Ref took this seat from Con in 2024.
MP News Approval i
-7
Lee Anderson
Reform UKLee Anderson is the Reform UK MP for Ashfield, and has been an MP continually since 12 December 2019.
MPs voted on whether to give the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill its Second Reading, which would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to legally request assistance to end their lives under strict safeguards. This was a landmark free vote on one of the most ethically contested issues in recent parliamentary history.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Ashfield has been mixed for Lee across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Shock as £850m in Welfare Cash Paid to Dead People Since 2021” — UKNIP
“DWP sends out 2.6 million payments by accident with claimants warned” — Birmingham Mail
Critical coverage
“No sponsors yet for flags which MP Lee Anderson said would not cost 'a penny'” — Nottingham Post
“DWP 'trials' big change to PIP which makes it easier for people to claim £834” — Birmingham Mail
Represented by Ref since 2024. Covers Sutton in Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Selston. Population 98,782. Median income £25K (below average).
'My dad died being pinned down in Morrisons. Mental health care is collapsing'
Nottingham Post · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£24,600
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£30,100
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
2,330
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
40
30 primary, 5 secondary, 5 other
Total Income Tax▼
£180m
from 50,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,170
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£3,640
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
40.2
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
55.0%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
2 large towns, 5 towns, 4 villages, rural areas — 94,702 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
24 councillors across 18 wards · Last elections: May 2023
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Hill | Ashfield Independents | Andy Meakin | May 2023 |
| Annesley Kirkby Woodhouse | Ashfield Independents | Jamie David Bell | May 2023 |
| Ashfield Independents | Rachel Elisabeth Madden | May 2023 | |
| Ashfields | Ashfield Independents | David Thomas Walters | May 2023 |
| Carsic | Labour Party | Cathy Mason | May 2023 |
| Central New Cross | Ashfield Independents | Samantha Deakin | May 2023 |
| Ashfield Independents | Vicki Heslop | May 2023 | |
| Huthwaite Brierley | Ashfield Independents | Paul Ernest Grafton | May 2023 |
| Ashfield Independents | Tom Hollis | May 2023 | |
| Kingsway | Ashfield Independents | Dale Anthony Grounds | May 2023 |
| Kirkby Cross Portland | Ashfield Independents | Sarah Jane Lewsey | May 2023 |
| Larwood | Ashfield Independents | Jason Zadrozny | May 2023 |
| Leamington | Ashfield Independents | Sarah Jayne Madigan | May 2023 |
| Selston | Ashfield Independents | Andy Gascoyne | May 2023 |
| Ashfield Independents | Arnie Hankin | May 2023 | |
| Skegby | Ashfield Independents | Jodine Ocean Cronshaw | May 2023 |
| Ashfield Independents | Will Bostock | May 2023 | |
| St Marys | Ashfield Independents | Kier Barsby | May 2023 |
| Stanton Hill Teversal | Ashfield Independents | Helen-Ann Smith | May 2023 |
| Summit | Ashfield Independents | Christopher John Huskinson | May 2023 |
| Ashfield Independents | Warren Thomas Nuttall | May 2023 | |
| Sutton Junction Harlow Wood | Ashfield Independents | Matt Relf | May 2023 |
| The Dales | Ashfield Independents | John Frederick Smallridge | May 2023 |
| Underwood | Conservative and Unionist Party | Dawn Justice | May 2023 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GE | Ref | 17,062 | 42.8% |
| Lab | 11,554 | 29.0% | |
| Ind | 6,276 | 15.7% | |
| Con | 3,271 | 8.2% | |
| Green | 1,100 | 2.8% | |
| LD | 619 | 1.6% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2024 GE | Con | 19,231 | 39.3% |
| Ind | 13,498 | 27.6% | |
Won 2024 GE | Lab | 11,971 | 24.4% |
| Ind | 2,501 | 5.1% | |
| LD | 1,105 | 2.3% | |
| Green | 674 | 1.4% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 21,285 | 42.6% |
| Con | 20,844 | 41.7% | |
| Ind | 4,612 | 9.2% | |
| Ind | 1,885 | 3.8% | |
| LD | 969 | 1.9% | |
| Green | 398 | 0.8% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 19,448 | 41.0% |
| Con | 10,628 | 22.4% | |
| Ind | 10,150 | 21.4% | |
| LD | 7,030 | 14.8% | |
| Ind | 153 | 0.3% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Lab | 16,239 | 33.7% |
| LD | 16,047 | 33.3% | |
| Con | 10,698 | 22.2% | |
| Ind | 2,781 | 5.8% | |
| Ind | 1,102 | 2.3% | |
| Ind | 933 | 1.9% | |
| Ind | 396 | 0.8% |
Lee Anderson has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
12 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
A Kirkby-in-Ashfield man with bipolar disorder died in 2022 after being discharged prematurely from Highbury Hospital and subsequently restrained by Morrisons staff. An inquest found failures in the mental health system's communication and care standards, with his daughter now warning that Nottinghamshire's mental health services are 'collapsing'.
