Rushcliffe is a constituency in Nottinghamshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2019 by Ruth Edwards, a Conservative.
From 1970 until 2019, it was represented by Kenneth Clarke who was Father of the House of Commons for his last two years as an MP. He was appointed to the executive in the governments of Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron – one of five ministers to serve the whole 18 years of the Thatcher and Major governments. His political career is the fifth-longest in the modern era; he remains a notable figure in British politics.
History
The constituency was formed by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (for first use during the election that year).
Since 1950 it has been a safe seat for the Conservative Party, whose members have held it without marginal majorities, except for a four-year period from 1966 when it was held by Labour, coinciding with the first Wilson ministry. Unlike other constituencies nearby, such as Broxtowe and Gedling, which were previously held by the Conservatives, they retained Rushcliffe in the 1997 New Labour landslide.
In the 2016 European Union membership referendum, it was the only constituency in the Nottinghamshire and overall East Midlands region to vote Remain (57.6% to 42.4%), even as neighboring city of Nottingham voted to Leave (50.8% to 49.2%). This can be attributed to the constituency's affluence, as well as then-MP Kenneth Clarke's pro-EU political leanings (he would be the only Conservative MP to vote against triggering Article 50 in 2017.)
Boundaries
1885–1918: Part of the Sessional Division of Nottingham.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Beeston, Carlton, and West Bridgford, the Rural Districts of Leake and Stapleford, the Rural District which consisted of the parishes of Kingston-on-Soar and Ratcliffe-on-Soar, and in the Rural District of Basford the parishes of Awsworth, Barton-in-Fabis, Bilborough, Bradmore, Bunny, Burton Joyce, Clifton-with-Glapton, Colwick, Cossall, Gamston, Gedling, Gotham, Nuthall, Ruddington, South Wilford, Stoke Bardolph, Strelley, Thrumpton, Trowell, and Wollaton.
1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Beeston and Stapleford, and West Bridgford, and in the Rural District of Basford the parishes of Barton-in-Fabis, Bilborough, Bradmore, Bunny, Clifton with Glapton, Colwick, Costock, East Leake, Gedling, Gotham, Kingston-on-Soar, Normanton-on-Soar, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Rempstone, Ruddington, Stanford-on-Soar, Sutton Bonington, Thorpe-in-the-Glebe, Thrumpton, West Leake, Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, and Wysall.
1955–1974: The Urban District of Beeston and Stapleford, and in the Rural District of Basford the parishes of Barton-in-Fabis, Bilborough, Bradmore, Bunny, Colwick, Costock, East Leake, Gedling, Gotham, Kingston-on-Soar, Normanton-on-Soar, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Rempstone, Ruddington, Stanford-on-Soar, Sutton Bonington, Thorpe-in-the-Glebe, Thrumpton, West Leake, Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, and Wysall.
1974–1983: The Urban District of West Bridgford, the Rural District of Bingham, and in the Rural District of Basford the parishes of Barton-in-Fabis, Bradmore, Bunny, Costock, East Leake, Gotham, Kingston on Soar, Normanton on Soar, Ratcliffe on Soar, Rempstone, Ruddington, Stanford on Soar, Sutton Bonington, Thorpe in the Glebe, Thrumpton, West Leake, Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, and Wysall.
1983–2010: The Borough of Rushcliffe.
2010–present: The Borough of Rushcliffe wards of Abbey, Compton Acres, Cotgrave, Edwalton Village, Gamston, Gotham, Keyworth North, Keyworth South, Lady Bay, Leake, Lutterell, Manvers, Melton, Musters, Nevile, Ruddington, Soar Valley, Stanford, Sutton Bonington, Tollerton, Trent, Trent Bridge, Wiverton, and Wolds.
Constituency profile
The main town in the constituency is West Bridgford, which is part of the Greater Nottingham urban area, and includes the Trent Bridge cricket ground and Nottingham Forest F.C., and has some strong Labour wards like Trent Bridge itself and Lady Bay. The remainder of the constituency is predominantly rural and Conservative, including the villages of Cotgrave, East Leake, Sutton Bonington, Keyworth, Radcliffe on Trent and Ruddington.