Rotherham (UK Parliament constituency)

Rotherham is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2012 by Sarah Champion of the Labour Party.^{[n 2]}

Rotherham
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Boundary of Rotherham in Yorkshire and the Humber
County	South Yorkshire
Electorate	61,119 (December 2019)[1]
Major settlements	Rotherham
Current constituency
Created	1885
Member of Parliament	Sarah Champion (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Southern West Riding of Yorkshire

History

This constituency was created in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.

Rotherham has consistently returned Labour MPs since a by-election in 1933, following the earlier period before 1923 dominated by the Liberal and Conservative parties. The numerical Labour majority in every general election from 1935 onwards has been in five figures, with the exceptions of 2015, 2019 and 2024.

Boundaries

Historic

1918–1950: The County Borough of Rotherham, and the Urban Districts of Greasbrough and Rawmarsh.

1950–1983: The County Borough of Rotherham.^[2]

1983–2010: The Borough of Rotherham wards of: Boston, Broom, Central, Greasbrough, Herringthorpe, Kimberworth, Park and Thorpe Hesley.

2010–2024: The Rotherham borough electoral wards of: Boston Castle, Brinsworth and Catcliffe, Keppel, Rotherham East, Rotherham West, Valley, and Wingfield.^[3]

Current

Following the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency comprises the following:

• The Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham wards of: Boston Castle; Brinsworth; Dalton & Thrybergh; Greasbrough; Keppel; Rother Vale; Rotherham East; Rotherham West; Wickersley North.^[4]

Seat expanded to bring its electorate within the permitted range primarily by adding parts of the abolished constituency of Wentworth and Dearne, including northern parts of Wickersley and the village of Thrybergh.

It borders Rother Valley, Sheffield South East, Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, Penistone and Stocksbridge, and Rawmarsh and Conisbrough.

Constituency profile

The constituency consists of Census Output Areas of one local government district: a working population whose income is on average slightly below the national average and close to average reliance upon social housing.^[5] At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood at 7% and 9.6% male unemployment of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 4.7%. This was considerably higher also than the constituencies that share the borough.^[6]

The borough contributing to the seat has a relatively high 26.6% of its population without a car compared to 20.1% in Bassetlaw and 30.3% in Sheffield. In terms of extremes of education 29.8% of the population in 2011 were without qualifications, contrasted with 17.4% with level 4 qualifications or above.

In terms of tenure 65.2% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as at the 2011 census across the borough.^[7] In the 10 years to the April 2011 Census the social rented sector saw a 4.9% reduction and the private rented sector a 5.3% increase; outright ownership saw a 3.8% increase.^[7]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[8]	Party
	1885	Arthur Dyke Acland	Liberal
	1899 by-election	William Holland	Liberal
	1910 by-election	Jack Pease	Liberal
	1917 by-election	Arthur Richardson	Lib-Lab
	1918	Frederic Kelley	Conservative
	1923	Fred Lindley	Labour
	1931	George Herbert	Conservative
	1933 by-election	William Dobbie	Labour
	1950	Jack Jones	Labour
	1963 by-election	Brian O'Malley	Labour
	1976 by-election	Stan Crowther	Labour
	1992	Jimmy Boyce	Labour
	1994 by-election	Denis MacShane	Labour
	2010[9][10]		Independent
	2012		Labour
	2012 by-election	Sarah Champion	Labour

Elections

Rotherham election results

Rotherham historical election results

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Rotherham^[11][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sarah Champion	16,671	45.1	+4.4
	Reform UK	John Cronly	11,181	30.3	+13.3
	Liberal Democrats	Adam Carter	2,824	7.6	+1.4
	Green	Tony Mabbott	2,632	7.1	+7.0
	Workers Party	Taukir Iqbal	1,714	4.6	New
	Yorkshire	David Atkinson	1,363	3.7	+0.8
	Independent	Ishtiaq Ahmad	547	1.5	New
Majority			5,490	14.9	+7.3
Turnout			36,932	48.6	−9.2
Registered electors			75,929
	Labour hold		Swing	−4.5

Laila Cunningham was originally selected as the Conservative candidate for the seat, but withdrew shortly before the nominations deadline. As the party did not field a replacement, it is the only seat in Great Britain, aside from the Speaker's seat of Chorley, in which no Conservative candidate was nominated.^[13]

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[14]
Party		Vote	%
	Labour	17,699	40.7
	Conservative	14,402	33.1
	Brexit Party	7,408	17.0
	Liberal Democrats	2,717	6.2
	Others	1,245	2.9
	Green	50	0.1
Turnout		43,521	57.8
Electorate		75,345

