The seat was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and covers the southwest part of Cumbria. The largest town in the constituency, Barrow-in-Furness, grew on the back of the shipbuilding industry and is now the site of the BAE Systemsnuclear submarine and shipbuilding operation. This reliance on the industry aligns many of its journalists and in its community with strong nuclear deterrents, from which Labour has recoiled since its involvement in the Iraq War that removed dictator Saddam Hussain. Labour Cabinet member Albert Booth represented Barrow for many years from 1966, but was defeated in 1983, in the aftermath of the Falklands War, by a Manchester lawyer, Cecil Franks of the Conservative Party, who retained the seat until 1992. Local media attributed this to widespread fears of job losses because the Labour Party was then signed up to doing away with all its nuclear capabilities including the submarines.[n 3]
As Labour revised its policies by favouring the retention of Britain's nuclear capability, and following massive job losses in the town's shipbuilding industry, Labour's fortunes revived in Barrow. John Hutton took the seat back for Labour in 1992 and retained it until the 2010 general election, when he was replaced by John Woodcock, also of Labour. In 2001, Hutton had the support of more than half of all those who voted. Other industries in the constituency currently include engineering and chemicals, and more than a quarter of all jobs are in manufacturing. The 2015 result gave the seat the 10th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[3] In 2017, Woodcock's majority was reduced from 795 votes to 209 votes, the 16th smallest majority in the country.[4] Conservative, Simon Fell, took the seat in 2019 with a slightly greater margin than John Woodcock had when he first won the seat for Labour in 2010.
Boundaries
Map of boundaries from 2024
Map of boundaries 2010-2024
Barrow-in-Furness in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974-83
1885–1918: The municipal borough of Barrow-in-Furness.[5]
1983–2010: The entire district of Barrow-in-Furness and the following wards from the District of South Lakeland: Low Furness, Pennington, Ulverston Central, Ulverston East, Ulverston North, Ulverston South and Ulverston West.
2010–2024: The entire district of Barrow-in-Furness and the following wards from the District of South Lakeland: Broughton, Crake Valley, Low Furness & Swarthmoor, Ulverston Central, Ulverston East, Ulverston North, Ulverston South, Ulverston Town and Ulverston West.
The Borough of Copeland wards of: Black Combe & Scafell; Millom.
The District of South Lakeland wards of: Broughton & Coniston (polling districts AHA, AHB, AHC, BZ, CA, CB, CL and CY); Furness Peninsula; Ulverston East; Ulverston West.[6]
The constituency was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the (former) Copeland Borough wards of Black Combe & Scafell, and Millom from the abolished constituency of Copeland. The boundaries within the (former) District of South Lakeland are unchanged, with the revised contents reflecting a previous local government boundary review.
With effect from 1 April 2023, the second tier councils in Cumbria were abolished and replaced by the new unitary authorities of Cumberland, and Westmorland and Furness.[7] The constituency will therefore now comprise the following from the 2024 general election:
The Cumberland wards of: Millom; Millom Without (most).
The Westmorland and Furness wards of: Dalton North; Dalton South; Hawcoat and Newbarns; High Furness; Low Furness; Old Barrow and Hindpool; Ormsgill and Parkside; Risedale and Roosecote; Ulverston; Walney Island; and a very small part of Coniston and Hawkshead.[8]
Members of Parliament
Election results
Elections in the 21st century
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
Results for Barrow and Furness since 1997, as to those parties/others who at some point have kept their deposit in this time. This means have won 5% of the vote, or more.
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 20th century
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
^"Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
^"The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
^"Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
^"Marginal Seats". tutor2u. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
^"Chap. 23. Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885". The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1885. pp. 111–198.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 5 North West region.
^"The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022".
^"New Seat Details - Barrow and Furness". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 1)
^"Barrow | General Election 2024 | Sky News". election.news.sky.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
^"Barrow and Furness Labour candidate for next election chosen". The Mail. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
^Pye, Daniel (17 March 2023). "Simon Fell to stand as Conservative candidate for Barrow". The Mail in South Cumbria. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
^"Barrow and Furness Constituency: PPC - Barry Morgan". Reform UK. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
^"Liberal Democrats Adrian Waite to fight to become Barrow MP". The Mail. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
^"Help get Furness Greens into General Election '24". Crowdfunder. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
^"Introducing your Barrow and Furness General Election candidates for 2024". The Mail. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
^"Barrow & Furness Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
^Council, Barrow Borough (12 December 2019). "Turnout was 65.79% with 46,155 votes cast. Counting continues #GE2019". @BarrowCouncil. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated". Barrow Borough Council. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
^"Barrow & Furness parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Barrow & Furness". BBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Barrow & Furness". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 May 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ a b c d e f g hBritish Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
^Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
^Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser 15 Jan 1914
^ a b c d e f g h i jBritish Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
^ a bDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
^ a b c d e f g hThe Liberal Year Book, 1907
^ a bDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
^Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
External links
Barrow and Furness UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
Barrow and Furness UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK