Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)

Leigh
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Leigh in Greater Manchester
Outline map
Location of Greater Manchester within England
CountyGreater Manchester
Electorate77,001 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsLeigh, Astley, Tyldesley, Lowton, Golborne
1885–2024
SeatsOne
Created fromSouth West Lancashire
Replaced byLeigh and Atherton

Leigh was a constituency[n 1] in Greater Manchester represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

From 2019 to 2024, Leigh was held by James Grundy of the Conservative Party. Before this, the seat was represented by Andy Burnham of the Labour Party, who served as the MP from 2001, and Shadow Home Secretary in Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet until October 2016.[n 2] Burnham stood down following his victory at the 2017 Greater Manchester mayoral election, and was succeeded by the Labour and Co-operative Party's Jo Platt who was MP from 2017 to 2019. Burnham, who was re-elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2021 with an increased majority, still resides in the Leigh constituency.

The constituency was abolished as a result of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies. With the addition of the town of Atherton, it was reformed as Leigh and Atherton, and was first contested in the 2024 general election.[2]

Constituency profile

Leigh in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974–1983
Map
Map of boundaries 2010–2024

Leigh was a marginal seat in the south of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and on the border with Warrington, with virtually all wards held by the Labour Party at local level, although also containing the more Conservative-inclined area of Lowton East. In line with the wider borough of Wigan it voted by a majority to Leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum, but has slightly lower levels of deprivation than the town of Wigan itself,[3] and is mostly made of skilled working-class families in residential areas, with some light industry, all factors in the swing towards the Conservatives in 2019. Leigh, Tyldesley and Golborne are former mill and mining towns undergoing urban regeneration. Pennington Flash in between Lowton and Leigh is an important local nature reserve and area of natural regeneration in a former mining area.

Boundaries

Following the review of parliamentary representation in Greater Manchester in 2009, the Boundary Commission for England recommended alterations to constituencies in the Wigan area. The electoral wards used in the altered Leigh constituency were:

History

The constituency was created in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as a result of the South West Lancashire constituency being divided into eight single member seats. Between 1922 and December 2019, candidates belonging to the Labour Party had continuously served the seat, which for the political party made it one of their longest held constituencies. One recent Labour incumbent was Andy Burnham, Shadow Home Secretary from September 2015 to October 2016.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[4] Party
1885 Caleb Wright Liberal
1895 C. P. Scott Liberal
1906 Sir John Brunner Liberal
January 1910 Peter Raffan Liberal
1922 Henry Twist Labour
1923 John Tinker Labour
1945 Harold Boardman Labour
1979 Lawrence Cunliffe Labour
2001 Andy Burnham Labour
2017 Jo Platt Labour Co-op
2019 James Grundy Conservative
2024 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Leigh[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Grundy 21,266 45.3 +9.5
Labour Co-op Jo Platt 19,301 41.1 −15.1
Brexit Party James Melly 3,161 6.7 New
Liberal Democrats Mark Clayton 2,252 4.8 +2.8
Independent Ann O'Bern 551 1.2 New
UKIP Leon Peters 448 0.9 −5.0
Majority 1,965 4.2 N/A
Turnout 46,979 60.9 −0.6
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +12.3

The 2019 result saw the largest 2017 majority for a party overturned in the country.[6] It also saw the largest fall in the UKIP vote share.[6]

General election 2017: Leigh[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jo Platt 26,347 56.2 +2.3
Conservative James Grundy 16,793 35.8 +13.2
UKIP Mark Bradley 2,783 5.9 −13.8
Liberal Democrats Richard Kilpatrick 951 2.0 −0.5
Majority 9,554 20.4 −10.1
Turnout 46,874 61.5 +4.1
Labour hold Swing −5.4
General election 2015: Leigh[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andy Burnham 24,312 53.9 +5.9
Conservative Louisa Townson 10,216 22.6 +1.7
UKIP Les Leggett 8,903 19.7 +16.2
Liberal Democrats Bill Winlow 1,150 2.5 −15.7
TUSC Stephen Hall 542 1.2 New
Majority 14,096 31.3 +4.2
Turnout 45,123 59.4 −2.6
Labour hold Swing +2.0
General election 2010: Leigh[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andy Burnham 21,295 48.0 −15.3
Conservative Shazia Awan 9,284 20.9 +3.2
Liberal Democrats Chris Blackburn 8,049 18.2 −2.1
BNP Gary Chadwick 2,724 6.1 New
UKIP Mary Lavelle 1,535 3.5 New
Independent Norman Bradbury 988 2.2 New
Independent Terry Dainty 320 0.7 New
Christian Ryan Hessell 137 0.3 New
Majority 12,011 27.1 −20.2
Turnout 44,332 62.0 +10.7
Labour hold Swing −4.9

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Leigh[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andy Burnham 23,097 63.3 −1.2
Conservative Laurance Wedderburn 5,825 16.0 −2.2
Liberal Democrats Dave Crowther 4,962 13.6 +0.8
Community Action Ian Franzen 2,185 6.0 New
Legalise Cannabis Thomas Hampson 415 1.1 New
Majority 17,272 47.3 +1.0
Turnout 36,484 50.3 +0.6
Labour hold Swing +0.5
General election 2001: Leigh[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andy Burnham 22,783 64.5 −4.4
Conservative Andrew Oxley 6,421 18.2 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Ray Atkins 4,524 12.8 +1.6
Socialist Labour William Kelly 820 2.3 New
UKIP Chris Best 750 2.1 New
Majority 16,362 46.3 −7.0
Turnout 35,298 49.7 −16.0
Labour hold Swing −3.5

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Leigh[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Lawrence Cunliffe 31,652 68.9 +7.6
Conservative Edward Young 7,156 15.6 −9.9
Liberal Democrats Peter Hough 5,163 11.2 −1.4
Referendum Roy Constable 1,949 4.2 New
Majority 24,496 53.3 +17.5
Turnout 45,920 65.7 −9.3
Labour hold Swing +8.8
General election 1992: Leigh[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lawrence Cunliffe 32,225 61.3 +2.7
Conservative Joseph Egerton 13,398 25.5 −0.8
Liberal Democrats Robert Bleakley 6,621 12.6 −2.5
Natural Law Adrian Tayler 320 0.6 New
Majority 18,827 35.8 +3.5
Turnout 52,564 75.0 +0.9
Labour hold Swing +1.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Leigh[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lawrence Cunliffe 30,064 58.6 +7.4
Conservative Louis Brown 13,458 26.3 −0.5
SDP Steven Jones 7,743 15.1 −6.2
Majority 16,606 32.3 +7.7
Turnout 51,265 74.1 +1.9
Labour hold Swing
General election 1983: Leigh[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lawrence Cunliffe 25,477 51.2 −2.9
Conservative Paul Johnstone 13,163 26.8 −9.7
SDP David Eccles 10,468 21.3 New
Majority 12,314 24.6 +7.0
Turnout 49,108 72.2 −4.7
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Leigh[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lawrence Cunliffe 27,736 54.1 −2.1
Conservative David Lawrence Shaw 18,713 36.5 +10.7
Liberal Michael Godwin 4,796 9.4 −8.6
Majority 9,023 17.6 −12.8
Turnout 51,245 76.9 +3.0
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Leigh[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 27,036 56.2 +5.2
Conservative Maureen Williams 12,401 25.8 +1.2
Liberal Roy D. Pemberton 8,640 18.0 −6.4
Majority 14,635 30.4 +4.0
Turnout 48,077 73.9 −6.1
Labour hold Swing +2.0
General election February 1974: Leigh[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 26,310 51.0 −7.2
Conservative William Legge 12,663 24.6 −8.9
Liberal Roy D. Pemberton 12,594 24.4 New
Majority 13,647 26.4 −1.3
Turnout 51,567 80.0 +9.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1970: Leigh[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 26,625 58.2 −10.5
Conservative James Peter McGuire 15,314 33.5 +2.2
Ratepayers Joseph Knowles 3,776 8.3 New
Majority 11,311 27.7 −9.6
Turnout 45,715 71.0 −3.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Leigh[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 29,552 68.7 +1.2
Conservative Robert R Hipkiss 13,490 31.3 −1.2
Majority 16,062 37.4 +2.4
Turnout 43,042 74.3 −3.3
Labour hold Swing
General election 1964: Leigh[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 30,102 67.5 +2.3
Conservative Neville Montague B Brown 14,478 32.5 −2.3
Majority 15,624 35.0 +4.6
Turnout 44,580 77.6 −4.8
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Leigh[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 31,672 65.2 +2.8
Conservative William Cameron 16,897 34.8 −2.6
Majority 14,775 30.4 +5.6
Turnout 48,569 82.4 −17.6
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Leigh[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 30,098 62.4 −1.0
Conservative John Bryan Leck 18,142 37.6 +1.0
Majority 11,956 24.8 −2.0
Turnout 48,240 80.0 −6.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Leigh[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 33,881 63.4 −0.1
Conservative Henry Donald Moore 19,585 36.6 +0.1
Majority 14,296 26.8 −0.2
Turnout 53,466 86.0 −1.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: Leigh[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 34,320 63.5 −6.3
Conservative John W Whiteley 19,720 36.5 +6.3
Majority 14,600 27.0 −12.6
Turnout 54,040 87.4 +6.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Leigh[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Boardman 32,447 69.8 N/A
Conservative Eric Heriot Hill 14,029 30.2 N/A
Majority 18,418 39.6 N/A
Turnout 46,476 81.0 N/A
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Leigh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Tinker Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1931: Leigh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Tinker 23,965 52.32
Conservative Peter Eckersley 21,837 47.68
Majority 2,128 4.64
Turnout 45,802 87.38
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Leigh[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Tinker 25,635 57.0 +5.5
Unionist Claude Herbert Grundy 10,942 24.3 −24.2
Liberal Thomas Hardy 8,435 18.7 New
Majority 14,693 32.7 +29.7
Turnout 45,012 88.3 +0.1
Registered electors 50,982
Labour hold Swing +14.9
General election 1924: Leigh[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Tinker 17,262 51.5 +8.5
Unionist Edwin Owen 16,247 48.5 +21.8
Majority 1,015 3.0 −9.7
Turnout 33,509 88.2 +1.7
Registered electors 38,010
Labour hold Swing −6.7
General election 1923: Leigh [33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Tinker 13,989 43.0 −2.0
Liberal Robert Burrows 9,854 30.3 +9.2
Unionist Herbert Metcalfe (magistrate) 8,664 26.7 −7.2
Majority 4,135 12.7 +1.6
Turnout 32,507 86.5 −3.4
Registered electors 37,597
Labour hold Swing −5.6
General election 1922: Leigh [33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Twist 15,006 45.0 −1.4
Unionist Herbert Metcalfe 11,279 33.9 New
Liberal Joseph Ashworth 7,012 21.1 −32.5
Majority 3,727 11.1 N/A
Turnout 33,297 89.9 +23.0
Registered electors 37,050
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +15.6