General election 2019: Rotherham^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sarah Champion	14,736	41.3	−15.1
	Conservative	Gerri Hickton	11,615	32.6	+6.2
	Brexit Party	Paul Hague	6,125	17.2	New
	Liberal Democrats	Adam Carter	2,090	5.9	+1.3
	Yorkshire	Dennis Bannan	1,085	3.0	−0.8
Majority			3,121	8.7	−21.2
Turnout			35,651	57.8	−2.4
	Labour hold		Swing	−10.7

General election 2017: Rotherham^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sarah Champion	21,404	56.4	+3.9
	Conservative	James Bellis	10,017	26.4	+14.1
	UKIP	Allen Cowles	3,316	8.7	−21.5
	Liberal Democrats	Adam Carter	1,754	4.6	+1.7
	Yorkshire	Mick Bower[17]	1,432	3.8	New
Majority			11,387	29.9	+7.6
Turnout			38,050	60.2	+0.8
	Labour hold		Swing	−5.1

General election 2015: Rotherham^[18][19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sarah Champion	19,860	52.5	+7.9
	UKIP	Jane Collins	11,414	30.2	+24.3
	Conservative	Sebastian Lowe	4,656	12.3	−4.4
	Liberal Democrats	Janice Middleton	1,093	2.9	−13.1
	TUSC	Pat McLaughlin	409	1.1	New
	BNP	Adam Walker	225	0.6	−9.8
	English Democrat	Dean Walker	166	0.4	New
Majority			8,446	22.3	−5.6
Turnout			37,823	59.4	+0.4
	Labour hold		Swing	−8.2

2012 Rotherham by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sarah Champion	9,966	46.3	+1.7
	UKIP	Jane Collins	4,648	21.8	+15.9
	BNP	Marlene Guest	1,804	8.5	−1.9
	Respect	Yvonne Ridley	1,778	8.3	New
	Conservative	Simon Wilson	1,157	5.4	−11.3
	English Democrat	David Wildgoose	703	3.3	New
	Independent	Simon Copley	582	2.7	New
	Liberal Democrats	Michael Beckett	451	2.1	−13.9
	TUSC	Ralph Dyson	261	1.2	New
	Independent	Paul Dickson	51	0.2	New
	no description	Clint Bristow	29	0.1	New
Majority			5,318	24.5	−3.4
Turnout			21,430	33.63	−25.37
	Labour hold		Swing	−7.1

General election 2010: Rotherham^[20][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Denis MacShane	16,741	44.6	−13.1
	Conservative	Jackie Whiteley	6,279	16.7	+3.4
	Liberal Democrats	Rebecca Taylor	5,994	16.0	−0.4
	BNP	Marlene Guest	3,906	10.4	+4.5
	Independent	Peter Thirlwall	2,366	6.3	New
	UKIP	Caven Vines	2,220	5.9	+2.0
Majority			10,462	27.9	−7.7
Turnout			37,506	59.0	+4.9
	Labour hold		Swing	−8.3

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Rotherham^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Denis MacShane	15,840	52.8	−11.1
	Liberal Democrats	Tim Gordon	5,159	17.2	+6.6
	Conservative	Lee Rotherham	4,966	16.6	−2.8
	BNP	Marlene Guest	1,986	6.6	New
	UKIP	David Cutts	1,122	3.7	+1.2
	Green	Dick Penycate	905	3.0	+1.0
Majority			10,681	35.6	−8.9
Turnout			29,978	55.1	+4.4
	Labour hold		Swing	−8.8

General election 2001: Rotherham^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Denis MacShane	18,759	63.9	−7.4
	Conservative	Richard Powell	5,682	19.4	+5.1
	Liberal Democrats	Charles Hall	3,117	10.6	+0.2
	UKIP	Peter Griffith	730	2.5	New
	Green	Dick Penycate	577	2.0	New
	Socialist Alliance	Freda Smith	352	1.2	New
	John Lilburne Democratic Party	Geoffrey Bartholomew	137	0.5	New
Majority			13,077	44.5	−12.5
Turnout			29,354	50.7	−11.8
	Labour hold		Swing	−6.25

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Rotherham^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Denis MacShane	26,852	71.3	+7.4
	Conservative	Simon Gordon	5,383	14.3	−9.4
	Liberal Democrats	David B. Wildgoose	3,919	10.4	−1.9
	Referendum	Ray T. Hollebone	1,132	3.0	New
	ProLife Alliance	Andrew Neal	364	1.0	New
Majority			21,469	57.0	+16.8
Turnout			37,650	62.9	−8.8
	Labour hold		Swing

1994 Rotherham by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Denis MacShane	14,912	55.6	−8.3
	Liberal Democrats	David B. Wildgoose	7,958	29.7	+17.4
	Conservative	Nick Gibb	2,649	9.9	−13.8
	Monster Raving Loony	Screaming Lord Sutch	1,114	4.2	New
	Natural Law	Keith Laycock	173	0.6	New
Majority			6,954	25.9	−14.3
Turnout			26,806	43.7	−28.0
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1992: Rotherham^[25][26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jimmy Boyce	27,933	63.9	+4.2
	Conservative	Stephen J.D. Yorke	10,372	23.7	+1.6
	Liberal Democrats	David B. Wildgoose	5,375	12.3	−5.9
Majority			17,561	40.2	+2.6
Turnout			43,680	71.7	+2.5
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.3

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Rotherham^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Stanley Crowther	25,422	59.7	+5.4
	Conservative	John Stephens	9,410	22.1	−3.6
	Liberal	Peter Bowler	7,766	18.2	−1.8
Majority			16,012	37.6	+9.0
Turnout			42,598	69.2	+2.2
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1983: Rotherham^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Stanley Crowther	22,236	54.3	−6.3
	Conservative	Chris Middleton	10,527	25.7	−4.2
	Liberal	Pete Bowler	8,192	20.0	+11.6
Majority			11,709	28.6	−2.1
Turnout			40,955	67.0	−5.1
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Stanley Crowther	26,580	60.6	−4.0
	Conservative	D. Hinckley	13,145	29.9	+7.8
	Liberal	I. House	3,686	8.4	−5.0
	National Front	K. Davies	490	1.1	N/A
Majority			13,435	30.7	−11.8
Turnout			43,901	72.1	+6.6
	Labour hold		Swing

1976 Rotherham by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Stanley Crowther	14,351	50.69	−13.89
	Conservative	Douglas Hinckley	9,824	34.70	+12.64
	Liberal	Beth Graham	2,214	7.82	−5.53
	National Front	George Wright	1,696	5.99	New
	World Grid Sunshine Room Party	Peter Bishop	129	0.46	New
	English National	Robin Atkinson	99	0.35	New
Majority			4,527	15.99	−26.51
Turnout			28,313
	Labour hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Brian O'Malley	25,874	64.6	+4.6
	Conservative	Richard Hambro	8,840	22.1	−0.8
	Liberal	V. Bottomley	5,350	13.4	−3.7
Majority			17,034	42.5	+5.4
Turnout			40,064	65.5	−8.8
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.7

General election February 1974: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Brian O'Malley	27,088	60.0	−6.4
	Conservative	D. Lewis	10,354	22.9	−10.7
	Liberal	J. Hughes	7,726	17.1	New
Majority			16,734	37.1	+4.3
Turnout			45,168	74.3	+11.4
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1970: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Brian O'Malley	25,246	66.4	−3.3
	Conservative	Eric R. Cooke	12,770	33.6	+3.3
Majority			12,476	32.8	−5.6
Turnout			38,016	62.9	−5.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Brian O'Malley	27,402	69.7	+3.2
	Conservative	Eric R. Cooke	11,925	30.3	−3.2
Majority			15,477	39.4	+6.4
Turnout			39,327	68.7	−2.9
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1964: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Brian O'Malley	27,585	66.5	+3.7
	Conservative	John Michael Barrass	13,907	33.5	−3.7
Majority			13,678	33.0	+4.4
Turnout			41,492	71.6	−7.3
	Labour hold		Swing

1963 Rotherham by-election^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Brian O'Malley	22,411	69.2	+6.4
	Conservative	John Michael Barrass	9,209	28.5	−8.7
	Independent	Russell Ernest Eckley	742	2.3	New
Majority			13,202	40.7	+15.1
Turnout			32,362
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jack Jones	28,298	62.8	−0.5
	Conservative	Ronald Hall	16,759	37.2	+0.5
Majority			11,539	25.6	−1.0
Turnout			45,057	78.9	+1.5
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1955: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jack Jones	27,423	63.3	−2.3
	Conservative	William G. Blake	15,882	36.7	+2.3
Majority			11,541	26.6	−4.6
Turnout			43,305	77.4	−6.8
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1951: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jack Jones	31,124	65.6	+1.2
	Conservative	William G. Blake	16,317	34.4	+3.9
Majority			14,807	31.2	−2.7
Turnout			47,441	84.2	−3.1
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1950: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jack Jones	31,211	64.4	−9.8
	Conservative	Richard Body	14,744	30.5	+4.7
	Liberal	M. Foster	2,458	5.1	New
Majority			16,467	33.9	−14.5
Turnout			48,413	87.3	+10.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Dobbie	35,654	74.2	+6.7
	National Liberal	E. H. Phillips	12,420	25.8	−6.7
Majority			23,234	48.4	+13.4
Turnout			48,074	76.4	−0.3
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1930s