Reform UK's Lee Anderson has criticized the Department for Work and Pensions for paying out £850 million in welfare benefits to deceased claimants since 2021, with ministers recovering less than half the lost funds. The scandal involves 2.6 million administrative errors across mental health support, unemployment benefits, and state pensions, with winter fuel payments being a particular problem area.
A Nottinghamshire drug dealer from Sutton-in-Ashfield was jailed for six and a half years after being caught with heroin and crack cocaine during a police raid in Mansfield. The case highlights police efforts to tackle drug supply in the region.
Care home residents at Wren Hall in Selston shared Easter jokes with children from a neighbouring nursery as part of National Humour Month, creating an inter-generational activity. The event included joke-telling, cake baking, and highlighted the social benefits of connecting elderly residents with young children.
West Notts College is seeking planning permission to convert a warehouse in Kirkby into a motor vehicle training centre capable of housing 140 students and 20 staff members per day. The proposal would expand the college's existing construction training facility at its Station Park campus and provide vocational education opportunities for young people aged 16 and upwards in the motor industry sector.
Underwood Miners Welfare Cricket Club has submitted a planning application to Ashfield District Council to replace their dilapidated cricket nets with modern ECB-standard facilities at their Church Lane ground. The new two-lane enclosed facility would improve training standards for the club's growing junior and senior membership.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is selling off multiple sites including a Portland Bungalow in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, citing the need to dispose of properties no longer fit for purpose. The trust denies the sales are driven by financial difficulties, though documents reveal a £38-54 million deficit and the organisation is on a recovery plan.
Ashfield Police's Sutton neighbourhood beat team has completed a year-long multi-agency operation targeting drug-related crime on the Leamington Estate, resulting in 16 warrants, 30 arrests, and significant drug and weapons seizures. The initiative has established a dedicated Leamington Partnership Hub and launched the 'Vulnerable Adults in Lemo' scheme to provide ongoing support and deter criminal activity in the area.
The Department for Work and Pensions has made 2.6 million benefit payment errors totalling £850 million since 2021, paying deceased claimants. Lee Anderson, Reform UK's work and pensions spokesman, has strongly criticised the system as 'absolutely appalling' and blamed both Labour and Conservative governments for failing to address the long-standing problem.
A widow in Sutton-in-Ashfield accuses Millbrook Mental Health Unit of serious failures in her husband Ken Baylis's care, which contributed to his suicide in January 2023. An inquest found the decision to allow him unescorted leave should not have happened, with the coroner criticizing staff for failing to involve family and underestimating suicide risk.
The DWP has trialled a digital self-service system for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims, which increased application volumes by a third. Lee Anderson criticises the government for making benefits easier to claim without human interaction, arguing taxpayers shouldn't be taken for granted while the benefits bill spirals.
