Harborough, Oadby and Wigston

Harborough, Oadby and Wigston () is a constituency covering the south east of Leicestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Neil O'Brien of the Conservative Party.

It is considered a safe seat for the Conservative Party, as the seat has been represented by a Conservative MP since 1950.

Before the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was known as Harborough up until the 2024 general election.

Constituency profile

The Harborough, Oadby and Wigston constituency is located in Leicestershire. It contains the suburban towns of Oadby and Wigston—which lie on the outskirts of the city of Leicester and form part of its wider urban area—the outlying town of Market Harborough and the villages of Great Glen and Kibworth. Oadby and Wigston grew during the 20th century as commuter towns serving Leicester. Wigston has average levels of wealth whilst Oadby is affluent. Market Harborough is a historic market town and is also generally wealthy. House prices in the constituency are similar to national averages and higher than the rest of the East Midlands.

Compared to the rest of the country, residents of the constituency are older and more likely to be homeowners. They have high levels of income and professional employment. At the local council level, the constituency's three towns are mostly represented by Liberal Democrats whilst the rural areas and villages elected Conservatives. An estimated 52% of voters in the constituency supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, identical to the nationwide figure.

1983–1997: The District of Harborough wards of Billesdon, Bosworth, Easton, Fleckney, Glen, Houghton, Kibworth, Langton, Lubenham, Market Harborough Bowden, Market Harborough North, Market Harborough South, Market Harborough West, Scraptoft, Thurnby, and Tilton, and the Borough of Oadby and Wigston.

1997–2010: The District of Harborough wards of Bosworth, Fleckney, Glen, Kibworth, Langton, Lubenham, Market Harborough Bowden, Market Harborough North, Market Harborough South, and Market Harborough West, and the Borough of Oadby and Wigston wards of All Saints, Bassett, Brocks Hill, Brookside, Central, Fairfield, Grange, St Peter's, St Wolstan's, and Westfield.

2010–2024: The District of Harborough wards of Bosworth, Fleckney, Glen, Kibworth, Lubenham, Market Harborough Great Bowden and Arden, Market Harborough Little Bowden, Market Harborough Logan, and Market Harborough Welland, and the Borough of Oadby and Wigston wards of Oadby Brocks Hill, Oadby Grange, Oadby St Peter's, Oadby Uplands, Oadby Woodlands, South Wigston, Wigston All Saints, Wigston Fields, Wigston Meadowcourt, and Wigston St Wolstan's.

Current (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

The District of Harborough wards of: Glen; Kibworths; Lubenham; Market Harborough – Great Bowden & Arden; Market Harborough – Little Bowden; Market Harborough – Logan; Market Harborough – Welland.
The Borough of Oadby and Wigston.

Minor adjustments to take account of ward boundary changes.

The constituency takes its name from the town of Market Harborough, seat of the Harborough local government district, combined with the Borough of Oadby and Wigston which adjoins Leicester.

History

The seat was created in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and in boundary changes in 1974 reflecting the growth in population and electorate of Leicestershire lost a large amount of its territory to the new seat of Blaby.