South Holland and The Deepings is a constituency in Lincolnshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 1997 creation by John Hayes, a Conservative.

At the 2017 general election, the constituency recorded a higher Conservative share of the vote than any constituency since 1970, with 69.9% of voters backing the party. South Holland also delivered the second-highest "Leave" vote in the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union (EU). 73.6% of voters endorsed the UK's withdrawal from the EU, second only to neighbouring Boston. At the 2019 general election, the Conservative majority was 62.7%, the highest of any Conservative in any constituency in any general election since Kensington South in 1955. Hayes took 75.9% of the vote, the third highest for the Conservatives only after Castle Point in Essex and Boston and Skegness.

Constituency profile

South Holland and The Deepings is a constituency in Lincolnshire in the East Midlands of England. It is named after the South Holland District and the town of Market Deeping and its nearby villages, collectively called the Deepings. The constituency's largest town is Spalding which has a population of around 31,000. Other settlements include the towns of Crowland, Holbeach, Long Sutton and Sutton Bridge and the villages of Pinchbeck and Donington.

This is a large, rural constituency with many small towns and villages. It lies within the Fens, a low-lying marshy region that was mostly drained in the early 19th century. Spalding is a historic market town and a centre for local agricultural trade; the surrounding area is a major producer of flowers (especially tulips) and vegetables. Most of the constituency has below-average levels of wealth, however Spalding and Market Deeping are more affluent. House prices here are generally similar to the rest of the East Midlands but lower than the UK average.

South Holland and The Deepings has a large retired population and low proportions of young and middle-aged adults. Residents have below-average rates of income but high levels of homeownership. The child poverty rate is in line with the overall UK figure. They have very low levels of education and are generally religious. A high proportion of residents work in the agriculture, retail and transport sectors and the percentage claiming unemployment benefits is low. White people made up 96% of the population at the 2021 census. Those of White non-British origin were 11% of residents, including many Poles and Lithuanians.

At the local district council level, most of the towns in this constituency are represented by independents and localists whilst the rural villages elected Conservatives. At the county council, which held elections more recently (in 2025), almost all seats in this constituency were won by Reform UK. Voters in South Holland and The Deepings overwhelmingly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum. An estimated 72% voted in favour of Brexit compared to the UK-wide figure of 52%, the ninth-highest percentage out of 650 constituencies nationwide according to Electoral Calculus.

Boundaries

1997–2010 The District of South Holland, with the wards of Deeping St James, Market Deeping, West Deeping and Truesdale, which are all in the District of South Kesteven.

The constituency was created in 1997 from parts of the former seats of Holland with Boston and Stamford and Spalding. It covers the area around Spalding. It corresponds to the local government District of South Holland, but with Market Deeping, Deeping St James and West Deeping added.

Current The District of South Holland, with the District of South Kesteven wards of Deeping St James, and Market & West Deeping.

In minor boundary changes that were put in place for the 2010 general election, parts of the two civil parishes of Baston and Langtoft, forming much of the Truesdale ward, were moved to the neighbouring constituency of Grantham and Stamford. This made Deeping St James, Market Deeping and West Deeping the only South Kesteven civil parishes to stay in the constituency, the remainder comprising South Holland District.

The 2023 review of Westminster constituencies left the boundaries unchanged.

History The last non-Conservative member for the predecessor main seat was Sir Herbert Butcher (served 1937–1966) who for much of that time was in the National Liberal Party set up in 1931.

The member from 1966 until 1997 was Richard Body for the main contributor seat (in later years as MP, knighted), who had previously been an MP during the Eden government and the start of the Macmillan government for Billericay, and later wrote assertive books on agriculture and on the Common Agricultural Policy.

In the 2017 general election, the seat returned the highest vote share for the Conservatives nationally at 69.9%. In the 2019 general election, it was an extremely safe Conservative seat. It had the largest percentage majority, third-largest absolute majority, and third-largest Conservative vote share of any seat held by the party; nationally the seat had the eleventh-largest percentage majority of any constituency.

Members of Parliament Holland with Boston and Stamford & Spalding prior to 1997 ElectionMemberParty 1997 John Hayes Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Lincolnshire

References

External links South Holland and the Deepings UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK South Holland and The Deepings UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK South Holland and The Deepings UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK