# Preston North (UK Parliament constituency)

Preston North was a parliamentary constituency in Lancashire, which 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 by division of the former two-seat Preston constituency, and abolished for the 1983 general election. Some of the constituency's former territory was then incorporated within a new single-seat Preston constituency, and parts of Preston North became elements within Fylde and Ribble Valley.
The modern Preston is a safe seat for Labour, but historically Preston North was one of the most marginal constituencies in the country.

## Boundaries

1950–1974: The County Borough of Preston wards of Deepdale, Fishwick, Moorbrook, Park, and Ribbleton, and the Urban District of Fulwood.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Preston wards of Deepdale, Fishwick, Moorbrook, Park, St Matthew's, and Ribbleton, and the Urban District of Fulwood. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1950 | Julian Amery | Conservative |
| 1966 | Ronald Atkins | Labour |
| 1970 | Mary Holt | Conservative |
| Feb 1974 | Ronald Atkins | Labour |
| 1979 | Robert Atkins | Conservative |
| 1983 | constituency abolished: see Preston | constituency abolished: see Preston |
* Ronald Atkins (Labour) and Robert Atkins (Conservative) are unrelated.

## Election results
### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julian Amery | 21,880 | 48.4 | |
| | Labour | Samuel Segal | 20,950 | 46.3 | |
| | Liberal | Charles Joseph Hemelryk | 2,012 | 4.5 | |
| | Communist | Pat Devine | 366 | 0.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 930 | 2.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,208 | 86.8 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1951: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julian Amery | 23,598 | 51.2 | +2.8 |
| | Labour | Thomas Hourigan | 22,490 | 48.8 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,108 | 2.3 | +0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,088 | 87.5 | +0.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julian Amery | 22,310 | 53.5 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | Edgar Hewitt | 19,407 | 46.5 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,903 | 7.0 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,717 | 81.4 | −6.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julian Amery | 23,990 | 55.1 | +1.6 |
| | Labour | Arthur Davidson | 19,529 | 44.9 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,461 | 10.2 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,519 | 83.4 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julian Amery | 20,566 | 50.0 | −5.1 |
| | Labour | Russell Kerr | 20,552 | 50.0 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14 | 0.0 | −10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,118 | 78.7 | −4.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ronald Atkins | 21,539 | 53.0 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | Julian Amery | 19,121 | 47.0 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,418 | 6.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,140 | 81.1 | +2.4 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mary Holt | 20,102 | 50.6 | +3.6 |
| | Labour | Ronald Atkins | 17,140 | 43.2 | −9.8 |
| | Liberal | Derrick Trevor Jones | 2,458 | 6.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,962 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,655 | 76.9 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ronald Atkins | 16,797 | 41.5 | −1.7 |
| | Conservative | Mary Holt | 16,542 | 40.9 | −9.7 |
| | Liberal | Gordon Payne | 7,099 | 17.6 | +11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 255 | 0.63 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,885 | 79.4 | +2.5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ronald Atkins | 18,044 | 45.8 | +4.3 |
| | Conservative | Mary Holt | 16,260 | 41.3 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal | Gordon Payne | 4,948 | 12.6 | −5.0 |
| | More Prosperous Britain | Harold Smith | 138 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,784 | 4.53 | +3.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,369 | 76.7 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Preston North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Atkins | 18,632 | 46.3 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | Ronald Atkins | 18,603 | 46.2 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal | Michael Paul Braham | 2,715 | 6.7 | −5.9 |
| | National Front | John Farran Hetherington | 329 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29 | 0.07 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,756 | 77.8 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |