Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency)

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox UK constituency main Barrow and Furness, formerly known as Barrow-in-Furness, is a UK Parliament constituency in Cumbria. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Michelle Scrogham of the Labour Party since 2024.

Since its inception in 1885, the constituency has been centred on the town of Barrow-in-Furness, at the tip of the Furness peninsula. Over the intervening years the constituency has periodically grown in size, and as of the 2024 general election it incorporates the entirety of the peninsula, the Eskdale and Duddon Valleys, and all of coastal West Cumbria as far north as Ravenglass.

History and profile

The seat was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and covers the southwest part of Cumbria. It was predominantly a Conservative seat in its early history, though from 1945, it became an increasingly safe seat for Labour for nearly four decades. 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 Systems nuclear 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. Other industries in the constituency currently include engineering and chemicals, and more than a quarter of all jobs are in manufacturing.

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. The 2015 result gave the seat the 10th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority. In 2017, Woodcock's majority was reduced from 795 votes to 209 votes, the 16th smallest majority in the country.

Following Woodcock's resignation from the Labour party in 2018, he stood down as an MP for the 2019 general election when the seat was gained by Conservative Simon Fell, who had contested the seat unsuccessfully in 2015 and 2017. He won with a slightly greater margin than Woodcock had when he first won the seat for Labour in 2010. The seat was retaken by Labour's Michelle Scrogham at the 2024 election with a majority of 12.6% - the same as Fell's majority in 2019.

Boundaries

Historic

File:Barrow1974Constituency.svg

Barrow-in-Furness in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974-83

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.

1918–1950: The County Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.

1950–1983: The County Borough of Barrow-in-Furness and the Urban District of Dalton-in-Furness.

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.

Current

The 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies was carried out using the local authority structure as it existed in Cumbria on 1 December 2020 and is officially defined as:

• The Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.

• 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.

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. Consequently, the constituency now comprises 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.

The constituency was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the town of Millom from the abolished constituency of Copeland.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1885	David Duncan	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1886 by-election	William Sproston Caine	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1886		Liberal Unionist
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1890 by-election	James Duncan	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1892	Charles Cayzer	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1906	Charles Duncan	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1918	Robert Chadwick	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1922	Daniel Somerville	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1924	John Bromley	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1931	Jonah Walker-Smith	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1945	Walter Monslow	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1966	Albert Booth	Labour
	1983	Constituency renamed "Barrow and Furness"
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |		Cecil Franks	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1992	John Hutton	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2010	John Woodcock	Labour Co-op
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2018		Independent
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2019	Simon Fell	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2024	Michelle Scrogham	Labour

Election results

File:B&F Election Results.png

Election results 1950-2024

Elections in the 21st century

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Michelle Scrogham	Template:Replace	43.9
		Simon Fell	13,213	31.3
		Barry Morgan	7,035	16.7
		Adrian Waite	1,680	4.0
		Lorraine Wrennall	1,466	3.5
		Lisa Morgan	290	0.7
Majority			5,324	12.6
Turnout			42,221	56.3
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 13.7

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	26,551	53.1
	Labour	19,115	38.2
	Liberal Democrats	2,256	4.5
	Brexit Party	1,355	2.7
	Green Party of England and Wales	770	1.5
Majority		7,436	14.9
Turnout		50,047	65.3
Electorate		76,603

File:Results for Barrow and Furness since 1997.svg

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.

General election 2019: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Simon Fell	Template:Replace	51.9
		Chris Altree	18,087	39.3
		Loraine Birchall	2,025	4.4
		Ged McGrath	1,355	2.9
		Chris Loynes	703	1.5
Majority			5,789	12.6
Turnout			46,046	65.8
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 6.5

General election 2017: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Woodcock	Template:Replace	47.5
		Simon Fell	22,383	47.0
		Loraine Birchall	1,278	2.7
		Alan Piper	962	2.0
		Rob O'Hara	375	0.8
Majority			209	0.5
Turnout			47,590	68.5
	hold		Swing	Decrease 0.7

General election 2015: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Woodcock	Template:Replace	42.3
		Simon Fell	17,525	40.5
		Nigel Cecil	5,070	11.7
		Clive Peaple	1,169	2.7
		Rob O'Hara	1,061	2.5
		Ian Jackson	130	0.3
Majority			795	1.8
Turnout			43,275	63.3
	hold		Swing	Decrease 5.0

General election 2010: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Woodcock	Template:Replace	48.1
		John Gough	16,018	36.3
		Barry Rabone	4,424	10.0
		John Smith	841	1.9
		Mike Ashburner	840	1.9
		Chris Loynes	530	1.2
		Brian Greaves	245	0.6
Majority			5,208	11.8
Turnout			44,124	63.7
	hold		Swing	Decrease 0.4

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Hutton	Template:Replace	47.6
		William Dorman	11,323	31.0
		Barry Rabone	6,130	16.8
		Alan Beach	758	2.1
	Build Duddon and Morecambe Bridges	Timothey Bell	409	1.1
		Brian Greaves	306	0.8
		Helene Young	207	0.6
Majority			6,037	16.6
Turnout			36,493	59.0
	hold		Swing	Decrease 4.4

General election 2001: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Hutton	Template:Replace	55.7
		James Airey	11,835	30.3
		Barry Rabone	4,750	12.2
		John Smith	711	1.8
Majority			9,889	25.4
Turnout			39,020	60.3
	hold		Swing	Decrease 2.4

File:Barrow & Furness Results 1900-2019.png

Elections in the 20th century

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Hutton	Template:Replace	57.3
		Richard Hunt	13,133	27.2
		Anne A. Metcalfe	4,264	8.8
		Jim Hamezeian	1,995	4.1
		David Y. Mitchell	1,208	2.5
Majority			14,497	30.1
Turnout			48,230	72.0
	hold		Swing	Increase 11.9

General election 1992: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Hutton	Template:Replace	47.7
		Cecil Franks	22,990	41.3
		Clive J. Crane	6,089	10.9
Majority			3,578	6.4
Turnout			55,647	82.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 6.8

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Cecil Franks	Template:Replace	46.5
		Peter Phizacklea	21,504	39.3
		Richard Phelps	7,799	14.3
Majority			3,927	7.2
Turnout			54,731	79.0
	hold		Swing	Decrease 0.9

General election 1983: Barrow and Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Cecil Franks	Template:Replace	43.6
		Albert Booth	17,707	34.7
		David Cottier	11,079	21.7
Majority			4,577	8.9
Turnout			51,070	75.2
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Albert Booth	Template:Replace	53.24
		Patrick Thompson	14,946	35.07
		G. Thompson	4,983	11.69
Majority			7,741	18.17
Turnout			42,616	78.26
	hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Albert Booth	Template:Replace	51.41
		Richard Cecil	14,253	33.91
		M.A. Benjamin	5,788	13.77
		V. Moore	384	0.91
Majority			7,354	17.50
Turnout			42,032	77.06
	hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Albert Booth	Template:Replace	46.11
		D.G.P. Bloomer	14,818	34.29
		M. Benjamin	8,470	19.60
Majority			5,107	11.82
Turnout			43,213	79.97
	hold		Swing

General election 1970: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Albert Booth	Template:Replace	56.09
		Hal Miller	17,536	43.91
Majority			4,864	12.18
Turnout			39,936	73.69
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Albert Booth	Template:Replace	60.31
		Richard W. Rollins	15,453	39.69
Majority			8,032	20.62
Turnout			38,938	76.78
	hold		Swing

General election 1964: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Monslow	Template:Replace	55.13
		Peter Davies	18,068	44.87
Majority			4,129	10.26
Turnout			40,265	78.03
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Monslow	Template:Replace	54.68
		Malcolm Metcalf	19,220	45.32
Majority			3,974	9.36
Turnout			42,414	81.72
	hold		Swing

General election 1955: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Monslow	Template:Replace	53.22
		Edward du Cann	20,033	46.78
Majority			2,759	6.44
Turnout			42,825	80.69
	hold		Swing

General election 1951: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Monslow	Template:Replace	56.91
		Kenneth F. Lawton	20,225	43.09
Majority			6,484	13.82
Turnout			46,934	86.18
	hold		Swing

General election 1950: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Monslow	Template:Replace	56.27
		Wilfrid Sugden	16,793	35.87
		Herbert Alexander Anderson Jardine	3,678	7.86
Majority			9,549	20.40
Turnout			46,813	87.83
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Walter Monslow	Template:Replace	65.5
		Jonah Walker-Smith	13,648	34.5
Majority			12,291	31.0
Turnout			39,587	79.7
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 15.8

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;

