# West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)

West Lancashire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Following the resignation of Labour MP Rosie Cooper on 30 November 2022, the seat was won by the party's candidate Ashley Dalton in the by-election held on 9 February 2023. She retained the seat at the July 2024 general election.

## Constituency profile

The constituency is located in southern Lancashire, and borders Merseyside to the south and west and Greater Manchester to the east. Skelmersdale is the largest town, followed by Ormskirk and Burscough. The constituency shares its boundaries with the southern part of the borough of West Lancashire, while the northern part of the borough is in the South Ribble constituency.
Farming is a significant industry in the constituency, with much of the farmland classed as grade 1 or grade 2. The entirety of the constituency is within the North West Green Belt.
West Lancashire is home to a significant proportion of those working at managerial and professional levels and an above average retired age quotient. Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 3.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.

## Boundaries

1983–1997: Aughton Park, Aughton Town Green, Bickerstaffe, Birch Green, Burscough, Derby, Digmoor, Downholland, Halsall, Hesketh-with-Becconsall, Knowsley, Lathom, Moorside, Newburgh, North Meols, Rufford, Scarisbrick, Scott, Skelmersdale North, Skelmersdale South, Tanhouse, Tarleton, Upholland North, and Upholland South.
1997–2010: Aughton Park, Aughton Town Green, Bickerstaffe, Birch Green, Burscough, Derby, Digmoor, Downholland, Halsall, Knowsley, Lathom, Moorside, Newburgh, Parbold, Scarisbrick, Scott, Skelmersdale North, Skelmersdale South, Tanhouse, Upholland North, Upholland South, and Wrightington.
2010–2023: Ashurst, Aughton and Downholland, Aughton Park, Bickerstaffe, Birch Green, Burscough East, Burscough West, Derby, Digmoor, Halsall, Knowsley, Moorside, Newburgh, Parbold, Scarisbrick, Scott, Skelmersdale North, Skelmersdale South, Tanhouse, Upholland, and Wrightington.
The constituency boundaries remained unchanged.
2023–present: Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards or part wards of the Borough of West Lancashire:
* Aughton & Holborn; Burscough Bridge & Rufford (part); Burscough Town; Old Skelmersdale; Ormskirk East; Ormskirk West; Rural North East; Rural South; Rural West; Skelmersdale North; Skelmersdale South; Tanhouse & Skelmersdale Town Centre; Up Holland.
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structure in place at 1 December 2020, left the boundaries unchanged.

