Created in the 2023 boundary review, from parts of Lancaster and Fleetwood and Wyre and Preston North.
A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review.
MP News Approval i
+73
Cat Smith
Labour PartyCat Smith is the Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre, and has been an MP continually since 7 May 2015.
MPs voted on whether to give the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill a Second Reading, allowing it to progress through Parliament. This bill proposes significant changes to the welfare system, including reforms to how disability benefits (PIP) are assessed and restrictions on who qualifies for the health-related component of Universal Credit.
MPs voted on a 'reasoned amendment' at the Second Reading of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill — a procedural move by the opposition to block the bill from progressing, signalling rejection of the government's proposed welfare reforms. The bill seeks to make changes to Universal Credit and PIP (Personal Independence Payment) eligibility and assessments.
Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance, devolution, and regulatory consultation. The excerpts focus on New Clause 20, which would require the Secretary of State to issue guidance (consulting chief medical officers and palliative/hospice care providers) and enable Welsh Ministers to issue guidance on devolved health matters.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Lancaster and Wyre has been mixed for Cat across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Vandalism and anti-social behaviour means mobile phone mast in Lancaster to go permanently offline” — Lancaster Guardian
Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Lancaster, Garstang and Bailrigg. Population 91,018.
Teen, 19, took his own life weeks after his girlfriend's tragic death
Manchester Evening News · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£27,900
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£34,500
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
3,525
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
57
39 primary, 7 secondary, 11 other
Total Income Tax▼
£210m
from 44,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,640
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£4,800
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
52.0
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
74.0%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
2 large towns, 3 towns, 6 villages, rural areas — 97,663 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
36 councillors across 18 wards · Last elections: Jul 2024
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowerham | Green Party of England and Wales | Hamish Mills | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Sarah Punshon | May 2023 | |
| Brock With Catterall | Conservative and Unionist Party | Daniel James Bolton | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | David Swift | May 2023 | |
| Bulk | Green Party of England and Wales | Caroline Jackson | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Jack Lenox | May 2023 | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Sam Riches | May 2023 | |
| Calder | Conservative and Unionist Party | John Anthony Ibison | May 2023 |
| Castle | Green Party of England and Wales | Isabella Metcalf-Riener | Mar 2024 |
| Ellel | Green Party of England and Wales | Paul Francis Tynan | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Sally Ann Shelley Maddocks | May 2023 | |
| Garstang | Conservative and Unionist Party | Alice Collinson | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Dulcie Mary Atkins | May 2023 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Robert James Atkins | May 2023 | |
| Great Eccleston | Conservative and Unionist Party | Peter Gordon Cartridge | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Susan Margaret Catterall | May 2023 | |
| Hambleton Stalmine | Conservative and Unionist Party | Julie Ann Robinson | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Lynne Christine Bowen | May 2023 | |
| John Ogaunt | Green Party of England and Wales | Grace Russell | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Suhir Abuhajar | May 2023 | |
| Marsh | Green Party of England and Wales | Gina Dowding | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Mandy Bannon | May 2023 | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Nick Wilkinson | May 2023 | |
| Pilling | Conservative and Unionist Party | Adam Michael Leigh | May 2023 |
| Preesall | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Ashley Sorensen | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Claire Louise Rimmer | May 2023 | |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Collette Rushforth | May 2023 | |
| Scale Hall | Labour Party | Hilda Jean Parr | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Phillip Black | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Ruth Colbridge | May 2023 | |
| Scotforth East | Labour Party | Jason Wood | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Sophie Louise Maddocks | May 2023 | |
| Scotforth West | Green Party of England and Wales | Abi Mills | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Tim Hamilton-Cox | May 2023 | |
| University | Green Party of England and Wales | Maria Holly Deery | Jul 2024 |
| Wyresdale | Labour Party | Charlotte Brieanne Walker | May 2023 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GE | Lab | 19,315 | 44.9% |
| Con | 10,062 | 23.4% | |
| Ref | 6,866 | 16.0% | |
| Green | 5,236 | 12.2% | |
| LD | 1,529 | 3.6% |
Cat Smith has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
23 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
A Lancaster University student, Tom Dingle, took his own life in December following the death of his girlfriend, Natasha Braithwaite, weeks earlier. An inquest concluded he died by hanging on Christmas Day after going missing for 12 days, highlighting the tragic circumstances affecting the local university community.
Green councillor Gina Dowding criticises the state of road surfaces in Lancaster and Morecambe, highlighting poor pothole repairs near Lancaster railway station and questioning Reform UK's election promises on infrastructure maintenance.
Red Rose Rising, a newly formed youth musical theatre group for young people aged 12-21 from Lancaster and Morecambe, is staging its debut performance of 'Into the Woods' at Lancaster University's Nuffield Theatre from April 15-18. The group aims to provide affordable and inclusive musical theatre training while fostering creativity, confidence, and teamwork among local young people.
Students at Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster are building affordable homes to address the county's critical housing shortage of over 18,000 units while gaining practical experience in trades. The project combines educational hands-on learning with community service, with around 150 students working collaboratively on each home to ensure high-quality, affordable housing remains available to local residents.
A major housing development proposal by Bellway Homes for 115 new homes north of Quernmore Road in Lancaster is returning to the planning committee after three years of delays and revisions. The scheme has been reduced from its original 125 units and now includes 30% affordable housing, with council officers recommending approval subject to flood risk assessments and infrastructure contributions.
A new ice cream shop, Swirl & Co, has opened in Marketgate shopping centre in Lancaster city centre. The opening is being promoted positively by local business organisations as a welcome addition to the retail offering.
Prof Steve Decent, the new Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, and Lisa Marsh from Peel Land Group have joined the North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT), bringing expertise in higher education, research collaboration, and regional regeneration. Their appointments are welcomed by business leaders as strengthening the organisation's focus on innovation and long-term investment in the north west.
A mobile phone mast in Lancaster city centre will be permanently taken offline due to persistent vandalism and anti-social behaviour, despite efforts by MP Cat Smith to secure it. The mast operated by Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 has been non-functional for over a year, affecting city centre businesses and residents; a replacement site will take 12-36 months to find and establish.
Buccelli's, an Italian restaurant on Church Street in Lancaster, has been recognised as one of the North West's best Italian restaurants at the UK Italian Awards, with its owner Bruno Buccelli and head chef Evie Ray receiving accolades for their commitment to authentic Italian cuisine. The article highlights the restaurant's decade-long success since opening in 2016, built on an uncompromising dedication to authentic Roman and Tuscan cooking.
Lancaster University students are being urged to participate in a campaign sharing experiences of sexual misconduct on campus, following a national Office for Students survey showing significant rates of harassment and assault among UK undergraduates. Green councillor Maria Deery is leading efforts to improve campus safety and support systems at the university.
Lancaster City Council leader Caroline Jackson met residents about housing regeneration plans for the Mainway estate and former Skerton High School site, promising a special meeting by end of April. The council is exploring funding options and developer agreements for projects that could deliver hundreds of new homes, though timelines remain uncertain amid 2028 local government reorganisation.
A house explosion on Carr Lane in Hambleton destroyed a home and left the owner with only the clothes on his back. A 54-year-old man was charged with arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, and colleagues have launched a fundraiser to help the victim rebuild.
Resident doctors in Lancaster are set to strike for five days starting April 7, expected to disrupt NHS services significantly during the Easter bank holiday weekend. NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is urging the public to use services wisely and direct non-emergency cases to NHS 111 online.
Lancaster's oncology unit staff are undertaking the Three Peaks challenge on August 1st to raise funds for CancerCare, a local cancer charity supporting patients and families. The team, led by clinical leader Naomi Altham (whose father founded the charity 40 years ago), will tackle over 24 miles and 1,500m of ascent across three peaks while promoting awareness of this vital community service.
Pupils from Winmarleigh Church of England Primary School visited Story Homes' Stonebrook Meadows development in Garstang to learn about housebuilding as part of their Key Stage 2 curriculum. The educational visit included tours of construction sites at different stages and discussions with planning and project management teams about how development sites are selected and communities considered.
Gas prices in Pennsylvania, including Lancaster County, have surged above $4 per gallon for regular gas due to geopolitical disruptions. The White House claims these are temporary and part of a strategy that will ultimately benefit consumers, though local residents are experiencing immediate financial hardship at the pump.
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