Southport (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Southport is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It elects one Member of Parliament
(MP) by the first past the post system of election.
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
- Conservative
marginal for much of its history, changing hands 10 times between the two parties since it was created in 1885. Its most notable MPs were George Nathaniel Curzon
, future Viceroy of India, Edward Marshall-Hall
one of the most notable trial Lawyers of the early 20th century and Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner
, son of the leading industrialist Sir John Tomlinson Brunner. On the decline of the Liberal Party
in the 1930s the constituency became a safe Conservative Party
seat.
With the rise again of the Liberal Party
in the early 1970s, it again became a closely contested marginal. The constituency changed hands again 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.
An interesting note is that the former Deputy Prime Minister
, John Prescott
ran for the seat in 1966, but came in second place.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elects one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Boundaries
The constituency covers the whole town of SouthportSouthport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
and the localities of Ainsdale
Ainsdale
Ainsdale-on-Sea is a village in the borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, situated three miles south of Southport, of which it is a suburb. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 12,723.-Prior to 1600:...
, Birkdale
Birkdale
Birkdale is a village and district in the southern part of the conurbation of the town of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, though historically in Lancashire, in the north-west of England. The village is located on the Irish Sea coast, approximately a mile away from...
, Blowick
Blowick
-History and etymology:Blowick is part of the ancient parish of North Meols and was formerly a detached settlement, on the northern fringe of what is now Southport....
, Churchtown, Crossens
Crossens
Crossens is the northernmost district of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England and part of the ancient parish of North Meols. Whilst most of the village is now within Merseyside, part of northern Crossens known as Fiddlers Ferry, is in West Lancashire...
, Highpark
Highpark, Merseyside
High Park is a suburb of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is located on the eastern fringe on the town, just south of Churchtown....
, Hillside
Hillside, Merseyside
Hillside is a residential suburb of the seaside town of Southport, Merseyside. The village is very closely connected with the village of Birkdale which is also classed as an upmarket suburb of Southport...
, Kew
Kew, Merseyside
Kew is a suburb of Southport, a seaside town in Sefton, Merseyside, England. It makes up the south eastern edge of the town, bordering Scarisbrick. It is a middle class area of mostly modern development....
, Marshside, Meols Cop
Meols Cop
Meols Cop is not an area of Southport, but simply a railway station located within Blowick, Southport Merseyside in north-western England. It is not to be confused with Meols on the Wirral Peninsula...
, and Woodvale
Woodvale, Merseyside
Woodvale is a village in Sefton, Merseyside, England. It is situated between Formby and Ainsdale, to the south of Southport and to the north of RAF Woodvale....
. The constituency is bordered to the north by South Ribble
South Ribble (UK Parliament constituency)
South Ribble is a county constituency in Lancashire, England represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
, to the east by West Lancashire
West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)
West Lancashire is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, and to the south by Sefton Central
Sefton Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Sefton Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. The electoral wards used in the Southport constituency are:
Ainsdale
Ainsdale (ward)
Ainsdale is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Southport Parliamentary constituency that covers the localities of Ainsdale and Woodvale in the town of Southport.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:-References:...
Birkdale
Birkdale (ward)
Birkdale is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Southport Parliamentary constituency that covers the eastern part of the localities of Birkdale and Hillside in the town of Southport.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:...
Cambridge
Cambridge (ward)
Cambridge is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Southport Parliamentary constituency that covers the locality of Marshside in the town of Southport.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:...
Dukes
Dukes (ward)
Dukes is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Southport Parliamentary constituency that covers the western part of the localities of Birkdale and Hillside in the town of Southport.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:...
Kew
Kew (Sefton ward)
Kew is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Southport Parliamentary constituency that covers the localities of Kew and Meols Cop in the town of Southport.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:-References:...
Meols
Meols (ward)
Meols is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Southport Parliamentary constituency that covers the localities of Churchtown and Crossens in the north end of the town of Southport.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:...
Norwood
Norwood (ward)
Norwood is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Southport Parliamentary constituency that covers the localities of Blowick and Highpark in the town of Southport.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:-References:...
Members of Parliament
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:... |
George Augustus Pilkington George Augustus Pilkington Sir George Augustus Pilkington was an English doctor and Liberal politician.Pilkington was born at Upwell, Cambridgeshire, as George Augustus Coombe, the son of R. G. Coombe a surgeon. He was educated privately and trained for medicine at Guy's Hospital, London. He became MRCS Eng and LSA in 1870... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
1886 United Kingdom general election, 1886 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
George Nathaniel Curzon George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC , known as The Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and as The Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman who was Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
1898 | Sir Herbert Naylor-Leyland Sir Herbert Naylor-Leyland, 1st Baronet Sir Herbert Scarisbrick Naylor-Leyland, 1st Baronet , was a British politician.Naylor-Leyland was returned to Parliament for Colchester as a Conservative in 1892, a seat he held until 1895 when he accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. The latter year he was created a Baronet, of Hyde Park House, Albert... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
1899 | George Augustus Pilkington George Augustus Pilkington Sir George Augustus Pilkington was an English doctor and Liberal politician.Pilkington was born at Upwell, Cambridgeshire, as George Augustus Coombe, the son of R. G. Coombe a surgeon. He was educated privately and trained for medicine at Guy's Hospital, London. He became MRCS Eng and LSA in 1870... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
1900 United Kingdom general election, 1900 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
Edward Marshall-Hall Edward Marshall-Hall Sir Edward Marshall Hall, KC, was an English barrister who had a formidable reputation as an orator... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
1906 United Kingdom general election, 1906 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
John Meir Astbury John Meir Astbury Sir John Meir Astbury was a British judge and politician. Astbury was born at Grove House, Broughton near Manchester, the son of Frederick James Astbury and Margaret née Munn... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
1910 | Godfrey Dalrymple-White | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
1923 United Kingdom general election, 1923 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
John Fowler Leece Brunner Sir John Brunner, 2nd Baronet Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner, 2nd Baronet was a British Liberal Party politician.Brunner was the eldest son of industrialist Sir John Tomlinson Brunner... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
1924 United Kingdom general election, 1924 - Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *... |
Godfrey Dalrymple-White | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
1931 United Kingdom general election, 1931 The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the... |
Robert Hudson Robert Hudson, 1st Viscount Hudson Robert Spear Hudson, 1st Viscount Hudson CH PC was a British Conservative Party politician who held a number of ministerial posts during the Second World War.... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
1952 | Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh Lieutenant-Colonel Roger Fleetwood Fleetwood-Hesketh, TD, DL, OBE , born Roger Bibby-Hesketh, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was Member of Parliament for Southport from 1952 to 1959.He was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford, and called to bar in 1928 at... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
1959 United Kingdom general election, 1959 This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan... |
Ian Percival Ian Percival Sir Walter Ian Percival QC , known as Ian Percival, was a British Conservative Party politician.Percival was educated at Latymer Upper School and St. Catharine's College, Cambridge. He was commissioned from Sandhurst into The Buffs in 1941 and served in World War II in North Africa and Burma,... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
1987 United Kingdom general election, 1987 The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd... |
Ronnie Fearn Ronnie Fearn, Baron Fearn Ronald Cyril Fearn, Baron Fearn OBE is a British politician and Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords.He was educated at King George V Grammar School, Southport and had a career in banking. He is also a Sefton Metropolitan Borough councilor and a former Merseyside county councilor... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
1988 | Liberal Democrats | ||
1992 United Kingdom general election, 1992 The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil... |
Matthew Banks Matthew Banks Matthew Gordon-Banks was a British Conservative Party politician. Originally commissioned into The Gordon Highlanders, he joined Barclays Bank in 1984, before before becoming private secretary to a prominent Conservative MP in 1988. In 1987 he fought Manchester Central for the Conservatives... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Ronnie Fearn Ronnie Fearn, Baron Fearn Ronald Cyril Fearn, Baron Fearn OBE is a British politician and Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords.He was educated at King George V Grammar School, Southport and had a career in banking. He is also a Sefton Metropolitan Borough councilor and a former Merseyside county councilor... |
Liberal Democrats | |
2001 United Kingdom general election, 2001 The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats... |
John Pugh John Pugh John David Pugh is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is Member of Parliament for Southport... |
Liberal Democrats | |
History
The constituency has been a LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
- Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
marginal for much of its history, changing hands 10 times between the two parties since it was created in 1885. Its most notable MPs were George Nathaniel Curzon
George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston
George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC , known as The Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and as The Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman who was Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary...
, future Viceroy of India, Edward Marshall-Hall
Edward Marshall-Hall
Sir Edward Marshall Hall, KC, was an English barrister who had a formidable reputation as an orator...
one of the most notable trial Lawyers of the early 20th century and Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner
Sir John Brunner, 2nd Baronet
Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner, 2nd Baronet was a British Liberal Party politician.Brunner was the eldest son of industrialist Sir John Tomlinson Brunner...
, son of the leading industrialist Sir John Tomlinson Brunner. On the decline of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in the 1930s the constituency became a safe Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
seat.
With the rise again of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in the early 1970s, it again became a closely contested marginal. The constituency changed hands again in the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, when it was taken by Ronnie Fearn
Ronnie Fearn, Baron Fearn
Ronald Cyril Fearn, Baron Fearn OBE is a British politician and Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords.He was educated at King George V Grammar School, Southport and had a career in banking. He is also a Sefton Metropolitan Borough councilor and a former Merseyside county councilor...
of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
for the SDP-Liberal Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
(shortly before the two parties merged to form the Liberal Democrats).
Fearn lost the seat to the Conservatives' Matthew Banks
Matthew Banks
Matthew Gordon-Banks was a British Conservative Party politician. Originally commissioned into The Gordon Highlanders, he joined Barclays Bank in 1984, before before becoming private secretary to a prominent Conservative MP in 1988. In 1987 he fought Manchester Central for the Conservatives...
at the 1992 election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, only to regain it at the 1997 election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
. The Liberal Democrats have held the seat since then, with John Pugh
John Pugh
John David Pugh is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is Member of Parliament for Southport...
representing the constituency since Fearn stood down in 2001.
An interesting note is that the former Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
, John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
ran for the seat in 1966, but came in second place.
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
Sources
- Election results, 1950 - 2005
- F. W. S. CraigF. W. S. CraigFrederick Walter Scott Craig was a Scottish psephologist and compiler of the standard reference books covering United Kingdom Parliamentary election results. He originally worked in public relations, compiling election results in his spare time which were published by the Scottish Unionist Party...
, British Parliamentary Election Results 1885 - 1918 - F. W. S. CraigF. W. S. CraigFrederick Walter Scott Craig was a Scottish psephologist and compiler of the standard reference books covering United Kingdom Parliamentary election results. He originally worked in public relations, compiling election results in his spare time which were published by the Scottish Unionist Party...
, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918 - 1949