# Heywood and Middleton North (UK Parliament constituency)

Heywood and Middleton North is a constituency in Greater Manchester represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Elsie Blundell of the Labour Party.
Prior to the 2024 general election, the constituency was known as Heywood and Middleton. The 2023 review of Westminster constituencies proposed that two of the Middleton wards be included in a new constituency named Blackley and Middleton South and this seat be renamed Heywood and Middleton North.

## Constituency profile

The constituency covers the west half of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, including the towns of Heywood and Middleton, and some of the western fringes of Rochdale itself such as Castleton. Norden and Bamford are strong Conservative areas, with several million-pound houses, but all other wards are mostly favourable to Labour. Middleton includes the large overspill council estate of Langley though the South Middleton ward includes a relatively affluent area in Alkrington Garden Village, but even this ward generally returns Labour councillors.
Electoral Calculus categorises the seat as a "Somewhere" demographic, indicating socially conservative, economically soft left views and strong support for Brexit.

## History

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the former seats of Heywood and Royton and Middleton and Prestwich and was held by the Labour Party since then until the 2019 Election.
From 1983 until his retirement in 1997, the MP was Jim Callaghan, not to be confused with a former Prime Minister with the same name.
In a 2014 by-election UKIP came within 617 votes of winning the seat, which was on the same day as the Rochester and Strood by-election, and in 2015 it produced one of their largest results in the country. Subsequently, the constituency heavily voted to Leave in the EU referendum and swung to the Conservatives for the first time in 2019, in line with many other Leave-voting Labour seats in the North and Midlands.
Under the 2023 boundary changes, it was estimated that the newly named seat would notionally have been held by Labour. As a result, the sitting Conservative MP, Chris Clarkson, decided not to stand in 2024 and he was selected for the previously safe seat of Stratford-on-Avon, where he was defeated. The Labour Party candidate, Elsie Blundell, duly won this seat with a majority of 16.4% over Reform UK, with the Conservatives dropping down to third place.

## Boundaries

1983–1997: The Borough of Rochdale wards of Heywood North, Heywood South, Heywood West, Middleton Central, Middleton East, Middleton North, Middleton South, and Middleton West.
1997–2010: The Borough of Rochdale wards of Castleton, Heywood North, Heywood South, Heywood West, Middleton Central, Middleton East, Middleton North, Middleton South, Middleton West, and Norden and Bamford.
2010–2024: The Borough of Rochdale wards of Bamford, Castleton, East Middleton, Hopwood Hall, Norden, North Heywood, North Middleton, South Middleton, West Heywood, and West Middleton.
2024–present: The Borough of Rochdale wards of Bamford, Castleton, Hopwood Hall, Norden, North Heywood, North Middleton, Spotland and Falinge, West Heywood, and West Middleton.
    East Middleton and South Middleton wards were transferred to the new constituency of Blackley and Middleton South, partly compensated by the addition of the Spotland and Falinge ward from Rochdale.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Jim Callaghan | Labour |
| 1997 | Jim Dobbin | Labour Co-op |
| 2014 by-election | Liz McInnes | Labour |
| 2019 | Chris Clarkson | Conservative |
| 2024 | Elsie Blundell | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Heywood and Middleton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elsie Blundell | 15,069 | 40.6 | −2.5 |
| | Reform UK | Steve Potter | 8,987 | 24.2 | +15.8 |
| | Conservative | Laura-Beth Thompson | 6,423 | 17.3 | −24.2 |
| | Independent | Chris Furlong | 4,349 | 11.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tom Shaw | 2,302 | 6.2 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,082 | 16.4 | +14.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,130 | 49.6 | −8.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 74,786 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −9.1 | |
Heywood and Middleton North is the only constituency (in England or Wales) where the Green Party of England and Wales didn't stand a 2024 candidate.

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Labour | 18,281 | 43.1 |
| | Conservative | 17,601 | 41.5 |
| | Brexit Party | 3,581 | 8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1,787 | 4.2 |
| | Green | 1,196 | 2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 42,446 | 57.9 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 73,306 |
General election 2019: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Chris Clarkson | 20,453 | 43.1 | +5.1 |
| | Labour | Liz McInnes | 19,790 | 41.7 | −11.6 |
| | Brexit Party | Colin Lambert | 3,952 | 8.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Smith | 2,073 | 4.4 | +2.2 |
| | Green | Nigel Ainsworth-Barnes | 1,220 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 663 | 1.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,488 | 59.2 | –3.2 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +8.4 | |
General election 2017: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Liz McInnes | 26,578 | 53.3 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | Chris Clarkson | 18,961 | 38.0 | +18.9 |
| | UKIP | Lee Seville | 3,239 | 6.5 | −25.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Winlow | 1,087 | 2.2 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,617 | 15.3 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,865 | 62.4 | +1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −4.4 | |
General election 2015: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Liz McInnes | 20,926 | 43.1 | +3.0 |
| | UKIP | John Bickley | 15,627 | 32.2 | +29.6 |
| | Conservative | Iain Gartside | 9,268 | 19.1 | −8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Smith | 1,607 | 3.3 | −19.4 |
| | Green | Abi Jackson | 1,110 | 2.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,299 | 10.9 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,538 | 60.7 | +3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −16.3 | |
2014 Heywood and Middleton by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Liz McInnes | 11,633 | 40.9 | +0.8 |
| | UKIP | John Bickley | 11,016 | 38.7 | +36.1 |
| | Conservative | Iain Gartside | 3,496 | 12.3 | −14.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Smith | 1,457 | 5.1 | −17.6 |
| | Green | Abi Jackson | 870 | 3.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 617 | 2.2 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,472 | 36.0 | −21.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −18.5 | |
General election 2010: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Jim Dobbin | 18,499 | 40.1 | −8.2 |
| | Conservative | Mike Holly | 12,528 | 27.2 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Wera Hobhouse | 10,474 | 22.7 | +2.5 |
| | BNP | Peter Greenwood | 3,239 | 7.0 | +2.6 |
| | UKIP | Victoria Cecil | 1,215 | 2.6 | +0.7 |
| | Independent | Chrissy Lee | 170 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,971 | 12.9 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,125 | 57.5 | +3.7 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −6.8 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Jim Dobbin | 19,438 | 49.8 | −7.9 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Pathmarajah | 8,355 | 21.4 | −6.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Crea Lavin | 7,261 | 18.6 | +7.4 |
| | BNP | Gary Aronsson | 1,855 | 4.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Philip Burke | 1,377 | 3.5 | +0.9 |
| | UKIP | John Whittaker | 767 | 2.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,083 | 28.4 | −1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,053 | 54.6 | +1.5 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −0.9 | |
General election 2001: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Jim Dobbin | 22,377 | 57.7 | ±0.0 |
| | Conservative | Marilyn Hopkins | 10,707 | 27.6 | +4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Greenhalgh | 4,329 | 11.2 | −4.4 |
| | Liberal | Philip Burke | 1,021 | 2.6 | +1.1 |
| | Christian Democrats | Christine West | 345 | 0.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,670 | 30.1 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,779 | 53.1 | −15.3 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −2.3 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Jim Dobbin | 29,179 | 57.7 | +11.2 |
| | Conservative | Sebastian Grigg | 11,637 | 23.0 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Clayton | 7,908 | 15.6 | −4.3 |
| | Referendum | Christine West | 1,076 | 2.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Philip Burke | 750 | 1.5 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,542 | 34.7 | +15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,550 | 68.4 | −6.5 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |
General election 1992: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim Callaghan | 22,380 | 52.3 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | Eric Ollerenshaw | 14,306 | 33.4 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael B. Taylor | 5,252 | 12.3 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal | Philip Burke | 757 | 1.8 | N/A |
| | Natural Law | Anne-Marie Scott | 134 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,074 | 18.9 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,829 | 74.9 | +1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.6 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim Callaghan | 21,900 | 49.9 | +6.6 |
| | Conservative | Roy Walker | 15,052 | 34.3 | +0.5 |
| | SDP | Ian Greenhalgh | 6,953 | 15.8 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,848 | 15.6 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,905 | 73.8 | +3.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.2 | |
General election 1983: Heywood and Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim Callaghan | 18,111 | 43.3 | |
| | Conservative | Christine Hodgson | 14,137 | 33.8 | |
| | SDP | Arthur Rumbelow | 9,262 | 22.1 | |
| | BNP | Kenneth Henderson | 316 | 0.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,974 | 9.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,826 | 69.9 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |