and she returned to Parliament. However, Jones lost her seat at the 2001 general election to Patrick Mercer of the Conservatives, who held it until 2014. Mercer held the position of Shadow Minister for Homeland Security from June 2003 until March 2007, when he was forced to resign following racially contentious comments made to The Times. The Newark constituency in 2010 lost the town of Retford to the Bassetlaw constituency (although Newark still has a smaller part of the Bassetlaw district), but gained land in and around Bingham from the Rushcliffe constituency, thus making it much safer Conservative territory. Following an investigation by Commons authorities finding that Mr Mercer had engaged in paid lobbying, not properly reported the income or declared his interest, and repeatedly seriously denigrated other members, Patrick Mercer stepped down as MP for Newark on 30 April 2014. Robert Jenrick was elected in the subsequent by-election, in the Conservative Party's largest by-election majority for four decades. He was appointed on 24 July 2019 as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Constituency profile Many towns are historic in architecture with many well-preserved listed buildings whereas much of the council housing in the constituency has been privately acquired and improved under the right to buy. Nonetheless, there is a significant minority of social housing but this dependency and the proportion of flats is lower than the national average across the three districts. Labour held the seat for one term following their 1997 landslide victory, but subsequent major boundary changes have brought in more rural areas and made the seat into one of the most strongly Conservative voting in the UK. Members of Parliament MPs before 1885 MPs since 1885 Elections Elections in the 2010s Elections in the 2000s Elections in the 1990s Elections in the 1980s Elections in the 1970s Elections in the 1960s Elections in the 1950s Elections in the 1940s Elections in the 1930s Elections in the 1920s Elections in the 1910s General Election 1914–15: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; Unionist: Arthur Colefax Liberal: Robert Burley Wallis Elections in the 1900s Elections in the 1890s Caused by Finch-Hatton's resignation. Elections in the 1880s Elections in the 1870s Caused