Makerfield (UK Parliament constituency)

History

This seat was formed in 1983 mostly from parts of the Ince and Wigan seats together with a small part of the Leigh seat.

Constituency profile

Makerfield is considered one of the safest Labour seats in the country. The Labour Party held the predecessor seat of Ince from 1906 until 1983 when the current constituency was created. In 2010 the constituency, of the 650 nationally, polled the 105th highest share of the vote for the Labour Party. Labour's majority fell significantly in 2019 as with many "Red Wall" seats.

There is no town called Makerfield itself; instead, the name refers to the suffix of 'in-Makerfield' of the towns Ashton-in-Makerfield and Ince-in-Makerfield, though since 2010 the latter is now part of the Wigan seat. The seat comprises mostly working-class residential suburbs south of Wigan and to the west of Leigh. Deprivation however is relatively lower than that of neighbouring towns and home-ownership is higher, with a mostly skilled working-class population and a lower than average proportion of ethnic minorities. There is some semi-rural land towards the west of the constituency where it borders St Helens and green buffers separating the constituent towns and villages. Formerly a coal-mining area, there is now a small amount of light industry remaining, though not as much as Wigan, and the area is mostly residential as the towns continue to grow. The area is also home to Winstanley College, one of the highest performing sixth-form colleges in the country, enrolling around 1800 students.

Boundaries

1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan wards of Abram, Ashton-Golborne, Bryn, Lightshaw, Orrell, Winstanley, and Worsley Mesnes.

1997–2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan wards of Abram, Ashton-Golborne, Bryn, Ince, Orrell, Winstanley, and Worsley Mesnes.

2010–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan wards of Abram, Ashton, Bryn, Hindley, Hindley Green, Orrell, Winstanley, and Worsley Mesnes.

2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for 2024 general election, the boundaries of the constituency were expanded slightly by adding small areas (as they existed on 1 December 2020) of the Atherleigh ward (part of polling district LCA) and the Leigh West ward (polling district LDA).

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan from the 2024 general election:

• Abram; Ashton-in-Makerfield South; Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North; Hindley; Hindley Green (nearly all); Leigh West (small part); Orrell; Winstanley; Worsley Mesnes; and very small parts of Golborne & Lowton West, and Ince. Makerfield consists of the western and central section of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester. It comprises the wards to the south and to the west of Wigan and to the west of Leigh.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

|reg. electors=76,641

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Notes

References

References

1. "'Makerfield', June 1983 up to May 1997". Cognitive Computing Limited.
2. [http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/157/157655_mccartney_makes_it_a_century.html Manchester Evening News: "McCartney makes it a century"]
3. "Makerfield".
4. [[Winstanley College]]
5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
6. LGBCE. "Wigan {{!}} LGBCE".
7. "The Wigan (Electoral Changes) Order 2022".
8. "New Seat Details – Makerfield".
9. {{Rayment-hc. m. 1. (March 2012)
10. "Makerfield - General Election 2024 results". BBC News.
11. "UK General Election Results". Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council.
12. "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". [[UK Parliament]].
13. "Statement of persons nominated 2019".
14. "Makerfield parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
15. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
16. "Makerfield". BBC News.
17. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
18. "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Makerfield". BBC News.
19. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
20. "Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
21. "Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
22. "Election Data 1992". [[Electoral Calculus]].
23. (9 April 1992). "Politics Resources". Politics Resources.
24. "Election Data 1987". [[Electoral Calculus]].
25. "Election Data 1983". [[Electoral Calculus]].