Southport (UK Parliament constituency)
Coordinates: 53°38′49″N 3°00′25″W / 53.647°N 3.007°W
Southport | |
---|---|
Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Southport in Merseyside. | |
Location of Merseyside within England. | |
County | Merseyside |
Electorate | 67,803 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Southport |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1885 |
Member of parliament | John Pugh (Liberal Democrat) |
Number of members | One |
Overlaps | |
European Parliament constituency | North West England |
Southport is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by John Pugh, a Liberal Democrat.[n 2]
Boundaries
The constituency covers the whole town of Southport and the localities of Ainsdale, Birkdale, Blowick, Churchtown, Crossens, Highpark, Hillside, Kew, Marshside, Meols Cop, and Woodvale. The constituency is bordered to the north by South Ribble, to the east by West Lancashire, and to the south by Sefton Central. The electoral wards used in the Southport constituency are:
Ainsdale · Birkdale · Cambridge · Dukes · Kew · Meols · Norwood in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton
History
- Prominent members
In the 19th century a notable representative was George Nathaniel Curzon, future Viceroy of India.
In the 20th century, outside of politics, Edward Marshall-Hall was a notable trial barrister (KC) and Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner was the son of the leading industrialist Sir John Tomlinson Brunner.
As a frontbencher, long-serving representative Robert Hudson was recognised at the time of World War II as a competent Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in charge of that department, and was made, to give him a peerage, a viscount.[n 3]
Former Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott ran for the seat in 1966 and came in second place in a three-party battle, which was an early general election fight for the official at the National Union of Seamen brought up in South Yorkshire, for a seat in Lancashire at the time, now only its traditional county.
- Political history
The constituency has been a Liberal - Conservative seat throughout its history, and marginal for much of this, enabling it to change hands 10 times between the parties since it was created in 1885.
During the nadir of the Liberal Party (from the 1930s to the 1960s) the constituency became a safe Conservative seat, with absolute majorities from 1931 until 1970 inclusive.
With the rise again of the Liberal Party in the early 1970s, election results proved to be close contests. The constituency changed hands in the 1987 general election, when it was taken by Ronnie Fearn of the Liberal Party for the SDP-Liberal Alliance (shortly before the two parties merged to form the Liberal Democrats).
Fearn lost the seat to the Conservatives' Matthew Banks at the 1992 election, only to regain it at the 1997 election. The Liberal Democrats have held the seat since then, with John Pugh representing the constituency since Fearn stood down in 2001.
Members of Parliament
Election | Member[2] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 | George Augustus Pilkington | Liberal | |
1886 | George Nathaniel Curzon | Conservative | |
1898 by-election | Sir Herbert Naylor-Leyland | Liberal | |
1899 by-election | George Augustus Pilkington | Liberal | |
1900 | Edward Marshall-Hall | Conservative | |
1906 | John Meir Astbury | Liberal | |
1910 | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | Conservative | |
1923 | John Fowler Leece Brunner | Liberal | |
1924 | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | Conservative | |
1931 | Robert Hudson | Conservative | |
1952 by-election | Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh | Conservative | |
1959 | Ian Percival | Conservative | |
1987 | Ronnie Fearn | Liberal | |
1988 | Liberal Democrats | ||
1992 | Matthew Banks | Conservative | |
1997 | Ronnie Fearn | Liberal Democrats | |
2001 | John Pugh | Liberal Democrats | |
Constituency profile
Workless claimants (registered jobseekers) were in November 2012 close to the national average of 3.8%, at 4.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[3]
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
General Election 2015: Southport[4] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Southport | Jacqueline Anne Barlow | ||||
