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Manchester, Gorton
Former borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Manchester Gorton in Greater Manchester in 2010.
Location of Greater Manchester within England.
County	Greater Manchester
Electorate	74,681 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Belle Vue, Gorton, Levenshulme, Rusholme, Longsight
1918–2024
Seats	One
Created from	South East Lancashire
Replaced by	Manchester Rusholme, Gorton and Denton

Manchester Gorton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was the safest Labour seat in Greater Manchester by numerical majority and one of the safest in the country.

Manchester Gorton was abolished for the 2024 general election. It will be split into the new constituencies of Manchester Rusholme and Gorton and Denton.

Constituency profile

The seat covered Gorton, Fallowfield, Levenshulme, Longsight, Rusholme and Whalley Range to the south and east of the city centre, which are diverse and liberal suburbs, with some levels of deprivation such as in Longsight. Most housing is made of red brick terraced houses. There is a large student population, particularly in Fallowfield which includes several halls of residence and private rented houses serving students of Manchester's large universities, though the universities’ campuses are in Manchester Central. The seat includes the Curry Mile of takeaways and restaurants, Gorton Monastery, and small urban parks such as Debdale Park and Platt Fields Park.

The seat was ethnically diverse and its residents were less wealthy than the UK average.

History

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided the existing seat of South East Lancashire into eight single-member constituencies. The Gorton Division (of Lancashire) was one of these seats. It was renamed the Gorton Division of Manchester in 1918: the area had been incorporated as part of the County Borough of Manchester in 1890.

Manchester Gorton has returned MPs from the Labour Party since 1935, with majorities exceeding 17% since 1979. The 2015 general election result made the seat the eighth-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.

From 1983 to 2017, Sir Gerald Kaufman, Father of the House of Commons, represented the constituency. His death in February 2017 triggered a by-election which was due to be held on 4 May 2017, but this was subsequently countermanded (that is, cancelled) after the House of Commons voted for a snap general election to be held on 8 June 2017. At that election, the Conservatives returned their lowest vote share for any seat in Great Britain, at 7.3%. The newly-elected MP, Afzal Khan became an opposition frontbencher. In 2019, he was re-elected with a commanding lead over the Conservatives, their vote share still in single digits. Khan remained on the frontbench until November 2023.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Gorton Division of the parliamentary county of South East Lancashire was defined as consisting of the parishes of Denton, Haughton, and Openshaw, and the parish of Gorton (except for the detached part in the parliamentary borough of Manchester).

The constituency comprised an area bounded on the west by the city of Manchester and to the east and south by the county boundary with Cheshire.

In 1890, Manchester's municipal boundaries were extended to include Gorton and Openshaw, although constituency boundaries remained unchanged until 1918. Prior to 1918 the constituency consisted of four wards: Gorton North, Gorton South, Openshaw and St. Mark's.

1918–1950: The Gorton division of the parliamentary borough of Manchester was defined as consisting of the Gorton North, Gorton South and Openshaw wards of the county borough of Manchester.

The Representation of the People Act 1918 reorganised parliamentary seats throughout Great Britain. The redistribution reflected the boundary changes of 1890, with Gorton becoming a division of the parliamentary borough of Manchester. Denton and Haughton, which together had formed Denton Urban District in 1894, were transferred to the Mossley Division of Lancashire.

1950–1955: The borough constituency of Manchester, Gorton was defined as consisting of the Gorton North, Gorton South, Levenshulme and Openshaw wards of the county borough of Manchester.

The next redrawing of English constituencies was effected by the Representation of the People Act 1948. The Act introduced the term "borough constituency". Levenshulme was transferred from the abolished Manchester Rusholme seat. The revised boundaries were first used at the 1950 general election.

1955–1974: The Gorton North and Gorton South wards of the county borough of Manchester, and the urban districts of Audenshaw and Denton.

In 1955 boundary changes were made based on the recommendations of the Boundary Commission appointed under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949. Levenshulme passed to Manchester Withington while Openshaw formed the core of a new Manchester Openshaw seat.

1974–1983: The Gorton North and Gorton South wards of the county borough of Manchester, and the urban districts of Audenshaw and Denton.

The Boundary Commission for England proposed no change to the constituency at the Second Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, but later went on to propose a minor amendment to the constituency to meet new ward boundaries in Manchester.

