Blackpool South is a

constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...

in Lancashire, represented in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

since 2019 by Scott Benton, a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

Constituency profile

The seat encompasses the central and southern parts of Blackpool, including the famous

Blackpool Tower Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in ...

, the three piers and the

Pleasure Beach Pleasure Beach is the Bridgeport portion of a Connecticut barrier beach that extends westerly from Point No Point (the portion in the adjoining town of Stratford is known as Long Beach). Prior to June, 2014, when Pleasure Beach re-opened, the ...

. Also included is the Bloomfield area, home to

Blackpool F.C Blackpool Football Club is a professional association football club based in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1887, t ...

. In the southern end of the seat, near to the Fylde border, Squires Gate is the site of

Blackpool Airport Blackpool Airport is an airport on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport and Blackpool International Airport. Ownership of the ai ...

.Mapit https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/65679.html Tourism is a major industry in the area, and while Blackpool has been less affected by the decline in domestic holidaymaking than some resorts, there are nonetheless some run-down areas which were once rather more glamorous. Traditionally seaside seats were very safe for the Conservative Party, but for some time it seemed unlikely that the party would win it back. However, they were able to do so in

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

when they finally achieved a sizeable majority with many gains in northern England.

History

This seat was created for the 1945 general election. This marginal constituency has been represented by both the

and Labour Party parties since the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. It was held by the Conservatives until 1997, when

Gordon Marsden Gordon Marsden (born 28 November 1953) is a British Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Blackpool South from 1997 to 2019. Early life Marsden was educated at Stockport Grammar School, an independent school in St ...

, gained it for Labour. He represented the seat for the next 22 years but was defeated in

by the Conservative Scott Benton.

Boundaries

1945–1950: The County Borough of Blackpool wards of Marton, Stanley, Victoria, and Waterloo, and the Borough of Lytham St Annes. 1950–1983: The County Borough of Blackpool wards of Alexandra, Marton, Stanley, Tyldesley, Victoria, and Waterloo. 1983–1997: The Borough of Blackpool wards of Alexandra, Clifton, Foxhall, Hawes Side, Highfield, Marton, Squires Gate, Stanley, Tyldesley, Victoria, and Waterloo. 1997–2010: The Borough of Blackpool wards of Alexandra, Brunswick, Clifton, Foxhall, Hawes Side, Highfield, Layton, Marton, Park, Squires Gate, Stanley, Talbot, Tyldesley, Victoria, and Waterloo. 2010–present: The Borough of Blackpool wards of Bloomfield, Brunswick, Clifton, Hawes Side, Highfield, Marton, Squires Gate, Stanley, Talbot, Tyldesley, Victoria, and Waterloo.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Notes

References

External links

nomis Constituency Profile for Blackpool South, presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackpool South (Uk Parliament Constituency) Parliamentary constituencies in North West England Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1945 Politics of Blackpool