Lab regained this seat from Con — last held it in 2017.
Jo White
Labour PartyJo White is the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Bassetlaw has been mixed for Jo across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Full list of 60 Notts roads getting full resurfacing this year” — Nottingham Post
“Labour MP proposes sending asylum seekers to Middle East or Africa in bid to 'break' people smuggling model” — GB News
Represented by Lab since 2024. Covers Worksop, Retford and Harworth and Bircotes. Population 108,402. Median income £26K (below average).
Resident doctor strikes £3bn cost could have built 'a few hospitals'
Yorkshire Evening Post · 8 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£25,800
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£32,800
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
3,410
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
49
40 primary, 4 secondary, 5 other
Total Income Tax▼
£260m
from 57,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,370
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£4,560
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▼
41.8
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
60.1%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
1 large town, 4 towns, 6 villages, rural areas — 104,196 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
42 councillors across 20 wards · Last elections: May 2023
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beckingham | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Joan Mary Sanger | May 2023 |
| Blyth | Labour Party | Jack Bowker | May 2023 |
| Carlton | Labour Party | David George Pidwell | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Robin Brian Carrington-Wilde | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Steve Scotthorne | May 2023 | |
| East Retford East | Labour Party | Daniel James Henderson | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | John Manners | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Sue Shaw | May 2023 | |
| East Retford North | Labour Party | David Challinor | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Jonathan Slater | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Nicholas Graham Antony Oxby | May 2023 | |
| East Retford South | Labour Party | Carolyn Troop | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | David Naylor | May 2023 | |
| East Retford West | Labour Party | Harriet Digby | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Malachi Carroll | May 2023 | |
| Everton | Conservative and Unionist Party | Steve Pashley | May 2023 |
| Harworth | Labour Party | Beverley Lynne Schuller | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Gloria June Evans | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Joe Horrocks | May 2023 | |
| Langold | Labour Party | Gill Freeman | May 2023 |
| Misterton | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Hazel Brand | May 2023 |
| Ranskill | Conservative and Unionist Party | David Charles Bamford | May 2023 |
| Sutton | Labour Party | Darrell Eduard Pulk | May 2023 |
| Welbeck | Labour Party | Charles Lindsay Adams | May 2023 |
| Worksop East | Labour Party | Cliff Entwistle | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Debbie Merryweather | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Jo White | May 2023 | |
| Worksop North | Labour Party | Laura Sanders | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Maria Rita Charlesworth | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Neil John Sanders | May 2023 | |
| Worksop North East | Labour Party | Alan Rhodes | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Fraser Merryweather | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Maddy Richardson | May 2023 | |
| Worksop North West | Labour Party | David Robert Pressley | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Lynn Dixon | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Sybil Jacqueline Fielding | May 2023 | |
| Worksop South | Labour Party | Julie Ann Leigh | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Paddy Ducey | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Tony Paul Eaton | May 2023 | |
| Worksop South East | Labour Party | Clayton Tindle | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | John Charles Shephard | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Josie Potts | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab | 18,476 | 41.2% | |
Won 2019 GE | Con | 12,708 | 28.3% |
| Ref | 9,751 | 21.7% | |
| LD | 1,996 | 4.5% | |
| Green | 1,947 | 4.3% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Con | 28,078 | 55.2% | |
| Lab | 14,065 | 27.7% | |
| Ind | 5,366 | 10.6% | |
| LD | 3,332 | 6.5% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 27,467 | 52.6% |
| Con | 22,615 | 43.3% | |
| LD | 1,154 | 2.2% | |
| Ind | 1,014 | 1.9% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Lab | 23,965 | 48.6% |
| Con | 15,122 | 30.7% | |
| Ind | 7,865 | 16.0% | |
| LD | 1,331 | 2.7% | |
| Green | 1,006 | 2.0% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Lab | 25,018 | 50.5% |
| Con | 16,803 | 33.9% | |
| LD | 5,570 | 11.2% | |
| Ind | 1,779 | 3.6% | |
| Ind | 407 | 0.8% |
Jo White 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.
15 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
Resident doctors have begun their 15th strike since 2023, with cumulative costs exceeding £3bn. The article highlights that Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had its bid for a new hospital rejected in 2023, with only £20m allocated for refurbishment of the existing Doncaster Royal Infirmary instead.
Beth Langton, a 22-year-old from Retford, died by suicide in February 2023 after miscommunications between mental health services led to her being discharged from NHS care and feeling abandoned. An inquest found that misunderstandings between Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and the county council contributed to her death, a tragedy her mother says was entirely preventable.
Bassetlaw District Council has approved outline planning permission for a 1,250-home housing development south of Retford, despite 187 objections from residents citing concerns about traffic, flooding, wildlife loss, and infrastructure capacity. The council prioritised meeting its housing targets, with the scheme including affordable homes, a school, sports facilities, and a community hub.
Labour Mayor Claire Ward has proposed a £1-2 per night tourist tax for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to fund infrastructure improvements, but hotel owners and councillors—including those representing Bassetlaw areas like Misterton and Retford East—have voiced strong opposition, citing economic pressure on already-struggling hospitality businesses and concerns that rural areas would subsidise urban projects.
Bassetlaw District Council was fined £50,000 after an employee fell 2.3 metres from a ride-on mower on a steep churchyard bank in North Wheatley, cracking his ribs. The HSE found the council failed to conduct proper risk assessments, provide training, or implement safety measures for operating machinery on slopes.
Nottinghamshire independent hotel owners and local councillors are criticizing plans for a potential tourism tax of £1-£2 per night, citing the hospitality sector's current financial struggles from energy costs and reduced consumer spending. The East Midlands Mayor has suggested such a levy could fund local improvements, but business owners and some councillors worry funds may not benefit rural areas and could further harm an already-struggling sector.
The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board is closing the Bassetlaw Children's Learning Disability Service at the end of March 2025, which provides specialist support for children with severe learning disabilities. Parents express deep concern, saying the service has been transformative for their children, while the ICB justifies the £107,000 annual saving by citing duplication and low referral numbers (49 children).
A 53-year-old man from Worksop, Nottinghamshire died after deliberately causing a gas explosion in his home following a rent increase of £80 per month. The inquest heard that David Howard, who had a history of substance abuse and mental health issues, had not slept for three days and repeatedly warned friends he would 'blow the house up', killing himself and his dog while damaging nearby properties.
An inquest into the death of David Howard, 53, who died in a house explosion in Worksop on 12 April 2025, heard he had been depressed and upset by a rent increase. The coroner recorded a narrative conclusion that while Howard intentionally damaged the gas cooker hose, he likely did not intend to end his own life, possibly due to cognitive impairment from drug and alcohol use.
A major fire broke out at a derelict industrial building on Mansfield Road in Clipstone, Nottinghamshire on March 30, with six fire crews attending. Residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed and avoid the area due to potential smoke hazards.
David Howard, a Worksop resident with a history of mental health issues, died in a house explosion on April 12, 2025, after receiving a rent increase notice from his landlord. An inquest revealed he had deliberately damaged gas pipes following the £80 monthly rent hike, with the coroner concluding his intentions were unclear but finding the death was not an intentional act of suicide.
A significant fire broke out at a derelict building on Mansfield Road in Clipstone, requiring five fire engines and a water bowser to respond. Residents were advised to avoid the area and protect themselves from smoke, with firefighters from multiple stations including Worksop attending the incident.
The Department for Education announced 32 Best Start Family Hubs will open across Nottinghamshire by end of April, offering free stay and play sessions and parenting support to families. Worksop is among the locations benefiting from this nationally-funded programme, which revives the legacy of Sure Start centres that were defunded under previous governments.
A Bassetlaw van driver, Mattias Webb, was sentenced for dangerous driving after tailgating and chasing an unmarked police vehicle through Worksop and Gateford in January. Webb drove at 60mph in 30mph zones, ran a red light, and endangered hundreds of residents before being caught; he received a suspended 15-month sentence, driving ban, and unpaid work.
A Nottinghamshire council leader outlines the county's investment in SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) provision, highlighting delivery of 570 new specialist places against a 490-place target and ongoing expansions at schools including facilities in Mansfield, Retford, and Clipstone. The article emphasizes mainstreaming support where appropriate while expanding specialist provision to meet rising demand.
Nottinghamshire Police has launched a specialized heritage crime team with six officers trained by Historic England to protect the county's historic sites, including Clumber Park near Worksop and other significant heritage locations. The officers will respond to vandalism, theft, and damage to listed buildings and ancient monuments, working with landowners and local authorities.
Phil Tetley, a 42-year-old electrical tutor at HMP Ranby near Retford, was fatally struck by a car on the Straight Mile outside the prison on December 1. An inquest has opened, with a full hearing scheduled for June 1, while a petition calling for a pedestrian crossing at the dangerous 50mph road has garnered nearly 4,000 signatures.
Nottinghamshire County Council has announced a record £122 million highways investment for the coming year, with 60 roads receiving full resurfacing—an increase from 50 under the previous Conservative administration. Nearly all Nottinghamshire MPs, including the Bassetlaw MP, recently met with the council leader on a cross-party basis to lobby for increased government funding for roads.
The government has announced new nationwide guidance to help councils design safer streets for women and girls, following YouGov polling showing 88% of women feel unsafe walking at night. Nottinghamshire County Council's Safer Streets scheme in Worksop is cited as a positive example, having delivered 27 new cameras and 200 streetlight upgrades.
Jo White, Bassetlaw's Labour MP and chair of the Red Wall Caucus, proposes sending asylum seekers to third countries in the Middle East or Africa to disrupt people smuggling networks. She praises Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's migration crackdown while defending it against internal party criticism.
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