# Manchester Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Manchester Central is a parliamentary constituency in Greater Manchester created in 1974. The seat has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2012 by Lucy Powell of the Labour Party and Co-operative Party. Powell currently serves as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council.

## Constituency profile

The seat covers the city centre and all its major attractions and both of Manchester's large universities, and fringe areas such as Hulme and Ancoats which have undergone extensive regeneration since the 1990s, an example of which is the New Islington development. Flats in the city centre can sell for several million pounds while there are more deprived areas to the east, including Moston, Beswick and Ardwick. There is a high proportion of graduates and students in the city centre, and the constituency as a whole has the highest proportion of Chinese people in the country. Moss Side is home to a large Afro-Caribbean population.
This constituency has always (since its 1974 creation) been a safe Labour seat. The current MP Lucy Powell won the seat in a by-election in November 2012 on a turnout of just 18%, the lowest since the Second World War. Twelve candidates stood, considerably more than the six who stood in the 1979 by-election.

## History
### Creation

The main forerunner to the seat was Manchester Cheetham, entirely taken into this area; three of five wards of former seat Manchester Exchange completed the first set of boundaries of the seat. The seat (including predecessor seats) has been held by the Labour Party since 1945.

### Political history

Labour candidates have won Manchester Central by a decidedly non-marginal majority since its 1974 creation. The current MP Lucy Powell won the seat at a by-election in November 2012 on a turnout of 18%; the lowest since the Second World War.

### Results of other parties

The 2015 general election saw greater-than-national-average swing of +3.4% (by a swing of +6.2%) to the Green Party candidate, achieving third place. Followed next by UKIP in 2015 by number of votes cast (prior to the 2016 UK EU membership referendum, votes cast for the Liberal Democrats – who for two periods had been the runner-up party in Manchester Central – for the first time placed its candidate in fifth place. The Conservative Party returned to second place in 2015 through candidate Xingang Wang (achieving 13.5% of the vote); its second place of 1979 was through its best polling to date of 22.1% of the vote. The maximal second place to date was 2010, through Liberal Democrat candidate, Marc Ramsbottom, taking 26.6% of the vote.

### Turnout

Turnout has changed from a national low within the 2010 general election (of 46.7%) to 55.1% of electors. The greatest turnout was in 1987, with 63.9%.

## Boundaries
### Historic

1974–1983: The County Borough of Manchester wards of Beswick, Cheetham, Collegiate Church, Harpurhey, and Miles Platting.
1983–1997: The City of Manchester wards of Ardwick, Beswick and Clayton, Bradford, Central, Cheetham, Hulme, and Newton Heath.
1997–2010: As above, less Cheetham, plus Moss Side, and Whalley Range.
2010–2024: The City of Manchester wards of Ancoats & Clayton, Ardwick, Bradford, City Centre, Hulme, Miles Platting & Newton Heath, Moss Side, and Moston using the 2004–2018 boundaries.

