Gainsborough is a constituency in Lincolnshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1983 by Sir Edward Leigh of the Conservative Party, who, since the 2024 general election, is the Father of the House.
Gainsborough is a constituency located in Lincolnshire and is coterminous with the local government district of West Lindsey. It covers a large rural area north of the city of Lincoln. Its largest settlement is the market town of Gainsborough, which has a population of around 21,000. The town has a history of industry, particularly ironworking, and currently falls within the top 10% most-deprived areas in England. Other settlements in the constituency include the small towns of Market Rasen and Caistor and the villages of Saxilby, Nettleham, Welton and Scotter. The rural areas are agricultural and generally wealthier than Gainsborough. House prices in the constituency are lower than the rest of the East Midlands and considerably lower than the national average.
In general, residents of the constituency are older and more religious than the rest of the country. Levels of education, wealth and professional employment are similar to national averages. White people made up 97% of the population at the 2021 census. At the local council level, Gainsborough and Market Rasen are mostly represented by Liberal Democrats whilst the rest of the constituency elected predominantly Conservatives (to the district council) or Reform UK (to the county council). Voters strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum with an estimated 62% voting in favour of Brexit compared to 52% nationwide.
The constituency was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 that year, which lasted until it was reformed as Gainsborough and Horncastle on a boundary change for the 1983 election. That seat lasted until 1997, as from the mid-1990s population changes led to removal of Horncastle from the seat and recreation of the old seat with largely similar boundaries. The seat has elected Conservative MPs since 1924 and is a stronghold, as well as giving its MPs very long tenures, having been represented by only three people since 1924.
The constituency is named for its largest town of Gainsborough, on the western edge of the constituency.
1885âÂÂ1918: The Municipal Borough of Lincoln, the Sessional Divisions of Epworth, Gainsborough, Lincoln, and the parish of Bracebridge.
1918âÂÂ1950: The Urban Districts of Crowle and Gainsborough, and the Rural Districts of Gainsborough, Isle of Axholme, and Welton.
1950âÂÂ1983: The Urban Districts of Gainsborough and Market Rasen, and the Rural Districts of Caistor, Gainsborough, Isle of Axholme, and Welton.
Constituency was abolished in 1983 and re-established in 1997
1997âÂÂ2010: The District of West Lindsey, and the District of East Lindsey wards of Binbrook and Wragby.
2010âÂÂ2024: The District of West Lindsey, and the District of East Lindsey ward of Wragby.
2024âÂÂpresent: The District of West Lindsey.
North Lincolnshire prior to 1885
Gainsborough and Horncastle prior to 1997
General Election 1914âÂÂ15:
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
General Election 1939âÂÂ40:
Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
For 1983 â 1992, see Gainsborough and Horncastle (UK Parliament constituency)