Chorley constituency consists of the majority of the borough of Chorley. As well as the central market town of Chorley itself, the seat extends into southern Lancashire rural hinterland with three major villages and minor villages.
1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Leyland Hundred, and part of the Sessional Division of Leyland.
1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Chorley, the Urban Districts of Adlington, Croston, Leyland, and Withnell, the Rural District of Chorley, and in the Rural District of Wigan the civil parishes of Haigh, Parbold, Worthington, and Wrightington.
1950–1955: The Municipal Borough of Chorley, the Urban Districts of Adlington and Leyland, and the Rural District of Chorley.
1955–1983: The Municipal Borough of Chorley, the Urban Districts of Adlington, Leyland and Withnell, and the Rural District of Chorley.
1983–1997: The Borough of Chorley, and the District of West Lancashire wards of Parbold and Wrightington.
1997–2010: The Borough of Chorley.
2010–present: The Borough of Chorley wards of Adlington and Anderton, Astley and Buckshaw, Brindle and Hoghton, Chisnall, Chorley East, Chorley North East, Chorley North West, Chorley South East, Chorley South West, Clayton-le-Woods and Whittle-le-Woods, Clayton-le-Woods North, Clayton-le-Woods West and Cuerden, Coppull, Euxton North, Euxton South, Heath Charnock and Rivington, Pennine, and Wheelton and Withnell.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following wards of the Borough of Chorley (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
Adlington & Anderton; Buckshaw & Whittle; Chorley East; Chorley North & Astley; Chorley North East; Chorley North West; Chorley South East & Heath Charnock; Chorley South West; Clayton East, Brindle & Hoghton; Clayton West & Cuerden; Coppull; Euxton.[3]
Minor changes to bring the electorate within the permitted range and align with revised ward boundaries.
Historyedit
Since the 1945 general election Chorley has proved to be a bellwether, changing hands between Labour and the Conservatives; however, this pattern was broken in 2010 when Labour MP Lindsay Hoyle retained the seat against the national trend. Chorley itself is Labour's strongest seat in the area, with the rural hinterland and smaller towns and villages more inclined to vote Conservative.
There is an inconsistently followed convention, which is mostly kept by the major parties, not to oppose the Speaker at elections. In keeping with this, the previously announced Liberal Democrat candidate, Paul Valentine, subsequently withdrew from the general election once Sir Lindsay was appointed Speaker.[4] However the Green Party candidate, James Melling, confirmed that he will stand against the incumbent Speaker.[5]
The Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives, and Labour traditionally do not stand against the sitting Speaker of the House of Commons. Reform UK originally listed Simon Evans as their candidate[8] before now listing him as their candiate for West Lancashire[9][10] leaving no prospective candidate for Chorley.[11]
The Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives, and Labour traditionally do not stand against the sitting Speaker of the House of Commons, and consequently did not oppose Lindsay Hoyle's re-election bid. The Brexit Party did not stand an official candidate, however their former candidate stood as an independent, having changed his ballot name to Mark Brexit-Smith.[13][14] The Green Party does not follow the convention of standing aside for the Speaker, and also fielded a candidate in the election.[15]
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;
^"Chorley: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
^England Parliamentary electorates Boundary Commission for England
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 5 North West region.
^"Full list of all Green Party candidates at the next general election". Bright Green. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
^"'As a main party we believe in upholding traditions': Why Chorley's Liberal Democrats general election candidate will not oppose Lindsay Hoyle on December 12". www.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^"General Election 2019: Former Chorley Brexit Party candidate to stand against Lindsay Hoyle as an Independent". www.lep.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^"Prospective General Election Candidates". Green Party. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
^"Chorley Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.