Preston is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2000 by Sir Mark Hendrick, a member of the Labour Party and Co-operative Party.
History
;1295–1950
The seat was created for the Model Parliament and sent members until at least 1331 until a new (possibly confirmatory) grant of two members to Westminster followed. From 1529 extending unusually beyond the 19th century until the 1950 general election the seat had two-member representation. Party divisions tended to run stronger after 1931 before which two different parties' candidates frequently came first and second at elections under the bloc vote system.
In 1929, a recently elected Liberal, Sir William Jowitt decided to join the Labour Party and called for a by-election (which implies a single vacancy) to support this change of party, which he won, to take up for two years the position of Attorney General for England and Wales as part of the Government. He became the highest judge during the Attlee Ministry, the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and Speaker of the House of Lords under a then hereditary-dominated House leading to a Conservative majority. Consequently, he was selected to be elevated to a peerage as 1st Earl Jowitt. With no sons, he was to be the last Earl and wrote the Dictionary of English Law.
;1950–1983
Preston was abolished as a constituency by the Representation of the People Act 1948, being replaced by the Preston North and Preston South constituencies for the 1950 general election.
;1983–present
Since the seat's revival after being split for 33 years into the larger North and South seats, all representatives have been members of the Labour Party.
The member from 1987 to 2000 was Audrey Wise, a member of the Socialist Campaign Group and reformer of maternity healthcare in opposition on the Select Committee.
Boundaries
Two-member seat
1832–1868: The old borough of Preston, and the township of Fishwick.
1868–1885: The existing parliamentary borough, excluding such part (if any) as lies on the south side of the River Ribble.
1885–1918: The existing parliamentary borough, so much of the municipal borough of Preston as was not already included in the parliamentary borough, so much of the parish of Lea, Ashton, Ingol, and Cottam, and of the parish of Penwortham, as were added to the municipal borough of Preston on 1 June 1889 by the Ribble Navigation and Preston Dock Act 1883, and the local government district of Fulwood.
1918–1950: County borough of Preston and urban district of Fulwood:
Single-member seat
1983–1997: The Borough of Preston wards of Ashton, Avenham, Brookfield, Central, Deepdale, Fishwick, Ingol, Larches, Moorbrook, Park, Ribbleton, St John's, St Matthew's, and Tulketh.
The boundaries of the re-established constituency corresponded to those of former County Borough, with Fulwood being included in the new seat of Ribble Valley.
1997–2010: The Borough of Preston wards of Ashton, Avenham, Brookfield, Central, Deepdale, Fishwick, Larches, Moor Park, Ribbleton, Riversway, St Matthew's, and Tulketh, and the Borough of South Ribble wards of Bamber Bridge Central, Bamber Bridge South, and Walton-le-Dale.
Ingol ward was transferred to Fylde. The Borough of South Ribble wards were transferred from the constituency of South Ribble.
2010–2018: The City of Preston wards of Ashton, Brookfield, Deepdale, Fishwick, Ingol, Larches, Moor Park, Ribbleton, Riversway, St George's, St Matthew's, Town Centre, Tulketh, and University.
Movements in 1997 reversed.
The ward of Lea was within the constituency of Fylde. The wards of Preston Rural North, Preston Rural East and the Fulwood wards (Cadley, College, Garrison, Greyfriars and Sharoe Green) were within the constituency of Wyre and Preston North. By the end of the review, the newly recommended Preston constituency had the smallest number of voters of an English constituency based on 2006 electorates.
2018–2024: In full: Ashton, Brookfield, City Centre, Deepdale, Fishwick and Frenchwood, Plungington, Ribbleton, St Matthews.
In part: Cadley (shared with Wyre and Preston North), Ingol and Cottam (shared with Fylde), Lea and Larches (shared with Fylde).
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England modified Preston City Council's ward boundaries and names in 2018, which altered the contents, but not the boundaries of the Parliamentary constituency of Preston. Due to the changes, some wards were shared with neighbouring seats.
2024–present: The City of Preston wards of Ashton, Brookfield, Cadley, City Centre, Deepdale, Fishwick & Frenchwood, Garrison, Ingol & Cottam, Lea & Larches, Plungington, Ribbleton, and St Matthew's.
The constituency was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring in the part wards currently in the Fylde constituency, together with the remainder of the Cadley ward and the Garrison ward from Wyre and Preston North (abolished).
