Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Preston North was won by Conservative at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 29 votes over Labour. This page covers every general election in Preston North from 1950 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1950–1979
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1950
Harold Julian Amery (Conservative)
21,880
48.4%
Samuel Segal (Labour)
930 (2.1 pts)
86.8%
1951
Harold Julian Amery (Conservative)
23,598
51.2%
Thomas Hourigan (Labour)
1,108 (2.4 pts)
87.5%
1955
Harold Julian Amery (Conservative)
22,310
53.5%
Edgar Hewitt (Labour)
2,903 (7.0 pts)
81.4%
1959
Harold Julian Amery (Conservative)
23,990
55.1%
Arthur Davidson (Labour)
4,461 (10.2 pts)
83.4%
1964
Harold Julian Amery (Conservative)
20,566
50.0%
Russell Whiston Kerr (Labour)
14 (0.0 pts)
78.7%
1966
Ronald Atkins (Labour)
21,539
53.0%
Harold Amery (Conservative)
2,418 (5.9 pts)
81.1%
1970
Mary Holt (Conservative)
20,102
50.6%
Ronald Atkins (Labour)
2,962 (7.5 pts)
76.7%
Feb 1974
Ronald Atkins (Labour)
16,797
41.5%
Mary Holt (Conservative)
255 (0.6 pts)
79.4%
Oct 1974
Ronald Atkins (Labour)
18,044
45.8%
Mary Holt (Conservative)
1,784 (4.5 pts)
76.7%
1979
Robert Atkins (Conservative)
18,632
46.3%
Ronald Atkins (Labour)
29 (0.1 pts)
77.8%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1950
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Harold Julian Amery
Conservative
21,880
48.4%
Yes
Samuel Segal
Labour
20,950
46.3%
No
Charles Joseph Hemelryk
Liberal
2,012
4.5%
No
Pat Devine
Communist
366
0.8%
No
1951
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Harold Julian Amery
Conservative
23,598
51.2%
Yes
Thomas Hourigan
Labour
22,490
48.8%
No
1955
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Harold Julian Amery
Conservative
22,310
53.5%
Yes
Edgar Hewitt
Labour
19,407
46.5%
No
1959
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Harold Julian Amery
Conservative
23,990
55.1%
Yes
Arthur Davidson
Labour
19,529
44.9%
No
1964
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Harold Julian Amery
Conservative
20,566
50.0%
Yes
Russell Whiston Kerr
Labour
20,552
50.0%
No
1966
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Ronald Atkins
Labour
21,539
53.0%
Yes
Harold Amery
Conservative
19,121
47.0%
No
1970
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Mary Holt
Conservative
20,102
50.6%
Yes
Ronald Atkins
Labour
17,140
43.2%
No
Derrick Jones
Liberal
2,458
6.2%
No
Feb 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Ronald Atkins
Labour
16,797
41.5%
Yes
Mary Holt
Conservative
16,542
40.9%
No
Gordon Payne
Liberal
7,099
17.6%
No
Oct 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Ronald Atkins
Labour
18,044
45.8%
Yes
Mary Holt
Conservative
16,260
41.3%
No
Gordon Payne
Liberal
4,948
12.6%
No
Harold Smith
Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain
138
0.4%
No
1979
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Robert Atkins
Conservative
18,632
46.3%
Yes
Ronald Atkins
Labour
18,603
46.2%
No
Michael Braham
Liberal
2,715
6.7%
No
John Farran Hetherington
National Front
329
0.8%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Preston North has been contested at 10 general elections on record since 1950. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Conservative, Labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Preston North in the 1979 general election?
Conservative won Preston North in 1979 with 18,632 votes (46.3%), a majority of 29 votes over Labour in second place.
Which parties have won Preston North since 1950?
Since 1950, Preston North has been won by: Conservative, Labour.
What was the closest result in Preston North?
The closest result on record for Preston North was 1964, when Conservative beat Labour by just 14 votes (0.0 percentage points).