# Westmorland and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)

Westmorland and Lonsdale is a constituency in the south of Cumbria, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Tim Farron, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats (2015–2017).
Westmorland and Lonsdale is the Liberal Democrats' longest continuously held seat in England, as the only English seat they have won in every election since 2005.

## Constituency profile

Created in 1983, the seat is named after the historic county of Westmorland and the Lancashire Hundred of Lonsdale, both of which extend beyond the bounds of the constituency. Important towns by size in the constituency include Kendal, Windermere and Appleby-in-Westmorland. This is one of a minority of rural seats where residents voted to Remain in the European Union in 2016.

## Boundaries
### Historic

1983–1997:
* The District of Eden wards of:
** Kirkby Stephen,
** Orton with Tebay,
** Ravenstonedale
** Shap
* and the District of South Lakeland wards of:
** Arnside,
** Beetham,
** Broughton,
** Burneside,
** Burton and Holme,
** Cartmel,
** Cartmel Fell,
** Colton and Haverthwaite,
** Coniston,
** Crake Valley,
** Endmoor,
** Grange,
** Hawkshead,
** Holker,
** Hutton,
** Kendal Castle,
** Kendal Far Cross,
** Kendal Fell,
** Kendal Glebelands,
** Kendal Heron Hill,
** Kendal Highgate,
** Kendal Mintsfeet,
** Kendal Nether,
** Kendal Oxenholme,
** Kendal Stonecross,
** Kendal Strickland,
** Kendal Underley,
** Kirkby Lonsdale,
** Lakes Ambleside,
** Lakes Grasmere,
** Levens,
** Lyth Valley,
** Milnthorpe,
** Sedbergh,
** Staveley-in-Westmorland,
** Whinfell,
** Windermere Applethwaite,
** Windermere Bowness North,
** Windermere Bowness South,
** Windermere Town.
1997–2010: As above, excluding the District of Eden wards which were transferred to Penrith and The Border.
2010–2024: The District of South Lakeland wards of:
* Arnside and Beetham,
* Burneside,
* Burton and Holme,
* Cartmel,
* Coniston,
* Crooklands,
* Grange,
* Hawkshead,
* Holker,
* Kendal Castle,
* Kendal Far Cross,
* Kendal Fell,
* Kendal Glebelands,
* Kendal Heron Hill,
* Kendal Highgate,
* Kendal Kirkland,
* Kendal Mintsfeet,
* Kendal Nether,
* Kendal Oxenholme,
* Kendal Parks,
* Kendal Stonecross,
* Kendal Strickland,
* Kendal Underley,
* Kirkby Lonsdale,
* Lakes Ambleside,
* Lakes Grasmere,
* Levens,
* Lyth Valley,
* Milnthorpe,
* Natland,
* Sedbergh,
* Staveley-in-Cartmel,
* Staveley-in-Westmorland,
* Whinfell,
* Windermere Applethwaite,
* Windermere Bowness North,
* Windermere Bowness South,
* Windermere Town
This boundary change transferred Broughton-in-Furness to Barrow and Furness.

### Current

The 2023 review of Westminster constituencies was carried out using the local authority structure as it existed in Cumbria on 1 December 2020 and is officially defined as:
* The District of Eden wards of:
** Appleby (Appleby);
** Appleby (Bongate);
** Askham;
** Brough;
** Crosby Ravensworth;
** Dacre;
** Eamont;
** Greystoke;
** Kirkby Stephen;
** Kirkby Thore;
** Long Marton;
** Morland;
** Orton and Tebay;
** Ravenstonedale;
** Shap;
** Ullswater;
** Warcop.
* The District of South Lakeland wards of:
** Ambleside & Grasmere;
** Bowness & Levens;
** Broughton & Coniston (polling districts AF, AO, AP, AQ, AS, AT, AU, BC, BDA, BDB, CX and DH);
** Cartmel;
** Grange;
** Kendal East;
** Kendal North;
** Kendal Rural;
** Kendal South & Natland;
** Kendal Town;
** Kendal West;
** Windermere.
With effect from 1 April 2023, the Districts of Eden and South Lakeland were abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness. Consequently, the constituency now comprises the following wards of Westmorland and Furness from the 2024 general election:
* Appleby and Brough;
* Bowness and Lyth;
* Coniston and Hawkshead (nearly all);
* Eamont and Shap;
* Eden and Lyvennet Vale;
* Grange and Cartmel;
* Greystoke and Ullswater;
* Kendal Castle;
* Kendal Highgate;
* Kendal Nether;
* Kendal South (majority);
* Kendal Strickland and Fell;
* Kirkby Stephen and Tebay;
* Levens and Crooklands (majority);
* Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale (part);
* Upper Kent;
* Windermere and Ambleside.
The constituency was expanded by adding parts of the former District of Eden, including the market towns of Appleby-in-Westmorland and Kirkby Stephen, previously in the abolished constituency of Penrith and The Border. To partly offset this, the former District of South Lakeland wards of Arnside & Milnthorpe, Burton & Crooklands, and Sedbergh & Kirkby Lonsdale were included in Morecambe and Lunesdale, thereby making the latter a cross-county boundary constituency.
The new constituency is made up of part of the previous constituency (41.7% by area and 72.3% by population of the new constituency) and part of the former Penrith and The Border constituency (58.3% by area and 27.7% by population of the new constituency).

## History

Having been a Conservative-dominated seat since its creation in 1983, the 1997 general election saw the Conservatives' majority cut to fewer than 5,000 votes. This was further reduced at the 2001 general election. In 2005, the constituency featured among a list of seats held by high-profile Conservatives (in this case Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins) targeted by the Liberal Democrats by deploying supporters from across each region in what was referred in the media as a "decapitation strategy". In the 2005 election, Tim Farron gained the seat by a marginal majority of 267 votes.
At the 2010 general election, the local electorate caused the largest Conservative-to-Lib Dem swing nationally, of 11.1% — equally the lowest share of the vote for Labour (2.2%, one of five lost deposits for Labour), nationally. With 96.2% of votes cast for either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat candidates, Westmorland and Lonsdale had the highest combined share of the vote cast for the Coalition parties.
Contrasting with its long-term Conservative support, the combined Conservative/UKIP vote narrowly failed to reach 40% in 2015. Equally, Farron, who would become Leader of the Liberal Democrats two months later; was the only member of his party to secure an absolute majority (over 50%) of votes cast, after what was a poor result for the party nationwide with their seat count reduced from 57 seats to 8. In 2017 (when Farron was Lib Dem leader), Farron's majority fell to just 777 votes. However, in 2019, he was re-elected with a majority increased to 1,934.
Following boundary changes, it was estimated that the reconfigured Westmorland and Lonsdale would have been won by the Conservatives in 2019 with a majority of over 5,000. Despite this, the 2024 general election saw a large increase in Farron's majority to 21,472, the 3rd largest majority of all UK constituencies in the election behind Bootle and Hornsey and Friern Barnet. By many measures — the total votes cast, the size of the majority, and the margin of victory — this was the Liberal Democrats' strongest result nationwide. It was also the only constituency where the Labour candidate lost their deposit by polling less than 5% of the vote.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Michael Jopling | Conservative |
| 1997 | Tim Collins | Conservative |
| 2005 | Tim Farron | Liberal Democrats |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | 31,061 | 62.7 | +22.0 |
| | Conservative | Matty Jackman | 9,589 | 19.4 | –30.8 |
| | Reform UK | James Townley | 4,842 | 9.8 | +8.7 |
| | Labour | Pippa Smith | 2,306 | 4.7 | –2.2 |
| | Green | Phil Clayton | 1,486 | 3.0 | +2.5 |
| | Independent | John Studholme | 111 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Heritage | Izzy Solabarrieta | 81 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | SDP | Wendy Long | 57 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,472 | 43.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,533 | 68.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +26.4 | |
The notional 2019 election result for the revised constituency was calculated to be a Conservative victory. Hence, the 2024 general election result was described as "Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative", although Liberal Democrat Tim Farron was re-elected in the seat he had served since 2005.

