County Lincolnshire Created 1997 European Parliament constituency East Midlands Number of members 1 Major settlements Sleaford, North Hykeham | Electorate 85,561 (December 2010) Created from Grantham, Lincoln Member of parliament Caroline Johnson Party Conservative Party Replaced by Grantham, Lincoln | |
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Sleaford and North Hykeham is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It is currently represented by Conservative MP Caroline Johnson.
Contents
Boundaries
1997-2010: The District of North Kesteven except the ward of Bracebridge Heath, and the District of South Kesteven wards of Ermine, Heath, Loveden, Saxonwell, and Witham Valley.
2010-present: The District of North Kesteven wards of Ashby de la Launde, Bassingham, Billinghay, Branston and Mere, Brant Broughton, Cliff Villages, Cranwell and Byard’s Leap, Eagle and North Scarle, Heckington Rural, Heighington and Washingborough, Kyme, Leasingham and Roxholm, Martin, Metheringham, North Hykeham Forum, North Hykeham Memorial, North Hykeham Mill, North Hykeham Moor, North Hykeham Witham, Osbournby, Ruskington, Sleaford Castle, Sleaford Holdingham, Sleaford Mareham, Sleaford Navigation, Sleaford Quarrington, Sleaford Westholme, and Waddington West, and the District of South Kesteven wards of Barrowby, Ermine, Heath, Loveden, Peascliffe, Saxonwell, and Witham Valley.
The constituency covers the towns of Sleaford and North Hykeham and an area of rural Lincolnshire. The constituency's boundaries roughly correspond to those of North Kesteven local government district. In their formative proposals for 1997, the Boundary Commission for England proposed calling the new constituency Mid Lincolnshire, however the name was changed to its current form during the local inquiry process. The inclusion of North Hykeham in the constituency title was criticised by author and psephologist Robert Waller in 1995, on the grounds that North Hykeham was effectively an overspill area of the City of Lincoln; however, not on the grounds of its actual inclusion, as its local government authority has long been seen as linked with the villages to the south in this seat, and wholly separate from the city.
Following another Boundary Commission review, the constituency boundaries with its neighbouring Lincoln borough constituency and Grantham and Stamford county constituency were changed for the 2010 general election.
The areas within the constituency of Sleaford and North Hykeham are under the control and come under the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council for the provision of certain public services, such as roads and local authority education.
Members of Parliament
Douglas Hogg moved to represent Sleaford and North Hykeham from the previously existing Grantham constituency, a safe Conservative seat which he had held since 1979. He stood down at the 2010 general election owing to controversy over his expenses claims. He was replaced by fellow Conservative Stephen Phillips, who stood down as an MP on 4 November 2016, owing to "irreconcilable differences" with the Government, thus triggering a by-election within the constituency which was held on 8 December and retained for the Conservatives by Caroline Johnson.