Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency)

Blackburn is a constituency in Lancashire, England, which is represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by independent politician Adnan Hussain. From 2015 to 2024 it was represented by Kate Hollern of the Labour Party and, from 1979 to 2015, by Jack Straw who served under the Labour leaders of Neil Kinnock and John Smith and the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Boundaries

Historic

1832–1885: The township of Blackburn.

1885–1918: The existing parliamentary borough, and so much of the municipal borough of Blackburn as was not already included in the parliamentary borough.

1918–1950: the county borough of Blackburn.

1955–1974: The county borough of Blackburn wards of Park, St. John's, St. Jude's, St. Luke's, St. Matthew's, St. Michael's, St. Paul's, St. Silas's, St. Stephen's, St. Thomas's and Trinity.

2010–2024: The district of Blackburn with Darwen wards of Audley, Bastwell, Beardwood and Lammack, Corporation Park, Ewood, Higher Croft, Little Harwood, Livesey with Pleasington, Meadowhead, Mill Hill, Queen's Park, Roe Lee, Shadsworth with Whitebirk, Shear Brow and Wensley Fold.

Following the 2007 review of parliamentary representation in Lancashire in the run up to the 2010 United Kingdom general election, including the unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen, the Boundary Commission for England made minor boundary changes to the existing constituency.

Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following wards of the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

• Audley & Queen’s Park; Bastwell & Daisyfield; Billinge & Beardwood; Blackburn Central; Blackburn South East; Ewood; Little Harwood & Whitebirk; Livesey with Pleasington; Mill Hill & Moorgate; Roe Lee; Shear Brow & Corporation Park; Wensley Fold.

Minor changes to reflect changes to local authority ward structure.

The constituency encompasses the town of Blackburn in the North West of England. It borders four other constituencies: Ribble Valley to the north, Hyndburn to the east, Rossendale and Darwen to the south and Chorley to the west.

History

Blackburn was first enfranchised by the Reform Act 1832, as a two-member constituency, and was first used at the 1832 general election. It was abolished for the 1950 general election, replaced by two single member constituencies, Blackburn East and Blackburn West.

Blackburn was re-established as a single-member constituency for the 1955 general election, partially replacing Blackburn East and Blackburn West. After its re-establishment, the constituency was initially a marginal, but Blackburn was later considered to be a Labour Party stronghold prior to the 2024 general election—up until that point, it had only elected Labour MPs since its recreation in 1955. In 2024 Blackburn was won by Adnan Hussain, an independent candidate who campaigned largely on the issue of the genocide of Palestinians during the Gaza war. Three other previously safe Labour seats saw similar results at that election, all of which had large Muslim populations.

The constituency of Blackburn has been represented by two prominent frontbenchers in the Cabinet: Barbara Castle, a First Secretary of State (amongst other roles) who stood down from this seat to become a Member of the European Parliament, and Jack Straw, who served as Home Secretary and then Foreign Secretary in the Blair government.

1997 general election

Jack Straw's Conservative challenger in the 1997 general election, Geeta Sidhu-Robb, was filmed with a megaphone during the election campaign, exclaiming in Urdu or Gujarati: "Don't vote for a Jew, Jack Straw is a Jew. If you vote for him, you're voting for a Jew. Jews are the enemies of Muslims." Sidhu-Robb said that this was in response to racist campaigning by the Labour Party, who she accused of claiming that she was "against Islam". She felt that Labour were "making it personal", and she took particular umbrage as her husband was Muslim. Sidhu-Robb later said she wished she had not made those comments about Straw, saying she did so because she was "furious" and that she "didn't want racism and bigotry to play a part in anything that [she] had anything to do with." Nonetheless, her comments regarding Straw's religion resurfaced over 20 years later, when Sidhu-Robb was competing to be nominated as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2021 London Mayoral election, causing the Liberal Democrats to remove her from consideration for their candidacy.

