Bolsover is a constituency in Derbyshire, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Mark Fletcher, a member of the Conservative Party. The constituency was created in 1950, and is centred on the town of Bolsover. Between 1970 and 2019, the constituency was represented by Labour's Dennis Skinner, who by 2019 was the oldest member of the House of Commons and the second longest-serving. At the constituency's inception it was one of the safest Labour seats in the country, but over the following half century Skinner's vote share dropped from 77% to only 36%, with the result that he lost the seat to the Conservatives by a margin of 11%.
History
Before the Reform Act 1832, relatively wealthy people of the whole county could attend elections when there was an opposition candidate. From 1868 until 1885 the area formed part of the East Derbyshire constituency, redrawn out of the North Derbyshire constituency formed in 1832. The Bolsover constituency was created in 1950 from parts of the constituencies of North East Derbyshire, formed in 1885, and Clay Cross, formed in 1918.
Boundaries
1950–1983: The Urban District of Bolsover, and the Rural Districts of Blackwell and Clowne. 1983–2010: The District of Bolsover, and the District of North East Derbyshire wards of Morton, Pilsley, Shirland, and Sutton. 2010–present: The District of Bolsover, and the District of North East Derbyshire wards of Holmewood and Heath, Pilsley and Morton, Shirland, and Sutton.
Constituency profile
The seat includes many former mining communities. Before 2019 it was a Labour Partystronghold, although the then MP Dennis Skinner's share of the popular vote dropped to 50% in the 2010 election from a high of 77.5%. Its economy faced struggles after the last closures in the early 1990s of the coal pits upon which the area thrived for many years. From the 1970s, the pits faced increased international competition on price and required a government subsidy. This was achieved in Eastern Europe, albeit on lower wages, which ceased under Margaret Thatcher. Bolsover's tourism industry has emerged in recent years, including accommodation and tours involving Bolsover Castle, owned by English Heritage, and Hardwick Hall, home of Bess of Hardwick. Skinner, who held the seat from 1970 until 2019, is a former miner whose fast wit and often abrasive manner in the House of Commons led to him being dubbed "The Beast of Bolsover". At the 2017 general election, Skinner's majority was cut to little more than 5,000, the first time the Labour majority in the seat had ever been lower than 10,000. He failed to be re-elected in 2019, missing out on becoming the Father of the House after the retirement of Kenneth Clarke. However, Skinner had earlier said that he would refuse the title anyway.
