Wyre and Preston North (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Preston North (UK Parliament constituency).

Wyre and Preston North was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 2010, it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.

Wyre and Preston North
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Wyre and Preston North in Lancashire
Location of Lancashire within England
County	Lancashire
Electorate	71,612 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements	Thornton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Garstang, St Michael's On Wyre, Catterall, Fulwood
2010–2024
Seats	One
Created from	Ribble Valley, Lancaster and Wyre
Replaced by	Blackpool North and Fleetwood, Lancaster and Wyre

It was formed from parts of the Ribble Valley, Fylde, and Lancaster and Wyre constituencies.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. Subject to moderate boundary changes, with its area being split between five other constituencies, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.^[2][3]

The seat's only MP was Ben Wallace of the Conservative Party, former Secretary of State for Defence. He announced in 2023 that he would not seek re-election at the 2024 general election.^[4]

Boundaries

Map of boundaries 2010-2024

Wyre and Preston North was created as the sixteenth seat of the county of Lancashire by the Boundary Commission for England prior to the 2010 general election. It contained the Fulwood and rural areas of Preston and many small towns and villages of Wyre.

The seat contained the Wyre towns of Poulton-le-Fylde, Garstang, St Michael's On Wyre, Catterall and parts of Thornton. From Preston are added the suburban Fulwood area and the rural parishes such as Woodplumpton, Barton, Broughton, Goosnargh and Grimsargh. The electoral wards used in the creation are:

• From Preston: Cadley, College, Garrison, Greyfriars, Preston Rural East, Preston Rural North, Sharoe Green
• From Wyre: Breck, Brock, Cabus, Calder, Carleton, Catterall, Garstang, Great Eccleston, Hambleton and Stalmine-with-Staynall, Hardhorn, High Cross, Norcross, Staina, Tithebarn.

Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election, with parts distributed between five neighbouring constituencies:^[2]

• Garstang and surrounding rural areas to Lancaster and Fleetwood (to be renamed Lancaster and Wyre)
• The area comprising parts of the community of Thornton to Blackpool North and Cleveleys (to be renamed Blackpool North and Fleetwood)
• Poulton-le-Fylde to the constituency of Fylde
• Rural areas to the north of Preston and central areas of Fulwood to Ribble Valley
• Outer areas of Fulwood to Preston

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[5]	Party
	2010	Ben Wallace	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Wyre and Preston North^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ben Wallace	31,589	59.7	+1.4
	Labour	Joanne Ainscough	14,808	28.0	―7.0
	Liberal Democrats	John Potter	4,463	8.4	+3.6
	Green	Ruth Norbury	1,729	3.3	+1.5
	Independent	David Ragozzino	335	0.6	New
Majority			16,781	31.7	+8.4
Turnout			52,924	70.4	―2.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.2

General election 2017: Wyre and Preston North^[7][8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ben Wallace	30,684	58.3	+5.1
	Labour	Michelle Heaton-Bentley	18,438	35.0	+10.2
	Liberal Democrats	John Potter	2,551	4.8	―0.6
	Green	Ruth Norbury	973	1.8	―1.6
Majority			12,246	23.3	―5.1
Turnout			52,646	72.8	+2.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2015: Wyre and Preston North^[9][10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ben Wallace	26,528	53.2	+0.8
	Labour	Ben Whittingham	12,377	24.8	+3.5
	UKIP	Kate Walsh	6,577	13.2	+8.4
	Liberal Democrats	John Potter	2,712	5.4	―16.1
	Green	Anne Power	1,699	3.4	New
Majority			14,151	28.4	―2.5
Turnout			49,893	70.6	―1.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2010: Wyre and Preston North^[11][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ben Wallace	26,877	52.4	+10.4
	Liberal Democrats	Danny Gallagher	11,033	21.5	+5.4
	Labour	Cat Smith	10,932	21.3	―5.9
	UKIP	Nigel Cecil	2,466	4.8	+2.7
Majority			15,844	30.9
Turnout			51,308	72.1	+8.8
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Lancashire