Bury North | |
---|---|
Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Greater Manchester |
Population | 87,218 (2011 UK Census) [1] |
Electorate | 67,911 (December 2010) [2] |
Major settlements | Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1983 |
Member of Parliament | James Daly (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Rossendale (part) Bury & Radcliffe (part) |
Bury North is a borough constituency in Greater Manchester, created in 1983 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. With a Conservative majority of 105 votes, it is the most marginal constituency for a sitting MP in the United Kingdom as of the 2019 general election.
Bury North is a marginal seat between Labour and the Conservatives, and a bellwether constituency throughout most of its existence — the winner of the seat has tended to win the general election, with 2017 being an exceptional Labour gain, though it was subsequently regained by the Conservatives in 2019. In forerunner seats, the town of Bury did not have a Labour MP until 1964, since when Bury North has become reported on as an important marginal seat.
The 2010 Conservative win at Bury North was the Conservative Party's sole gain in Greater Manchester. The 2015 general election result was narrower, which produced the fifth-most marginal majority of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority. [3] The 2019 general election result made this the most marginal constituency in Great Britain, with a narrow majority of 105 votes. Only Sinn Fein's majority of 57 in Fermanagh and South Tyrone was lower in the UK, and as Sinn Fein members do not take their seats, Daly's majority is therefore the smallest for that of a sitting MP.
1983–2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Bury wards of Church, East, Elton, Moorside, Ramsbottom, Redvales, Tottington, and Unsworth.
2010–present: The Metropolitan Borough of Bury wards of Church, East, Elton, Moorside, North Manor, Ramsbottom, Redvales, and Tottington.
The constituency of Bury North covers the towns of Ramsbottom, Tottington and Bury. It was created in 1983 from parts of the former seats of Rossendale and Bury and Radcliffe. In those boundary changes Ramsbottom was transferred from Rossendale to Bury North, while with the loss of Ramsbottom, Rossendale was linked with Darwen. In 2010 the Unsworth area was transferred to Bury South.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range. This will be achieved by adding the Bury Borough ward of Radcliffe North (as it existed on 1 December 2020), to be transferred from Bury South. [4]
Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2022 [5] [6] , the constituency will now comprise the following wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury from the next general election:
Despite its name, Bury North includes the entirety of the town of Bury. A traditional Labour-Conservative marginal, Ramsbottom and Tottington are mostly Conservative, but in the case of Ramsbottom, not always overwhelmingly so, whereas the town of Bury itself (particularly the Bury East ward) is generally more favourable to Labour, with Elton being a marginal. Tottington, Church ward and the rural North Manor ward are safely Conservative, however Ramsbottom is now a Labour marginal, re-gained by the party in 2018. The 2011 Ramsbottom local election was famously a tie between the Labour and Conservative candidates, decided by drawing straws which Labour won and took control of the council.
The wards surrounding the town centre include some terraced and social housing and is ethnically diverse. The Bury town centre itself features two large sixth form colleges, the 'World Famous' market famed for Black Pudding as well as newer shopping and leisure developments such as The Rock. Tourist attractions include the East Lancashire Heritage Railway and Fusiliers Museum. North of Bury the area becomes more rural, approaching the provincial towns of Tottington and Ramsbottom, which are becoming increasingly desirable for Manchester commuters looking for quieter housing overlooking the West Pennines. Ramsbottom features Peel Monument, a tower on Holcombe Hill dedicated to former Conservative Prime Minister Robert Peel who was born in Bury. The tower is occasionally opened by volunteers, which offers views across Greater Manchester and as far out as Cheshire.
The constituency voted Leave in the 2016 referendum with a margin close to that of the national average at an estimated 54%. [8]
Election | Member [9] [10] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Alistair Burt | Conservative | |
1997 | David Chaytor | Labour | |
2010 | David Nuttall | Conservative | |
2017 | James Frith | Labour | |
2019 | James Daly | Conservative |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Daly [11] | ||||
Labour | James Frith [12] | ||||
Liberal Democrats | Mark Alcock [13] | ||||
Reform UK | Nick Harris [14] | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout | |||||
Swing | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Daly | 21,660 | 46.2 | 1.7 | |
Labour | James Frith | 21,555 | 46.0 | 7.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Gareth Lloyd-Johnson | 1,584 | 3.4 | 1.5 | |
Brexit Party | Alan McCarthy | 1,240 | 2.6 | New | |
Green | Charlie Allen | 802 | 1.8 | New | |
Majority | 105 | 0.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 46,841 | 68.1 | 2.8 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 4.7 | |||
This was the smallest Conservative majority at the 2019 general election. [16]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James Frith | 25,683 | 53.6 | 12.5 | |
Conservative | David Nuttall | 21,308 | 44.5 | 2.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Richard Baum | 912 | 1.9 | 0.2 | |
Majority | 4,375 | 9.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 47,903 | 70.9 | 4.0 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 5.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Nuttall | 18,970 | 41.9 | +1.7 | |
Labour | James Frith | 18,592 | 41.1 | +5.9 | |
UKIP | Ian Henderson | 5,595 | 12.4 | +9.5 | |
Green | John Southworth | 1,141 | 2.5 | New | |
Liberal Democrats | Richard Baum | 932 | 2.1 | −14.9 | |
Majority | 378 | 0.8 | −4.2 | ||
Turnout | 45,230 | 66.9 | −0.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Nuttall | 18,070 | 40.2 | +3.7 | |
Labour | Maryam Khan | 15,827 | 35.2 | −7.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Richard Baum | 7,645 | 17.0 | +1.9 | |
BNP | John Maude | 1,825 | 4.1 | +0.1 | |
UKIP | Stephen M. Evans | 1,282 | 2.9 | +1.8 | |
Independent | Bill Brison | 181 | 0.4 | New | |