### Current

Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
* The City of Manchester wards of: Ancoats & Beswick; Cheetham; Clayton & Openshaw; Deansgate; Miles Platting & Newton Heath; Piccadilly.
* The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham wards of: Failsworth East; Failsworth West.
The content of the constituency was subject to major changes, losing about half its electorate, mainly to the re-established constituency of Manchester Rusholme, including the districts of Ardwick, Hulme and Moss Side. Moston was transferred to Blackley and Middleton South (formerly Blackley and Broughton) in exchange for Cheetham, and the two Failsworth wards were transferred from Ashton-under-Lyne.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| Feb 1974 | Harold Lever | Labour | MP for Manchester Exchange from 1945 and for Manchester Cheetham from 1950. Resigned July 1979 on being raised to the peerage |
| 1979 by-election | Bob Litherland | Labour | |
| 1997 | Tony Lloyd | Labour | MP for Stretford from 1983. Resigned October 2012 to run for Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner. MP for Rochdale from 2017 to 2024 |
| 2012 by-election | Lucy Powell | Labour Co-op | |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lucy Powell | 20,184 | 50.8 | −14.6 |
| | Green | Ekua Bayunu | 6,387 | 16.1 | +13.2 |
| | Reform UK | David Brown | 4,760 | 12.0 | +7.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Northwood | 3,051 | 7.7 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Scott Smith | 2,823 | 7.1 | −13.9 |
| | Workers Party | Parham Hashemi | 1,888 | 4.8 | N/A |
| | SDP | Sebastian Moore | 240 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Independent | Sabeena Khan | 202 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | Communist Future | Catriona Rylance | 131 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | Albati Kalonda | 59 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,797 | 34.7 | –9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,725 | 46.7 | –7.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 85,049 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 13.9 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Labour | 26,470 | 65.4 |
| | Conservative | 8,500 | 21.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 2,449 | 6.0 |
| | Brexit Party | 1,795 | 4.4 |
| | Green | 1,159 | 2.9 |
| | Others | 107 | 0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 40,480 | 53.8 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 75,311 |
General election 2019: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lucy Powell | 36,823 | 70.4 | –7.0 |
| | Conservative | Shaden Jaradat | 7,734 | 14.8 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Bridges | 3,420 | 6.5 | +3.1 |
| | Brexit Party | Sarah Chadwick | 2,335 | 4.5 | N/A |
| | Green | Melanie Horrocks | 1,870 | 3.6 | +1.9 |
| | Socialist Equality | Dennis Leech | 107 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29,089 | 55.6 | –7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,289 | 56.9 | +1.8 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | –3.8 | |
General election 2017: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lucy Powell | 38,490 | 77.4 | +16.1 |
| | Conservative | Xingang Wang | 7,045 | 14.2 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Bridges | 1,678 | 3.4 | –0.7 |
| | UKIP | Kalvin Chapman | 1,469 | 3.0 | –8.1 |
| | Green | Rachael Shah | 846 | 1.7 | –6.8 |
| | Pirate | Neil Blackburn | 192 | 0.4 | –0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 31,445 | 63.2 | +14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,720 | 55.1 | +2.4 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | +7.7 | |
General election 2015: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lucy Powell | 27,772 | 61.3 | +8.6 |
| | Conservative | Xingang Wang | 6,133 | 13.5 | +1.7 |
| | UKIP | Myles Power | 5,033 | 11.1 | +9.6 |
| | Green | Kieran Turner-Dave | 3,838 | 8.5 | +6.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Reid | 1,867 | 4.1 | –22.5 |
| | Pirate | Loz Kaye | 346 | 0.8 | N/A |
| | TUSC | Alex Davidson | 270 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Communist League | John Davies | 72 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,639 | 47.8 | +21.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,331 | 52.7 | +6.0 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | +3.4 | |
By-election 2012: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lucy Powell | 11,507 | 69.1 | +16.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marc Ramsbottom | 1,571 | 9.4 | –17.2 |
| | Conservative | Matthew Sephton | 754 | 4.5 | –7.3 |
| | UKIP | Christopher Cassidy | 749 | 4.5 | +3.0 |
| | Green | Tom Dylan | 652 | 3.9 | +1.6 |
| | BNP | Eddy O'Sullivan | 492 | 3.0 | –1.1 |
| | Pirate | Loz Kaye | 308 | 1.9 | N/A |
| | TUSC | Alex Davidson | 220 | 1.3 | N/A |
| | Respect | Catherine Higgins | 182 | 1.1 | N/A |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Howling Laud Hope | 78 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | People's Democratic Party | Lee Holmes | 71 | 0.4 | N/A |
| | Communist League | Peter Clifford | 64 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,936 | 59.7 | +33.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,648 | 18.2 | −28.5 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |
General election 2010: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tony Lloyd | 21,059 | 52.7 | −6.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marc Ramsbottom | 10,620 | 26.6 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative | Suhail Rahuja | 4,704 | 11.8 | +1.3 |
| | BNP | Tony Trebilcock | 1,636 | 4.1 | N/A |
| | Green | Gayle O'Donovan | 915 | 2.3 | −1.9 |
| | UKIP | Nicola Weatherill | 607 | 1.5 | +0.6 |
| | Socialist Labour | Ron Sinclair | 153 | 0.4 | −0.2 |
| | Independent | John Cartwright | 120 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Workers Revolutionary | Jonty Leff | 59 | 0.1 | N/A |
| | Socialist Equality | Robert Skelton | 54 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,430 | 26.1 | −12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,927 | 46.7 | +4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −6.1 | |
This was the lowest turnout for any constituency in the whole of the United Kingdom in 2010

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Tony Lloyd | 16,993 | 58.1 | −10.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marc Ramsbottom | 7,217 | 24.7 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Tom Jackson | 2,504 | 8.6 | −0.4 |
| | Green | Steven Durrant | 1,292 | 4.4 | +0.5 |
| | National Front | Richard Kemp | 421 | 1.4 | N/A |
| | Independent Progressive Labour | Damien O'Connor | 382 | 1.3 | N/A |
| | UKIP | John Whittaker | 272 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Ronald Sinclair | 183 | 0.6 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,776 | 33.4 | −19.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,264 | 42.0 | +2.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −9.8 | |
General election 2001: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tony Lloyd | 17,812 | 68.7 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Phylip Hobson | 4,070 | 15.7 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | Aaron Powell | 2,328 | 9.0 | −2.8 |
| | Green | Vanessa Hall | 1,018 | 3.9 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Ron Sinclair | 484 | 1.9 | −0.5 |
| | ProLife Alliance | Terrenia Brosnan | 216 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,742 | 53.0 | −5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,928 | 39.1 | −12.5 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −3.9 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tony Lloyd | 23,803 | 71.0 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Firth | 4,121 | 12.3 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative | Simon McIlwaine | 3,964 | 11.8 | −4.7 |
| | Socialist Labour | Francis Rafferty | 810 | 2.4 | N/A |
| | Referendum | John Maxwell | 742 | 2.2 | N/A |
| | Communist League | Timothy Rigby | 97 | 0.3 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,682 | 58.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,537 | 52.6 | −4.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
General election 1992: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Litherland | 23,336 | 72.7 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Peter Davies | 5,299 | 16.5 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Clayton | 3,151 | 9.8 | −3.2 |
| | Natural Law | Vivienne Mitchell | 167 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | Communist League | Andrew Buchanan | 167 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,037 | 56.2 | +6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,120 | 56.9 | −7.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.4 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Litherland | 27,428 | 68.2 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Matthew Banks | 7,561 | 18.8 | −2.4 |
| | SDP | Barry McColgan | 5,250 | 13.0 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,867 | 49.4 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,239 | 63.9 | +3.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.7 | |
General election 1983: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Litherland | 27,353 | 65.3 | −6.7 |
| | Conservative | David Eager | 8,868 | 21.2 | +1.4 |
| | SDP | Altaf Ahmad | 4,956 | 11.8 | +5.1 |
| | National Front | Alfred Coles | 729 | 1.7 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,485 | 44.1 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,906 | 60.6 | −2.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

Manchester Central by-election 1979 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Litherland | 7,494 | 70.7 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal | Anthony Parkinson | 1,502 | 14.2 | +8.9 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Lea | 1,275 | 12.0 | −10.1 |
| | Independent Labour | Syed Ala-Ud-Din | 187 | 1.8 | N/A |
| | Ecology | John Foster | 129 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Democratic Monarchist, Public Safety, White Resident. | Bill Boaks | 12 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,992 | 56.5 | +7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,599 | 33.8 | −29.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Lever | 14,117 | 70.8 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Herbert Cummins | 4,413 | 22.1 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal | Gordon Wilmott | 1,052 | 5.3 | −5.9 |
| | National Front | Derek Benthall | 365 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,704 | 48.7 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,947 | 63.7 | +10.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Lever | 14,753 | 69.3 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative | Robert Jackson | 4,142 | 19.5 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal | Patrick Coleman | 2,382 | 11.2 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,611 | 49.8 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,277 | 53.4 | −8.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Manchester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Lever | 15,075 | 61.7 | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Horne | 5,071 | 20.7 | |
| | Liberal | Michael Steed | 4,281 | 17.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,004 | 41.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,427 | 61.8 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |