Louth and Horncastle

Louth and Horncastle is a large rural constituency located in Lincolnshire. Its largest town is Louth, which has a population of around 18,000. Other settlements include the small market towns of Horncastle, Wragby, Coningsby, Alford and Spilsby, the spa town of Woodhall Spa, the seaside resort towns of Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea and the village of Holton-le-Clay. The Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape is located in the constituency, and like much of Lincolnshire, the constituency contains a number of former and active Royal Air Force bases. The coastal area is popular with tourists and contains numerous holiday parks, although like much of coastal England, there are high levels of deprivation here due to the decline in domestic tourism. The inland areas have average levels of wealth. House prices are lower than the rest of the East Midlands and considerably lower than the national average. Louth and Horncastle has a large retiree population and thus residents have a very high average age. Residents have high rates of homeownership but low levels of income, education and professional employment. and the percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is low. The child poverty rate is higher than the national figure. White people made up 98% of the population at the 2021 census. At the local district council, the constituency is represented by a mixture of Conservative and independent councillors with some Labour Party representation in Louth and Mablethorpe. At the county council, which held elections in 2025, all seats in the constituency were won by Reform UK. Voters in the constituency strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 68% voted in favour of Brexit compared to 52% nationwide. == Boundaries ==

History of boundaries From 1885 to 1983, Louth and Horncastle both existed as separate constituencies. Then in 1983, Horncastle was moved into the new seat of Gainsborough and Horncastle, while Louth was moved into the newly formed East Lindsey constituency. These boundaries remained the same until 1997, when the current Louth and Horncastle constituency was formed. 1997–2010 The District of East Lindsey wards of Alford, Chapel St Leonards, Coningsby, Donington on Bain, Fotherby, Grimoldby, Halton Holegate, Hogsthorpe, Holton le Clay, Horncastle, Hundleby, Legbourne, Mablethorpe, Mareham le Fen, Marshchapel, New Leake, North Holme, North Somercotes, North Thoresby, Partney, Priory, Roughton, St James', St Margaret's, St Mary's, St Michael's, Spilsby, Sutton and Trusthorpe, Tattershall, Tetford, Tetney, Theddlethorpe St Helen, Trinity, Willoughby with Sloothby, Withern with Stain, and Woodhall Spa. 2010–2024 The District of East Lindsey wards of Alford, Binbrook, Chapel St Leonards, Coningsby and Tattershall, Grimoldby, Halton Holegate, Holton le Clay, Horncastle, Hundleby, Legbourne, Ludford, Mablethorpe Central, Mablethorpe East, Mablethorpe North, Mareham le Fen, Marshchapel, North Holme, North Somercotes, North Thoresby, Priory, Roughton, St James', St Margaret's, St Mary's, St Michael's, Skidbrooke with Saltfleet Haven, Spilsby, Sutton on Sea North, Sutton on Sea South, Tetford, Tetney, Trinity, Trusthorpe and Mablethorpe South, Willoughby with Sloothby, Withern with Stain, and Woodhall Spa. Current Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020): • The District of East Lindsey wards of: Alford; Binbrook; Coningsby & Mareham; Fulstow; Grimoldby; Hagworthingham; Halton Holegate; Holton-le-Clay & North Thoresby; Horncastle; Legbourne; Mablethorpe; Marshchapel & Somercotes; North Holme; Priory & St. James’; Roughton; St. Margaret’s; St. Mary’s; St. Michael’s; Spilsby; Sutton on Sea; Tetford & Donington; Tetney; Trinity; Withern & Theddlethorpe; Woodhall Spa; Wragby. The two wards of Chapel St Leonards and Willoughby with Sloothby were transferred to Boston and Skegness, whilst the previously orphaned ward of Wragby was added from Gainsborough. ==History==

The seat was created in 1997. Conservatives have been dominant in the area for decades, the closest result was in 1997, when a Labour Party candidate came the closest of any opponents to being elected. == Members of Parliament ==

The MP for this seat is Victoria Atkins. She succeeded Peter Tapsell at the 2015 general election. He previously represented the predecessor seats of East Lindsey and Horncastle from 1966 to 1997, and before that represented Nottingham West from 1959 to 1964 before being defeated by Labour. Prior to standing down, he was the longest-serving Conservative MP, albeit with the break in service, and from 2001, he was the only MP of any party first elected in the 1950s. Following the retirement of Alan Williams, Tapsell became, on his re-election in 2010, Father of the House. He was succeeded in the honorific position in 2015 by Gerald Kaufman. Before 1997, see East Lindsey == Elections ==

Elections in the 2020s Elections in the 2010s Elections in the 2000s Elections in the 1990s == See also ==