Leeds North West

Leeds North West is a constituency in the City of Leeds which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Katie White, of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

Leeds North West is a constituency located in West Yorkshire. It forms part of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, although it consists mostly of outlying towns and villages unconnected to the rest of Leeds. It contains the towns of Horsforth, Yeadon, Guiseley and Otley and the villages of Rawdon, Bramhope and Adel. Like the rest of Leeds, the constituency's towns have a history of textile manufacturing. Leeds Bradford Airport is located just east of Yeadon and is the headquarters of airline Jet2.com. Leeds Trinity University is in Horsforth and has around 14,000 students. The constituency is affluent with low levels of deprivation; most of it falls within the top 10% least-deprived areas of England. House prices are similar to the national average and considerably higher than the rest of Yorkshire.

Residents of Leeds North West are older, well-educated and likely to be homeowners compared to the rest of the country. They have high rates of household income and professional employment. White people made up 92% of the population at the 2021 census. At the local city council, Horsforth, Yeadon and Guiseley are represented by Labour Party councillors, Otley by Liberal Democrats and Adel and Bramhope by Conservatives. An estimated 57% of voters supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 48%. and was re-elected in 2019. Accordingly, Alex Sobel decided to stand (successfully) in the 2024 general election for the new and much safer seat of Leeds Central and Headingley. The Leeds North West seat was won by Katie White for Labour, making it a notional gain from the Conservatives.

1955–1974: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Far Headingley, Hyde Park, Kirkstall, Meanwood, and Moortown.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Cookridge, Headingley, Kirkstall, Moortown, and Weetwood.

1983–2010: The City of Leeds wards of Cookridge, Headingley, Otley and Wharfedale, and Weetwood.

The Leeds North West boundary was revised for the 1983 general election, bringing in Otley and the nearby villages of Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Arthington from the abolished Ripon constituency. Moortown was transferred to Leeds North East, and Kirkstall to Leeds West.

2010–2024: The City of Leeds wards of Adel and Wharfedale, Headingley, Otley and Yeadon, and Weetwood.

Minor changes to reflect changes to ward names and boundaries.

2024–present: The City of Leeds wards of Adel and Wharfedale, Guiseley and Rawdon, Horsforth, and Otley and Yeadon.

Following the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency boundaries were substantially changed although its name was unchanged. Headingley and Weetwood in the south of the 2010 constituency were moved to the new constituency of Leeds Central and Headingley, while Guiseley, Rawdon and Horsforth were transferred in from Pudsey (reconfigured and renamed Leeds West and Pudsey).

The old constituency was divided between the new constituency (85.7% by area and 50.2% by population of the old constituency) and Leeds Central and Headingley (14.3% by area and 49.8% by population). The new constituency was made up predominantly of parts of the old constituency (62.2% by area and 47.3% by population of the new constituency) and Pudsey (37.7% by area and 52.7% by population), with a small contribution from Leeds North East (0.1% by area and 0.0% by population).

The constituency currently covers the northwestern part of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire. It stretches from Otley in the north to Horsforth in the south, with Guiseley and Yeadon in between them in terms of major settlements.