Wigan (UK Parliament constituency)

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Wigan
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Wigan in Greater Manchester.
Outline map
Location of Greater Manchester within England.
County Greater Manchester
Electorate 76,779 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1885
Member of parliament Lisa Nandy (Labour)
Number of members One
Created from Wigan, South West Lancashire
1545–1885
Number of members Two
Type of constituency Borough constituency
Replaced by Wigan
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency North West England

Wigan is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Lisa Nandy, a member of the Labour Party.[n 2]

History

Wigan was one of the important places called upon to send a representative (a 'burgess') to the Model Parliament of 1295 and to another in January 1307, however was not summoned during the remainder of the medieval period to send its representative to Westminster, instead waiting until Henry VIII's grant of two members to the town which is believed to have already been incorporated as a borough in 1246 following the issue of a charter by Henry III. After the end of the Middle Ages, in the Tudor period, Wigan was one of four boroughs in Lancashire possessing Royal Charters; the others were Lancaster, Liverpool and Preston.

The seat saw a reduction of the number of its members under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 which imposed single-member constituencies nationwide.[n 3]

The death of Roger Stott in office in 1999 made him the fourth Wigan MP in the twentieth century to die in office (uniquely for a constituency in the United Kingdom): (the others being John Parkinson, Ronald Williams and William Foster).

Political history

The seat has been held by the Labour Party since 1918, and given the solid Labour majorities is considered as a safe seat.

Prominent frontbenchers

Boundaries

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Greater Manchester prior to the 2010 general election, the Boundary Commission recommended alterations to the existing constituencies in the Wigan metropolitan borough area. The electoral wards used in the altered Wigan constituency are:

Other seats within the Wigan borough are Makerfield and Leigh, while Atherton is contained within Bolton West.

Constituency profile

The seat is productive and has excellent links to Manchester as well as close links to the M6 just within its western border, however has witnessed a drop in manufacturing supporting the economy of Greater Manchester, particularly in textiles which have been unable in production of more general items to compete with the Indian subcontinent and the Far East, for this seat a lesser employer also of note in its vicinity until the mid 20th century was coal mining which has ceased in this part of Lancashire.[n 4]

Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 higher than the national average of 3.8%, and regional average of 4.4%, at 5.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[3]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

Parliament First member Second member
1295 William le Teinterer Henry le Bocher
1306/7 (Jan) Simon Payer John de Mersee
1307-1545 No Members returned to Parliament
1545 Thomas Chaloner John Eston[4]
1547 (Nov) Alexander Barlowe Thomas Carus[4]
1552/3 (Mar) Alexander Barlowe Gilbert Gerard[5]
1553 (Oct) Alexander Barlowe Gilbert Gerard[5]
1554 (Apr) Alexander Barlowe William Barnes[4]
1554 (Nov) Alexander Barlowe John Barnes[4]
1555 Alexander Barlowe Gilbert Gerard[5]
1558 Ralph Barton Thomas Smith[4]
1559 (Jan) William Gerard II Thomas Bromley[6]
1562/3 (Mar) William Gerard II John Ratcliffe[6]
1571 William Gerard II Owen Ratcliffe[6]
1572 Edward Fitton (the younger) on Queen's Service
and repl. 1581 by Richard Molyneux		 Edward Elrington[6]
1584 (Nov) Thomas Grimsditch William Gerard III[6]
1586 William Gerard III Peter Legh[6]
1588 (Dec) Peter Legh William Leycester[6]
1593 William Gerard III Michael Heneage[6]
1597 (Oct) Edward Legh Nicholas Smyth[6]
1601 (Oct) Roger Downes John Pulteney[6]
1604 Sir William Cooke Sir John Pulteney
1614 Sir Gilbert Gerard[7] Sir Richard Molyneux
1621 Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baronet (died and
replaced 1621 by George Garrard)		 Roger Downes
1624 Sir Anthony St John Francis Downes
1625 Francis Downes Edward Bridgeman
1626 Sir Anthony St John Sir William Pooley
1628 Edward Bridgeman Sir Anthony St John
1629–1640 No Parliaments convened

