# Ince (UK Parliament constituency)

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 constituency boundaries were redrawn in 1918 and 1950, and in 1974, it was reclassified as a borough constituency.
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 south of, but not including, the town of Wigan, namely:
* Abram
* Haigh
* Hindley
* Ince-in-Makerfield
* Orrell
* Pemberton
The electorate also included the freeholders of the municipal borough of Wigan who were entitled to vote in the county.

### 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:
* Abram Urban District
* Ashton in Makerfield Urban District
* Billinge Urban District
* Ince-in-Makerfield Urban District
* Orrell Urban District
* Standish with Langtree Urban District
* The civil parish of Shevington from Wigan Rural District

### 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:
* 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.
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.

## 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.

## 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 | Tom Brown | Labour |
| 1964 | Michael McGuire | Labour |
| 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

General election Nov 1885: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell | 4,271 | 53.4 | |
| | Liberal | Cornelius McLeod Percy | 3,725 | 46.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 546 | 6.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,996 | 87.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,157 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election Jul 1886: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell | 4,308 | 57.2 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal | George Paul Taylor | 3,228 | 42.8 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,080 | 14.4 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,536 | 82.3 | −5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,157 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.8 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election Jan 1892: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Sam Woods | 4,579 | 51.3 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative | Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell | 4,352 | 48.7 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 227 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,931 | 88.8 | +6.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,059 | | |
| | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.5 | |
General election Jan 1895: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell | 5,235 | 52.2 | +3.5 |
| | Lib-Lab | Sam Woods | 4,790 | 47.8 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 445 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,025 | 91.7 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,935 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Lib-Lab | Conservative gain from Lib-Lab | Swing | +3.5 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election Jan 1906: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. | Stephen Walsh | 8,046 | 70.2 | New |
| | Conservative | Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell | 3,410 | 29.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,636 | 40.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,456 | 88.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,986 | | |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Walsh | 7,723 | 60.6 | −9.6 |
| | Conservative | Walter Greaves-Lord | 5,029 | 39.4 | +9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,694 | 21.2 | −19.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,752 | 90.4 | +2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,107 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −9.6 | |
General election December 1910: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Walsh | 7,117 | 57.2 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | Walter Greaves-Lord | 5,332 | 42.8 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,785 | 14.4 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,449 | 88.2 | −2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,107 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.4 | |
General election 1918: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Walsh | 14,882 | 87.0 | +29.8 |
| | Socialist Labour | William Paul | 2,231 | 13.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,651 | 74.0 | +59.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,113 | 55.7 | −32.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 30,736 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Walsh | 17,332 | 67.7 | −19.3 |
| | Unionist | E.L. Fleming | 8,257 | 32.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,075 | 35.4 | −38.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,589 | 80.0 | +24.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,974 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1923: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Walsh | 17,365 | 73.5 | +5.8 |
| | Unionist | Rachel Parsons | 6,262 | 26.5 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,103 | 47.0 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,627 | 72.2 | −7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,710 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
General election 1924: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Walsh | 18,272 | 70.0 | −3.5 |
| | Unionist | E.V. Gabriel | 7,820 | 30.0 | +3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,452 | 40.0 | −7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,092 | 78.5 | +6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,235 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.5 | |
General election 1929: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gordon Macdonald | 26,091 | 73.8 | +3.8 |
| | Unionist | John Bankes Walmsley | 9,260 | 26.2 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,831 | 47.6 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,351 | 82.2 | +3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 43,026 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.8 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gordon Macdonald | 23,237 | 63.4 | −10.4 |
| | Conservative | R Catterall | 13,440 | 36.6 | +10.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,797 | 26.7 | −20.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,677 | 82.5 | +0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gordon Macdonald | 26,334 | 72.6 | +9.2 |
| | Conservative | Herbert F. Ryan | 9,928 | 27.4 | −9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,406 | 45.2 | +18.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,262 | 77.3 | −5.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Brown | 28,702 | 74.4 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Robert Cecil | 9,875 | 25.6 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,827 | 48.8 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,577 | 79.0 | +1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Brown | 32,145 | 71.8 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative | JG Scott | 12,612 | 28.2 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,533 | 43.6 | −5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,757 | 88.7 | +9.7 |
General election 1951: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Brown | 32,148 | 72.3 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | James Porter | 12,305 | 27.7 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,843 | 44.6 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,453 | 87.0 | −1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Brown | 29,830 | 72.7 | +0.4 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Beaman | 11,183 | 27.3 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,647 | 45.4 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,013 | 81.0 | −6.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Brown | 30,752 | 72.3 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative | Walter Clegg | 11,795 | 27.7 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,957 | 44.6 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,547 | 83.0 | +2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael McGuire | 31,042 | 72.0 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | Francis Henry Gerard Heron Goodhart | 12,077 | 28.0 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,965 | 44.0 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,119 | 79.6 | −3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael McGuire | 30,915 | 73.6 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | John Birch | 11,075 | 26.4 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,840 | 47.2 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,990 | 75.4 | −4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael McGuire | 32,295 | 68.5 | −5.1 |
| | Conservative | Allan Coupe | 14,877 | 31.5 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,418 | 37.0 | −10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,172 | 70.7 | −4.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael McGuire | 39,822 | 70.0 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | John Richard Dyson | 17,063 | 30.0 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,759 | 40.0 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,885 | 74.4 | +3.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael McGuire | 35,453 | 63.5 | −6.5 |
| | Conservative | John Richard Dyson | 11,923 | 21.4 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal | John Kenneth Gibb | 8,436 | 15.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,530 | 42.1 | +2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,812 | 72.4 | −2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael McGuire | 34,599 | 56.2 | −7.3 |
| | Conservative | Peter Brown | 20,263 | 32.9 | +11.5 |
| | Liberal | John Kenneth Gibb | 6,294 | 10.2 | −4.9 |
| | Workers Revolutionary | John Simons | 442 | 0.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,336 | 23.3 | −18.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,598 | 74.2 | +1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |