Lancaster and Wyre (UK Parliament constituency)

53.898°N 2.8126°W / 53.898; -2.8126

Lancaster and Wyre
County constituency for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Boundary within North West England
County	Lancashire
Electorate	74,992 (2023)[1]
Major settlements	Lancaster, Poulton-le-Fylde, Garstang and Catterall
Current constituency
Created	2024
Member of Parliament	Cat Smith (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Lancaster and Fleetwood, Wyre and Preston North
1997–2010
Created from	Lancaster and Wyre
Replaced by	Lancaster and Fleetwood, Wyre and Preston North

Lancaster and Wyre is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since its recreation in 2024 by Cat Smith of Labour Party. The seat was originally established in 1997 but was replaced by Lancaster and Fleetwood from 2010 to 2024.

History

This seat was originally created for the 1997 general election and was abolished at the 2010 general election. It was a marginal seat between the Labour and Conservative parties throughout its existence, and was the only seat gained by the Conservatives in the North West in the 2005 general election.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election.^[2] Its boundaries are similar to those of the 1997–2010 version. The seat was won in 2024 for Labour by Cat Smith, who had been MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood from 2015 to 2024.

Boundaries

1997–2010

Map of boundaries 1997–2010

The City of Lancaster wards of Bulk, Castle, Caton, Ellel, John O'Gaunt, Scotforth East, and Scotforth West, and the Borough of Wyre wards of Breck, Brock, Calder, Carleton, Catterall, Duchy, Garstang, Hambleton, Hardhorn, High Cross, Norcross, Pilling, Preesall, Staina, Tithebarn, and Wyresdale.

The Boundary Commission for England's proposals for parliamentary constituencies in Lancashire were completed in 2006. They proposed to split this seat into two.^[3] As a result, Lancaster was attached to another part of Wyre borough, over the River Wyre to the fishing port of Fleetwood. The new seat of Lancaster and Fleetwood represents the first time the two places have been linked for parliamentary reasons for many years.

The other seat was the new Wyre and Preston North.^[3] This seat had never been created before, and the bringing together of Garstang, Thornton, Poulton-le-Fylde and the Fulwood and northern rural areas of Preston was unprecedented.

2024–present

Following to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the re-established constituency was composed of the following electoral wards:

• The City of Lancaster wards of Bowerham, Bulk, Castle, Ellel, John O'Gaunt, Marsh, Scale Hall, Scotforth East, Scotforth West, Skerton (part), and University.
• The Borough of Wyre wards of Brock with Catterall, Calder, Garstang, Great Eccleston, Hambleton & Stalmine, Pilling, Preesall, and Wyresdale.^[4]

The constituency replaces Lancaster and Fleetwood – excluding the town of Fleetwood. It has been expanded to include the community of Skerton, transferred from Morecambe and Lunesdale, together with Garstang and surrounding rural areas, previously part of the Wyre and Preston North constituency (now abolished).

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[5]	Party
	1997	Hilton Dawson	Labour
	2005	Ben Wallace	Conservative
	2010	constituency abolished: see Lancaster and Fleetwood and Wyre and Preston North
	2024	Cat Smith	Labour

Ben Wallace was selected to represent the Conservatives at the 2010 election in the successor seat of Wyre and Preston North.

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Lancaster and Wyre^[6][7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Cat Smith	19,315	44.9	+3.0
	Conservative	Peter Cartridge	10,062	23.4	−24.6
	Reform UK	Nigel Alderson	6,866	16.0	+14.2
	Green	Jack Lenox	5,236	12.2	+7.8
	Liberal Democrats	Matt Severn	1,529	3.6	−0.3
Majority			9,253	21.5	N/A
Turnout			43,008	58.0	−8.3
Registered electors			74,760
	Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Lancaster and Wyre^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ben Wallace	22,266	42.8	+0.6
	Labour	Anne Sacks	18,095	34.8	−8.3
	Liberal Democrats	Stuart Langhorn	8,453	16.2	+5.9
	Green	Jon Barry	2,278	4.4	+1.4
	UKIP	John Mander	969	1.9	+0.5
Majority			4,171	8.0	N/A
Turnout			52,061	64.5	−1.4
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

General election 2001: Lancaster and Wyre^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Hilton Dawson	22,556	43.1	+0.3
	Conservative	Steve Barclay	22,075	42.2	+1.6
	Liberal Democrats	Elizabeth Scott	5,383	10.3	−1.2
	Green	John Whitelegg	1,595	3.0	+1.7
	UKIP	John Whittaker	741	1.4	+0.2
Majority			481	0.9	−1.3
Turnout			52,350	65.9	−8.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Lancaster and Wyre^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Hilton Dawson	25,173	42.8	+9.7
	Conservative	Keith Mans	23,878	40.6	−11.6
	Liberal Democrats	John Humberstone	6,802	11.5	−2.4
	Referendum	Vivien Ivell	1,516	2.6	New
	Green	Jon Barry	795	1.3	New
	UKIP	John Whittaker	698	1.2	New
Majority			1,295	2.2
Turnout			58,862	74.8
	Labour win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Lancashire