2005 general election

Blackburn's then MP, Straw, was primarily challenged in the 2005 general election by the Conservative Party, but the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, also stood for election in the seat as an Independent. Murray said: "I've been approached by several people in the Asian community who are under huge pressure from Labour activists [talking up the BNP's chances] to apply for a postal vote rather than a ballot vote and then hand their postal vote over to the Labour party." Over 50% more people used postal votes in the 2005 general election in Blackburn than in 2001. The BNP had not stood in the previous two elections, but this time had a candidate, who polled 5.4% of the vote, and beat Murray to come fourth. Both were outperformed by the Liberal Democrats in third place, and the Conservatives, who remained second. Straw held on comfortably, albeit with a reduced majority; his winning vote share of 42% was the smallest since the seat became a single-member constituency until the 2024 result.

2015 general election

In August 2011, Jack Straw claimed that he had no plans to retire, despite turning 65 earlier that month. Two years later, on 25 October 2013, Straw announced that he would stand down as Blackburn's MP at the next election. In March 2014, Kate Hollern was selected, via an all women shortlist, as the candidate for Labour for the 2015 general election, and held the seat.

Members of Parliament

Two-member constituency (1832–1950)

Election		First member	First party		Second member	Second party
1832	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	William Feilden	Whig	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	William Turner	Whig
1841	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |		Conservative	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	John Hornby	Conservative
1847	rowspan="4" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	James Pilkington	Whig
1852	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			William Eccles	Radical
1853 by-election	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			Montague Joseph Feilden	Whig
1857	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			William Henry Hornby	Conservative
1859	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |		Liberal
1865	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Joseph Feilden	Conservative
1869 by-election	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Henry Feilden	Conservative	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Edward Hornby	Conservative
1874	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			William Edward Briggs	Liberal
1875 by-election	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Daniel Thwaites	Conservative
1880	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Sir William Coddington	Conservative
1885	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			Sir Robert Peel	Conservative
1886	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			William Hornby	Conservative
1906	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Philip Snowden	Labour
1910	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			Sir Thomas Barclay	Liberal
1910	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			Sir Henry Norman	Liberal
1918	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Percy Dean	Coalition Conservative		style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Coalition Liberal
1922	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Sir Sidney Henn	Conservative		style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	National Liberal
1923	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			John Duckworth	Liberal
1929	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Thomas Gill	Labour	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Mary Hamilton	Labour
1931	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Sir George Elliston	Conservative	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Sir WD Smiles	Conservative
1945	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	John Edwards	Labour	style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Barbara Castle	Labour
1950	constituency abolished: see Blackburn East and Blackburn West

Single member constituency (1955–present)

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1955	Barbara Castle	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1979	Jack Straw	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2015		Independent
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2015	Kate Hollern	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2024	Adnan Hussain	Independent

Elections

File:BckBrn Election Results.png

Election results 1955-2024

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Adnan Hussain	Template:Replace	27.0
		Kate Hollern	10,386	26.7
		Craig Murray	7,105	18.3
		Tommy Temperley	4,844	12.5
		Jamie McGowan	3,474	8.9
		Denise Morgan	1,416	3.6
		Adam Waller-Slack	689	1.8
		Altaf Patel	369	0.9
		Natasha Shah	86	0.2
Majority			132	0.3
Turnout			38,887	53.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Kate Hollern	Template:Replace	64.9
		Claire Gill	10,736	24.0
		Rick Moore	2,770	6.2
		Beth Waller-Slack	1,130	2.5
		Reza Hossain	741	1.7
		Rizwan Shah	319	0.7
Majority			18,304	40.9
Turnout			44,736	62.8
	hold		Swing	−1.0

General election 2017: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Kate Hollern	Template:Replace	69.8
		Bob Eastwood	12,780	26.9
		Duncan Miller	875	1.8
		Irfan Ahmed	709	1.5
Majority			20,368	42.9
Turnout			47,512	67.2
	hold		Swing	+6.9

General election 2015: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Kate Hollern	Template:Replace	56.3
		Bob Eastwood	12,002	27.3
		Dayle Taylor	6,280	14.3
		Gordon Lishman	955	2.2
Majority			12,760	29.0
Turnout			43,999	60.1
	hold		Swing	+3.7

General election 2010: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Straw	Template:Replace	47.8
		Michael Law-Riding	11,895	26.1
		Paul English	6,918	15.2
		Robin Evans	2,158	4.7
		Bushra Irfan	1,424	3.1
		Bobby Anwar	942	2.1
		Grace Astley	238	0.5
		Janis Sharp	173	0.4
Majority			9,856	21.7
Turnout			45,499	62.9
	hold		Swing	+1.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Straw	Template:Replace	42.0
		Imtiaz Ameen	9,553	22.9
		Tony Melia	8,608	20.6
		Nicholas Holt	2,263	5.4
		Craig Murray	2,082	5.0
		Dorothy Baxter	954	2.3
		Graham Carter	783	1.9
Majority			8,009	19.1
Turnout			41,805	56.9
	hold		Swing	−1.4

General election 2001: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Straw	Template:Replace	54.1
		John Cotton	12,559	31.2
		Imtiaz Patel	3,264	8.1
		Dorothy Baxter	1,185	2.9
		Terry Cullen	559	1.4
		Jim Nichol	532	1.3
		Paul Morris	377	0.9
Majority			9,249	22.9
Turnout			40,284	55.5
	hold		Swing	−2.9

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Straw	Template:Replace	55.0
		Geeta Sidhu Robb	11,690	24.6
		Stephen Fenn	4,990	10.5
		David Bradshaw	1,892	4.0
		Tina Wingfield	671	1.4
		Helen Drummond	635	1.3
		Robin Field	608	1.3
	Keep Britain Free and Independent Party	Margo Carmichael-Grimshaw	506	1.1
	Common Sense Sick of Politicians	John Batchelor	362	0.8
Majority			14,451	30.4
Turnout			47,495	65.0
	hold		Swing	+9.7

General election 1992: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Straw	Template:Replace	48.4
		Ross M. Coates	20,606	37.5
		Derek Mann	6,332	11.5
		Robin Field	878	1.6
	Lodestar Party	Margo Carmichael-Grimshaw	334	0.6
		William Ayliffe	195	0.4
Majority			6,027	10.9
Turnout			54,978	75.1
	hold		Swing	+0.6

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Straw	Template:Replace	49.9
		Anne Cheetham	22,468	40.1
		Mohammed Ali	5,602	10.0
Majority			5,497	9.8
Turnout			56,035	74.9
	hold		Swing	+2.3

General election 1983: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Straw	Template:Replace	44.7
		Graham Mather	22,345	39.4
		Eric B. Fairbrother	8,174	14.4
		David A. Riley	864	1.5
Majority			3,055	5.3
Turnout			56,784	74.6
	hold		Swing	−4.4

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Straw	Template:Replace	50.7
		Ian D. McGaw	14,193	36.6
		Frank J. Beetham	4,371	11.3
		Edward Adamson	565	1.5
Majority			5,490	14.1
Turnout			38,813	74.0
	hold		Swing	−2.6

General election October 1974: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barbara Castle	Template:Replace	51.5
		Ian D. McGaw	12,692	32.1
		Frank J. Beetham	4,741	12.0
		John Kingsley Read	1,758	4.5
Majority			7,652	19.4
Turnout			39,537	72.9
	hold		Swing	+2.2

General election February 1974: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barbara Castle	Template:Replace	48.4
		Ian D. McGaw	14,040	33.4
		Frank J. Beetham	5,891	14.0
		John Kingsley Read	1,778	4.2
Majority			6,300	15.0
Turnout			42,049	78.3
	hold		Swing	+4.3

General election 1970: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barbara Castle	Template:Replace	53.2
		Trixie Gardner	19,737	46.8
Majority			2,736	6.4
Turnout			42,210	75.5
	hold		Swing	−6.1

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barbara Castle	Template:Replace	58.3
		Thomas Marsden	18,133	41.7
Majority			7,248	16.6
Turnout			43,514	79.2
	hold		Swing	+1.6

General election 1964: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barbara Castle	Template:Replace	57.5
		John Maurice Armstrong Yerburgh	19,650	42.5
Majority			6,893	15.0
Turnout			46,193	81.0
	hold		Swing	+4.7

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barbara Castle	Template:Replace	52.8
		John Maurice Armstrong Yerburgh	24,490	47.2
Majority			2,866	5.6
Turnout			51,846	85.9
	hold		Swing	+2.3

General election 1955: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barbara Castle	Template:Replace	50.5
		Thomas Marsden	25,752	49.5
Majority			489	1.0
Turnout			51,993	83.1
	win (new seat)

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Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Edwards	Template:Replace	26.0
		Barbara Castle	Template:Replace	26.0
		Douglas Glover	26,325	19.5
		Robert Goulborne Parker	25,807	19.1
		Robert Shackleton	6,587	4.9
		Marjorie Annie Macinerney	6,096	4.5
Turnout			135,142	82.6
Majority			8,857	6.5
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing
Majority			9,338	6.9
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: W. D. Smiles, George Elliston
• Labour: James Bell, William John Tout

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Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Elliston	Template:Replace	26.2
		W. D. Smiles	Template:Replace	26.1
		James Bell	34,571	23.9
		George Walker	34,423	23.8
Turnout			144,695	84.9
Majority			3,509	2.4
	hold		Swing
Majority			3,198	2.2
	hold		Swing

General election 1931: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		W. D. Smiles	Template:Replace	33.2
		George Elliston	Template:Replace	33.1
		Mary Hamilton	25,643	17.0
		Thomas Gill	25,030	16.6
Turnout			150,551	87.4
Majority			25,075	15.6
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing
Majority			24,923	16.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Back to elections

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Blackburn (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Mary Hamilton	Template:Replace	26.1
		Thomas Gill	Template:Replace	25.0
		Sydney Henn	35,249	24.7
		Gerald Isaacs	34,504	24.2
Turnout			142,732	87.8
Majority			2,752	1.9
Majority			474	0.3
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election 1924: Blackburn (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Duckworth	Template:Replace	28.3
		Sydney Henn	Template:Replace	28.1
		Mary Hamilton	24,330	21.8
		Thomas Gill	24,317	21.8
Turnout			111,606	88.2
Majority			7,017	6.3
	hold		Swing
Majority			7,295	6.5
	hold		Swing

General election 1923: Blackburn (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Duckworth	Template:Replace	29.1
		Sydney Henn	Template:Replace	26.6
		John Davies	25,428	23.8
		Edward Porter	21,903	20.5
Turnout			106,953	85.0
Majority			6,602	6.1
	hold		Swing
Majority			5,689	5.3
	hold		Swing

General election 1922: Blackburn (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Sydney Henn	Template:Replace	25.5
		Henry Norman	Template:Replace	24.4
		John Davies	24,049	21.7
		Edward Porter	23,402	21.1
		Thomas Meech	8,141	7.3
Turnout			110,943	88.4
Majority			3,669	3.8
	hold		Swing
Majority			4,231	3.3
	hold		Swing

Back to elections

Elections in the 1910s

File:1917 Sir Henry Norman.jpg

Henry Norman

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box winning candidate with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box end 1918

General election 1918: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Snowden	15,274	19.7
Turnout			77,510	74.8
Majority			14,884	19.2
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	−0.9
Majority			16,802	21.7
	hold		Swing	+11.8

