Ho Chi Minh which failed due to a leak. In the second part of this period David Knox (Con), a pro-European, toward the left of his party, and a supporter of Ted Heath when he faced Margaret Thatcher's leadership challenge, helped to establish the Tory Reform Group. During his long tenure as MP until 1997 he held the seat even during the Wilson-Callaghan government. Since Charlotte Atkins' win in 1997 the seat has indeed been a bellwether for the national result. There has been a swing to the Conservatives in the past four consecutive elections (2010, 2015 and 2017, 2019) and now the Conservatives have a majority of over 37% in this seat. The current MP, Karen Bradley, served in the cabinet of both of Theresa May's governments, but returned to the backbenches after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister. Boundaries 2010–present: The District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of Alton, Bagnall and Stanley, Biddulph East, Biddulph Moor, Biddulph North, Biddulph South, Biddulph West, Brown Edge and Endon, Caverswall, Cellarhead, Cheddleton, Churnet, Dane, Hamps Valley, Horton, Ipstones, Leek East, Leek North, Leek South, Leek West, Manifold, and Werrington, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme ward of Newchapel. 1997–2010: The District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of Alton, Biddulph East, Biddulph Moor, Biddulph North, Biddulph South, Biddulph West, Caverswall, Cheddleton, Horton, Ipstones, Leek North East, Leek North West, Leek South East, Leek South West, Leekfrith, Longnor, Warslow, Waterhouses, Werrington, and Wetley Rocks, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme wards of Butt Lane, Kidsgrove, Newchapel, and Talke. 1983–1997: The District of Staffordshire Moorlands. History of boundaries The constituency succeeded the former constituency of Leek at the 1983 general election. The boundary changes which took effect at the 1997 general election proved to be among the most controversial of all those proposed by the Boundary Commission. Initially only minor changes were to be made: two rural wards to transfer to Stone (newly created). However, in the same proposed boundary changes, the neighbouring community of Kidsgrove had been split between two constituencies, with two wards remaining in the constituency of Stoke-on-Trent North and two wards transferring to Newcastle-under-Lyme. At the local enquiry into the changes, it was argued that this division of Kidsgrove was unacceptable and the assistant commissioner consequently recommended that all four Kidsgrove wards be transferred instead to Staffordshire Moorlands. To make way for the 19,000 voters in Kidsgrove (to that date shown to be heavily Labour-supporting,