Southport (UK Parliament constituency)

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Southport
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
120px
Boundary of Southport in Merseyside.
Outline map
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

Settlements

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.

Neighbouring constituencies

The constituency is bordered to the north by South Ribble, to the east by West Lancashire, and to the south by Sefton Central.

Wards

The electoral wards used in the Southport constituency are in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton: Ainsdale · Birkdale · Cambridge · Dukes · Kew · Meols · Norwood.

History

Prominent members

In the 19th century a notable representative was George Nathaniel Curzon, future Viceroy of India.

In the 20th century, outside 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.

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.[2]

Members of Parliament

Election Member[3] 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 Gordon Banks Conservative
1997 Ronnie Fearn Liberal Democrats
2001 John Pugh Liberal Democrats

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

Southport is number 26 on UKIP's target list for the 2020 election, a swing of 11.11% would see the party gain the seat from fourth place.[4] The seat is also at number 15 on the Conservatives target list, a swing of 1.5% would be sufficient.[5] Labour may also be competitive, they would need a swing of 8.76% to gain the seat; it is number 96 on their target list.[6]

General Election 2015: Southport[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat John Pugh 13,652 31.0 -18.7
Conservative Damien Moore 12,330 28.0 -7.9
Labour Liz Savage 8,468 19.2 +9.8
UKIP Terry Durrance 7,429 16.8 +11.7
Green Laurence Rankin 1,230 2.8 N/A
Southport Party Jacqueline Barlow 992 2.2 N/A
Majority 1,322 3.0 -10.8
Turnout 44,101 65.5 +0.4
Liberal Democrat hold Swing -5.4
General Election 2010: Southport[8]
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 61.0 +1.4
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 Ronald Cyril Fearn 24,356 48.1 +6.6
Conservative Matthew Gordon Banks 18,186 35.9 −11.1
Labour Sarah Norman 6,129 12.1 +1.9
Referendum Frank Buckle 1,368 2.7 N/A
Liberal Susan Ashton 386 0.8 N/A
Natural Law Elizabeth Lines 93 0.2 −0.1
National Democrats Michael 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[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matthew Gordon Banks 26,081 47.0 +2.5
Liberal Democrat Ronald Cyril Fearn 23,018 41.5 −6.4
Labour James King 5,637 10.2 +3.8
Green Justin 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 Ronald Cyril Fearn 26,110 47.9 +7.4
Conservative Nigel Matthew Thomas 24,261 44.5 −5.9
Labour Audrey Moore 3,483 6.4 −1.9
Green Justin 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 Walter Ian Percival 25,612 50.4 −0.4
Liberal Ian Brodie-Browne 20,573 40.5 +2.5
Labour Francis Brady 4,233 8.3 −2.9
Independent Kevin 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 Walter Ian Percival 25,953 50.8 +3.6
Liberal Ronald Cyril 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 Walter Ian Percival 23,014 47.2 0.0
Liberal Ronald Cyril 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 Walter Ian Percival 23,975 47.2
Liberal Ronald Cyril 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 Walter Ian Percival 22,950 50.2
Liberal Ronald Cyril Fearn 13,809 30.2 +10.5
Labour Bruce Thomas 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 Walter Ian Percival 22,324 51.0
Labour John Leslie 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 Walter Ian Percival 23,917 51.9
Labour Leonard 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 Walter Ian Percival 26,905 56.0
Liberal Sam Goldberg 11,292 23.5
Labour Charles 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 Peter 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 Alan 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 Spear Hudson 30,388 60.2
Labour H Owen 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 Spear 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 Spear 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 Spear 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 Spear 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 % ±%
Unionist Godfrey Dalrymple-White 21,161 48.3 -12.7
Liberal Cecil Beresford Ramage 17,220 39.4 +0.4
Labour Arthur Leonard Williams 5,380 12.3 n/a
Majority 3,941 8.9 -13.1
Turnout 43,761 79.6 +1.2
Unionist hold Swing -6.6
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: Southport
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 Hubert Bayley 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

John Astbury
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
  1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
  3. This is above the usual barony in the peerage.
References
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  2. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  3. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)[self-published source][better source needed]
  4. [1]
  5. [2]
  6. [3]
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Sources