Pontefract and Castleford — UK General Election Results
Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Pontefract and Castleford was won by Labour at the 2005 general election, with a majority of 15,246 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Pontefract and Castleford from Oct 1974 to 2005.
Full Election History, Oct 1974–2005
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
Oct 1974
Joseph Harper (Labour)
30,208
70.4%
Ian Richard Bloomer (Conservative)
23,242 (54.2 pts)
71.2%
Feb 1974
Joseph Harper (Labour)
34,409
74.8%
Richard Needham (Conservative)
23,804 (51.7 pts)
77.0%
1979
Geoffrey Lofthouse (Labour)
30,566
68.2%
Hugo Page (Conservative)
19,901 (44.4 pts)
73.9%
1983
Geoffrey Lofthouse (Labour)
24,990
57.1%
Barry Howell (Conservative)
13,691 (31.3 pts)
67.4%
1987
Geoffrey Lofthouse (Labour)
31,656
66.9%
Julian Henry Mallins (Conservative)
21,626 (45.7 pts)
73.5%
1992
Geoffrey Lofthouse (Labour)
33,546
69.9%
Anthony George Mortimer Rockall (Conservative)
23,495 (48.9 pts)
74.3%
1997
Yvette Cooper (Labour)
31,339
75.7%
Adrian Flook (Conservative)
25,725 (62.1 pts)
66.4%
2001
Yvette Cooper (Labour)
21,890
69.7%
Pamela Singleton (Conservative)
16,378 (52.2 pts)
49.7%
2005
Yvette Cooper (Labour)
20,973
63.7%
Simon Jones (Conservative)
15,246 (46.3 pts)
53.3%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
Oct 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Harper
Labour
30,208
70.4%
Yes
Ian Richard Bloomer
Conservative
6,966
16.2%
No
Stephen Fred Galloway
Liberal
5,259
12.3%
No
Trevor Parsons
Workers Revolutionary
457
1.1%
No
Feb 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Joseph Harper
Labour
34,409
74.8%
Yes
Richard Needham
Conservative
10,605
23.1%
No
Brian Lavery
Workers Revolutionary
991
2.2%
No
1979
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Geoffrey Lofthouse
Labour
30,566
68.2%
Yes
Hugo Page
Conservative
10,665
23.8%
No
Leslie Marsh
Liberal
3,616
8.1%
No
1983
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Geoffrey Lofthouse
Labour
24,990
57.1%
Yes
Barry Howell
Conservative
11,299
25.8%
No
Douglas Dale
SDP-Liberal Alliance
7,452
17.0%
No
1987
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Geoffrey Lofthouse
Labour
31,656
66.9%
Yes
Julian Henry Mallins
Conservative
10,030
21.2%
No
Michael Francis Taylor
SDP-Liberal Alliance
5,334
11.3%
No
Daniel Mcfarlane Lees
Red Front
295
0.6%
No
1992
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Geoffrey Lofthouse
Labour
33,546
69.9%
Yes
Anthony George Mortimer Rockall
Conservative
10,051
20.9%
No
David Lawrence Ryan
Liberal Democrat
4,410
9.2%
No
1997
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Yvette Cooper
Labour
31,339
75.7%
Yes
Adrian Flook
Conservative
5,614
13.6%
No
Wesley Paxton
Liberal Democrat
3,042
7.3%
No
Richard Wood
Referendum Party
1,401
3.4%
No
2001
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Yvette Cooper
Labour
21,890
69.7%
Yes
Pamela Singleton
Conservative
5,512
17.6%
No
Wesley Paxton
Liberal Democrat
2,315
7.4%
No
John Burdon
UKIP
739
2.4%
No
Trevor Bolderson
Socialist Labour
605
1.9%
No
John Gill
Socialist Alliance
330
1.1%
No
2005
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Yvette Cooper
Labour
20,973
63.7%
Yes
Simon Jones
Conservative
5,727
17.4%
No
Wesley Paxton
Liberal Democrat
3,942
12.0%
No
Suzy Cass
BNP
1,835
5.6%
No
Bob Hague
Alliance for Green Socialism
470
1.4%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Pontefract and Castleford has been contested at 9 general elections on record since Oct 1974. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Pontefract and Castleford in the 2005 general election?
Labour won Pontefract and Castleford in 2005 with 20,973 votes (63.7%), a majority of 15,246 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Pontefract and Castleford since Oct 1974?
Since Oct 1974, Pontefract and Castleford has been won by: Labour.
What was the closest result in Pontefract and Castleford?
The closest result on record for Pontefract and Castleford was 1983, when Labour beat Conservative by just 13,691 votes (31.3 percentage points).