Democrat candidates hoped—despite having additional competition for the anti-Iraq War vote from Respect—to build on their previous by-election gain at Brent East. The seat was won by the Liberal Democrat Parmjit Singh Gill, with a majority of 1,654. Sir Peter Soulsby won the seat at the 2005 election, and was re-elected in 2010. Sir Peter resigned to seek election for the new position of Mayor of Leicester in 2011, triggering a by-election on 5 May 2011, that coincided with the referendum on the voting system. Jonathan Ashworth was elected as his successor, holding the seat for the Labour Party; he was re-elected in 2015 and 2017. Despite being the only seat in Leicester that has been served by all three major parties in the past 35 years, Leicester South is also currently the safest of the three Labour seats in the city, with a majority in 2017 of 26,261 votes (52.0%), which, as in neighbouring Leicester East, is also the highest-ever majority for Labour in the seat. Members of Parliament MPs 1918–1950 MPs since 1974 Elections Elections in the 2010s Elections in the 2000s Elections in the 1990s Elections in the 1980s The Conservatives' 7 vote majority made Leicester South their most marginal constituency after the 1983 election and was the closest result in any constituency in the United Kingdom in the election. Elections in the 1970s Elections in the 1940s Elections in the 1930s Elections in the 1920s Elections in the 1910s See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Leicestershire and Rutland Notes References Parliamentary constituencies in Leicestershire Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1918 Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1950 Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1974 Politics of Leicester