South Ribble (UK Parliament constituency)

South Ribble
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map of constituency
Boundary of South Ribble in North West England
CountyLancashire
Electorate72,092 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsLeyland and Penwortham
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentPaul Foster (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromPreston South, Fylde South and Chorley[2]

South Ribble is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Paul Foster for Labour.

History

The seat of South Ribble was created for the 1983 general election, following the local government changes in the 1970s which saw the creation of the main constitutive borough of the same name. It has been a classic bellwether seat since its creation, changing hands with the change of government.

Former Preston North MP Robert Atkins won the South Ribble constituency in 1983 and fought the seat in every election up to the 1997 general election. At that time, in dramatic bellwether fashion, Labour's David Borrow gained the seat on a clear majority, with nearly 26,000 votes, 2,000 less than Atkins' victory in the corresponding "landslide" year of 1983. From 1997 until 2010, David Borrow's vote total and majority consistently shrunk with a swing back to the Conservatives at every election. In terms of the other parties, Liberal Democrats have not thus far achieved better than third and 2005 saw UKIP nominating a candidate for the first time, and taking just over 1,200 votes.

Borrow finally lost South Ribble in 2010 on a large two-party swing to Conservative Lorraine Fullbrook. In 2024, the seat was regained by Labour with a swing of over 15%.

Boundaries

Map
Map of 2010-2024 boundaries

Historic

1983–1997: The Borough of South Ribble.

1997–2010: The Borough of South Ribble wards of Charnock, Farington, Howick, Hutton and New Longton, Kingsfold, Leyland Central, Leyland St Ambrose, Leyland St John's, Leyland St Mary's, Little Hoole and Much Hoole, Longton Central and West, Lostock Hall, Manor, Middleforth Green, Moss Side, Priory, and Seven Stars, and the District of West Lancashire wards of Hesketh with Becconsall, North Meols, Rufford, and Tarleton.

For the 1997 general election, the communities of Bamber Bridge and Walton-le-Dale were moved to the Preston constituency. To partly compensate, the four mainly rural wards in the District of West Lancashire were transferred from the West Lancashire constituency.

2010–2024: The Borough of South Ribble wards of Broad Oak, Charnock, Earnshaw Bridge, Golden Hill, Howick and Priory, Kingsfold, Leyland Central, Leyland St Ambrose, Leyland St Mary's, Little Hoole and Much Hoole, Longton and Hutton West, Lowerhouse, Middleforth, Moss Side, New Longton and Hutton East, Seven Stars, and Whitefield, the District of West Lancashire wards of Hesketh with Becconsall, North Meols, Rufford, and Tarleton, and the Borough of Chorley wards of Eccleston and Mawdesley, and Lostock.

Following the review of parliamentary representation in Lancashire prior to the 2010 general election, Walton-le-Dale and Bamber Bridge were subsequently transferred into the Ribble Valley seat, along with the villages of Samlesbury, Higher Walton, Coupe Green, Gregson Lane, Lostock Hall, Farington and Farington Moss. This meant that the borough of South Ribble was now split between the South Ribble and Ribble Valley parliamentary seats.

Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The Borough of Chorley wards of: Croston, Mawdesley & Euxton South; Eccleston, Heskin & Charnock Richard.
  • The Borough of South Ribble wards of: Broad Oak; Broadfield; Buckshaw & Worden; Charnock; Earnshaw Bridge; Farington East; Farington West; Hoole; Howick & Priory; Leyland Central; Longton & Hutton West; Middleforth; Moss Side; New Longton & Hutton East; St. Ambrose; Seven Stars.[3]

The four West Lancashire Borough wards were transferred to Southport. To compensate, Farington was transferred back in from Ribble Valley and there was a small gain from Chorley due to ward boundary changes.

The seat's original boundaries were coterminous with the South Ribble borough.[4] Due to population changes, the borough of South Ribble and its parliamentary constituency have not shared the same boundaries since, although the towns of Leyland and Penwortham have always featured at the centre of the constituency.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[5] Party
1983 Robert Atkins Conservative
1997 David Borrow Labour
2010 Lorraine Fullbrook Conservative
2015 Seema Kennedy Conservative
2019 Katherine Fletcher Conservative
2024 Paul Foster Labour

Elections

South Ribble election results

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: South Ribble[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Foster[8] 19,840 42.5 +6.3
Conservative Katherine Fletcher[9] 13,339 28.6 −24.9
Reform UK Andy Hunter[10] 8,995 19.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Angela Turner[11] 2,972 6.4 −1.3
Green Stephani Mok[12] 1,574 3.4 +0.9
Majority 6,501 13.9 N/A
Turnout 46,720 63.9 −4.7
Registered electors 73,420
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +15.6