MPs 1640–1885

Year First member[8] First party Second member[8] Second party
April 1640 Orlando Bridgeman Royalist Alexander Rigby Parliamentarian
November 1640
May 1642 Bridgeman expelled - seat vacant
1646 John Holcroft
December 1648 Holcroft excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant
August 1650 Rigby died - seat vacant
1653 Wigan was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659 Robert Markland Hugh Forth
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 William Gardiner Hugh Forth
October 1660 John Molyneux Roger Stoughton
1661 The Earl of Ancram Geoffrey Shakerley
February 1679 Roger Bradshaigh
September 1679 William Banks
1681 Viscount Colchester
1685 Lord Charles Murray
1689 Sir Edward Chisenhall William Banks
1690 Sir Richard Standish Peter Shakerley
1694 John Byrom
1695 Sir Roger Bradshaigh
1698 Orlando Bridgeman
1701 Sir Alexander Rigby
1702 Orlando Bridgeman
1705 Brigadier Emanuel Scrope Howe Whig
1708 Major Henry Bradshaigh
1713 George Kenyon
1715 The Earl of Barrymore
1727 Peter Bold
1734 The Earl of Barrymore
March 1747 Richard Clayton
June 1747 Hon. Richard Barry
1754 Sir William Meredith Tory
1761 Fletcher Norton Simon Luttrell
1768 George Byng Beaumont Hotham
1775 John Morton Tory
August 1780 Henry Simpson Bridgeman
September 1780 Hon. Horatio Walpole Tory
1782 John Cotes Tory
1784 Orlando Bridgeman [mpnotes 1] Tory
1800 George Gunning
1802 John Hodson Tory Sir Robert Holt Leigh Tory
1820 James Alexander Hodson Tory Lord Lindsay Tory
1825 Lieutenant-Colonel James Lindsay Tory
March 1831 John Hodson Kearsley Tory
May 1831 Ralph Thicknesse Whig
1832 Richard Potter Whig
1835 John Hodson Kearsley Conservative
1837 Charles Strickland Standish Whig
1839 William Ewart Radical
1841 Peter Greenall Conservative Thomas Bright Crosse [mpnotes 2] Conservative
1842 Charles Strickland Standish Whig
1845 Hon. James Lindsay Conservative
1847 Ralph Anthony Thicknesse Whig
1854 Joseph Acton Whig
1857 Francis Sharp Powell Conservative Henry Woods Whig
1859 Hon. James Lindsay Conservative Liberal
1866 Nathaniel Eckersley Conservative
1868 John Lancaster Liberal
1874 Lord Lindsay Conservative Thomas Knowles Conservative
1881 Francis Powell [mpnotes 3] Conservative
1881 Writ suspended following corrupt election - seat vacant
December 1882 Hon. Algernon Egerton Conservative
1883 Nathaniel Eckersley Conservative
1885 Representation reduced to one member

MPs since 1885

Election Member[8] Party
1885 Sir Francis Powell Conservative
1910 (January) Henry Twist Labour
1910 (December) Reginald James Neville Conservative
1918 John Parkinson Labour
1942 by-election William Foster Labour
1948 by-election Ronald Williams Labour
1958 by-election Alan Fitch Labour
1983 Roger Stott Labour
1999 by-election Neil Turner Labour
2010 Lisa Nandy Labour

Notes

  1. ↑ The Honourable Orlando Bridgeman from 1796
  2. ↑ On petition, the election of Crosse was declared void and after scrutiny of the votes his opponent, Standish, was declared duly elected.
  3. ↑ On petition, Powell's election was declared void and the writ was suspended. The following year a new writ was issued and a by-election was held