Nottinghamshire County Council spent £75,000 on 164 banners across the county, with Reform-UK MP Lee Anderson claiming businesses would sponsor them at no cost to taxpayers. However, a Freedom of Information request reveals no sponsorship agreements have been formally agreed yet, despite enquiries from some organisations.
Morven Park Primary School in Ashfield hosted a 'Superheroes and Wellies' fundraiser to help the family of Logan Parker, a 7-year-old former pupil who tragically died in a collision on the A38 Kings Mill Road East on March 10. The school and community have rallied to support the family with funeral costs, with a GoFundMe page raising over £2,600 towards a £3,000 goal.
NG Bailey has acquired Engineering Solutions Group (ESG), a Sutton-in-Ashfield-based engineering firm specializing in water and infrastructure projects. The acquisition strengthens NG Bailey's position in the growing water infrastructure sector and adds approximately 180 jobs to the region through ESG's existing workforce.
Engineering and services business NG Bailey has acquired Engineering Solutions Group (ESG), a 180-strong specialist engineering firm headquartered in Sutton-in-Ashfield, to strengthen its position in the water infrastructure market. The acquisition supports NG Bailey's growth strategy and adds significant expertise in water, environmental, and infrastructure sectors during a high-investment cycle in the UK water industry.
Engineering Solutions Group (ESG), based in Sutton-in-Ashfield within the Ashfield constituency, has been acquired by Leeds-based NG Bailey. The acquisition is expected to retain ESG's management and workforce while expanding NG Bailey's capabilities in water infrastructure.
A violent stabbing attack in Sutton-in-Ashfield resulted in a 14-year prison sentence for James Pedley, who stabbed Mark Bonser four times in October. The incident highlights a serious violent crime in the constituency, with the victim suffering lasting injuries requiring emergency surgery.
James Pedley was convicted of brutally stabbing a man in Sutton-in-Ashfield in October 2025, leaving him with serious wounds to the torso and neck. Pedley was arrested after police tracked him hiding in a loft, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison; two others who harboured him await sentencing.
Jenni Johnson from Sutton-in-Ashfield describes years of dismissal by GPs before being diagnosed with endometriosis at age 23, leading to eventual hysterectomy and loss of mobility. The article highlights a systemic NHS failure affecting women's health across the region, with diagnostic waiting times rising to nine years four months and 83% of endometriosis patients feeling dismissed by healthcare workers.
A 40-year-old man from Sutton-in-Ashfield was jailed for 14 years after stabbing another man four times in the neck in October, leaving him critically injured. The incident occurred in Kensington Close, Sutton-in-Ashfield, and demonstrates a serious violent crime in the constituency.
Work has begun on a major rebuild of Outwood Academy Kirkby secondary school in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, funded by the Department for Education's School Rebuilding Programme. The project will deliver a new three-storey building with improved facilities including purpose-built classrooms, science and drama spaces, and new sports courts, with completion expected in 2028-29.
Steven Ball, 42, was jailed for 25 months after leading police on a dangerous high-speed chase through residential streets in Kirkby-in-Ashfield while driving without insurance and while disqualified. The incident resulted in Ball mounting pavements, nearly colliding with a bin lorry, and endangering multiple lives before being trapped between a parked car and lamppost.
Cornerstone Theatre in Sutton-in-Ashfield held its grand opening celebration, showcasing its role as a cultural hub for the region. The event featured performances from local schools and community groups, with support from ATTFE College, Sutton Community Academy, and Ashfield District Council leadership.
An 83-year-old man died following a car collision on Coxmoor Road near Sutton-Ashfield Golf Club on 19 February. Police are investigating and seeking witnesses, particularly the driver of a dark five-door car who left the scene.
A man was stabbed in the back during a violent clash between two groups on Hardwick Lane in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire on March 22. The victim was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and police are appealing for witnesses to help identify those involved in the incident.
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