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: South Ribble[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Katherine Fletcher 30,028 55.8 +3.0
Labour Kim Snape 18,829 35.0 ―4.3
Liberal Democrats Jo Barton 3,720 6.9 +3.2
Green Andy Fewings 1,207 2.2 +1.3
Majority 11,199 20.8 +7.3
Turnout 53,784 71.4 ―0.6
Conservative hold Swing +3.7
General election 2017: South Ribble[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Seema Kennedy 28,980 52.9 +6.4
Labour Julie Gibson 21,559 39.3 +4.2
Liberal Democrats John Wright 2,073 3.7 ―0.7
UKIP Mark Smith 1,387 2.5 ―11.6
Green Andrew Wight 494 0.9 New
NHA Mark Jamell 341 0.6 New
Majority 7,421 13.5 +2.2
Turnout 54,834 72.0 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing +1.1
General election 2015: South Ribble[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Seema Kennedy 24,313 46.4 +0.9
Labour Veronica Bennett 18,368 35.1 +0.4
UKIP David Gallagher 7,377 14.1 +10.4
Liberal Democrats Sue McGuire 2,312 4.4 ―9.7
Majority 5,945 11.3 +0.5
Turnout 52,370 68.5 +0.6
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: South Ribble[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lorraine Fullbrook 23,396 45.5 +7.1
Labour David Borrow 17,842 34.7 ―9.6
Liberal Democrats Peter Fisher 7,271 14.1 ―0.6
UKIP David Duxbury 1,895 3.7 +1.5
BNP Rosalind Gauci 1,054 2.0 New
Majority 5,554 10.8 N/A
Turnout 51,458 67.9 +4.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: South Ribble[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Borrow 20,428 43.0 ―3.4
Conservative Lorraine Fullbrook 18,244 38.4 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Mark Alcock 7,634 16.1 +0.6
UKIP Kenneth Jones 1,205 2.5 New
Majority 2,184 4.6 ―3.7
Turnout 47,511 63.0 +0.5
Labour hold Swing ―1.9
General election 2001: South Ribble[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Borrow 21,386 46.4 ―0.4
Conservative Adrian Owens 17,584 38.1 +0.5
Liberal Democrats Mark Alcock 7,150 15.5 +4.9
Majority 3,802 8.3 ―0.9
Turnout 46,120 62.5 ―14.6
Labour hold Swing ―0.5

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: South Ribble[20][21][22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Borrow 25,856 46.8 +12.0
Conservative Robert Atkins 20,772 37.6 ―12.3
Liberal Democrats Tim Farron 5,879 10.6 ―4.2
Referendum Mark Adams 1,475 2.7 New
Liberal Nigel R. Ashton 1,127 2.0 New
Natural Law Bibette Leadbetter 122 0.2 ―0.2
Majority 5,084 9.2 N/A
Turnout 55,231 77.1 ―5.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +12.1
General election 1992: South Ribble[24][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Atkins 30,828 47.5 +0.3
Labour Geoffrey Smith 24,855 38.3 +5.2
Liberal Democrats Simon Jones 8,928 13.8 ―5.9
Natural Law Decter Ronald 269 0.4 New
Majority 5,973 9.2 ―4.9
Turnout 64,880 83.0 +0.5
Conservative hold Swing ―2.5

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: South Ribble[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Atkins 28,133 47.2 ―1.6
Labour David Roebuck 19,703 33.1 +6.6
Liberal Joseph Alan Holleran 11,746 19.7 ―5.0
Majority 8,430 14.1 ―8.2
Turnout 59,582 82.5 +4.5
Conservative hold Swing ―4.1
General election 1983: South Ribble[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Atkins 27,625 48.8
Labour Frank Duffy 14,966 26.5
Liberal Robert Walker 13,960 24.7
Majority 12,659 22.3
Turnout 56,551 78.0
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  2. ^ "'South Ribble', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 5 North West region.
  4. ^ Crewe, Ivor (1983). British Parliamentary Constituencies - a statistical compendium. faber and faber.
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)
  6. ^ "General Election 4 July Results". South Ribble Borough Council. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  7. ^ "South Ribble Results". BBC. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  8. ^ "South Ribble Borough Council leader Paul Foster selected as Labour's parliamentary candidate for the area". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  9. ^ "South Ribble MP Katherine Fletcher will fight to keep seat at the next general election". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  10. ^ "South ribble constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Our Candidates". Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Election for the constituency of South Ribble on 12 December 2019". UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Election for the constituency of South Ribble on 8 June 2017". UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "South Ribble". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  22. ^ C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.138 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  23. ^ The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
  24. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  26. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

53°43′01″N 2°41′49″W / 53.717°N 2.697°W / 53.717; -2.697