Wyre and Preston North is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in the most recent fifth periodic review of constituencies by the Boundary Commission for England, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.
It was formed of parts of the Ribble Valley, Fylde and Lancaster and Wyre constituencies.
The seat is due to be abolished for the next general election.
The current MP is Ben Wallace of the Conservative Party who is currently Secretary of State for Defence. On 15 July 2023, Wallace announced that he intended to resign as Secretary of State for Defence at the next Cabinet reshuffle, and that he would not be seeking re-election as an MP at the next general election.
Boundaries
It was created as the sixteenth seat of the county of Lancashire by the Boundary Commission for England prior to the 2010 general election. It contains the Fulwood and rural areas of Preston and many small towns and villages of Wyre.
The seat of Wyre and Preston North contains the Wyre towns of Poulton-le-Fylde, Garstang, St Michael's On Wyre, Catterall and parts of Thornton. From Preston are added the suburban Fulwood area and the rural parishes such as Woodplumpton, Barton, Broughton, Goosnargh and Grimsargh. The electoral wards used in the creation are:
From Preston: Cadley, College, Garrison, Greyfriars, Preston Rural East, Preston Rural North, Sharoe Green From Wyre: Breck, Brock, Cabus, Calder, Carleton, Catterall, Garstang, Great Eccleston, Hambleton and Stalmine-with-Staynall, Hardhorn, High Cross, Norcross, Staina, Tithebarn.
Proposed abolition
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be abolished for the next general election, with parts distributed between five neighbouring constituencies:
Garstang and surrounding rural areas to Lancaster and Fleetwood (to be renamed Lancaster and Wyre) The area comprising parts of the community of Thornton to Blackpool North and Cleveleys (to be renamed Blackpool North and Fleetwood) Poulton-le-Fylde to the constituency of Fylde Rural areas to the north of Preston and central areas of Fulwood to Ribble Valley Outer areas of Fulwood to Preston