Preston North (UK Parliament constituency)

Preston North was a parliamentary constituency in Lancashire, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created by the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 for the 1950 general election by division of the former two-seat Preston constituency, and abolished for the 1983 general election. Some of the constituency's former territory was then incorporated within a new single-seat Preston constituency, and parts of Preston North became elements within Fylde and Ribble Valley.

Not to be confused with Wyre and Preston North (UK Parliament constituency).

Preston North
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Preston North in Lancashire, showing boundaries used from 1974-1983
CountyLancashire
Major settlementsPreston
1950–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromPreston
Replaced byPreston and Ribble Valley[1]

The modern Preston is a safe seat for Labour, but historically Preston North was one of the most marginal constituencies in the country.

Boundaries

1950–1974: The County Borough of Preston wards of Deepdale, Fishwick, Moorbrook, Park, and Ribbleton, and the Urban District of Fulwood.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Preston wards of Deepdale, Fishwick, Moorbrook, Park, St Matthew's, and Ribbleton, and the Urban District of Fulwood. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1950 Julian Amery Conservative
1966 Ronald Atkins Labour
1970 Mary Holt Conservative
Feb 1974 Ronald Atkins Labour
1979 Robert Atkins Conservative
1983 constituency abolished: see Preston
  • Ronald Atkins (Labour) and Robert Atkins (Conservative) are unrelated.

Election results

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julian Amery 21,880 55.1
Labour Samuel Segal 20,950 46.3
Liberal Charles Joseph Hemelryk 2,012 4.4
Communist Pat Devine[2] 366 0.8
Majority 938 2.2
Turnout 45,208 86.8
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1951: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julian Amery 23,598 51.2 -3.9
Labour Thomas Hourigan 22,490 48.8 +2.5
Majority 1,108 2.3 +0.1
Turnout 46,088 87.5 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julian Amery 22,310 53.5 -1.6
Labour Edgar Hewitt 19,407 46.5 -2.3
Majority 2,903 7.0 +4.6
Turnout 41,717 81.4 -6.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julian Amery 23,990 55.1 +1.6
Labour Arthur Davidson 19,529 44.9 -1.6
Majority 4,461 10.2 +3.2
Turnout 43,519 83.4 +2.0
Conservative hold Swing +1.6

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julian Amery 20,566 50.0 -5.1
Labour Russell Kerr 20,552 50.0 +5.1
Majority 14 0.0 -10.2
Turnout 41,118 78.7 -4.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Atkins 21,539 53.0 +3.0
Conservative Julian Amery 19,121 47.0 -3.0
Majority 2,418 6.0 N/A
Turnout 50,140 81.1 +2.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Holt 20,102 50.6 +3.6
Labour Ronald Atkins 17,140 43.2 -9.8
Liberal Derrick Trevor Jones 2,458 6.2 New
Majority 2,962 7.4 N/A
Turnout 51,655 76.9 -4.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election February 1974: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Atkins 16,797 41.5 -1.7
Conservative Mary Holt 16,542 40.9 -9.7
Liberal Gordon Payne 7,099 17.6 +11.4
Majority 255 0.63 New
Turnout 50,885 79.4 +2.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election October 1974: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Atkins 18,044 45.8 +4.3
Conservative Mary Holt 16,260 41.3 +0.4
Liberal Gordon Payne 4,948 12.6 -5.0
More Prosperous Britain Harold Smith 138 0.4 New
Majority 1,784 4.53 +3.90
Turnout 51,369 76.7 -2.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Preston North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Atkins 18,632 46.3 +5.0
Labour Ronald Atkins 18,603 46.2 +0.4
Liberal Michael Paul Braham 2,715 6.7 −5.9
National Front John Farran Hetherington 329 0.8 New
Majority 29 0.07 N/A
Turnout 51,756 77.8 +1.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

See also

References
  1. "'Preston North', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  2. Findlay, Gloria. "Pat Devine". Graham Stevenson. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
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