• Conservative: Jonah Walker-Smith
• Labour: Ronald McKinnon Wood

General election 1935: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jonah Walker-Smith	Template:Replace	50.3
		Percy Barstow	17,919	49.7
Majority			217	0.6
Turnout			36,055	85.4
	hold		Swing	Decrease 6.5

General election 1931: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jonah Walker-Smith	Template:Replace	56.8
		David Adams	15,835	43.2
Majority			4,959	13.4
Turnout			36,629	88.9
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 12.8

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Bromley	Template:Replace	56.0
		Kenneth McDonald Cameron	15,551	44.0
Majority			4,247	12.0
Turnout			35,349	86.8
	hold		Swing	Increase 4.8

General election 1924: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Bromley	Template:Replace	51.2
		Daniel Somerville	14,802	48.8
Majority			710	2.4
Turnout			30,314	89.9
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 1.9

General election 1923: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Daniel Somerville	Template:Replace	47.5
		John Bromley	13,576	46.0
		William Hood Wandless	1,931	6.5
Majority			420	1.5
Turnout			29,503	86.3
	hold		Swing	Decrease 2.3

General election 1922: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Daniel Somerville	Template:Replace	53.1
		John Bromley	14,551	46.9
Majority			1,927	6.2
Turnout			31,299	87.1
	hold		Swing	Increase 2.5

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Barrow in Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Robert Burton-Chadwick	Template:Replace	50.6
		Charles Duncan	12,309	49.4
Majority			299	1.2
Turnout			24,917	66.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 3.5

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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Labour: Charles Duncan
• Unionist: Francis Meynell

General election December 1910: Barrow-in-Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Duncan	Template:Replace	52.9
		Francis Hugo Lindley Meynell	4,290	47.1
Majority			520	5.8
Turnout			9,100	86.8
Registered electors			10,478
	hold		Swing	Decrease 2.3

General election January 1910: Barrow-in-Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Duncan	Template:Replace	55.2
		Francis Hugo Lindley Meynell	4,298	44.8
Majority			1,006	10.4
Turnout			9,602	91.6
Registered electors			10,478
	hold		Swing	Decrease 5.1

Elections in the 1900s

File:Charles Duncan.JPG

Duncan

General election 1906: Barrow-in-Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Duncan	Template:Replace	60.3
		Charles Cayzer	3,395	39.7
Majority			1,772	20.6
Turnout			8,562	90.8
Registered electors			9,426
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1900: Barrow-in-Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold

Elections in the 19th century

Elections in the 1890s

File:WCBonnerjee.jpg

Bonnerjee

File:Pete Curran.png

Curran

General election 1895: Barrow-in-Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Cayzer	Template:Replace	53.6
		Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee	2,355	39.5
		Pete Curran	414	6.9
Majority			837	14.1
Turnout			5,961	89.4
Registered electors			6,665
	hold		Swing	Increase 3.7

General election 1892: Barrow-in-Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Cayzer	Template:Replace	53.4
		James Duncan	2,890	46.6
Majority			422	6.8
Turnout			6,202	89.1
Registered electors			6,958
	hold		Swing	Decrease 9.7

1890 Barrow-in-Furness by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Duncan	Template:Replace	38.2
		Herbert Henry Wainwright	1,862	36.6
		William Sproston Caine	1,280	25.2
Majority			82	1.6
Turnout			5,086	84.3
Registered electors			6,034
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 13.9

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1886: Barrow-in-Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Sproston Caine	Template:Replace	63.1
		John Ainsworth	1,882	36.9
Majority			1,330	26.2
Turnout			5,094	84.0
Registered electors			6,063
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 16.2

File:John Ainsworth.jpg

Ainsworth

1886 Barrow-in-Furness by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Sproston Caine	Template:Replace	58.7
		Gainsford Bruce	2,174	41.0
		W H M Edmunds	15	0.3
Majority			935	17.7
Turnout			5,298	87.4
Registered electors			6,063
	hold		Swing	Increase 5.8

File:SirGainsfordBruce.jpg

Bruce

General election 1885: Barrow-in-Furness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David Duncan	Template:Replace	53.1
		Henry Schneider	2,612	46.9
Majority			346	6.2
Turnout			5,570	91.9
Registered electors			6,063
	win (new seat)

The election was declared void on petition, causing a by-election.

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Cumbria

External links

• Barrow and Furness UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• 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