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Leigh[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Raffan 12,892 53.6 −1.6
Labour Richard Owen Jones 11,146 46.4 New
Majority 1,746 7.2 −3.2
Turnout 24,038 66.9 −20.0
Registered electors 35,912
Liberal hold Swing −1.6

General Election 1914–15

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected:

General election December 1910: Leigh[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Raffan 6,790 55.2 +15.0
Conservative William Thomas Oversby 5,507 44.8 +9.7
Majority 1,283 10.4 +5.3
Turnout 12,297 86.9 −6.7
Registered electors 14,150
Liberal hold Swing +2.6
Greenall
General election January 1910: Leigh[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Raffan 5,325 40.2 −17.9
Conservative F Cuthbert Smith 4,646 35.1 −6.8
Labour Thomas Greenall 3,268 24.7 New
Majority 679 5.1 −11.1
Turnout 13,239 93.6 +1.3
Registered electors 14,150
Liberal hold Swing −5.6

Elections in the 1900s

Brunner
General election 1906: Leigh[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Brunner 7,175 58.1 +7.5
Conservative Donald MacMaster 5,169 41.9 −7.5
Majority 2,006 16.2 +15.0
Turnout 12,344 92.3 +5.3
Registered electors 13,380
Liberal hold Swing +7.5
General election 1900: Leigh[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal C. P. Scott 5,239 50.6 −2.9
Conservative William Walter Augustine Fitzgerald 5,119 49.4 +2.9
Majority 120 1.2 −5.8
Turnout 10,358 87.0 −2.0
Registered electors 11,907
Liberal hold Swing −2.9

Elections in the 1890s

Scott
General election 1895: Leigh [34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal C. P. Scott 5,130 53.5 −1.6
Conservative William Walter Augustine Fitzgerald 4,453 46.5 +1.6
Majority 677 7.0 −3.2
Turnout 9,583 89.0 −1.4
Registered electors 10,763
Liberal hold Swing −1.6
General election 1892: Leigh [34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Caleb Wright 4,899 55.1 −2.7
Conservative William Charles Jones 3,995 44.9 +2.7
Majority 904 10.2 −5.4
Turnout 8,894 90.4 +3.7
Registered electors 9,839
Liberal hold Swing −2.7

Elections in the 1880s

Myers
General election 1886: Leigh [34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Caleb Wright 4,297 57.8 −0.7
Conservative William Myers 3,134 42.2 +0.7
Majority 1,163 15.6 −1.4
Turnout 7,431 86.7 −5.4
Registered electors 8,572
Liberal hold Swing −0.7
Knowles
General election 1885: Leigh [34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Caleb Wright 4,621 58.5
Conservative Lees Knowles 3,275 41.5
Majority 1,346 17.0
Turnout 7,896 92.1
Registered electors 8,572
Liberal win (new seat)

See also

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.

References

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ "North West | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Constituency data: Indices of deprivation". 21 September 2020.
  4. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)
  5. ^ Leigh Observer on 14 November 2019, retrieved 14 November.
  6. ^ a b "General Election 2019: results and analysis - Second edition" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Leigh parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  8. ^ "Leigh parliamentary constituency". Wigan Council.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Leigh". BBC News. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ "The figure reported by the BBC for Burnham (24,295) was incorrect".
  13. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  18. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "UK General Election results April 1983". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  22. ^ "UK General Election results April 1979". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  23. ^ "UK General Election results October 1974". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  24. ^ "UK General Election results February 1974". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  25. ^ "UK General Election results '970". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  26. ^ "UK General Election results 1966". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  27. ^ "UK General Election results 1964". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  28. ^ "UK General Election results 1959". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  29. ^ "UK General Election results 1955". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  30. ^ "UK General Election results 1951". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  31. ^ "UK General Election results '950". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  32. ^ "UK General Election results 1945". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  33. ^ a b c d e Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)

53°30′N 2°30′W / 53.50°N 2.50°W / 53.50; -2.50