1983–2010: The Fallowfield, Gorton North, Gorton South, Levenshulme, Longsight and Rusholme wards of the City of Manchester.

The 1983 redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in 1974. Manchester Gorton became a borough constituency in the parliamentary county of Greater Manchester. The constituency was unaltered at the next redistribution prior to the 1997 general election.

2010–2024: The Fallowfield, Gorton North, Gorton South, Levenshulme, Longsight, Rusholme and Whalley Range wards of the City of Manchester.

In 2018 the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) implemented changes to Manchester's electoral wards including the merging of Gorton North and Gorton South to create a new ward, Gorton and Abbey Hey. For the purposes of parliamentary elections the 2004–2018 ward boundaries are used.

Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election, with its contents split in two:

• Gorton, Levenshulme and Longsight to be included with the town of Denton in a new constituency called Gorton and Denton
• Fallowfield, Rusholme and Whalley Range to form part of the re-established constituency of Manchester Rusholme

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

These are the same as the candidates who were to stand at the cancelled 2017 by-election, except for an Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate and another independent, who did not stand at the general election.

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Changes in vote compared with notional figures for 1992 election following boundary changes.

Elections in the 1980s

Gerald Kaufman had been the MP for the Manchester Ardwick constituency, which had been abolished for this election, since 1970.

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Election in 1918

• Although Hodge was a member of the Coalition Government, no official Coalition Government endorsement was sent to any candidate

Election results for South-East Lancashire, Gorton Division

Elections in the 1910s

Expected General Election 1914–15: Under the terms of the Parliament Act 1911 a 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: John Hodge
• Unionist: Fred H Carter

In the event, the election was postponed on the outbreak of the Great War.

Elections in the 1900s

Hatch crossed the floor of the House of Commons to sit with the Liberals, around February 1905.

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1880s

• Caused by Peacock's death.

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Greater Manchester

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

1. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – North West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
3. UK Polling Report http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/manchestergorton/
4. Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Manchester+Gorton
5. "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
6. "Manchester Gorton by-election cancelled". BBC News. 19 April 2017.
7. "GE2017 - Constituency results". Britain Elects (Google Docs). Retrieved 11 June 2017.
8. "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.
9. ^ F A Youngs Jr., Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.II: Northern England, London 1991
10. Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the People Act, 1918: with explanatory notes. London: Sweet and Maxwell.
11. Ninth Schedule: Redistribution of Seats, Representation of the People Act 1918 (C.5)
12. "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 28 February 2023
13. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Manchester, Oldham and Ashton under Lyne) Order 1955. SI 1955/16". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2148–2150.
14. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Manchester) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/606, retrieved 28 February 2023
15. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1983/417, retrieved 28 February 2023
16. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1995/1626, retrieved 28 February 2023
17. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2007/1681, retrieved 28 February 2023
18. LGBCE (April 2017). Final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Manchester City Council (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2018.
19. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 2)
20. ^ "Political Notes". The Times, London. 13 February 1905. p. 6. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
21. "Blackley & Broughton Parliamentary constituency". manchester.gov.uk. Manchester City Council. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
22. "Statement of Persons Nominated & Notice of Poll". Manchester City Council. Archived from the original on 15 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
23. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
24. "Manchester Gorton". BBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
25. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
26. "Election 2010 | Constituency | Manchester Gorton". BBC News.
27. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
28. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
29. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
30. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
31. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
32. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
33. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
34. Waller, Robert; Criddle, Byron (1999). The Almanac of British Politics (Sixth ed.). London: Routledge. p. 535. ISBN 0-415-18541-6.
35. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1950-1970
36. Stevenson, Graham. "Abbott Syd". Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
37. ^ F. W. S. Craig, ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949. Palgrave Macmillan UK. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-81467-1. hdl:2027/mdp.39015032111430. ISBN 978-1-349-81469-5.
38. "Manchester & Salford: Only About Half The Voters Poll". The Manchester Guardian. 30 December 1918. p. 4.
39. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-49, FWS Craig
40. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1922
41. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, 17 Jan 1914
42. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
43. ^ Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
44. ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1907
45. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
46. The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 147 (171 in web page), Lancashire South East
47. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886

External links

• Manchester, Gorton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Manchester, Gorton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK

• Parliamentary constituencies in Manchester (historic)
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1885
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 2024