General election December 1910: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Snowden	Template:Replace	26.4
		Henry Norman	Template:Replace	26.3
		W.B. Boyd-Carpenter	9,814	24.0
		H.L. Riley	9,500	23.3
Turnout			40,830	92.4
Registered electors			22,572
Majority			948	2.4
	hold		Swing	−1.9
Majority			940	2.3
	hold		Swing	−2.1

General election January 1910: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henry Norman	Template:Replace	28.4
		Philip Snowden	Template:Replace	28.1
		Robert Cecil	9,307	22.0
		G.F.S. Bowles	9,112	21.5
Turnout			42,399	96.0
Registered electors			22,572
Majority			2,757	6.4
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+4.9
Majority			2,609	6.1
	hold		Swing	+1.6

Back to elections

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harry Hornby	Template:Replace	26.8
		Philip Snowden	Template:Replace	26.7
		Geoffrey Drage	8,932	23.3
		Edwin Hamer	8,892	23.2
Turnout			38,397	95.4
Registered electors			21,127
Majority			1,399	3.6
	hold		Swing	+4.9
Majority			1,350	3.4
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+6.4

General election 1900: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harry Hornby	Template:Replace	40.5
		William Coddington	Template:Replace	33.9
		Philip Snowden	7,096	25.6
Turnout			27,758	85.8
Registered electors			19,496
Majority			2,319	8.3
	hold		Swing	N/A
	hold		Swing	N/A

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Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harry Hornby	Template:Replace	37.4
		William Coddington	Template:Replace	35.8
		Thomas Ritzema	6,840	26.8
Turnout			25,543	87.6
Registered electors			18,275
Majority			2,310	9.0
	hold		Swing	+12.5
	hold		Swing	+12.1

General election 1892: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harry Hornby	Template:Replace	28.8
		William Coddington	Template:Replace	28.0
		W. Taylor	7,272	22.5
		Eli Heyworth	6,694	20.7
Turnout			32,277	92.1
Registered electors			17,661
Majority			1,774	5.5
	hold		Swing	N/A
	hold		Swing	N/A

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Elections in the 1880s

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1886: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold
	hold

File:William Coddington.jpg

Coddington

File:W-e-briggs-in-1880.jpg

Briggs

General election 1885: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Coddington	Template:Replace	30.9
		Robert Peel	Template:Replace	28.4
		William Edward Briggs	6,740	22.7
		James Nuttall Boothman	5,341	18.0
Majority			1,685	5.7
Turnout			15,656	95.9
Registered electors			16,329
	hold		Swing	+5.6
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+3.4

General election 1880: Blackburn (two seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Edward Briggs	Template:Replace	26.0
		William Coddington	Template:Replace	25.4
		Daniel Thwaites	6,088	24.9
		George Molesworth	5,760	23.6
Turnout			12,202 (est)	93.4 (est)
Registered electors			13,062
Majority			261	1.1
	hold		Swing	+0.5
Majority			447	1.8
	hold		Swing	−0.7

Back to elections

Elections in the 1870s

By-election, 2 Oct 1875

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Daniel Thwaites	Template:Replace	54.5
		J. T. Hibbert	4,832	45.5
Majority			960	9.0
Turnout			10,624	90.6
Registered electors			11,721
	hold		Swing	+3.0

• Caused by Feilden's death.

General election 1874: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henry Feilden	Template:Replace	26.3
		William Edward Briggs	Template:Replace	25.4
		Daniel Thwaites	5,323	25.3
		Richard Shackleton	4,851	23.1
Turnout			10,522 (est)	94.0 (est)
Registered electors			11,195
Majority			194	0.9
	hold		Swing	−0.2
Majority			15	0.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+1.5

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Elections in the 1860s

By-election, 30 March 1869: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Edward Hornby	Template:Replace	27.5
		Henry Feilden	Template:Replace	27.3
		John Gerald Potter	3,964	23.0
		John Morley	3,804	22.1
Majority			733	4.3
Turnout			8,602 (est)	93.7 (est)
Registered electors			9,183
	hold		Swing	+0.9
	hold		Swing	+0.8

• Caused by the 1868 election being declared void on petition after "undue influence by those who held the position of agents in the canvass".

