Ince (UK Parliament constituency)

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Ince
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Lancashire
Major settlements Ince-in-Makerfield, Abram
18851970
Created from South West Lancashire
19701983
Type of constituency Borough constituency
Replaced by Makerfield

Ince was a parliamentary constituency in England which elected one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It comprised the town of Ince-in-Makerfield and other towns south of Wigan.

It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as a division of the parliamentary county of Lancashire. The boundaries were altered in 1918 and 1950, and in 1970 it was redesignated as a borough constituency.[1]

The constituency ceased to exist with the implementation of the 1983 boundary changes and was largely replaced by the Makerfield Parliamentary constituency.

Boundaries

1885–1918

The constituency, officially designated as South-West Lancashire, Ince Division consisted of parishes surrounding, but not including, the town of Wigan, namely:

The electorate also included the freeholders of the municipal borough of Wigan who were entitled to vote in the county.[2]

1918–1950

The Representation of the People Act 1918 reorganised constituencies throughout the United Kingdom. Boundaries were adjusted and seats were defined in terms of the districts created by the Local Government Act 1894. According to the schedules of the Act, the Lancashire, Ince Division comprised:[3]

1950–1983

The Representation of the People Act 1948 redistributed parliamentary seats, with the constituencies first being used in the general election of 1950. The term "county constituency" was introduced in place of "division". Ince County Constituency was redefined as consisting of seven urban districts:[4]

  • Abram
  • Ashton in Makerfield
  • Billinge & Winstanley
  • Ince-in-Makerfield
  • Orrell
  • Skelmersdale
  • Upholland

The changes reflected local government boundary changes that had taken place, and the renaming of Billinge UD as "Billinge and Winstanley" in 1924. Standish with Langtree and Shevington were transferred to the Westhoughton county constituency. Skelmersdale and Upholland had previously formed part of the Ormskirk division.[1]

The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 altered the seat's name to Ince Borough Constituency. The constituency was defined as consisting of six urban districts: Abram, Ashton in Makerfield, Billinge & Winstanley, Ince-in-Makerfield, Orrell, and Skelmersdale & Holland. Skelmersdale and Upholland urban districts had been amalgamated in 1968, and the 1970 boundaries were the same as those of 1950.[1][5]

Abolition

The constituency was abolished by the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983, which redrew constituencies based on the new counties and districts created in 1974. Most of the area (Abram, Orrell and Winstanley) was included in the Makerfield County Constituency, in the parliamentary county of Greater Manchester. Ashton in Makerfield and Billinge was divided between Makerfield Constituency, in Greater Manchester, and St Helens North Borough Constituency in Merseyside; Skelmersdale & Upholland formed part of West Lancashire County Constituency.[6]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1885 Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell Conservative
1892 Samuel Woods Lib-Lab
1895 Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell Conservative
1906 Stephen Walsh Labour
1929 Gordon Macdonald Labour
1942 by-election Thomas James Brown Labour
1964 Michael McGuire Labour
1983 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1923: Ince [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Walsh 17,365
Unionist Rachel Mary Parsons 6,262
Majority 11,103
Turnout
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1929: Ince [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Macdonald 26,091 73.8
Unionist John Bankes Walmsley 9,260 26.2
Majority 16,831 47.6
Turnout 35,351
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Ince[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Macdonald 26,334 72.6
Conservative H Ryan 9,928 27.4
Majority 16,406 45.2
Turnout 36,262 77.3

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Ince[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas James Brown 28,702 74.4
Conservative Captain Robert Edward Peter Cecil 9,875 25.6
Majority 18,827 48.8
Turnout 79.0

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1950: Ince[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas James Brown 32,145 71.8
Conservative JG Scott 12,612 28.2
Majority 19,533 28.2
Turnout 88.7
General Election 1951: Ince[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas James Brown 32,148 72.3
Conservative JA Porter 12,305 27.7
Majority 19,843 44.6
Turnout 87.0
General Election 1955: Ince[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas James Brown 29,830 72.7
Conservative GL Beaman 11,183 27.3
Majority 18,647 45.5
Turnout 81.0
General Election 1959: Ince[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas James Brown 30,752 72.3
Conservative Walter Clegg 11,795 27.7
Majority 18,957 44.6
Turnout 83.0

Election in the 1960s

General Election 1964: Ince[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 31,042 72.0
Conservative FH Goodhart 12,077 28.0
Majority 18,965 44.0
Turnout 79.6
General Election 1966: Ince[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 30,915 73.6
Conservative J Birch 11,075 26.4
Majority 19,840 47.3
Turnout 75.4

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1970: Ince[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 32,295 68.5
Conservative A Coupe 14,877 31.5
Majority 17,418 31.5
Turnout 70.7
General Election February 1974: Ince[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 39,822 70.0
Conservative J Dyson 17,063 30.0
Majority 22,759 40.0
Turnout 74.4
General Election October 1974: Ince[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 35,453 63.5
Conservative J Dyson 11,923 21.4
Liberal J Gibb 8,436 15.1
Majority 23,530 42.2
Turnout 72.4
General Election May 1979: Ince[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McGuire 34,599 56.2
Conservative P. Brown 20,263 32,9
Liberal J. Gibb 6,294 10.2
Workers Revolutionary J. Simons 442 0.7
Majority 14,336 23.3
Turnout 74.2
Labour hold Swing

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Youngs, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Volume 2
  2. Seventh Schedule: Counties at Large: Number of Members and Names and Contents of Divisions, Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, (1885 c.23)
  3. Ninth Schedule - Part II, Parliamentary Counties: England, excluding Monmouthshire, Representation of the People Act 1918 (1918 c.64)
  4. First Schedule: Parliamentary Constituencies, Representation of The People Act 1948, (1948 c.65)
  5. The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 No. 1674)
  6. Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983 No. 417)
  7. The Liberal Year Book, 1930
  8. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  9. UK General Election results: November 1935 Politics Resources
  10. UK General Election results: July 1945 Politics Resources
  11. UK General Election results: February 1950 Politics Resources
  12. UK General Election results: October 1951 Politics Resources
  13. UK General Election results: May 1955 Politics Resources
  14. UK General Election results: October 1959 Politics Resources
  15. UK General Election results: October 1964 Politics Resources
  16. UK General Election results: March 1966 Politics Resources
  17. UK General Election results: June 1970 Politics Resources
  18. UK General Election results: February 1974 Politics Resources
  19. UK General Election results: October 1974 Politics Resources
  20. UK General Election results: May 1979 Politics Resources

Sources