UKIP | Terry Durrance | ||||
Conservative | Damien Moore | ||||
Liberal Democrat | John Pugh | ||||
Green | Laurence George Rankin | ||||
Labour | Liz Savage | ||||
General Election 2010: Southport[5] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal Democrat | John Pugh | 21,707 | 49.6 | +3.3 | |
Conservative | Brenda Porter | 15,683 | 35.8 | −1.2 | |
Labour | Jim Conalty | 4,116 | 9.4 | −3.4 | |
UKIP | Terry Durrance | 2,251 | 5.1 | +3.3 | |
Majority | 6,024 | 13.8 | |||
Turnout | 43,757 | 65.1 | +4.1 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | +2.2 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
General Election 2005: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal Democrat | John Pugh | 19,093 | 46.3 | +2.5 | |
Conservative | Mark S. Bigley | 15,255 | 37.0 | +0.5 | |
Labour | Paul David Brant | 5,277 | 12.8 | −3.8 | |
UKIP | Terry Durrance | 749 | 1.8 | +0.5 | |
Your Party | Bill Givens | 589 | 1.4 | N/A | |
Veritas | Harry Forster | 238 | 0.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,838 | 9.3 | |||
Turnout | 41,201 | 69.4 | +10.8 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | +1.0 | |||
General Election 2001: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal Democrat | John Pugh | 18,011 | 43.8 | −4.3 | |
Conservative | Laurence Cresswell Jones | 15,004 | 36.5 | +0.5 | |
Labour | Paul David Brant | 6,816 | 16.6 | +4.4 | |
Liberal | David William Green | 767 | 1.9 | +1.1 | |
UKIP | Gerry David Kelley | 555 | 1.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,007 | 7.3 | |||
Turnout | 41,153 | 58.6 | −13.5 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1990s
General Election 1997: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal Democrat | Ronnie Fearn | 24,356 | 48.1 | +6.6 | |
Conservative | Matthew Banks | 18,186 | 35.9 | −11.1 | |
Labour | Miss Sarah J. Norman | 6,129 | 12.1 | +1.9 | |
Referendum Party | Frank W. Buckle | 1,368 | 2.7 | N/A | |
Liberal | Mrs. Susan Ashton | 386 | 0.8 | N/A | |
Natural Law | Mrs. Elizabeth A. Lines | 93 | 0.2 | −0.1 | |
National Democrats | Michael J. Middleton | 92 | 0.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,170 | 12.2 | |||
Turnout | 50,610 | 72.1 | −5.5 | ||
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative | Swing | 8.9 | |||
General Election 1992: Southport[6] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Matthew Banks | 26,081 | 47.0 | +2.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | Ronnie Fearn | 23,018 | 41.5 | −6.4 | |
Labour | James King | 5,637 | 10.2 | +3.8 | |
Green | Justin Raymond Gilchrist Walker | 545 | 1.0 | −0.2 | |
Natural Law | Geoffrey Clements | 159 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,063 | 5.5 | +2.1 | ||
Turnout | 55,440 | 77.6 | +1.3 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat | Swing | 4.5 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
General Election 1987: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | Ronnie Fearn | 26,110 | 47.9 | +7.4 | |
Conservative | Nigel Matthew Thomas | 24,261 | 44.5 | −5.9 | |
Labour | Mrs. Audrey Moore | 3,483 | 6.4 | −1.9 | |
Green | Justin Raymond Gilchrist Walker | 653 | 1.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,849 | 3.4 | |||
Turnout | 54,507 | 76.3 | |||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | 6.7 | |||
General Election 1983: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ian Percival | 25,612 | 50.4 | −0.4 | |
Liberal | Ian M. Brodie-Browne | 20,573 | 40.5 | +2.5 | |
Labour | Francis P.S. Brady | 4,233 | 8.3 | −2.9 | |
Independent | Kevin L. Wood | 374 | 0.7 | N/A | |
Majority | 5,039 | 9.9 | −2.9 | ||
Turnout | 50,792 | 72.5 | −2.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1970s
General Election 1979: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ian Percival | 25,953 | 50.8 | +3.6 | |
Liberal | Ronnie Fearn | 19,426 | 38.0 | +2.3 | |
Labour | I.Gari James | 5,725 | 12.8 | −4.3 | |
Majority | 6,527 | 12.8 | |||
Turnout | 51,104 | 74.7 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election October 1974: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ian Percival | 23,014 | 47.2 | 0.0 | |
Liberal | Ronnie Fearn | 17,387 | 35.7 | ||
Labour | I.Gari James | 8,323 | 17.1 | ||
