Blackpool South | |
---|---|
Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundary of Blackpool South in Lancashire | |
![]() Location of Lancashire within England | |
County | Lancashire |
Population | 81,266 (2011 census)[1] |
Electorate | 56,850 (December 2018)[2] |
Major settlements | Blackpool (part) |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1945 |
Member of Parliament | Scott Benton (Independent[3]) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Blackpool |
Blackpool South is a constituency[n 1] in Lancashire, represented in the House of Commons since 2019 by Scott Benton, who was elected as a Conservative, but who sits as an independent after he had the Conservative Party whip suspended in April 2023.[n 2][3]
The seat encompasses the central and southern parts of Blackpool, including the famous Blackpool Tower, the three piers and the Pleasure Beach. Also included is the Bloomfield area, home to Blackpool F.C. In the southern end of the seat, near to the Fylde border, Squires Gate is the site of Blackpool Airport.[4]
Tourism is a major industry in the area, and while Blackpool has been less affected by the decline in domestic holidaymaking than some resorts, there are nonetheless some run-down areas which were once rather more glamorous. Traditionally seaside seats were very safe for the Conservative Party, but for some time it seemed unlikely that the party would win it back. However, they were able to do so in 2019 when they finally achieved a sizeable majority with many gains in northern England.
This seat was created for the 1945 general election. This marginal constituency has been represented by both the Conservative and Labour Party parties since the Second World War. It was held by the Conservatives until 1997, when Gordon Marsden, gained it for Labour. He represented the seat for the next 22 years but was defeated in 2019 by the Conservative Scott Benton.
1945–1950: The County Borough of Blackpool wards of Marton, Stanley, Victoria, and Waterloo, and the Borough of Lytham St Annes.[5]
1950–1983: The County Borough of Blackpool wards of Alexandra, Marton, Stanley, Tyldesley, Victoria, and Waterloo.
1983–1997: The Borough of Blackpool wards of Alexandra, Clifton, Foxhall, Hawes Side, Highfield, Marton, Squires Gate, Stanley, Tyldesley, Victoria, and Waterloo.
1997–2010: The Borough of Blackpool wards of Alexandra, Brunswick, Clifton, Foxhall, Hawes Side, Highfield, Layton, Marton, Park, Squires Gate, Stanley, Talbot, Tyldesley, Victoria, and Waterloo.
2010–present: The Borough of Blackpool wards of Bloomfield, Brunswick, Clifton, Hawes Side, Highfield, Marton, Squires Gate, Stanley, Talbot, Tyldesley, Victoria, and Waterloo.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following wards of the Borough of Blackpool (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The constituency will be expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the wards of Claremount, Layton, Park and Warbreck from the (to be abolished) constituency of Blackpool North and Cleveleys.
Election | Member[7] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1945 | Roland Robinson | Conservative | |
1964 | Sir Peter Blaker | Conservative | |
1992 | Nick Hawkins | Conservative | |
1997 | Gordon Marsden | Labour | |
2019 | Scott Benton | Conservative | |
2023 | Independent |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Chris Webb[8] | ||||
Liberal Democrats | Andy Cregan[9] | ||||
Reform UK | Adam Wordsworth[10] | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Scott Benton | 16,247 | 49.6 | ![]() | |
Labour | Gordon Marsden | 12,557 | 38.3 | ![]() | |
Brexit Party | David Brown | 2,009 | 6.1 | New | |
Liberal Democrats | Bill Greene | 1,008 | 3.1 | ![]() | |
Green | Becky Daniels | 563 | 1.7 | ![]() | |
Independent | Gary Coleman | 368 | 1.1 | New | |
Majority | 3,690 | 11.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 32,752 | 56.8 | ![]() | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ![]() |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Marsden | 17,581 | 50.3 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Peter Anthony | 15,058 | 43.1 | ![]() | |
UKIP | Noel Matthews | 1,339 | 3.8 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Bill Greene | 634 | 1.8 | ![]() | |
Green | John Warnock | 341 | 1.0 | ![]() | |
Majority | 2,523 | 7.2 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 34,953 | 59.8 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Marsden | 13,548 | 41.8 | +0.7 | |
Conservative | Peter Anthony | 10,963 | 33.8 | –2.0 | |
UKIP | Peter Wood | 5,613 | 17.3 | +13.5 | |
Green | Duncan Royle | 841 | 2.6 | New | |
Liberal Democrats | Bill Greene | 743 | 2.3 | –12.1 | |
Independent | Andy Higgins | 655 | 2.0 | New | |
Independent | Lawrence Chard | 73 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 2,585 | 8.0 | +2.7 | ||
Turnout | 32,436 | 56.5 | +0.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +1.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Marsden | 14,449 | 41.1 | –7.5 | |
Conservative | Ron Bell | 12,597 | 35.8 | +4.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Doreen Holt | 5,082 | 14.4 | –0.7 | |
BNP | Roy Goodwin | 1,482 | 4.2 | +0.9 | |
UKIP | Hugh Howitt | 1,352 | 3.8 | +1.7 | |
Integrity UK | Si Thu Tun | 230 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 1,852 | 5.3 | −15.4 | ||
