Morecambe and Lunesdale (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Morecambe and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency).

Morecambe and Lunesdale is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since the 2024 general election by Lizzi Collinge for Labour.^{[n 2]}

Morecambe and Lunesdale
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Morecambe and Lunesdale in North West England
County	Lancashire, Cumbria
Electorate	76,040 (2023)[1]
Major settlements	Morecambe, Heysham, Carnforth, Sedbergh and Arnside
Current constituency
Created	1950
Member of Parliament	Lizzi Collinge (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Lonsdale

Constituency profile

From 1979 to 2019 the constituency was a bellwether constituency. At that time it included the north bank of the City of Lancaster, which is largely Skerton, as well as the seaside town of Morecambe and many villages. This seat brought together northern semi-rural reaches of Lancashire bisected by the M6, including seaside Silverdale and Carnforth near the Cumbria border, the seaside resort of Morecambe and the nuclear power station/ferry port village of Heysham which provides a direct east–west service to Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland. Separating Morecambe from Lancaster is a narrow belt of parkland, houses and the White Lund industrial estate.^[2]

The changes for the 2024 general election removed Skerton and added areas from Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria to the north of the constituency.^[3]

Boundaries

Historic

Map of boundaries before 2023 changes

Before 1950, Morecambe was in the Lancaster constituency. This seat was formerly Morecambe and Lonsdale and gained a new name and redrawn boundaries in 1983. For the general election of that year, sections of the constituency were removed to be united with the former county of Westmorland in the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency. For the 1983 election the electoral wards used in the creation of the new seat were:

• Alexandra, Arkholme, Bolton-le-Sands, Carnforth, Halton-with-Aughton, Harbour, Heysham Central, Heysham North, Kellet, Overton, Parks, Poulton, Silverdale, Slyne-with-Hest, Torrisholme, Victoria and Walton^[4]

In boundary changes which came into effect for the 2010 election, only minor adjustments were made. Parliament approved the recommendations in the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies in respect of this area, enacting only minor boundary alterations. The constituency had City of Lancaster electoral wards:

• Bolton-le-Sands, Carnforth, Halton-with-Aughton, Harbour, Heysham Central, Heysham North, Heysham South, Kellet, Overton, Poulton, Silverdale, Skerton East, Skerton West, Slyne-with-Hest, Torrisholme, Upper Lune Valley, Warton and Westgate.

Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the composition of the constituency was defined as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):^[5][6]

City of Lancaster wards:

• Bare
• Bolton & Slyne
• Carnforth & Millhead
• Halton-with-Aughton
• Harbour (Morecambe)
• Heysham Central
• Heysham North
• Heysham South
• Kellet
• Lower Lune Valley
• Overton
• Poulton (Morecambe)
• Silverdale
• Torrisholme
• Upper Lune Valley
• Warton
• Westgate (Morecambe)

Wards of the former South Lakeland district, now in Westmorland and Furness:

• Arnside & Milnthorpe
• Burton & Crooklands
• Sedbergh & Kirkby Lonsdale

The three South Lakeland wards were transferred from Westmorland and Lonsdale, partly offset by the community of Skerton going to the re-established seat of Lancaster and Wyre.

With effect from 1 April 2023, the District of South Lakeland was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness.^[7] Also a local government boundary review was carried out in the City of Lancaster which came into effect in May 2023.^[8][9] Accordingly, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

• The City of Lancaster wards of: Bare; Bolton & Slyne; Carnforth & Millhead; Halton-with-Aughton & Kellet; Heysham Central; Heysham North; Heysham South; Lower Lune Valley; Overton; Poulton; Silverdale; Torrisholme; Upper Lune Valley; Warton; West End; Westgate; and a small part of Skerton.
• The Westmorland and Furness wards of: Burton and Holme; Kendal South (part); Kent Estuary; Levens and Crooklands (part); Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale (majority).^[10]

The revised constituency is made up of parts of: the previous Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency (35.1% by area and 76.3% by population of the new seat); Westmorland and Lonsdale, which still exists with revised boundaries (46.5% by area and 18.9% by population); and the former Lancaster and Fleetwood (18.4% by area and 4.8% by population).^[11]

History

Since its creation in 1983, the Morecambe and Lunesdale can be regarded as a bellwether seat, changing hands with a change of government. Once a safe Conservative area, Morecambe followed its neighbour and fellow seaside town, Blackpool, by voting Labour in the 1997 general election. The results in the general elections of 1997, 2001 and 2005 had remarkably similar majorities with virtually no swing to the Conservatives. The Conservatives gained the seat at the 2010 general election with an above average swing, and held it in 2015, 2017 and 2019. The notional 2019 result for the area, using the 2024 boundaries, was Conservative.^[12] In the 2024 general election the seat was won by Labour.^[13]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[14]	Party
	1950	constituency created as "Morecambe and Lonsdale"
	1950	Ian Fraser	Conservative
	1958 by-election	Basil de Ferranti	Conservative
	1964	Alfred Hall-Davis	Conservative
	1979	Mark Lennox-Boyd	Conservative
	1983	constituency renamed as "Morecambe and Lunesdale" after boundary changes
	1983	Mark Lennox-Boyd	Conservative
	1997	Geraldine Smith	Labour
	2010	David Morris	Conservative
	2024	Lizzi Collinge	Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[15][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Lizzi Collinge	19,603	40.8	+12.7
	Conservative	David Morris	13,788	28.7	−24.9
	Reform UK	Barry Parsons	7,810	16.3	+15.9
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Jackson	4,769	9.9	−5.7
	Green	Gina Dowding	2,089	4.3	+3.0
Majority			5,815	12.1	N/A
Turnout			48,059	63.1	−4.1
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+18.8

Changes are from the notional results of the 2019 election on new 2024 boundaries.^[17]

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Morris	23,925	52.8	+5.1
	Labour	Lizzi Collinge	17,571	38.8	−5.8
	Liberal Democrats	Owen Lambert	2,328	5.1	+1.4
	Green	Chloe Buckley	938	2.1	+1.1
	Independent	Darren Clifford	548	1.2	New
Majority			6,354	14.0	+10.9
Turnout			45,310	67.2	−1.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.5

General election 2017: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Morris	21,773	47.7	+2.2
	Labour	Vikki Singleton	20,374	44.6	+9.7
	Liberal Democrats	Matthew Severn	1,699	3.7	±0.0
	UKIP	Robert Gillespie	1,333	2.9	−9.5
	Green	Cait Sinclair	478	1.0	−2.2
Majority			1,399	3.1	−7.5
Turnout			45,657	68.3	+3.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−3.8

See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Morecambe and Lunesdale

General election 2015: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[20][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Morris	19,691	45.5	+4.0
	Labour	Amina Lone	15,101	34.9	−4.6
	UKIP	Steven Ogden	5,358	12.4	+8.2
	Liberal Democrats	Matthew Severn	1,612	3.7	−9.6
	Green	Phil Chandler	1,395	3.2	+1.8
	Independent	Michael Dawson	85	0.2	New
Majority			4,590	10.6	+8.6
Turnout			43,242	65.0	+2.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.3

General election 2010: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Morris	18,035	41.5	+4.2
	Labour	Geraldine Smith	17,169	39.5	−9.5
	Liberal Democrats	Les Jones	5,791	13.3	−0.3
	UKIP	Nigel Brown	1,843	4.2	New
	Green	Chris Coates	598	1.4	New
Majority			866	2.0	−9.5
Turnout			43,436	62.1	+0.7
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	−6.9

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Geraldine Smith	20,331	48.8	−0.8
	Conservative	James Airey	15,563	37.4	+0.1
	Liberal Democrats	Alex Stone	5,741	13.8	+4.6
Majority			4,768	11.4	−0.9
Turnout			41,635	61.4	+0.3
	Labour hold		Swing	−0.4

General election 2001: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Geraldine Smith	20,646	49.6	+0.7
	Conservative	David Nuttall	15,554	37.3	+0.6
	Liberal Democrats	Christopher Cotton	3,817	9.2	−2.2
	UKIP	Greg Beaman	935	2.2	New
	Green	Cherith Adams	703	1.7	New
Majority			5,092	12.3	+0.1
Turnout			41,655	61.1	−11.2
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.65

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Geraldine Smith	24,061	48.9
	Conservative	Mark Lennox-Boyd	18,096	36.7
	Liberal Democrats	June Greenwell	5,614	11.4
	Referendum	Ian Ogilvie	1,313	2.7	New
	Natural Law	David Walne	165	0.3
Majority			5,965	12.2	N/A
Turnout			49,249	72.3
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	16.2

General election 1992: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[26][27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Lennox-Boyd	22,507	50.9	−1.8
	Labour	Jean Yates	10,998	24.9	+2.4
	Liberal Democrats	Anthony Saville	9,584	21.7	−3.2
	MB Independent	Mark Turner	916	2.1	New
	Natural Law	Richard Marriott	205	0.5	New
Majority			11,509	26.0	−1.8
Turnout			44,210	78.3	+2.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.1

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Lennox-Boyd	22,327	52.7	−3.9
	SDP	June Greenwell	10,542	24.9	−0.3
	Labour	David Smith	9,535	22.5	+4.8
Majority			11,785	27.8	−3.6
Turnout			42,404	76.1	+3.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1983: Morecambe and Lunesdale^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Lennox-Boyd	21,968	56.6
	SDP	Tom Clare	9,774	25.2
	Labour	Abbott Bryning	6,882	17.7
	Independent	Irene Woods	208	0.5
Majority			12,194	31.4
Turnout			38,832	72.9
	Conservative win (new seat)

Morecambe and Lonsdale election results, 1950–79

Further information: Morecambe and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Cumbria
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Lancashire

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.