Ossett and Denby Dale is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, it was first contested at the 2024 general election. It is currently represented by Jade Botterill of the Labour Party.
Constituency profile
Ossett and Denby Dale is a constituency in West Yorkshire in England, covering parts of the City of Wakefield and Kirklees metropolitan boroughs. It is named after its largest town, Ossett, which has a population of around 22,000, and the rural civil parish of Denby Dale. Other settlements include the town of Horbury, the villages of Crigglestone, Clayton West, Skelmanthorpe and Kirkburton, and the Wakefield suburbs of Sandal Magna and Agbrigg.
This constituency covers towns and villages on the outskirts of Wakefield and the rural area to its south-west. It has an industrial heritage; Ossett and Horbury form part of the Heavy Woollen District, a region that was known for its textile production, especially recycled wool. The rural villages have a history of coal mining and the National Coal Mining Museum is located in the village of Overton. The constituency has overall above-average levels of wealth; Ossett, Horbury and Crigglestone have average rates of deprivation whilst the rural areas are mostly affluent. House prices are generally higher than the rest of Yorkshire but lower than the UK average.
Ossett and Denby Dale has a high proportion of older adults and retirees and a below-average proportion of young adults. Residents have above-average levels of income and homeownership and the child poverty rate is low. They have average levels of education and a high proportion work in the manufacturing and construction sectors. The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is low. White people made up 94% of the population at the 2021 census.
Most of the constituency is represented by Reform UK at the local council level with some Conservatives elected in the rural Denby Dale area. An estimated 59% of voters in the constituency supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the UK-wide rate of 52%.
Boundaries The constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The Borough of Kirklees wards of: Denby Dale; Kirkburton (polling districts KB01, KB02, KB03A, KB03B, KB05, KB06, KB08 and KB09). The City of Wakefield wards of: Horbury and South Ossett; Ossett; Wakefield Rural; Wakefield South.
It covers the following areas:
In the City of Wakefield:
Ossett, Horbury and rural areas to the south (Wakefield Rural ward) from Wakefield (abolished with remaining parts included in Wakefield and Rothwell) Sandal Magna and adjacent suburban areas to the south east of the city (Wakefield South ward) from Hemsworth (abolished and largely replaced by Normanton and Hemsworth)
In the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees
Denby Dale, Kirkburton and surrounding rural villages from Dewsbury (abolished and largely replaced by Dewsbury and Batley)
Members of Parliament
Wakefield and Dewsbury prior to 2024
ElectionMemberParty 2024 Jade Botterill Labour
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 26,177 53.9 Labour 15,150 31.2 Brexit Party 2,484 5.1 Liberal Democrats 2,400 4.9 Others 1,795 3.7 Green 602 1.2Turnout48,60867.9Electorate71,595
See also Parliamentary constituencies in West Yorkshire List of parliamentary constituencies in the Yorkshire and the Humber (region)
References
External links Ossett and Denby Dale UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK