Situated on the north west coast of England, Southport was transferred from Lancashire to Merseyside after boundary changes in the 1970s - much to the chagrin of many of its inhabitants.
The town is about 17 miles south west of Preston, 40 miles west and slightly north of Manchester and 20 miles north of Liverpool. The surrounding area is fairly flat with attractive villages and mostly arable farms.
The town has kept its genteel image and proudly guards its Victorian heritage - not least the statue of Queen Victoria in the middle of the promenade, facing out to sea. Flanking Southport’s main street, Lord Street, are classical municipal buildings including the Art Gallery, together with gardens, mature trees and fountains and an interesting array of shops complete with Victorian wrought iron canopies.
An upmarket seaside town with relatively low unemployment of 3.7% in December 2000, the constituency has swung between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems. The seat is currently held by Lib Dem Ronnie Fearn who regained the constituency in 1997 after his first tenure was brought to an abrupt end in 1992.