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | 25,795 | 48.9 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative | James Airey | 23,861 | 45.3 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | Phillip Black | 2,293 | 4.4 | −4.9 |
| | Brexit Party | Steven Bolton | 763 | 1.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,934 | 3.6 | +2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,712 | 77.8 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
In 2019, Westmorland and Lonsdale was one of five English constituencies, the others being Esher and Walton, East Devon, Cheltenham and Winchester, where Labour failed to obtain over 5% of the vote and lost their deposit.
General election 2017: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | 23,686 | 45.8 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative | James Airey | 22,909 | 44.3 | +11.1 |
| | Labour | Eli Aldridge | 4,783 | 9.3 | +3.8 |
| | Independent | Mr Fishfinger | 309 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 777 | 1.5 | −16.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,687 | 77.9 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −8.4 | |
General election 2015: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | 25,194 | 51.5 | −8.5 |
| | Conservative | Ann Myatt | 16,245 | 33.2 | −3.0 |
| | UKIP | Alan Piper | 3,031 | 6.2 | +4.6 |
| | Labour | John Bateson | 2,661 | 5.4 | +3.2 |
| | Green | Chris Loynes | 1,798 | 3.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,949 | 18.3 | −5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,929 | 74.3 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −2.8 | |
General election 2010: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | 30,896 | 60.0 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | Gareth McKeever | 18,632 | 36.2 | –8.1 |
| | Labour | Jonathan Todd | 1,158 | 2.2 | –5.6 |
| | UKIP | John Mander | 801 | 1.6 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,264 | 23.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,487 | 75.8 | +5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | 22,569 | 45.5 | +5.1 |
| | Conservative | Tim Collins | 22,302 | 44.9 | –2.0 |
| | Labour | John Reardon | 3,796 | 7.6 | –3.3 |
| | UKIP | Robert Gibson | 660 | 1.3 | +0.1 |
| | Independent | Anthony Kemp | 309 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 267 | 0.6 | –5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,636 | 71.6 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.5 | |
General election 2001: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Collins | 22,486 | 46.9 | +4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | 19,339 | 40.4 | +7.0 |
| | Labour | John Bateson | 5,234 | 10.9 | –9.7 |
| | UKIP | Robert Gibson | 552 | 1.2 | New |
| | Independent | Timothy Bell | 292 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,147 | 6.5 | –2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,903 | 67.8 | –6.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –1.2 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Collins | 21,463 | 42.3 | –14.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stanley Collins | 16,942 | 33.4 | +5.9 |
| | Labour | John Harding | 10,452 | 20.6 | +5.5 |
| | Referendum | Michael Smith | 1,924 | 3.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,521 | 8.9 | –20.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,781 | 74.1 | –3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –10.3 | |
General election 1992: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Jopling | 31,798 | 56.9 | –0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stanley Collins | 15,362 | 27.5 | –1.7 |
| | Labour | Dickon Abbott | 8,436 | 15.1 | +1.9 |
| | Natural Law | Robert Johnstone | 287 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,436 | 29.4 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,883 | 77.8 | –3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Jopling | 30,259 | 57.6 | –3.7 |
| | Liberal | Stanley Collins | 15,339 | 29.2 | +2.1 |
| | Labour | Shaun Halfpenny | 6,968 | 13.2 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,920 | 28.4 | –5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,566 | 74.8 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –2.9 | |
General election 1983: Westmorland and Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Jopling | 29,775 | 61.3 | |
| | Liberal | Ken Hulls | 13,188 | 27.1 | |
| | Labour | Chris Stott | 4,798 | 9.9 | |
| | Ecology | Robert Gibson | 805 | 1.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,587 | 34.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,566 | 72.3 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Note: The Robert Gibson who stood in this election and the similarly named candidate in 2001 and 2005 are not the same person.