Members of Parliament
MPs 1295–1640
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Parliament!!First member!!Second member
|-
| 1295|| Willielmus fil' (filius) Pauli ||Adam Russel
|-
| 1298|| Adam fil' Radulfi||Adam de Biri
|-
| 1300/1|| Willielmus fil' Paulini
|-
| 1304/5|| Robertus fil' Willelmi de Preston||Hernricus fil' Willelmi del Tounhende
|-
| 1306/7|| Robertus fil' Rogeri||Ricardus Banastre
|-
| 1307|| Henricus del Krykestyle||Ricardus Banastre
|-
| 1326/7|| Laurencius Travers||Willelmus de Graistok
|-
| 1327 (Nov)|| John Stakky|| Henry Banastre
|-
| 1328/9 (Feb)|| Willielmus fil' Paulini||Nicholaus de Preston
|-
| 1330 (Nov)|| William fitz Paul|| Henry de Haydock
|-
| 1331 (Sep)|| Johannes fil' Galfridi||Willielmus fil' Johannis
|-
| 1331–1529|| colspan = "2"| No returns
|-
| 1529|| Cristoferus Heydock||James Walton
|-
| 1536–1545|| colspan = "2"|No returns
|-
| 1545|| Sir Ralph Sadler|| John Bourne
|-
| 1562/3|| Gilbert Moreton|| James Hodgkinson!!First party!!!!Second member
| <!-- party -->
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Edward Fleetwood
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
|-
|June 1685
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Hon. Andrew Newport
| Tory
|-
| 1689
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| James Stanley
| <!-- party -->
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Thomas Patten
| <!-- party -->
|-
|March 1690
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Lord Willoughby de Eresby
| <!-- party -->
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Christopher Greenfield
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
|-
|December 1690
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Sir Edward Chisenhall
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1695
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Sir Thomas Stanley
| <!-- party -->
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Thomas Molyneux
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1698
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="3"| Henry Ashhurst
|rowspan="3"| <!-- party -->
|-
|January 1701
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Edward Rigby
| <!-- party -->
|-
|December 1701
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Thomas Molyneux
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1702
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Charles Zedenno Stanley
| <!-- party -->
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Sir Cyril Wyche
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1705
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Francis Annesley
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Edward Rigby
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1706
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Arthur Maynwaring
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1708
|rowspan="4" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="4"| Henry Fleetwood
|rowspan="4"| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1710
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Sir Henry Hoghton
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1713
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Edward Southwell
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1715
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Sir Henry Hoghton
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1722
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Daniel Pulteney
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Thomas Hesketh
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1727
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Sir Henry Hoghton
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1732
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="3"| Nicholas Fazackerley
|rowspan="3"| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1741
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| James Shuttleworth
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1754
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Edmund Starkie
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1767
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="2"| Sir Peter Leicester
|rowspan="2"| <!-- party -->
|-
|April 1768
| style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Sir Frank Standish
| <!-- party -->
|-
|November 1768
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Brigadier John Burgoyne
| Whig
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2"| Sir Henry Hoghton
|rowspan="2"| Tory
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Robert Townley Parker
| Conservative
|-
|1847
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Charles Grenfell
| Whig
|-
|1852
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Robert Townley Parker
| Conservative
|rowspan="3"| Conservative
|-
|1865
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Hon. Frederick Stanley
| Conservative
|-
|1868
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2" | Edward Hermon
|rowspan="2" | Conservative
|-
|1872 by-election
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2"| (Sir) John Holker
|rowspan="2"| Conservative
|-
|1881 by-election
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="3"| William Farrer Ecroyd
|rowspan="3"| Conservative
|-
|February 1882 by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Henry Cecil Raikes
| Conservative
|-
|November 1882 by-election
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="3"| (Sir) William Tomlinson
|rowspan="3" | Conservative
|-
|1885
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Robert William Hanbury
| Conservative
|-
|1903 by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| John Kerr
| Conservative
|-
|1906
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| John Thomas Macpherson
| Labour
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Harold Cox
| Liberal
|-
|January 1910
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="3"| Major the Hon. George Stanley
|rowspan="3"| Conservative
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Alfred Tobin
| Conservative
|-
|1915 by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Urban H. Broughton
| Conservative
|-
|1918
|rowspan="5" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="5" | Thomas Shaw
|rowspan="5" | Labour
|-
|1922
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| James Hodge
| Liberal
|-
|1924
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Alfred Ravenscroft Kennedy
| Conservative
|-
|1929
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2"| Sir William Jowitt
| Liberal
|-
|| 1929 by-election
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|| Labour
|-
|1931
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2"| Adrian Moreing
|rowspan="2"| Conservative
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| William Kirkpatrick
| Conservative
|-
|1936 by-election
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2"| Edward Cobb
|rowspan="2"| Conservative
|-
|1940 by-election
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Randolph Churchill
| Conservative
|-
|1945
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| John William Sunderland
| Labour
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2"| Samuel Segal
|rowspan="2"| Labour
|-
|1946 by-election
| style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Edward Shackleton
| Labour
|}
MPs since 1983
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Election!!Member|
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections of the 1980s
Elections in the 1940s
For the general election expected to take place in 1939/1940, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Adrian Moreing, Edward Cobb
- Labour: P.C. Hoffman, John William Sunderland
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
- For all General Elections from 1906 to 1929 the Liberal and Labour parties ran only one candidate each, and these candidates ran in harness.
thumb|120px|Stanley
General Election 1914/15:
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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Unionist: George Stanley and Alfred Tobin
- Labour: Tom Shaw
- Liberal: Frederick Llewellyn-Jones
thumb|120px|Young
- Caused by Holker's resignation upon appointment as a Lord Justice of Appeal.
- Caused by Hermon's death.
Elections in the 1870s
- Caused by Hesketh's death.