Thomas Casey

General election 1935: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Dobbie	29,725	67.5	−1.6
	National Liberal	Thomas Worrall Casey	14,298	32.5	+1.6
Majority			15,427	35.0	−3.2
Turnout			44,023	76.7	+3.2
	Labour hold		Swing

1933 Rotherham by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Dobbie	28,767	69.1	+19.9
	Conservative	Henry Drummond Wolff	12,893	30.9	−19.9
Majority			15,874	38.2	+36.6
Turnout			41,660	73.5	−9.1
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

General election 1931: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Herbert	23,596	50.8	+28.1
	Labour	Fred Lindley	22,834	49.2	−11.2
Majority			762	1.6	N/A
Turnout			46,430	82.6	+1.2
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Fred Lindley	26,937	60.4	+5.8
	Unionist	Paul Latham	10,101	22.7	−26.7
	Liberal	Reeves Charlesworth	7,534	16.9	New
Majority			16,836	37.7	+28.5
Turnout			44,572	81.4	−0.4
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1924: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Fred Lindley	18,860	54.6	+0.7
	Unionist	Henry J Temple	15,712	45.4	−0.7
Majority			3,148	9.2	+1.4
Turnout			34,572	81.8	+6.5
	Labour hold		Swing

General election 1923: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Fred Lindley	16,983	53.9	+4.9
	Unionist	Frederic Kelley	14,535	46.1	−4.9
Majority			2,448	7.8	N/A
Turnout			31,518	75.3	−6.3
	Labour gain from Unionist		Swing	+4.9

General election 1922: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Frederic Kelley	17,093	51.0	+6.2
	Labour	James Walker	16,449	49.0	+10.9
Majority			644	2.0	−4.7
Turnout			33,542	81.6	+18.4
	Unionist hold		Swing

Elections in the 1910s

JM Kenworthy

General election 1918: Rotherham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Frederic Kelley	11,473	44.8	+12.3
	Labour	James Walker	9,757	38.1	New
	Liberal	Joseph Kenworthy	3,805	14.9	−52.6
	National Democratic	Edmund Smith Bardsley	564	2.2	New
Majority			1,716	6.7	N/A
Turnout			25,599	63.2	−4.6
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+32.5

Richardson

1917 Rotherham by-election^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Lib-Lab	Arthur Richardson	Unopposed
	Lib-Lab hold

Jack Pease

1916 Rotherham by-election^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Jack Pease	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election December 1910: Rotherham^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Jack Pease	9,385	67.5	−4.9
	Conservative	James Harrop Dransfield	4,511	32.5	+4.9
Majority			4,874	35.0	−9.8
Turnout			13,896	67.8	−14.7
Registered electors			20,487
	Liberal hold		Swing	−4.9

1910 Rotherham by-election^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Jack Pease	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election January 1910: Rotherham^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Holland	12,225	72.4	N/A
	Conservative	James Dransfield	4,667	27.6	New
Majority			7,558	44.8	N/A
Turnout			16,892	82.5	N/A
Registered electors			20,487
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Rotherham^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Holland	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1900: Rotherham^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Holland	6,926	58.0	N/A
	Conservative	R. H. V. Wragge	5,021	42.0	N/A
Majority			1,905	16.0	N/A
Turnout			11,947	78.0	N/A
Registered electors			15,325
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1890s

William Holland

1899 Rotherham by-election^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Holland	6,671	58.6	N/A
	Conservative	Robert Horton Vernon Wragge	4,714	41.4	New
Majority			1,957	17.2	N/A
Turnout			11,385	77.1	N/A
Registered electors			14,763
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

• Caused by Acland's resignation.

General election 1895: Rotherham^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Arthur Dyke Acland	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Acland

1892 Rotherham by-election^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Arthur Dyke Acland	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

• Caused by Acland's appointment as Vice President of the Committee of the Council on Education

General election 1892: Rotherham^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Arthur Dyke Acland	6,567	69.8	−1.5
	Liberal Unionist	George Savile Foljambe	2,839	30.2	+1.5
Majority			3,728	39.6	−3.0
Turnout			9,406	69.4	+2.1
Registered electors			13,551
	Liberal hold		Swing	−1.5

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1886: Rotherham^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Arthur Dyke Acland	5,155	71.3	−2.3
	Liberal Unionist	Francis Foljambe	2,070	28.7	+2.3
Majority			3,085	42.6	−4.6
Turnout			7,225	67.3	−12.5
Registered electors			10,730
	Liberal hold		Swing	−2.3

General election 1885: Rotherham^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Arthur Dyke Acland	6,301	73.6
	Conservative	William Wright Hoole[31]	2,258	26.4
Majority			4,043	47.2
Turnout			8,559	79.8
Registered electors			10,730
	Liberal win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in South Yorkshire
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the Yorkshire and the Humber (region)

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.