• Home
• UK Politics
• World Politics
• Policy
• Media
• Lifestyle
• Sport
• Contributors
• Topics

Boundary Review: Derbyshire

Paul Linford examines the Boundary Review proposals for Derbyshire.

By Paul Linford

13 Sep 2011, 12:30

At the last election, the number of constituencies in Derbyshire increased from ten to eleven with the addition of the new Mid-Derbyshire constituency stretching from northern suburbs or Derby to the town of Belper.

Under the proposals published today, the county will revert back to ten, with the Tory-held Amber Valley constituency originally created in 1983 the one to disappear.

The Conservatives currently hold six of the 11 seats, including Amber Valley, while Labour holds five.

My initial analysis of the proposed changes is that they will slightly favour Labour, with the safely Tory Mid-Derbyshire seat won by Pauline Latham last May set to become much more of a Tory-Labour marginal.

The key changes are as follows:

•    Hathersage moves from Derbyshire Dales to High Peak
•    Etwall, Hatton and Hilton move from South Derbyshire to Derbyshire Dales
•    Duffield moves from Mid-Derbyshire to Derbyshire Dales
•    Borrowash and West Hallam move from Mid-Derbyshire to Erewash
•    Ripley and Heanor move from Amber Valley to Mid-Derbyshire
•    Alfreton moves from Amber valley to Bolsover
•    Amber Valley constituency disappears
•    South Derbyshire is renamed Derby South and Swadlincote with the addition of Boulton and Chellaston wards from Derby South
•    Two new constituencies created in Derby - Derby West and Derby East

The disappearance of Amber Valley constituency and the effective dismemberment of Mid-Derbyshire will create a selection dilemma for the Tories in the revised Mid-Derbyshire seat.

Ms Latham and Amber Valley MP Nigel Mills, also elected for the first time last May, will be contesting one constituency.

The shake-up in Derby will see the city divided on East-West lines either side of the Midland Main Line, as opposed to the current North-South split.

The city has been something of a bellweather in recent years at both local and parliamentary elections, and both of the proposed new constituencies look set to be marginals.

Elsewhere, Derbyshire Dales will become more rock-solidly Tory than ever with the addition of Duffield, Etwall, Hatton and Hilton, but the proposed Derby South and Swadlincote constituency may be seen as more winnable by Labour than the current Tory-held South Derbyshire seat.

And Labour's heartland in the North-East of the county around Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, is unlikely to be threatened by the changes.