Preston South
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Preston South in Lancashire, showing boundaries used from 1974-1983
CountyLancashire
Major settlementsPreston
1950–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromPreston
Replaced byPreston and South Ribble

Preston South was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Preston in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created by the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election. From the 1983 election onwards, the areas covered by Preston South were moved to Preston and South Ribble.

Boundaries

1950–1964: The County Borough of Preston wards of Ashton, Avenham, Christ Church, Maudland, St. John's, St. Peters, and Trinity, and the urban district of Walton-le-Dale.[1]

1964–1974: The County Borough of Preston wards of Ashton, Avenham, Central, St. John's, Savick, and Tulketh, and the urban district of Walton-le-Dale.[2]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1950 Edward Shackleton Labour
1955 Alan Green Conservative
1964 Peter Mahon Labour
1970 Alan Green Conservative
Feb 1974 Stan Thorne Labour
1983 constituency abolished: see Preston

Election results

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edward Shackleton 22,716 50.2 N/A
Conservative Neil McLean 22,567 49.8 N/A
Majority 149 0.4 N/A
Turnout 45,283 85.3 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1951: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edward Shackleton 22,760 50.0 ―0.2
Conservative Neil McLean 22,744 50.0 +0.2
Majority 16 0.0 ―0.4
Turnout 45,504 86.5 +1.2
Labour hold Swing ―0.2
General election 1955: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Green 21,497 50.6 +0.6
Labour Edward Shackleton 21,023 49.4 ―0.6
Majority 474 1.2 N/A
Turnout 42,520 81.9 ―4.6
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +0.6
General election 1959: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Green 21,954 53.7 +3.1
Labour Tom Bradley 18,935 46.3 ―3.1
Majority 3,019 7.4 +6.2
Turnout 40,889 82.1 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing +3.1

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Mahon 19,352 50.5 +4.2
Conservative Alan Green 19,004 49.6 ―4.1
Majority 348 0.9 N/A
Turnout 38,356 78.8 ―3.3
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.2
General election 1966: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Mahon 20,720 53.6 +3.1
Conservative Alan Green 17,931 46.4 ―3.2
Majority 2,789 7.2 +6.3
Turnout 38,651 80.0 +1.2
Labour hold Swing +3.2

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Green 20,480 51.7 +5.3
Labour Peter Mahon 19,149 48.3 ―5.3
Majority 1,331 3.4 N/A
Turnout 39,629 75.9 ―4.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +5.3
General election February 1974: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Thorne 17,354 42.5 ―5.8
Conservative Alan Green 15,467 37.9 ―13.8
Liberal Ronald Philip Marshall 7,974 19.6 New
Majority 1,887 4.6 N/A
Turnout 40,795 79.8 +3.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.0
General election October 1974: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Thorne 18,449 46.9 +4.4
Conservative Alan Green 14,700 37.4 ―0.5
Liberal Ronald Philip Marshall 5,456 13.9 ―5.7
National Front Edward Victor Harrison 663 1.7 New
More Prosperous Britain Harold Smith 87 0.2 New
Majority 3,749 9.5 +4.9
Turnout 39,355 76.4 ―3.4
Labour hold Swing +2.5
General election 1979: Preston South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Thorne 17,810 44.5 ―2.4
Conservative Brian Hugh Tetlow 17,189 43.0 +5.6
Liberal Ronald Philip Marshall 4,625 11.6 ―2.3
National Front Michael Sydney Carl Gibson 258 0.7 ―1.0
Workers Revolutionary Victor Anthony Stephens 116 0.3 New
Majority 621 1.5 ―8.0
Turnout 39,998 77.2 +0.8
Labour hold Swing ―4.0

References

  1. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 27 October 2023
  2. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Preston South and South Fylde) Order 1955. SI 1960/461". Statutory Instruments 1960. Part III. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1961. pp. 2878–2879.
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