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Wigan[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lisa Nandy 23,625 52.2 +3.7
Conservative Caroline Kerswell 9,389 20.7 -4.0
UKIP Mark Bradley 8,818 19.5 +13.8
Green Will Patterson 1,273 2.8 +2.8
Liberal Democrat Mark Clayton 1,255 2.8 -12.6
Wigan Independents Gareth Fairhurst 768 1.7 +1.7
Independent Brian Parr 165 0.4 +0.4
Majority 14,236 31.4 +7.6
Turnout 45,293 59.5 +1.1
Labour hold Swing
General Election 2010: Wigan[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lisa Nandy 21,404 48.5 −9.6
Conservative Michael Winstanley 10,917 24.7 +5.8
Liberal Democrat Mark Clayton 6,797 15.4 −1.5
UKIP Alan Freeman 2,516 5.7 +2.3
BNP Charles Mather[13] 2,506 5.7 N/A
Majority 10,487 23.8 -10.5
Turnout 44,140 58.4 +6.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Wigan[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Turner 18,901 55.1 −6.6
Conservative John Coombes 7,134 20.8 0.0
Liberal Democrat Denise Capstick 6,051 17.7 +2.9
UKIP John Whittaker 1,166 3.4 N/A
Community Action Kevin Williams 1,026 3.0 N/A
Majority 11,767 34.3
Turnout 34,278 53.3 +0.8
Labour hold Swing 3.3
General Election 2001: Wigan[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Turner 20,739 61.7 −6.8
Conservative Mark Page 6,996 20.8 +3.9
Liberal Democrat Trevor Beswick 4,970 14.8 +4.8
Socialist Alliance Dave Lowe 886 2.6 N/A
Majority 13,743 40.9
Turnout 33,591 52.5 −15.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

Wigan by-election, 1999
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Turner 9,641 59.6 −9.0
Conservative Tom Peet 2,912 18.0 +1.1
Liberal Democrat Jonathan Rule 2,148 13.3 +3.3
UKIP John Whittaker 834 5.2 N/A
Socialist Labour William Kelly 240 1.5 N/A
Green Chris Maile 190 1.2 +0.2
National Democrats Stephen Ebbs 100 0.6 N/A
Natural Law Paul Davis 64 0.4 +0.2
Independent David Braid 58 0.4 N/A
Majority 6,729
Turnout 25
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1997: Wigan[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Stott 30,043 68.6 +5.6
Conservative Mark A. Loveday 7,400 16.9 −6.7
Liberal Democrat Trevor R. Beswick 4,390 10.0 −1.0
Referendum Anthony Bradborne 1,450 3.3 N/A
Green Christopher Maile 442 1.0 N/A
Natural Law William J. Ayliffe 94 0.2 −0.2
Majority 22,643 51.7
Turnout 43,819 67.7
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Wigan[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Stott 34,910 63.0 +1.5
Conservative Edward J.W. Hess 13,068 23.6 −0.9
Liberal Democrat George Davies 6,111 11.0 −3.0
Liberal Kevin Joseph White 1,116 2.0 −12.0
Natural Law Mrs Annie B. Tayler 197 0.4 N/A
Majority 21,842 39.4 +2.3
Turnout 55,402 76.2 −0.4
Labour hold Swing +1.2

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987:Wigan[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Stott 33,955 61.5
Conservative Kenneth Robinson Wade 13,493 24.5
Liberal Kevin Joseph White 7,732 14.0
Majority 20,462 37.1
Turnout 55,179 76.6
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Wigan[21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Stott 29,859 54.55
Liberal John Piggott 12,554 22.94
Conservative Henry Cadman 12,320 22.51
Majority 17,305 31.62
Turnout 54,734 75.61
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

[23]

General Election 1979: Wigan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Fitch 26,144 59.77
Conservative T Peet 13,149 30.06
Liberal K Bruce 4,102 9.38
Workers Revolutionary A Smith 348 0.8
Majority 12,995 29.71
Turnout 43,742 74.11
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Wigan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Fitch 27,692 65.77
Conservative PM Beard 8,865 21.05
Liberal J Campbell 5,548 13.18
Majority 18,827 44.71
Turnout 42,105 73.98
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Wigan[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Fitch 30,485 71.28
Conservative P Beard 12,283 28.72
Majority 18,202 42.56
Turnout 42,766 75.84
Labour hold Swing +3.0
General Election 1970[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Fitch 28,102 67.46
Conservative A Daniels 12,882 30.92
Communist J Kay 672 1.61
Majority 15,220 36.54
Turnout 41,655 72.27
Labour hold Swing +1.2

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Wigan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Fitch 28,754 72.85 +3.43
Conservative M Kingston 9,876 25.01 -3.21
Communist Mick Weaver 858 2.17 -0.22
Majority 18,878 47.81
Turnout 42,766 75.84
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Fitch 28,640 69.39 +3.05
Conservative I K Paley 11,648 28.22 -3.40
Communist Mick Weaver 988 2.39 +0.35
Majority 16,992 41.17
Turnout 79.40
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Fitch 30,664 66.34 +1.94
Conservative J J Hodgson 14,615 31.62 -0.59
Communist M Weaver 945 2.04 -1.35
Majority 16,049 34.72
Turnout 83.81
Labour hold Swing
Wigan by-election, 1958
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Fitch 27,415 70.96 +6.56
Conservative J Hodgson 10,248 26.53 -5.68
Communist M Weaver 972 2.52 -0.87
Majority 17,167
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Williams 29,755 64.40 -2.51
Conservative H D Lowe 14,883 32.21 -0.88
Communist T Rowlandson 1,567 3.39 N/A
Majority 14,872 32.19
Turnout 80.25
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1951
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Williams 34,530 66.91 +4.39
Conservative D C Walls 17,078 33.09 +3.05
Majority 17,452 33.82
Turnout 87.00
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Williams 32,746 62.52 -5.64
Conservative H Dowling 15,733 30.04 -1.80
Liberal Ian Stevenson Webster 2,651 5.06 N/A
Communist T Rowlandson 1,243 2.37 N/A
Majority 17,013 32.48
Turnout 89.27
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

Wigan by-election, 1948
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Williams 28,941 59.1
Conservative Harold Dowling 17,466 35.6
Communist T Rowlandson 1,647 3.7
King's Cavalier Owen L Roberts 932 1.6
Majority 11,475 23.4
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

}

General Election 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Foster 31,392 68.16
Conservative E C L Hubert-Powell 14,666 31.84
Majority 16,726 36.32
Turnout 80.41
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

}

General Election 1935
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Parkinson 27,950 61.30
Conservative R Grant-Ferris 17,646 38.70
Majority 10,304 22.60
Turnout 81.74
Labour hold Swing

}

General Election 1931
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Parkinson 23,544 51.10
Conservative G D Roberts 22,526 48.90
Majority 1,018 2.21
Turnout 84.24
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Wigan [26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Allen Parkinson 27,462 58.5
Unionist E Barlow 18,144 38.7
Communist F Bright 1,307 2.8 n/a
Majority 9,318 19.8
Turnout 46,913
Labour hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ↑ A county 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.
  3. ↑ Exceptions were the twenty-three borough constituencies, the City of London and the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin
  4. ↑ See UK Coal
References
  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2010 post-revision map Greater London and metropolitan areas of England
  3. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)[self-published source][better source needed]
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ The BNP Announces Candidates for Makerfield, Leigh and Wigan
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge87/i21.htm
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge83/i21.htm
  23. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge79/i21.htm
  24. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge74a/i21.htm
  25. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge70/i21.htm
  26. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

Sources

  • Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
  • D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
  • Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) [2]
  • F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
  • Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988)
  • J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
  • Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig - Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)

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