# Makerfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Makerfield /ˈmeɪkərfiːld/ is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It has been represented by Labour MP Josh Simons since 2024.

## History

This seat was formed in 1983 mostly from parts of the Ince and Wigan seats together with a small part of the Leigh seat.

## Constituency profile

Makerfield is considered one of the safest Labour seats in the country. The Labour Party held the predecessor seat of Ince from 1906 until 1983 when the current constituency was created. In 2010 the constituency, of the 650 nationally, polled the 105th highest share of the vote for the Labour Party. Labour's majority fell significantly in 2019 as with many "Red Wall" seats.
There is no town called Makerfield itself; instead, the name refers to the suffix of 'in-Makerfield' of the towns Ashton-in-Makerfield and Ince-in-Makerfield, though since 2010 the latter is now part of the Wigan seat. The seat comprises mostly working-class residential suburbs south of Wigan and to the west of Leigh. Deprivation however is relatively lower than that of neighbouring towns and home-ownership is higher, with a mostly skilled working-class population and a lower than average proportion of ethnic minorities. There is some semi-rural land towards the west of the constituency where it borders St Helens and green buffers separating the constituent towns and villages. Formerly a coal-mining area, there is now a small amount of light industry remaining, though not as much as Wigan, and the area is mostly residential as the towns continue to grow. The area is also home to Winstanley College, one of the highest performing sixth-form colleges in the country, enrolling around 1800 students.

## Boundaries

1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan wards of Abram, Ashton-Golborne, Bryn, Lightshaw, Orrell, Winstanley, and Worsley Mesnes.
1997–2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan wards of Abram, Ashton-Golborne, Bryn, Ince, Orrell, Winstanley, and Worsley Mesnes.
2010–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan wards of Abram, Ashton, Bryn, Hindley, Hindley Green, Orrell, Winstanley, and Worsley Mesnes.
2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for 2024 general election, the boundaries of the constituency were expanded slightly by adding small areas (as they existed on 1 December 2020) of the Atherleigh ward (part of polling district LCA) and the Leigh West ward (polling district LDA).
Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan from the 2024 general election:
* Abram; Ashton-in-Makerfield South; Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North; Hindley; Hindley Green (nearly all); Leigh West (small part); Orrell; Winstanley; Worsley Mesnes; and very small parts of Golborne & Lowton West, and Ince.
Makerfield consists of the western and central section of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester. It comprises the wards to the south and to the west of Wigan and to the west of Leigh.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Michael McGuire | Labour |
| 1987 | Ian McCartney | Labour |
| 2010 | Yvonne Fovargue | Labour |
| 2024 | Josh Simons | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Josh Simons | 18,202 | 45.2 | −0.1 |
| | Reform UK | Robert Kenyon | 12,803 | 31.8 | +18.7 |
| | Conservative | Simon Finkelstein | 4,379 | 10.9 | −23.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Skipworth | 2,735 | 6.8 | +2.0 |
| | Green | Maria Deery | 1,776 | 4.4 | +1.8 |
| | English Democrat | Thomas Bryer | 368 | 0.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,399 | 13.4 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,398 | 52.8 | −6.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,641 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −9.4 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Labour | 20,432 | 45.3 |
| | Conservative | 15,477 | 34.3 |
| | Brexit Party | 5,902 | 13.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 2,161 | 4.8 |
| | Green | 1,166 | 2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 45,138 | 59.0 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 76,517 |
General election 2019: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Yvonne Fovargue | 19,954 | 45.1 | −15.0 |
| | Conservative | Nick King | 15,214 | 34.4 | +3.1 |
| | Brexit Party | Ross Wright | 5,817 | 13.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Skipworth | 2,108 | 4.8 | +2.0 |
| | Green | Sheila Shaw | 1,166 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,740 | 10.7 | −18.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,259 | 59.7 | −4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −9.2 | |
General election 2017: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Yvonne Fovargue | 28,245 | 60.1 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative | Adam Carney | 14,703 | 31.3 | +11.8 |
| | Independent | Bob Brierley | 2,663 | 5.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Skipworth | 1,322 | 2.8 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,542 | 28.8 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,933 | 63.8 | +3.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −1.7 | |
General election 2015: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Yvonne Fovargue | 23,208 | 51.8 | +4.5 |
| | UKIP | Andrew Collinson | 10,053 | 22.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Syeda Zaidi | 8,752 | 19.5 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Skipworth | 1,639 | 3.7 | −12.5 |
| | Green | Philip Mitchell | 1,136 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,155 | 29.4 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,788 | 60.2 | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 2010: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Yvonne Fovargue | 20,700 | 47.3 | −14.8 |
| | Conservative | Itrat Ali | 8,210 | 18.8 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dave Crowther | 7,082 | 16.2 | +4.8 |
| | Independent | Bob Brierley | 3,424 | 7.8 | N/A |
| | BNP | Ken Haslam | 3,229 | 7.4 | +4.1 |
| | Independent | John Mather | 1,126 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,490 | 28.5 | −22.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,771 | 59.4 | +9.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −10.0 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian McCartney | 22,494 | 63.2 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative | Kulveer Ranger | 4,345 | 12.2 | −5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trevor Beswick | 3,789 | 10.6 | −0.8 |
| | Community Action | Peter Franzen | 2,769 | 7.8 | N/A |
| | BNP | Dennis Shambley | 1,221 | 3.4 | N/A |
| | UKIP | Gregory Atherton | 962 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,149 | 51.0 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,580 | 51.5 | +0.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.1 | |
General election 2001: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian McCartney | 23,879 | 68.5 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative | Jane Brooks | 6,129 | 17.6 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Crowther | 3,990 | 11.4 | +3.1 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Malcolm Jones | 858 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,750 | 50.9 | −7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,856 | 50.9 | −15.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian McCartney | 33,119 | 73.6 | +12.9 |
| | Conservative | Michael Winstanley | 6,942 | 15.4 | −11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bruce Hubbard | 3,743 | 8.3 | −1.1 |
| | Referendum | Andrew Seed | 1,210 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26,177 | 57.9 | +24.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,014 | 66.8 | −9.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +12.3 | |
General election 1992: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian McCartney | 32,832 | 60.4 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative | Davina Dickson | 14,714 | 27.1 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Jeffers | 5,097 | 9.4 | −7.1 |
| | Liberal | Stella Cairns | 1,309 | 2.4 | N/A |
| | Natural Law | Christopher Davies | 397 | 0.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,118 | 33.3 | +4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,349 | 76.1 | +0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.2 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian McCartney | 30,190 | 56.3 | +7.0 |
| | Conservative | Laurence Robertson | 14,632 | 27.3 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal | William Hewer | 8,838 | 16.5 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,558 | 29.0 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,660 | 75.8 | +2.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.8 | |
General election 1983: Makerfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael McGuire | 25,114 | 49.3 | |
| | Conservative | Edward Hay | 14,238 | 27.9 | |
| | Liberal | Robin Grayson | 11,633 | 22.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,876 | 21.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,985 | 73.7 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |