# Farnworth (UK Parliament constituency)

Farnworth was a county constituency in Lancashire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.

## Boundaries

From 1885 to 1918 the Farnworth area had been included in the Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth constituency.
The Farnworth constituency included Farnworth, Moses Gate, Kearsley, Stoneclough, Little Lever, Little Hulton, Walkden, and Roe Green.
The constituency disappeared in the 1983 redistribution; Farnworth itself and the surrounding wards within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton were placed in the new Bolton South East constituency where it has remained since, while Walkden, Worsley and surroundings in the City of Salford became part of the new Worsley (1983–2010), later Worsley and Eccles South (2010–present) constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Edward Bagley | Conservative |
| | 1922 | Thomas Greenall | Labour |
| | 1929 | Guy Rowson | Labour |
| | 1931 | James Stones | Conservative |
| | 1935 | Guy Rowson | Labour |
| | 1938 by-election | George Tomlinson | Labour |
| | 1952 by-election | Ernest Thornton | Labour |
| | 1970 | John Roper | Labour Co-operative |
| | 1981 | John Roper | SDP |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Edward Bagley | 10,237 | 42.9 | |
| | Labour | Thomas Greenall | 9,740 | 40.8 | |
| | Liberal | Thomas Flitcroft | 3,893 | 16.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 497 | 2.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,870 | 69.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,132 | | |
| | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Greenall | 13,391 | 45.6 | +4.8 |
| | Unionist | Edward Bagley | 10,037 | 34.8 | −9.1 |
| | Liberal | Edward Rudd | 5,927 | 20.2 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,354 | 10.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,355 | 84.8 | +14.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,606 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +6.8 | |
General election 1923: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Greenall | 14,858 | 57.2 | +11.6 |
| | Unionist | Alexander Worsthorne | 11,134 | 42.8 | +8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,724 | 14.4 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,992 | 73.5 | −11.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,351 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
General election 1924: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Greenall | 15,327 | 47.5 | −9.7 |
| | Unionist | Alexander Worsthorne | 12,521 | 38.7 | −4.1 |
| | Liberal | J Charles Martin | 4,467 | 13.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,806 | 8.8 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,315 | 89.6 | +16.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,058 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −2.8 | |
General election 1929: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Guy Rowson | 21,857 | 52.2 | +4.7 |
| | Unionist | Mary Pickford | 10,643 | 25.4 | −13.3 |
| | Liberal | Ernest Frederick Dyer | 9,381 | 22.4 | +8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,214 | 26.8 | +18.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,881 | 87.5 | −2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,841 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.0 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Stones | 22,460 | 53.5 | +28.1 |
| | Labour | Guy Rowson | 19,553 | 46.5 | −5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,907 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,013 | 84.8 | −2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,550 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +16.9 | |
General election 1935: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Guy Rowson | 22,040 | 51.7 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Edgar Godfrey Unsworth | 16,839 | 39.5 | −14.0 |
| | People's Peace | James Monteith Erskine | 3,763 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,201 | 12.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,642 | 82.4 | −2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,739 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.6 | |
1938 Farnworth by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Tomlinson | 24,298 | 59.1 | +7.4 |
| | Conservative | Herbert F. Ryan | 16,835 | 40.9 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,463 | 18.2 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,133 | 77.9 | −4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 52,784 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.0 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Tomlinson | 28,462 | 66.1 | +14.4 |
| | Conservative | Fred Howard | 14,570 | 33.9 | −5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,892 | 32.2 | +20.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,032 | 77.5 | −4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,549 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.0 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Tomlinson | 25,375 | 56.60 | |
| | Conservative | F. Kay | 14,266 | 31.82 | |
| | Liberal | Abraham Lomax | 5,189 | 11.57 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,109 | 24.78 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,830 | 88.14 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | George Tomlinson | 26,297 | 59.22 |
| | Conservative | Jesse Seddon | 18,112 | 40.78 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,185 | 18.44 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,409 | 86.75 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
1952 Farnworth by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ernest Thornton | 21,834 | 59.90 | +0.68 |
| | Conservative | Donald Henry Moore | 14,615 | 40.10 | −0.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,219 | 19.80 | +1.36 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,449 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Thornton | 24,829 | 57.66 |
| | Conservative | David Waddington | 18,231 | 42.34 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,598 | 15.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,060 | 81.53 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Thornton | 27,393 | 58.60 |
| | Conservative | Albert Samuel Royse | 19,356 | 41.40 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,037 | 17.20 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,749 | 83.34 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Thornton | 28,492 | 62.06 |
| | Conservative | Albert Samuel Royse | 17,421 | 37.94 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,071 | 24.12 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,913 | 78.79 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest Thornton | 30,015 | 66.19 |
| | Conservative | Mark Andrew | 15,329 | 33.81 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,686 | 32.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,344 | 74.78 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | John Roper | 29,392 | 58.48 |
| | Conservative | Ivan A. Johnston | 20,867 | 41.52 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,525 | 16.96 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,259 | 72.26 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election February 1974: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | John Roper | 28,068 | 49.75 | |
| | Conservative | Albert Samuel Royse | 15,431 | 27.35 | |
| | Liberal | Margaret Patricia Rothwell | 12,918 | 22.90 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,637 | 22.40 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,417 | 80.73 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | John Roper | 28,184 | 53.5 |
| | Conservative | R. H. Shepherd | 13,489 | 25.6 |
| | Liberal | Margaret Patricia Rothwell | 11,059 | 21.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,695 | 27.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,732 | 74.73 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1979: Farnworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | John Roper | 27,965 | 50.1 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | Stanley Windle | 19,858 | 35.6 | +10.0 |
| | Liberal | Margaret Patricia Rothwell | 8,043 | 14.4 | −6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,107 | 14.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,866 | 77.8 | +3.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −6.7 | |