Major settlement Leeds | Electorate 80,912 (December 2010) Created 1983 Number of members 1 | |
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Replaced by Leeds, Leeds South, Leeds South East, Leeds East, Leeds West, Leeds North East | ||
Leeds Central is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1999 by Hilary Benn of the Labour Party.
Contents
Boundaries
1885-1918: The Municipal Borough of Leeds wards of Mill Hill and West, and parts of the wards of Brunswick and Central.
1918-1950: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Central, Mill Hill, South, and West, and parts of the wards of Brunswick, Headingley, and North West.
1950-1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Armley and New Wortley, Blenheim, Central, Holbeck North, Mill Hill, and South and Westfield.
1983-1997: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston, City and Holbeck, Richmond Hill, and University.
1997-2010: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston, City and Holbeck, Hunslet, Richmond Hill, and University.
2010-present: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, City and Hunslet, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, and Middleton Park.
Constituency profile
The business and retail centre of Leeds is at the heart of the constituency. Despite this relatively affluent hub, the seat suffers from sporadic deprivation, typified by certain densely packed rows of terraced houses, home to many Labour-inclined and often low-income voters. Unemployment in the seat is relatively high compared to the national average. Leeds' two universities produce a significant student electorate.
History
The constituency was created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and was first used in the general election of that year *the large Leeds seat had previously been represented by two MPs (1832–1868) and three MPs (1868–1885)). From 1885 it was represented by five single-member constituencies: Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West. The constituencies of Morley, Otley and Pudsey were also created in 1885.
The constituency was abolished in 1955. After the 1955 general election Leeds was represented by Leeds East (created 1885, abolished 1918, recreated 1955), Leeds North East (created 1918), Leeds North West (created 1950), Leeds South (created 1885), and Leeds South East (created 1918). There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley (created 1918) and Pudsey (created 1885, replaced by Pudsey and Otley 1918-1950).
The constituency was re-created for the 1983 general election. After that election, Leeds was represented by Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North East, Leeds North West, Leeds South East and Leeds West. There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley, and Pudsey.
In its 1999 by-election, the constituency experienced the lowest voter turnout post-war of 19.6%.
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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;