North East Derbyshire

Constituency profile

North East Derbyshire is a constituency in Derbyshire in the East Midlands of England, covering the towns and villages surrounding the large town of Chesterfield. Its largest town is Dronfield, which has a population of around 21,000. Other settlements include the towns of Eckington, Clay Cross and part of Staveley, and the villages of Killamarsh, New Whittington, Wingerworth, Grassmoor, Tupton and North Wingfield.

This area has an industrial heritage with a history of engineering and coal mining, industries which mostly closed during the late 20th century. Dronfield, Eckington and Killamarsh, in the constituency's north, are located on the outskirts of Sheffield and serve largely as commuter suburbs for the city. The western edge of the constituency lies within the Peak District national park and contains small, rural villages. Staveley and Clay Cross have high levels of deprivation whilst the rest of the constituency is more affluent, giving the constituency an average level of wealth overall. House prices are generally lower than the national average but similar to the rest of the East Midlands.

North East Derbyshire has a large retired population and a relatively low proportion of younger adults. In general, residents have high rates of homeownership and average levels of household income. The child poverty rate is in line with the national average. Residents have below-average levels of education and high proportion of residents work in the manufacturing and construction industries. A low percentage claim unemployment benefits. White people made up 97% of the population at the 2021 census.

At the local district council level, most of the constituency is represented by the Labour Party with some Conservative councillors elected in Dronfield and the rural west and Liberal Democrats in Tupton. At the county council, which held elections in 2025, the Labour areas instead elected mostly Reform UK representatives. Voters in North East Derbyshire strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 62% voted in favour of Brexit compared to the UK-wide figure of 52%.

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. 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.

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.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Eckington, and in the Sessional Division of Chesterfield the parishes of Bolsover, Staveley, and Whittington.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Urban Districts of Bolsover and Dronfield, the Rural Districts of Clowne and Norton, and part of the Rural District of Chesterfield.

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, 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.

Subject to a minor adjustment due to ward boundary changes in the District of North East Derbyshire, the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structure in place at 1 December 2020, left the boundaries unchanged.

Members of Parliament

East Derbyshire prior to 1885

Elections

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;

Unionist: George Bowden

Liberal: John Houfton