General election, 1868: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Hornby	Template:Replace	26.8
		Joseph Feilden	Template:Replace	26.4
		John Gerald Potter	4,399	24.0
		Montague Joseph Feilden	4,164	22.8
Majority			427	2.4
Turnout			9,148 (est)	99.6 (est)
Registered electors			9,183
	hold		Swing	−5.8
	hold		Swing	−1.1

General election, 1865: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Hornby	Template:Replace	31.8
		Joseph Feilden	Template:Replace	28.3
		James Pilkington	744	22.5
		John Gerald Potter	577	17.4
Majority			194	5.8
Turnout			1,656 (est)	87.4 (est)
Registered electors			1,894
	hold		Swing
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

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Elections in the 1850s

General election, 1859: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Hornby	Template:Replace	38.7
		James Pilkington	Template:Replace	34.9
		John Patrick Murrough	567	26.4
Majority			82	3.8
Turnout			1,491 (est)	92.2 (est)
Registered electors			1,617
	hold		Swing	N/A
	hold		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party linkTemplate:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election, 1857: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			1,518
	gain from
	hold

By-election, 24 March 1853: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Montague Joseph Feilden	Template:Replace	52.4
		William Hornby	574	47.6
Majority			57	4.8
Turnout			1,205	90.9
Registered electors			1,325
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	−6.3

• Caused by Eccles' election being declared void on petition, due to bribery.

General election, 1852: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Pilkington	Template:Replace	43.7
		William Eccles	Template:Replace	30.0
		John Hornby	509	26.3
Turnout			968 (est)	76.9 (est)
Registered electors			1,258
Majority			266	13.7
	hold		Swing	+7.0
Majority			71	3.7
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+15.8

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Elections in the 1840s

General election, 1847: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Hornby	Template:Replace	37.6
		James Pilkington	Template:Replace	35.3
		William Hargreaves	392	23.0
		William Prowting Roberts	68	4.0
Turnout			852 (est)	76.0 (est)
Registered electors			1,121
Majority			39	2.3
	hold		Swing	−26.9
Majority			534	31.3
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+16.5

General election, 1841: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Feilden	Template:Replace	34.1
		John Hornby	Template:Replace	33.0
		William Turner	426	32.9
Turnout			805	88.9
Registered electors			Template:Replace
Majority			15	1.2
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	−20.7
Majority			1	0.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	−11.3

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Elections in the 1830s

General election, 1837: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Turner	Template:Replace	54.8
		William Feilden	Template:Replace	44.3
		John Benjamin Smith	9	1.0
Turnout			589	70.0
Registered electors			Template:Replace
Majority			99	10.5
	hold		Swing	+13.8
Majority			407	43.3
	hold		Swing	+14.1

General election, 1835: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Turner	Template:Replace	41.1
		William Feilden	Template:Replace	30.1
		John Bowring	303	28.8
Turnout			618	81.2
Registered electors			Template:Replace
Majority			116	11.0
	hold		Swing	+4.9
Majority			13	1.3
	hold		Swing	−2.1

General election, 1832: Blackburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Feilden	Template:Replace	35.6
		William Turner	Template:Replace	32.8
		John Bowring	334	31.6
Turnout			607	97.0
Registered electors			Template:Replace
Majority			30	2.8
	win (new seat)
Majority			12	1.2
	win (new seat)

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See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Lancashire
• Blackburn East (UK Parliament constituency) 1950–1955
• Blackburn West (UK Parliament constituency) 1950–1955

External links

• nomis Constituency Profile
• Blackburn Labour Party
• Blackburn Liberal Democrats
• Janis Sharp Campaign Site
• Bushra Irfan Campaign Site
• Blackburn UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Blackburn UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Blackburn UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK