Carlisle is a constituency in Cumbria represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Julie Minns of the Labour Party.
The Carlisle constituency is located in Cumbria. It includes the city of Carlisle and the rural areas to its north and east stretching to the border with Scotland. Other settlements include the small market towns of Brampton and Longtown. Carlisle is a historic city with a population of around 78,000, and was an important military stronghold as a result of its position close to the Anglo-Scottish border. The city is a major railway hub and, during the Industrial Revolution, was a densely-populated mill town.
House prices in the constituency are generally low and residents have lower levels of income, education and professional employment compared to national averages. Carlisle has high levels of deprivation whilst the rural areas surrounding the city are more affluent. White people make up 97% of the population. At the local council level, Carlisle is mostly represented by Labour Party councillors whilst the rural parts of the constituency elected Conservative and Liberal Democrat representatives. Most voters favoured leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum with an estimated 60% in favour of Brexit compared to 52% nationally.
Carlisle has existed as a seat since the Model Parliament in 1295, returning two MPs to the House of Commons until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one MP by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Under the 2023 boundary review the seat was expanded considerably into the border regions of Cumbria and redesignated as a county constituency.
From 1885 to 1922 the constituency was represented by the Liberal Party, since when it has alternated between Labour and Conservative, changing hands nine times. It was represented by Labour Party MPs from 1964 to 2010, albeit with a slim 0.2% majority in 1983. It was gained by John Stevenson of the Conservative Party in 2010 who held it until 2024, when it was won back by Julie Minns for Labour.
1918âÂÂ1955: The County Borough of Carlisle.
1955âÂÂ1983: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.
1983âÂÂ1997: The City of Carlisle wards of Belah, Belle Vue, Botcherby, Currock, Denton Holme, Harraby, Morton, St Aidan's, Stanwix Urban, Trinity, Upperby, and Yewdale.
1997âÂÂ2010: The City of Carlisle wards of Belah, Belle Vue, Botcherby, Burgh, Currock, Dalston, Denton Holme, Harraby, Morton, St Aidan's, St Cuthbert Without, Stanwix Urban, Trinity, Upperby, and Yewdale.
2010âÂÂ2024: The City of Carlisle wards of Belah, Belle Vue, Botcherby, Burgh, Castle, Currock, Dalston, Denton Holme, Harraby, Morton, St Aidan's, Stanwix Urban, Upperby, Wetheral, and Yewdale.
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies was carried out using the local authority structure as it existed in Cumbria on 1 December 2020 and is officially defined as:
With effect from 1 April 2023, the City of Carlisle council was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of Cumberland. Consequently, the constituency now comprises the following with effect from the 2024 general election:
The constituency was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the parts of the former City of Carlisle local authority previously in the abolished constituency of Penrith and The Border - comprising the towns of Brampton and Longtown and surrounding villages and rural areas. To partly offset this, Dalston was included in the new constituency of Penrith and Solway.
First Protectorate Parliament (One member only)
Second Protectorate Parliament (One member only)
Long Parliament (restored)
This was the largest UKIP vote share at the 2019 general election.
General election 1939âÂÂ40: Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the summer of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.
Election results taken from the History of Parliament Trust series.