Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to boundary changes involving the loss of the Ainsty area.

[2] For 2010, the Boundary Commission recommended the creation of this seat following a review of parliamentary representation in York and North Yorkshire.

Until 2023, the seat had been won by the Conservative Party by a successively larger set of majorities each time it has been contested, though the 2017 general election had the unusual result of the Conservatives slightly increasing their majority despite a slight swing towards the Labour Party, mostly due to a significantly higher turnout.

On 12 June 2023 the seat became vacant following the formal resignation of the incumbent, Nigel Adams,[3] and the resulting by-election returned Labour's Keir Mather.

The constituency consisted of Census Output Areas of two local government districts with similar characteristics: a working population whose income is close to the national average and lower than average reliance upon social housing.