Sheffield Heeley

Sheffield Heeley is a constituency in the city of Sheffield that was created in 1950. The seat has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Louise Haigh of the Labour Party since 2015. Haigh served as Secretary of State for Transport under the government of Keir Starmer until she resigned on 28 November 2024, after it was revealed she had pleaded guilty to fraud in 2013.

History

This seat was created in 1950, largely replacing the former Sheffield Ecclesall constituency, its boundaries being significantly altered in 1955 with the abolition of Sheffield Neepsend. At its first five elections, up to but excluding 1966, the seat was won by a Conservative, Peter Roberts; it changed hands three times between 1966 and 1974.

In more recent elections Sheffield Heeley moved from being a marginal Labour seat to having a solid Labour majority. Of the subsequent elections, only the 1983 and 2010 results have been fairly marginal; the others have suggested a safe Labour seat. At the 2010 election the Liberal Democrat had more than a quarter of the vote, whereas the Conservatives, on 17.3%, garnered 3% more votes than in 2005.

Boundaries

1950–1955: The County Borough of Sheffield wards of Heeley, Nether Edge, Norton, and Woodseats.

1955–1974: The County Borough of Sheffield wards of Heeley, Nether Edge, Norton, Sharrow, and Woodseats.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Sheffield wards of Beauchief, Gleadless, Heeley, and Intake.

1983–2010: The City of Sheffield wards of Beauchief, Heeley, Intake, Norton, and Park.

2010–2024: The City of Sheffield wards of Arbourthorne, Beauchief and Greenhill, Gleadless Valley, Graves Park, and Richmond (as they existed on 12 April 2005).

2024–present: The City of Sheffield wards of: Beauchief & Greenhill; Gleadless Valley; Graves Park; Manor Castle; Park & Arbourthorne; Richmond (polling districts UB, UC and UE) (as they existed on 1 December 2020).

After adjusting for revised ward boundaries, the Manor Castle ward was added from Sheffield Central, partly offset by the transfer of the majority of the Richmond ward to Sheffield South East.

Constituency profile

This constituency has a moderate Labour majority and contains a mixture of urban areas. In 2010 the BNP, unusually in Britain, achieved more than the 5% share of the vote necessary to recover the election deposit; its 5.5% share was a record in Sheffield.

The constituency consists of Census Output Areas a local government districts with: a working population whose income is marginally below the national average, and that has close to average reliance upon social housing. At the end of 2012, 5.7% of the population was claiming Jobseekers Allowance, compared to the regional average of 4.7%. The district contributing to the seat has a medium 33% of its population without a car. A medium 24.3% of the city's population are without qualifications, a high 15.8% of the population with level 3 qualifications and a medium 25.7% with level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure, as of the 2011 census, a relatively low 58.3% of homes were owned outright or on a mortgage by occupants across the district.