Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
Preston South was won by Labour at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 621 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Preston South from 1950 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1950–1979
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1950
Edward Arthur Alexander Shackleton (Labour)
22,716
50.2%
Neil Loudon Desmond McLean (Conservative)
149 (0.3 pts)
85.7%
1951
Edward Arthur Alexander Shackleton (Labour)
22,760
50.0%
Neil Loudon Desmond McLean (Conservative)
16 (0.0 pts)
86.5%
1955
Alan Green (Conservative)
21,497
50.6%
Edward Arthur Alexander Shackleton (Labour)
474 (1.1 pts)
81.9%
1959
Alan Green (Conservative)
21,954
53.7%
Thomas George Bradley (Labour)
3,019 (7.4 pts)
82.1%
1964
Peter Mahon (Labour)
19,352
50.5%
Alan Green (Conservative)
348 (0.9 pts)
78.8%
1966
Peter Mahon (Labour)
20,720
53.6%
Alan Green (Conservative)
2,789 (7.2 pts)
79.9%
1970
Alan Green (Conservative)
20,480
51.7%
Peter Mahon (Labour)
1,331 (3.4 pts)
75.9%
Feb 1974
Stan Thorne (Labour)
17,354
42.5%
Alan Green (Conservative)
1,887 (4.6 pts)
79.8%
Oct 1974
Stan Thorne (Labour)
18,449
46.9%
Alan Green (Conservative)
3,749 (9.5 pts)
76.4%
1979
Stan Thorne (Labour)
17,810
44.5%
Brian Tetlow (Conservative)
621 (1.6 pts)
77.2%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1950
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Edward Arthur Alexander Shackleton
Labour
22,716
50.2%
Yes
Neil Loudon Desmond McLean
Conservative
22,567
49.8%
No
1951
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Edward Arthur Alexander Shackleton
Labour
22,760
50.0%
Yes
Neil Loudon Desmond McLean
Conservative
22,744
50.0%
No
1955
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alan Green
Conservative
21,497
50.6%
Yes
Edward Arthur Alexander Shackleton
Labour
21,023
49.4%
No
1959
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alan Green
Conservative
21,954
53.7%
Yes
Thomas George Bradley
Labour
18,935
46.3%
No
1964
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Peter Mahon
Labour
19,352
50.5%
Yes
Alan Green
Conservative
19,004
49.5%
No
1966
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Peter Mahon
Labour
20,720
53.6%
Yes
Alan Green
Conservative
17,931
46.4%
No
1970
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Alan Green
Conservative
20,480
51.7%
Yes
Peter Mahon
Labour
19,149
48.3%
No
Feb 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Stan Thorne
Labour
17,354
42.5%
Yes
Alan Green
Conservative
15,467
37.9%
No
Ron Marshall
Liberal
7,974
19.5%
No
Oct 1974
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Stan Thorne
Labour
18,449
46.9%
Yes
Alan Green
Conservative
14,700
37.4%
No
Ron Marshall
Liberal
5,456
13.9%
No
Edward Victor Harrison
National Front
663
1.7%
No
Harold Smith
Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain
87
0.2%
No
1979
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Stan Thorne
Labour
17,810
44.5%
Yes
Brian Tetlow
Conservative
17,189
43.0%
No
Ron Marshall
Liberal
4,625
11.6%
No
Michael Sydney Carl Gibson
National Front
258
0.6%
No
Victor Anthony Stephens
Workers Revolutionary
116
0.3%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Preston South has been contested at 10 general elections on record since 1950. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Labour, Conservative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Preston South in the 1979 general election?
Labour won Preston South in 1979 with 17,810 votes (44.5%), a majority of 621 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Preston South since 1950?
Since 1950, Preston South has been won by: Conservative, Labour.
What was the closest result in Preston South?
The closest result on record for Preston South was 1951, when Labour beat Conservative by just 16 votes (0.0 percentage points).