## History

The seat was established under the third periodic review of Westminster constituencies of 1983.
The new seat took in parts of Ormskirk and Ince, both abolished in the review. Ince had elected Labour MPs since 1906, but Ormskirk had a mixed and longer history as a more marginal seat. Both seats were represented by Labour MPs when they were abolished.
The seat's first member, Ken Hind, held the seat for two terms as a Conservative, winning the first election in the landslide Conservative result of 1983. In 1992 the seat was won by Colin Pickthall of the Labour Party, who was succeeded by Rosie Cooper in 2005. The 2010 result was more marginal, with a 9.0% majority, but was not within the 50 most narrowly won seats for Cooper's party.
In September 2022 Rosie Cooper announced she had accepted a new role as Chair of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and would therefore resign as MP, triggering a by-election.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Ken Hind | Conservative |
| 1992 | Colin Pickthall | Labour |
| 2005 | Rosie Cooper | Labour |
| 2023 by-election | Ashley Dalton | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ashley Dalton | 22,305 | 50.5 | −1.6 |
| | Conservative | Mike Prendergast | 8,680 | 19.6 | −16.7 |
| | Reform UK | Simon Evans | 7,909 | 17.9 | +13.6 |
| | Green | Charlotte Houltram | 3,263 | 7.4 | +5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Smith | 2,043 | 4.6 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,625 | 30.8 | +15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,200 | 60.3 | −11.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 74,083 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 7.5 | |
By-election 2023: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ashley Dalton | 14,068 | 62.3 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | Mike Prendergast | 5,742 | 25.4 | −10.9 |
| | Reform UK | Jonathan Kay | 997 | 4.4 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jo Barton | 918 | 4.1 | −0.8 |
| | Green | Peter Cranie | 646 | 2.8 | +0.5 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Howling Laud Hope | 210 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,326 | 36.9 | +21.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,639 | 31.4 | −40.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.5 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosie Cooper | 27,458 | 52.1 | –6.8 |
| | Conservative | Jack Gilmore | 19,122 | 36.3 | –1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Thomson | 2,560 | 4.9 | +2.9 |
| | Brexit Party | Marc Stanton | 2,275 | 4.3 | New |
| | Green | John Puddifer | 1,248 | 2.4 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,336 | 15.8 | –5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,663 | 72.0 | –2.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | –2.9 | |
General election 2017: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosie Cooper | 32,030 | 58.9 | +9.6 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Currie | 20,341 | 37.4 | +5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jo Barton | 1,069 | 2.0 | –0.6 |
| | Green | Nate Higgins | 680 | 1.3 | –1.9 |
| | War Veterans Pro-Traditional Family | David Braid | 269 | 0.5 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,689 | 21.5 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,103 | 74.4 | +4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
General election 2015: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosie Cooper | 24,474 | 49.3 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | Paul Greenall | 16,114 | 32.4 | –3.8 |
| | UKIP | Jack Sen$^1$ | 6,058 | 12.2 | +8.5 |
| | Green | Ben Basson | 1,582 | 3.2 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Daniel Lewis | 1,298 | 2.6 | –11.0 |
| | Independent | David Braid | 150 | 0.3 | –0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,360 | 16.9 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,676 | 70.0 | +6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
$^1$: After nominations were closed, Sen was suspended from UKIP after sending an allegedly anti-semitic tweet to Liverpool Wavertree Labour candidate Luciana Berger. His name still appeared on ballot papers with the UKIP party name.
General election 2010: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosie Cooper | 21,883 | 45.1 | –2.9 |
| | Conservative | Adrian Owens | 17,540 | 36.2 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Gibson | 6,573 | 13.6 | –0.5 |
| | UKIP | Damon Noone | 1,775 | 3.7 | +1.6 |
| | Green | Peter Cranie | 485 | 1.0 | New |
| | Clause 28 | David Braid | 217 | 0.4 | –0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,343 | 8.9 | –5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,473 | 63.8 | +6.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | –2.6 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosie Cooper | 20,746 | 48.1 | –6.4 |
| | Conservative | Alf Doran | 14,662 | 34.0 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Kemp | 6,059 | 14.0 | +2.4 |
| | UKIP | Alan Freeman | 871 | 2.0 | New |
| | English Democrat | Stephen Garrett | 525 | 1.2 | New |
| | Clause 28 | David Braid | 292 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,084 | 14.1 | –8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,155 | 57.7 | –1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | –4.2 | |
General election 2001: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Colin Pickthall | 23,404 | 54.5 | –5.8 |
| | Conservative | Jeremy Myers | 13,761 | 32.0 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Thornton | 4,966 | 11.6 | +4.4 |
| | Independent | David Hill | 523 | 1.2 | +0.5 |
| | Independent | David Braid | 317 | 0.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,643 | 22.5 | –8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,971 | 58.8 | –15.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | –4.4 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Colin Pickthall | 33,022 | 60.3 | +10.9 |
| | Conservative | Chris Varley | 15,903 | 29.1 | –13.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arthur Wood | 3,938 | 7.2 | +0.2 |
| | Referendum | Michael Carter | 1,025 | 1.9 | New |
| | Natural Law | John Collins | 449 | 0.8 | +0.3 |
| | Independent | David Hill | 392 | 0.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,119 | 31.2 | +24.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,729 | 74.6 | –8.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +12.1 | |
General election 1992: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Colin Pickthall | 30,128 | 47.1 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative | Ken Hind | 28,051 | 43.9 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Reilly | 4,884 | 7.6 | –7.2 |
| | Green | Philip Pawley | 546 | 0.9 | New |
| | Natural Law | Bevin Morris | 336 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,077 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,945 | 82.6 | +2.9 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.7 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ken Hind | 26,500 | 43.7 | –2.6 |
| | Labour | Colin Pickthall | 25,147 | 41.5 | +7.7 |
| | SDP | Robert Jermyn | 8,972 | 14.8 | –5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,353 | 2.2 | –10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,619 | 79.7 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –5.1 | |
General election 1983: West Lancashire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ken Hind | 25,458 | 46.3 | |
| | Labour | Josie Farrington | 18,600 | 33.8 | |
| | SDP | Andrew D. Sackville | 10,983 | 20.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,858 | 12.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,041 | 74.4 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |