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Burnley — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Burnley was won by Labour at the 2024 general election, with a majority of 3,420 votes over Liberal Democrat. This page covers every general election in Burnley from 1868 to 2024.

Full Election History, 1868–2024

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1868 Richard Shaw (Liberal) 2,620 53.9% James Yorke Scarlett (Conservative) 382 (7.9 pts) 75.7%
1874 Richard Shaw (Liberal) 3,065 55.2% William Alexander Lindsay (Conservative) 575 (10.3 pts) 84.1%
1880 Peter Rylands (Liberal) 3,943 55.1% Edmund Bernard FitzAlan-Howard (Conservative) 726 (10.1 pts) 94.0%
1885 Peter Rylands (Liberal) 4,866 53.7% Henry Herbert Wainwright (Conservative) 667 (7.4 pts) 94.1%
1886 Peter Rylands (Liberal Unionist) 4,209 50.3% James Greenwood (Liberal) 43 (0.5 pts) 86.9%
1892 Jabez Spencer Balfour (Liberal) 6,450 56.2% Edwin Lawrence (Liberal Unionist) 1,415 (12.3 pts) 91.0%
1895 Philip James Stanhope (Liberal) 5,454 45.1% William Alexander Lindsay (Conservative) 321 (2.7 pts) 90.5%
1900 William Mitchell (Conservative) 6,773 52.7% Philip James Stanhope (Liberal) 600 (4.7 pts) 89.9%
1906 Frederick Maddison (Liberal-Labour) 5,288 34.8% Gerald Archibald Arbuthnot (Conservative) 324 (2.1 pts) 95.0%
Dec 1910 Philip Edward Morrell (Liberal) 6,177 38.6% Gerald Archibald Arbuthnot (Conservative) 173 (1.1 pts) 94.1%
Jan 1910 Gerald Archibald Arbuthnot (Conservative) 5,776 35.2% Frederick Maddison (Liberal-Labour) 95 (0.6 pts) 96.5%
1918 David Daniel Irving (Labour) 15,217 41.9% Henry George Hill Mulholland (Unionist) 2,928 (8.1 pts) 71.4%
1922 David Daniel Irving (Labour) 17,385 39.1% Harold Edward Joscelyn Camps (Unionist) 2,654 (6.0 pts) 88.7%
1923 David Daniel Irving (Labour) 16,848 37.8% Harold Edward Joscelyn Camps (Unionist) 2,651 (5.9 pts) 87.3%
1924 Arthur Henderson (Labour) 20,549 44.7% Stephen Ian Fairbairn (Unionist) 3,745 (8.2 pts) 89.8%
1929 Arthur Henderson (Labour) 28,091 46.3% Stephen Ian Fairbairn (Unionist) 7,954 (13.1 pts) 89.6%
1931 Gordon Campbell (National) 35,126 56.2% Arthur Henderson (Labour) 8,209 (13.1 pts) 91.8%
1935 Wilfrid Andrew Burke (Labour) 31,160 53.6% Gordon Campbell (National Liberal) 4,195 (7.2 pts) 87.6%
1945 Wilfrid Andrew Burke (Labour) 32,122 63.5% Hugh Herbert Monckton Milnes (National Liberal) 13,691 (27.1 pts) 80.4%
1950 Wilfrid Andrew Burke (Labour) 30,685 55.6% Francis Henry Wilson (Conservative) 7,049 (12.8 pts) 89.5%
1951 Wilfrid Andrew Burke (Labour) 31,261 56.5% Donald Dunkley (Conservative) 7,227 (13.1 pts) 88.7%
1955 Wilfrid Andrew Burke (Labour) 27,865 55.6% Edward Brooks (Conservative) 5,636 (11.2 pts) 83.5%
1959 Daniel Jones (Labour) 27,675 57.0% Edward Brooks (Conservative) 6,773 (13.9 pts) 83.8%
1964 Daniel Jones (Labour) 25,244 56.8% Tom Mitchell (Conservative) 12,879 (29.0 pts) 81.7%
1966 Daniel Jones (Labour) 25,583 60.4% Albert Royse (Conservative) 13,873 (32.8 pts) 80.0%
1970 Daniel Jones (Labour) 24,200 57.0% John Birch (Conservative) 9,354 (22.0 pts) 75.8%
Feb 1974 Daniel Jones (Labour) 21,108 50.4% Albert Pickup (Conservative) 9,840 (23.5 pts) 79.7%
Oct 1974 Daniel Jones (Labour) 21,642 54.8% Albert Pickup (Conservative) 11,876 (30.0 pts) 74.7%
1979 Daniel Jones (Labour) 20,172 50.8% Ann Widdecombe (Conservative) 6,110 (15.4 pts) 77.7%
1983 Peter Pike (Labour) 20,178 39.8% Ian Bruce (Conservative) 787 (1.6 pts) 76.3%
1987 Peter Pike (Labour) 25,140 48.4% Harold Elletson (Conservative) 7,557 (14.5 pts) 78.8%
1992 Peter Pike (Labour) 27,184 53.0% Brenda Binge (Conservative) 11,491 (22.4 pts) 74.4%
1997 Peter Pike (Labour) 26,210 57.9% Bill Wiggin (Conservative) 17,062 (37.7 pts) 66.9%
2001 Peter Pike (Labour) 18,195 49.3% Robert Frost (Conservative) 10,498 (28.5 pts) 55.6%
2005 Kitty Ussher (Labour) 14,999 38.5% Gordon Birtwistle (Liberal Democrat) 5,778 (14.8 pts) 59.2%
2010 Gordon Birtwistle (Liberal Democrat) 14,932 35.7% Julie Cooper (Labour) 1,818 (4.3 pts) 63.0%
2015 Julie Cooper (Labour) 14,951 37.6% Gordon Birtwistle (Liberal Democrat) 3,244 (8.2 pts) 61.9%
2017 Julie Cooper (Labour) 18,832 46.7% Paul White (Conservative) 6,353 (15.8 pts) 62.4%
2019 Antony Higginbotham (Conservative) 15,720 40.3% Julie Cooper (Labour) 1,352 (3.5 pts) 60.7%
2024 Oliver Ryan (Labour) 12,598 31.7% Gordon Birtwistle (Liberal Democrat) 3,420 (8.6 pts) 53.2%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1868

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Shaw Liberal 2,62053.9% Yes
James Yorke Scarlett Conservative 2,23846.1% No

1874

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Shaw Liberal 3,06555.2% Yes
William Alexander Lindsay Conservative 2,49044.8% No

1880

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Peter Rylands Liberal 3,94355.1% Yes
Edmund Bernard FitzAlan-Howard Conservative 3,21744.9% No

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Peter Rylands Liberal 4,86653.7% Yes
Henry Herbert Wainwright Conservative 4,19946.3% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Peter Rylands Liberal Unionist 4,20950.3% Yes
James Greenwood Liberal 4,16649.7% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jabez Spencer Balfour Liberal 6,45056.2% Yes
Edwin Lawrence Liberal Unionist 5,03543.8% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Philip James Stanhope Liberal 5,45445.1% Yes
William Alexander Lindsay Conservative 5,13342.5% No
Henry Mayers Hyndman Social Democratic Federation 1,49812.4% No

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Mitchell Conservative 6,77352.7% Yes
Philip James Stanhope Liberal 6,17348.0% No

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Maddison Liberal-Labour 5,28834.8% Yes
Gerald Archibald Arbuthnot Conservative 4,96432.7% No
Henry Mayers Hyndman Social Democratic Federation 4,93232.5% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Philip Edward Morrell Liberal 6,17738.6% Yes
Gerald Archibald Arbuthnot Conservative 6,00437.5% No
Henry Mayers Hyndman Social Democratic Federation 3,81023.8% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gerald Archibald Arbuthnot Conservative 5,77635.2% Yes
Frederick Maddison Liberal-Labour 5,68134.6% No
Henry Mayers Hyndman Social Democratic Federation 4,94830.2% No

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Daniel Irving Labour 15,21741.9% Yes
Henry George Hill Mulholland Unionist 12,28933.8% No
John Howarth Grey Liberal 8,82524.3% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Daniel Irving Labour 17,38539.1% Yes
Harold Edward Joscelyn Camps Unionist 14,73133.1% No
Walter Thomas Layton Liberal 12,33927.8% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Daniel Irving Labour 16,84837.8% Yes
Harold Edward Joscelyn Camps Unionist 14,19731.8% No
James Whitehead Liberal 13,54330.4% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Henderson Labour 20,54944.7% Yes
Stephen Ian Fairbairn Unionist 16,80436.6% No
James Whitehead Liberal 8,60118.7% No

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Henderson Labour 28,09146.3% Yes
Stephen Ian Fairbairn Unionist 20,13733.2% No
Aneurin John Glyn Edwards Liberal 12,50220.6% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gordon Campbell National 35,12656.2% Yes
Arthur Henderson Labour 26,91743.0% No
James Rushton Communist 5120.8% No

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Wilfrid Andrew Burke Labour 31,16053.6% Yes
Gordon Campbell National Liberal 26,96546.4% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Wilfrid Andrew Burke Labour 32,12263.5% Yes
Hugh Herbert Monckton Milnes National Liberal 18,43136.5% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Wilfrid Andrew Burke Labour 30,68555.6% Yes
Francis Henry Wilson Conservative 23,63642.9% No
Bill Whittaker Communist 5261.0% No
Dan Carradice Independent Labour 2950.5% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Wilfrid Andrew Burke Labour 31,26156.5% Yes
Donald Dunkley Conservative 24,03443.5% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Wilfrid Andrew Burke Labour 27,86555.6% Yes
Edward Brooks Conservative 22,22944.4% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Daniel Jones Labour 27,67557.0% Yes
Edward Brooks Conservative 20,90243.0% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Daniel Jones Labour 25,24456.8% Yes
Tom Mitchell Conservative 12,36527.8% No
Mary Rankine Mason Liberal 6,83315.4% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Daniel Jones Labour 25,58360.4% Yes
Albert Royse Conservative 11,71027.7% No
Mary Mason Liberal 5,04511.9% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Daniel Jones Labour 24,20057.0% Yes
John Birch Conservative 14,84634.9% No
George Brownbill Liberal 3,4468.1% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Daniel Jones Labour 21,10850.4% Yes
Albert Pickup Conservative 11,26826.9% No
Stuart Paul Mews Liberal 9,47122.6% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Daniel Jones Labour 21,64254.8% Yes
Albert Pickup Conservative 9,76624.7% No
Stuart Paul Mews Liberal 8,11920.5% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Daniel Jones Labour 20,17250.8% Yes
Ann Widdecombe Conservative 14,06235.4% No
Michael Steed Liberal 5,09112.8% No
Frank Tyrrall Independent Democrat 3520.9% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Peter Pike Labour 20,17839.8% Yes
Ian Bruce Conservative 19,39138.2% No
Michael Steed Liberal 11,19122.0% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Peter Pike Labour 25,14048.4% Yes
Harold Elletson Conservative 17,58333.8% No
Ronals Baker Social Democratic Party 9,24117.8% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Peter Pike Labour 27,18453.0% Yes
Brenda Binge Conservative 15,69330.6% No
Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrat 8,41416.4% No

1997

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Peter Pike Labour 26,21057.9% Yes
Bill Wiggin Conservative 9,14820.2% No
Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrat 7,87717.4% No
Richard Oakley Referendum Party 2,0104.4% No

2001

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Peter Pike Labour 18,19549.3% Yes
Robert Frost Conservative 7,69720.9% No
Paul Wright Liberal Democrat 5,97516.2% No
Steve Smith BNP 4,15111.3% No
Richard Buttrey UKIP 8662.3% No

2005

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Kitty Ussher Labour 14,99938.5% Yes
Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrat 9,22123.7% No
Harry Brooks Burnley First Independent 5,78614.8% No
Yousuf Miah Conservative 4,20610.8% No
Len Starr BNP 4,00310.3% No
Jeff Slater Independent 3921.0% No
Robert McDowell UKIP 3761.0% No

2010

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrat 14,93235.7% Yes
Julie Cooper Labour 13,11431.3% No
Richard Ali Conservative 6,95016.6% No
Sharon Wilkinson BNP 3,7479.0% No
Andrew Brown Independent 1,8764.5% No
Richard Wignall UKIP 9292.2% No
Andrew Hennessey Independent 2970.7% No

2015

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julie Cooper Labour 14,95137.6% Yes
Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrat 11,70729.5% No
Tom Commis UKIP 6,86417.3% No
Sarah Cockburn-Price Conservative 5,37413.5% No
Mike Hargreaves Green 8502.1% No

2017

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julie Cooper Labour 18,83246.7% Yes
Paul White Conservative 12,47931.0% No
Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrat 6,04615.0% No
Tom Commis UKIP 2,4726.1% No
Laura Fisk Green 4611.1% No

2019

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Antony Higginbotham Conservative 15,72040.3% Yes
Julie Cooper Labour 14,36836.9% No
Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrat 3,5019.0% No
Stewart Ian Scott Brexit Party 3,3628.6% No
Charlie Briggs Burnley and Padiham Independent Party 1,1623.0% No
Laura Fisk Green 7391.9% No
Karen Helsby Entwistle Independent 1320.3% No

2024

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Oliver Ryan Labour 12,59831.7% Yes
Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrat 9,17823.1% No
Antony Higginbotham Conservative 8,05820.3% No
Nathan McCollum Reform UK 7,75519.5% No
Jack Launer Green 1,5183.8% No
Rayyan Fiass Independent 2920.7% No
Mitchell Cryer Independent 1690.4% No
David Roper Independent 1510.4% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1868: Liberal margin 7.9 pts 1874: Liberal margin 10.3 pts 1880: Liberal margin 10.1 pts 1885: Liberal margin 7.4 pts 1886: Liberal Unionist margin 0.5 pts 1892: Liberal margin 12.3 pts 1895: Liberal margin 2.7 pts 1900: Conservative margin 4.7 pts 1906: Liberal-Labour margin 2.1 pts Dec 1910: Liberal margin 1.1 pts Jan 1910: Conservative margin 0.6 pts 1918: Labour margin 8.1 pts 1922: Labour margin 6.0 pts 1923: Labour margin 5.9 pts 1924: Labour margin 8.2 pts 1929: Labour margin 13.1 pts 1931: National margin 13.1 pts 1935: Labour margin 7.2 pts 1945: Labour margin 27.1 pts 1950: Labour margin 12.8 pts 1951: Labour margin 13.1 pts 1955: Labour margin 11.2 pts 1959: Labour margin 13.9 pts 1964: Labour margin 29.0 pts 1966: Labour margin 32.8 pts 1970: Labour margin 22.0 pts Feb 1974: Labour margin 23.5 pts Oct 1974: Labour margin 30.0 pts 1979: Labour margin 15.4 pts 1983: Labour margin 1.6 pts 1987: Labour margin 14.5 pts 1992: Labour margin 22.4 pts 1997: Labour margin 37.7 pts 2001: Labour margin 28.5 pts 2005: Labour margin 14.8 pts 2010: Liberal Democrat margin 4.3 pts 2015: Labour margin 8.2 pts 2017: Labour margin 15.8 pts 2019: Conservative margin 3.5 pts 2024: Labour margin 8.6 pts 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 Dec 1910 Jan 1910 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024

Trend

Burnley has been contested at 40 general elections on record since 1868. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Conservative, Liberal-Labour, Labour, National, Liberal Democrat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Burnley in the 2024 general election?

Labour won Burnley in 2024 with 12,598 votes (31.7%), a majority of 3,420 votes over Liberal Democrat in second place.

Which parties have won Burnley since 1868?

Since 1868, Burnley has been won by: Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Liberal Democrat, Liberal Unionist, Liberal-Labour, National.

What was the closest result in Burnley?

The closest result on record for Burnley was 1886, when Liberal Unionist beat Liberal by just 43 votes (0.5 percentage points).

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