Pirate | Graeme P. Lambert | 131 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 2,243 | 5.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 44,961 | 67.3 | +5.7 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +5.8 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | David Chaytor | 19,130 | 43.0 | −8.2 | |
Conservative | David Nuttall | 16,204 | 36.5 | −0.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Wilfred Davison | 6,514 | 14.7 | +2.6 | |
BNP | Stewart Clough | 1,790 | 4.0 | New | |
UKIP | Philip Silver | 476 | 1.1 | New | |
Socialist Labour | Ryan O'Neill | 172 | 0.4 | New | |
Veritas | Ian Upton | 153 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 2,926 | 6.5 | −8.1 | ||
Turnout | 44,439 | 61.5 | −1.5 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −4.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | David Chaytor | 22,945 | 51.2 | −0.6 | |
Conservative | John Walsh | 16,413 | 36.6 | −0.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Bryn Hackley | 5,430 | 12.1 | +3.9 | |
Majority | 6,532 | 14.6 | +0.3 | ||
Turnout | 44,788 | 63.0 | −14.8 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +0.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | David Chaytor | 28,523 | 51.8 | +10.2 | |
Conservative | Alistair Burt | 20,657 | 37.5 | −12.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Neville Kenyon | 4,536 | 8.2 | −0.3 | |
Referendum | Richard Hallewell | 1,337 | 2.4 | New | |
Majority | 7,866 | 14.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 55,053 | 77.8 | −7.0 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +11.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alistair Burt | 29,266 | 49.7 | −0.4 | |
Labour | Jim Dobbin | 24,502 | 41.6 | +3.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Colin McGrath | 5,010 | 8.5 | −3.6 | |
Natural Law | Michael Sullivan | 163 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 4,764 | 8.1 | −4.2 | ||
Turnout | 58,941 | 84.8 | +2.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alistair Burt | 28,097 | 50.1 | +4.6 | |
Labour | David Crausby | 21,186 | 37.8 | −2.4 | |
Liberal | David Vasmer | 6,804 | 12.1 | −2.3 | |
Majority | 6,911 | 12.3 | +7.0 | ||
Turnout | 56,087 | 82.5 | +2.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alistair Burt | 23,923 | 45.5 | ||
Labour | Frank White | 21,131 | 40.2 | ||
Liberal | Elisabeth Wilson | 7,550 | 14.4 | ||
Majority | 2,792 | 5.3 | |||
Turnout | 52,604 | 79.6 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Southampton, Itchen is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Royston Smith, a Conservative member of parliament. Discounting the Speaker returned in the early 1970s in two elections, local voters have elected the MP from only two parties alternately for various periods, with one party reaffiliation (defection) between elections when the Labour Party split in the 1980s.
Amber Valley is a constituency in Derbyshire, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Nigel Mills, a Conservative.
West Lancashire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Following the resignation of Labour MP Rosie Cooper on 30 November 2022, the seat was won by the party's candidate Ashley Dalton in the by-election held on 9 February 2023.
Bolton North East is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Mark Logan, a Conservative.
Bolton West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Chris Green, a Conservative.
Bury South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. At the 2019 General Election it was the 10th most marginal seat in the country, with a majority of 402 for the Conservative Party candidate Christian Wakeford. Wakeford defected to the Labour Party on 19 January 2022.
Southport is a constituency in Merseyside which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Damien Moore of the Conservative Party.
Brighton Kemptown is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Lloyd Russell-Moyle, a Labour Co-op MP. The seat is often referred to as Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven by local political parties, and will formally adopt that name following the next general election, thanks to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.
Wimbledon is a constituency in Greater London represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Since 2005, the seat has been held by Stephen Hammond of the Conservative Party.
Derby North is a constituency formed of part of the city of Derby, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Amanda Solloway, a Conservative.
North East Derbyshire is a constituency created in 1885 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Lee Rowley of the Conservative Party. This was the first time a Conservative candidate had been elected since 1935.
Stoke-on-Trent South is a constituency created in 1950, and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Jack Brereton, a Conservative. The local electorate returned a Labour MP in every election until 2017, when Brereton became its first Conservative MP. The seat is non-rural and in the upper valley of the Trent covering half of the main city of the Potteries, a major ceramics centre since the 17th century.
Telford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since May 2015 by Lucy Allan, a Conservative, who defeated David Wright, the former Labour Party MP for the seat.
Birmingham Northfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Gary Sambrook, a Conservative. It represents the southernmost part of the city of Birmingham.
Luton North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Sarah Owen, of the Labour Party.
Stevenage is a constituency in Hertfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Stephen McPartland, a member of the Conservative Party.
Putney is a constituency created in 1918. It is currently represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Fleur Anderson of the Labour Party. Putney was the only seat that Labour gained during the 2019 general election.
Tooting is a constituency created in 1974 in Greater London. It is represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2016 by Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan, a member of the Labour Party.
Chingford and Woodford Green is a constituency in North East London represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Sir Iain Duncan Smith of the Conservative Party since its creation in 1997.
Gillingham and Rainham is a constituency in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 creation by Rehman Chishti, a Conservative. It replaced the previous constituency of Gillingham.