of Sleaford and North Hykeham are under the control and come under the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council for the provision of certain public services, such as roads and local authority education. History 1997–2015 Douglas Hogg moved to represent Sleaford and North Hykeham from the previously existing Grantham constituency, a safe Conservative seat, which he had held since 1979. At the 1997 general election, Hogg won 43.9% of the vote, giving him a majority of 5,123 votes (9.6%) ahead of the second-placed Labour Party. At the 2001 general election, the Conservatives increased their vote share by 5.7%, while the Labour Party's vote share decreased; the seat had a majority of 8,622 votes (17.7%), which was the 104th-smallest percentage majority out of the 166 seats won by the Conservatives. At the 2005 general election, Hogg won a majority of 12,705 votes (23.8%); this was the 35th-largest absolute majority (number of votes) and 52nd-largest percentage majority of the 198 seats won by the Conservative Party. UKIP, a minor party, won 5% of the vote in the constituency (coming fourth), retaining its deposit. He stood down at the 2010 general election owing to controversy over his expenses claims, making him the first MP to resign because of the scandal. Hogg was replaced by fellow Conservative Stephen Phillips. In 2010, he won a majority of 19,905 votes (33.4%); the Liberal Democrats came second. Out of the 650 UK Parliament constituencies contested at the election, Sleaford and North Hykeham had the 14th-largest absolute majority and the 72nd-largest percentage majority. The Lincolnshire Independents, a minor party, won 6.4% of the vote in the seat and came fourth; as this was more than 5%, the party retained its deposit. At the 2015 general election, Phillips won a majority of 24,115 votes (38.9%), with the Labour Party coming second in the seat. This made the constituency the 34th-safest by absolute majority, and the 99th-safest by percentage majority, out of the 650 constituencies. 2016 by-election Phillips stood down as an MP on 4 November 2016, owing to "irreconcilable differences" with the Government over the issue of Brexit. This triggered a by-election within the constituency, which was held on 8 December; Caroline Johnson retained the seat for the Conservatives with a large majority. 2017–present At the 2017 general election, Johnson won a majority of 25,237 votes; this was the second-largest majority of any seat in the East Midlands region (after