Doncaster North (UK Parliament constituency)

Doncaster North is a constituency^{[n 1]} in South Yorkshire that was created in 1983. The seat has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2005 by Ed Miliband of the Labour Party. Miliband currently serves as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero under the government of Keir Starmer. From 2010 until 2015, he was Leader of the Opposition.^{[n 2]}

Doncaster North
County constituency for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Boundary of Doncaster North in Yorkshire and the Humber
County	South Yorkshire
Electorate	71,348 (December 2019)[1]
Major settlements	Mexborough, Stainforth[2]
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Ed Miliband (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Don Valley Goole[3]

History

Doncaster North has returned Labour MPs since 1983, when the constituency was created from parts of the former constituencies of Don Valley, Doncaster, Goole. The preceding constituencies had returned Labour MPs at every general election since at least 1935.

Part of the red wall, it was formerly a Labour stronghold until the 2019 general election, when Labour held the seat with a significantly reduced majority. At the following election in 2024, it once again became a fairly safe Labour seat.

Ed Miliband has served as the MP for the constituency since 2005, and he also served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2010 until stepping down after the 2015 general election.

At the EU referendum held on 23 June 2016, Doncaster voted to leave the European Union. This was a contrast to the views of Miliband, who advocated a "Remain" vote.^[4] Miliband was re-elected at the 2019 general election with a significantly reduced majority of 2,370 votes (5.8%), which is attributed to Brexit Party candidate Andy Stewart picking up 8,294 votes and finishing in third place with 20.4% of the vote. At the 2024 election, Reform UK (the successor to the Brexit Party) did not stand, which helped Labour increase its majority back up to 29.5%.

Boundaries

Map of boundaries 2010–2024

1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster wards of Adwick, Askern, Bentley Central, Bentley North Road, Hatfield, Stainforth, and Thorne.

1997–2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster wards of Adwick, Askern, Bentley Central, Bentley North Road, Stainforth, and Thorne.

2010–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster wards of Adwick, Askern Spa, Bentley, Great North Road, Mexborough, Sprotbrough, Stainforth and Moorends.

2024–present: The City of Doncaster wards of Adwick le Street & Carcroft, Bentley, Mexborough, Norton & Askern, Roman Ridge, Sprotbrough, and Stainforth & Barnby Dun.^[5]

Minor changes to reflect modifications to ward boundaries and names.

Constituency profile

The constituency covers largely rural areas north and west of Doncaster, and suburban areas too, stretching to the town of Mexborough in the west, Bentley that lies on the northern banks of the River Don and Adwick which is farther north. The seat is an area with moderate typical incomes which has yet to fully recover from the almost total end of the local coal mining industry;^{[n 3]} however, large numbers of constituents now work in construction and manufacturing.^[6][7][8][9] Alongside these typically Labour-supporting areas, the constituency also contains more Conservative-leaning areas such as Sprotbrough, council ward of the Conservative's 2024 Parliamentary candidate, Glenn Bluff.

Members of Parliament

Don Valley and Goole prior to 1983

Election		Member[7]	Party
	1983	Michael Welsh	Labour
	1992	Kevin Hughes
	2005	Ed Miliband

Elections

General election results 1983–2017

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Doncaster North^[10][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ed Miliband	16,231	52.4	+14.1
	Conservative	Glenn Bluff	7,105	22.9	−10.3
	SDP	Dave Bettney	1,960	6.3	N/A
	Green	Tony Nicholson	1,778	5.7	N/A
	British Democratic	Frank Calladine	1,160	3.7	N/A
	Yorkshire	Christopher Dawson	1,059	3.4	+1.0
	Liberal Democrats	Jonathan Harston	1,045	3.4	−0.2
	Party of Women	Catherine Briggs	452	1.5	N/A
	TUSC	Andy Hiles	212	0.7	N/A
Majority			9,126	29.5	+24.3
Turnout			31,002	44.4	−11.5
Registered electors			69,759
	Labour hold		Swing	+12.2

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[12]
Party		Vote	%
	Labour	15,356	38.3
	Conservative	13,286	33.2
	Brexit Party	8,151	20.3
	Liberal Democrats	1,446	3.6
	Others	859	2.2
	Green	18	<0.0
Turnout		40,070	55.9
Electorate		71,739

General election 2019: Doncaster North^[13][14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ed Miliband[15]	15,740	38.7	−22.1
	Conservative	Katrina Sale	13,370	32.9	+5.3
	Brexit Party	Andy Stewart	8,294	20.4	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Joe Otten	1,476	3.6	+1.9
	Yorkshire	Stevie Manion[16]	959	2.4	+0.6
	English Democrat	Frank Calladine	309	0.8	−0.1
	Independent	Eddie Todd	220	0.5	N/A
	Independent	Wendy Bailey	188	0.4	N/A
	Independent	Neil Wood	142	0.3	N/A
Majority			2,370	5.8	−27.4
Turnout			40,698	56.4	−2.1
	Labour hold		Swing	−13.6

General election 2017: Doncaster North^[17][18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ed Miliband[19]	25,711	60.8	+8.4
	Conservative	Shade Adoh	11,687	27.6	+9.3
	UKIP	Kim Parkinson	2,738	6.5	−16.1
	Yorkshire	Charlie Bridges	741	1.8	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Robert Adamson	706	1.7	−0.8
	Independent	Frank Calladine	366	0.9	N/A
	English Democrat	David Allen	363	0.9	−0.2
Majority			14,024	33.2	+3.4
Turnout			42,312	58.5	+2.8
	Labour hold		Swing	−0.5

See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Doncaster North

General election 2015: Doncaster North^[20][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ed Miliband	20,708	52.4	+5.1
	UKIP	Kim Parkinson	8,928	22.6	+18.3
	Conservative	Mark Fletcher	7,235	18.3	−2.7
	Liberal Democrats	Penny Baker	1,005	2.5	−12.4
	Green	Pete Kennedy	757	1.9	N/A
	English Democrat	David Allen	448	1.1	−4.1
	TUSC	Mary Jackson	258	0.7	+0.3
	Monster Raving Loony	Nick the Flying Brick	162	0.4	N/A
Majority			11,780	29.8	+3.5
Turnout			39,501	55.7	−1.6
	Labour hold		Swing	−6.1

General election 2010: Doncaster North^[22][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ed Miliband	19,637	47.3	−8.8
	Conservative	Sophie Brodie	8,728	21.0	+6.8
	Liberal Democrats	Ed Sanderson	6,174	14.9	−0.8
	BNP	Pamela Chambers	2,818	6.8	+2.8
	English Democrat	Wayne Crawshaw	2,148	5.2	+3.7
	UKIP	Liz Andrews	1,797	4.3	+2.1
	TUSC	Bill Rawcliffe	181	0.4	N/A
Majority			10,909	26.3	−12.7
Turnout			41,483	57.3	+4.7
	Labour hold		Swing	−2.8

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Doncaster North^[24][25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ed Miliband	17,531	55.5	−7.6
	Conservative	Martin Drake	4,875	15.4	+0.7
	Liberal Democrats	Doug Pickett	3,800	12.0	+1.4
	Community Group	Martin Williams	2,365	7.5	N/A
	BNP	Lee Hagan	1,506	4.8	N/A
	UKIP	Robert Nixon	940	3.0	+0.7
	English Democrat	Michael Cassidy	561	1.8	N/A
Majority			12,656	40.1	−8.3
Turnout			31,578	51.1	+0.6
	Labour hold		Swing	−4.2

General election 2001: Doncaster North^[26][27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kevin Hughes	19,788	63.1	−6.7
	Conservative	Anita Kapoor	4,601	14.7	−0.1
	Liberal Democrats	Colin Ross	3,323	10.6	+2.2
	Independent	Martin Williams	2,926	9.3	N/A
	UKIP	John Wallis	725	2.3	N/A
Majority			15,187	48.4	−6.6
Turnout			31,363	50.5	−12.8
	Labour hold		Swing	−3.3

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Doncaster North^{[28][29][30][31][n 4]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kevin Hughes	27,843	69.8	+8.0
	Conservative	Peter Kennerley	5,906	14.8	−7.5
	Liberal Democrats	Michael Cook	3,369	8.4	−4.5
	Referendum	Ron Thornton	1,589	4.0	N/A
	Anti Sleaze Labour	Neil Swan	1,181	3.0	N/A
Majority			21,937	55.0	+12.9
Turnout			39,888	63.3	−10.6
	Labour hold		Swing	+6.6

General election 1992: Doncaster North^[32][33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kevin Hughes	34,135	61.8	±0.0
	Conservative	Robert C Light	14,322	25.9	+1.5
	Liberal Democrats	Steve Whiting	6,787	12.3	−1.6
Majority			19,813	35.9	−1.5
Turnout			55,244	73.9	+0.8
	Labour hold		Swing	−0.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Doncaster North^[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Michael Welsh	32,950	61.8	+9.0
	Conservative	Richard Shepherd	13,015	24.4	−3.2
	SDP	Peter Norwood	7,394	13.9	−5.8
Majority			19,935	37.4	+12.2
Turnout			53,359	73.1	+3.2
	Labour hold		Swing	+6.1

General election 1983: Doncaster North^[35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Michael Welsh	26,626	52.8
	Conservative	Michael Stephen	13,915	27.6
	SDP	Dennis Orford	9,916	19.7
Majority			12,711	25.2
Turnout			50,457	69.9
	Labour win (new seat)

See also

• Parliamentary constituencies in South Yorkshire
• Parliamentary constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber

Notes

1. A county 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.
3. See British Coal
4. The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.