency from the 1980s onwards.
Elections
Elections in the 1880s
Watson's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914–15:
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
Liberal: John Seely
Unionist: William Marshall Freeman
Elections in the 1940s
General Election 1939–40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
Labour: George Oliver
Conservative:
Liberal: