[n 2] Between 1950 and 1979, Rugby was a consistent Labour-Conservative marginal, often bucking the national swing (for example, William Price held the seat for Labour with an increased majority in 1970 while the Wilson government was defeated).

Since its recreation in 2010, the seat produced solid Conservative majorities for Mark Pawsey until 2024, when it was won for Labour by John Slinger.

It gained some areas to the east of Coventry which had already been added to Rugby Rural District but were previously part of Nuneaton division.

It had similar boundaries to the 1950-1983 version, containing the following electoral wards: 2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into force for the 2024 general election, the constituency saw very small changes to align boundaries with those of revised wards in the Borough of Rugby; it is defined as being composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020): The constituency consists of Census Output Areas of two local government districts with similar characteristics and that forming the bulk has a working population whose income is slightly above to the national average and lower than average reliance upon social housing.

[13] At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 2.3% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 4.4%.