Majority | 5,627 | 11.5 | |||
Turnout | 48,724 | 73.7 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election February 1974: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ian Percival | 23,975 | 47.2 | ||
Liberal | Ronnie Fearn | 20,093 | 39.6 | ||
Labour | Peter R. Ward | 6,690 | 13.2 | ||
Majority | 3,882 | 7.6 | |||
Turnout | 50,758 | 77.4 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1970: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ian Percival | 22,950 | 50.2 | ||
Liberal | Ronnie Fearn | 13,809 | 30.2 | +10.5 | |
Labour | Bruce George | 8,950 | 19.6 | ||
Majority | 9,141 | 20.4 | |||
Turnout | 45,709 | 70.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Elections in the 1960s
General Election 1966: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ian Percival | 22,324 | 51.0 | ||
Labour | John Prescott | 12,798 | 29.2 | ||
Liberal | C. Jack Coleman | 8,630 | 19.7 | ||
Majority | 9,526 | 21.8 | |||
Turnout | 43,752 | 72.7 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1964: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ian Percival | 23,917 | 51.9 | ||
Labour | L Goldwater | 11,572 | 25.1 | ||
Liberal | C. Jack Coleman | 10,609 | 23.0 | ||
Majority | 12,345 | 26.7 | |||
Turnout | 46,098 | 76.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
General Election 1959: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ian Percival | 26,905 | 56.0 | ||
Liberal | Cllr. Sam Goldberg | 11,292 | 23.5 | ||
Labour | C W Hadfield | 9,805 | 20.4 | ||
Majority | 15,613 | 32.5 | |||
Turnout | 48,002 | 76.8 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1955: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh | 30,268 | 70.2 | ||
Labour | P Cameron | 12,827 | 29.8 | ||
Majority | 17,441 | 40.5 | |||
Turnout | 43,095 | 68.8 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Southport by-election, 1952 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh | 24,589 | |||
Labour | A L Tillotson | 11,310 | |||
Liberal | Hubert David Bentliff | 3,776 | |||
Majority | 13,279 | ||||
Turnout | 39,675 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1951: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Hudson | 30,388 | 60.2 | ||
Labour | H O Ellis | 12,535 | 24.8 | ||
Liberal | Hubert David Bentliff | 7,576 | 15.0 | ||
Majority | 17,853 | 35.3 | |||
Turnout | 50,499 | 77.7 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1950: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Hudson | 29,766 | 56.3 | ||
Labour | J P Bonney | 14,159 | 26.8 | ||
Liberal | Maj. Harry Ellington | 8,933 | 16.9 | ||
Majority | 15,607 | 29.5 | |||
Turnout | 52,858 | 81.8 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1940s
General Election 1945: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Hudson | 26,792 | 52.7 | -19.5 | |
Labour | W Hamling | 13,596 | 26.8 | -1.0 | |
Liberal | Robert Martin | 10,404 | 20.5 | ||
Majority | 13,196 | 25.9 | -18.5 | ||
Turnout | 50,792 | 74.2 | +3.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1935: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Hudson | 29,652 | 72.2 | +3.8 | |
Labour | Robert Carrington-Willis | 11,419 | 27.8 | ||
Majority | 18,233 | 44.4 | +7.6 | ||
Turnout | 41,071 | 70.9 | -8.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1931: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Hudson | 30,307 | 68.4 | +20.1 | |
Liberal | Ronw Moelwyn Hughes | 13,983 | 31.6 | -7.8 | |
Majority | 16,324 | 36.8 | +27.9 | ||
Turnout | 44,290 | 79.7 | +0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1920s
General Election 1929: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | 21,161 | 48.3 | -12.7 | |
Liberal | Cecil Beresford Ramage | 17,220 | 39.4 | +0.4 | |
Labour | Arthur L Williams | 5,380 | 12.3 | ||
Majority | 3,941 | 8.9 | -13.1 | ||
Turnout | 43,761 | 79.6 | +1.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1924: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | 17,430 | 61.0 | +12.8 | |
Liberal | John Fowler Leece Brunner | 11,158 | 39.0 | -12.8 | |
Majority | 6,272 | 22.0 | |||
Turnout | 28,588 | 78.7 | +2.8 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
General Election 1923
34,281 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | John Fowler Leece Brunner | 13,704 | 51.8 | +5.0 | |
Conservative | Sir Thomas W Comyn-Platt | 12,776 | 48.2 | -5.0 | |
Majority | 928 | 3.6 | |||
Turnout | 26,480 | 75.9 | -0.4 | ||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
General Election 1922: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | 13,733 | 53.2 | -18.8 | |
Liberal | John Fowler Leece Brunner | 12,068 | 46.8 | ||
Majority | 1,665 | 6.4 | -37.6 | ||
Turnout | 25,801 | 76.3 | +14.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1918: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Coalition Conservative | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | 14,707 | 72.0 | +19.7 | |
Labour | Arthur Greenwood | 5,727 | 28.0 | ||
Majority | 8,980 | 44.0 | +39.4 | ||
Turnout | 20,434 | 61.6 | -24.0 | ||
Coalition Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election December 1910: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | 7,467 | 52.3 | +0.9 | |
Liberal | H B Drysdale Woodcock | 6,798 | 47.7 | -0.9 | |
Majority | 669 | 4.6 | +1.8 | ||
Turnout | 14,265 | 85.6 | -3.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election January 1910: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | 7,637 | 51.4 | +2.3 | |
Liberal | Baron de Forest | 7,218 | 48.6 | -2.3 | |
Majority | 419 | 2.8 | |||
Turnout | 14,855 | 89.2 | +1.9 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1900s
General Election 1906: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | John Meir Astbury | 6,607 | 50.9 | +1.9 | |
Conservative | Edward Marshall-Hall | 6,367 | 49.1 | -1.9 | |
Majority | 240 | 1.8 | |||
Turnout | 12,974 | 87.3 | +5.0 | ||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
General Election 1900: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Edward Marshall-Hall | 5,522 | 51.0 | +3.7 | |
Liberal | George Augustus Pilkington | 5,313 | 49.0 | -3.7 | |
Majority | 209 | 2.0 | |||
Turnout | 10,835 | 82.3 | -2.1 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1890s
Southport by-election, 1899 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | George Augustus Pilkington | 5,635 | 52.7 | +1.3 | |
Conservative | C B Balfour | 5,052 | 47.3 | -1.3 | |
Majority | 583 | 5.4 | +2.6 | ||
Turnout | 10,687 | 84.4 | +4.3 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Southport by-election, 1898 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | Sir Herbert Naylor-Leyland | 5,100 | 51.4 | +5.4 | |
Conservative | Lord Skelmersdale | 4,828 | 48.6 | -5.4 | |
Majority | 272 | 2.8 | |||
Turnout | 9,928 | 80.1 | -2.9 | ||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
General Election 1895: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | George Nathaniel Curzon | 5,162 | 54.0 | +0.6 | |
Liberal | Sir Herbert Naylor-Leyland | 4,399 | 46.0 | -0.6 | |
Majority | 763 | 8.0 | +1.2 | ||
Turnout | 9,561 | 83.0 | -1.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1892: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | George Nathaniel Curzon | 4,752 | 53.4 | +0.1 | |
Liberal | G H Pollard | 4,148 | 46.6 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 604 | 6.8 | +0.2 | ||
Turnout | 8,900 | 84.6 | +1.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1880s
General Election 1886: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | George Nathaniel Curzon | 3,723 | 53.3 | +4.4 | |
Liberal | George Augustus Pilkington | 3,262 | 46.7 | -4.4 | |
Majority | 461 | 6.6 | |||
Turnout | 6,985 | 82.8 | -4.0 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
General Election 1885: Southport | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | George Augustus Pilkington | 3,741 | 51.1 | N/A | |
Conservative | J E Edwards-Moss | 3,581 | 48.9 | N/A | |
Majority | 160 | 2.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,322 | 86.8 | N/A | ||
Liberal win (new seat) | |||||
See also
Notes and references
- Notes
- References
- ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)
- ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
- ↑ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/southport/
- ↑ "UKPollingReport Election Guide 2010 » Southport". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
- ↑ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
Sources
- Election results, 1950 - 2005
- F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1885 - 1918
- F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918 - 1949