Turnout | 35,192 | 55.8 | +3.5 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | –6.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Marsden | 19,375 | 50.5 | –3.8 | |
Conservative | Michael Winstanley | 11,453 | 29.9 | –3.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Doreen Holt | 5,552 | 14.5 | +3.9 | |
BNP | Roy Goodwin | 1,113 | 2.9 | New | |
UKIP | John Porter | 849 | 2.2 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 7,922 | 20.6 | –0.7 | ||
Turnout | 38,342 | 52.1 | –0.1 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | –0.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Marsden | 21,060 | 54.3 | –2.7 | |
Conservative | David Morris | 12,798 | 33.0 | –1.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Doreen Holt | 4,115 | 10.6 | +2.0 | |
UKIP | Valerie Cowell | 819 | 2.1 | New | |
Majority | 8,262 | 21.3 | –1.3 | ||
Turnout | 38,792 | 52.2 | –15.6 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | –0.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Marsden | 29,282 | 57.0 | +12.9 | |
Conservative | Richard Booth | 17,666 | 34.4 | –9.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Doreen Holt | 4,392 | 8.6 | –3.5 | |
Majority | 11,616 | 22.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 51,340 | 67.8 | –6.5 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | –11.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nick Hawkins | 19,880 | 45.2 | –2.8 | |
Labour | Gordon Marsden | 18,213 | 41.5 | +9.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Robert E. Wynne | 5,673 | 12.9 | –7.0 | |
Natural Law | Doug Henning | 173 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 1,667 | 3.7 | –12.2 | ||
Turnout | 43,939 | 77.3 | +3.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –6.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Blaker | 20,312 | 48.0 | –2.6 | |
Labour | Sheilagh Baugh | 13,568 | 32.1 | +7.4 | |
SDP | Julian Allitt | 8,405 | 19.9 | –4.1 | |
Majority | 6,744 | 15.9 | –10.0 | ||
Turnout | 42,285 | 73.5 | +3.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –5.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Blaker | 19,852 | 50.6 | –0.9 | |
Labour | Fred J. Jackson | 9,714 | 24.7 | –5.9 | |
SDP | Alex G. Cox | 9,417 | 24.0 | New | |
National Front | Wilf Smith | 263 | 0.7 | –0.5 | |
Majority | 10,138 | 25.9 | +5.0 | ||
Turnout | 39,246 | 69.8 | –2.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Blaker | 21,762 | 51.5 | +6.6 | |
Labour | Pat Carrington | 12,914 | 30.6 | –1.4 | |
Liberal | Edmund E. Wynne | 7,057 | 16.7 | –6.4 | |
National Front | Alan Machin | 524 | 1.2 | New | |
Majority | 8,848 | 20.9 | +8.0 | ||
Turnout | 42,257 | 72.1 | +2.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Blaker | 18,188 | 44.9 | –0.7 | |
Labour | Michael Atkins | 12,967 | 32.0 | +5.4 | |
Liberal | Edmund E. Wynne | 9,327 | 23.1 | –4.2 | |
Majority | 5,221 | 12.9 | –5.4 | ||
Turnout | 40,482 | 69.9 | –6.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –3.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Blaker | 20,107 | 45.6 | –7.2 | |
Liberal | Edmund E. Wynne | 12,016 | 27.3 | +13.1 | |
Labour | Michael Atkins | 11,739 | 26.6 | –6.4 | |
National Independence | Eric Mills | 229 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 8,091 | 18.3 | –1.5 | ||
Turnout | 44,091 | 76.6 | +8.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Blaker | 21,273 | 52.8 | –1.5 | |
Labour | Percy P Hall | 13,267 | 33.0 | –12.7 | |
Liberal | David Chadwick | 5,730 | 14.2 | New | |
Majority | 8,006 | 19.8 | +11.2 | ||
Turnout | 40,270 | 68.3 | –1.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Blaker | 21,564 | 54.3 | –4.0 | |
Labour | Edward Pearce | 18,166 | 45.7 | +4.0 | |
Majority | 3,398 | 8.6 | –8.0 | ||
Turnout | 39,730 | 70.5 | –0.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Blaker | 23,769 | 58.3 | –7.5 | |
Labour | Percy P Hall | 16,986 | 41.7 | +7.5 | |
Majority | 6,783 | 16.6 | –15.0 | ||
Turnout | 40,755 | 71.1 | –2.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –7.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Roland Robinson | 25,767 | 65.8 | –0.6 | |
Labour | Percy P Hall | 13,337 | 34.2 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 12,430 | 31.6 | –1.2 | ||
Turnout | 39,140 | 73.9 | +7.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –0.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Roland Robinson | 24,773 | 66.4 | –0.8 | |
Labour | Arthur Davidson | 12,548 | 33.6 | +0.8 | |
Majority | 12,225 | 32.8 | –1.6 | ||
Turnout | 37,321 | 67.7 | –7.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –0.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Roland Robinson | 28,171 | 67.2 | +9.3 | |
Labour | Kenneth Lomas | 13,750 | 32.8 | +2.1 | |
Majority | 14,421 | 34.4 | +7.2 | ||
Turnout | 41,921 | 75.0 | –7.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Roland Robinson | 26,800 | 57.9 | +1.1 | |
Labour | Ernest Alfred Machin | 14,190 | 30.7 | +6.5 | |
Liberal | Michael Henry Woodward | 5,295 | 11.4 | –7.6 | |
Majority | 12,610 | 27.2 | –5.4 | ||
Turnout | 46,285 | 82.1 | –9.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | − |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Roland Robinson | 27,957 | 56.8 | ||
Labour | Charles Stanley Hilditch | 11,914 | 24.2 | ||
Liberal | Adrian Liddell Hart | 9,359 | 19.0 | ||
Majority | 16,043 | 32.6 | |||
Turnout | 49,230 | 72.3 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |