Boundary alterations based on an increased population within the existing area made the seat notionally Conservative before the 6 May 2010 election, and Nick de Bois won the seat. However, the former Labour MP Joan Ryan, who sat for the constituency from 1997 to 2010, regained it in 2015. The 2015 result gave the seat the 13th most marginal majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority. De Bois and Ryan stood against each other in this seat over five general elections, between 2001 and 2017, with Ryan winning four of those five.