Rushcliffe is a constituency in Nottinghamshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2024 by James Naish, a Labour MP.
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.
Constituency profile
Rushcliffe is a constituency in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, taking up most of the borough of the same name. Its largest town is West Bridgford, which has a population of around 46,000 when taken together with its contiguous villages of Edwalton and Gamston. Other settlements include the town of Cotgrave and the villages of East Leake, Ruddington, Keyworth and Radcliffe-on-Trent.
Rushcliffe is one of the country's most affluent constituencies and covers the towns and villages south of Nottingham. West Bridgford is a wealthy, suburban town which is separated from Nottingham by the River Trent and forms part of the city's wider urban area. The town contains Trent Bridge cricket ground and the City Ground, the home of Nottingham Forest F.C. Many West Bridgford residents live in large, expensive detached houses, especially so in Edwalton. The rest of the constituency outside West Bridgford is largely rural with many small villages and also has very low levels of deprivation. House prices across the constituency are generally higher than the UK average and considerably higher than the rest of the East Midlands.
Rushcliffe has a low proportion of young adults and a large retired population. Residents have high levels of income and homeownership and the child poverty rate is less than half the UK-wide rate. They are very well-educated and a high proportion work in the science, technology and arts sectors. The percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is around half the nationwide figure. White people made up 89% of the population at the 2021 census.
Most of the constituency is represented by Conservatives at the local council level, with some Labour Party councillors elected in West Bridgford town centre and in Ruddington. An estimated 59% of voters in Rushcliffe supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the UK-wide figure of 48%.
History The constituency was formed by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (for first use during the election that year).
Between 1950 and 2019, it was considered to have 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; however, it would eventually be won by Labour in another Labour landslide in 2024.
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 neighbouring 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 Historic 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.
2010–2024: The Borough of Rushcliffe wards of Abbey, Bunny, Compton Acres, Cotgrave, Cropwell, Edwalton, Gamston, Gotham, Keyworth and the Wolds, Lady Bay, Leake, Lutterell, Musters, Nevile and Langar, Newton, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Ruddington, Soar Valley, Tollerton, and Trent Bridge.
Current Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was defined as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The Borough of Rushcliffe wards of: Abbey; Bunny; Compton Acres; Cotgrave; Cropwell; Edwalton; Gamston North; Gamston South; Gotham; Keyworth & Wolds; Lady Bay; Leake; Lutterell; Musters; Nevile & Langar; Radcliffe on Trent; Ruddington; Sutton Bonington; Tollerton; Trent Bridge.
The constituency saw minor boundary changes due to the redrawing of local authority ward boundaries.
Following a further local government boundary review in which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the Borough of Rushcliffe from the 2024 general election:
Abbey; Bunny; Compton Acres; Cotgrave; Cropwell; Edwalton; Gamston; Gotham; Keyworth & Wolds; Lady Bay; Leake; Lutterell; Musters; Nevile & Langar (nearly all); Newton (part); Radcliffe on Trent; Ruddington; Soar Valley; Tollerton; Trent Bridge.
Members of Parliament
South Nottinghamshire prior to 1885
ElectionMemberParty 1885 John Ellis Liberal December 1910 Leif Jones 1918 Henry Betterton Coalition Conservative 1922 Conservative 1934 by-election Ralph Assheton Conservative 1945 Florence Paton Labour 1950 Martin Redmayne Conservative 1966 Antony Gardner Labour 1970 Kenneth Clarke Conservative 2019 Independent 2019 Ruth Edwards Conservative 2024 James Naish Labour
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Election in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
See also Parliamentary constituencies in Nottinghamshire
Notes
References
External links Rushcliffe UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Rushcliffe UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Rushcliffe UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK