Leigh and Atherton is a constituency in the
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in
Greater Manchester and traditionally part of
Lancashire. It is centred on the town of
Leigh, which has a population of around 49,000, and also includes the nearby towns of
Atherton,
Tyldesley and
Golborne and the villages of
Lowton and
Higher Folds. This area has an
industrial heritage with a history of
textile manufacturing,
metalworking and
coal mining. Leigh has high levels of deprivation whilst the rest of the constituency is average in terms of wealth. House prices are low compared to the rest of
North West England and considerably lower than the national average. In general, residents of Leigh and Atherton have low levels of income and education and are more religious than the rest of the country. Few residents work in professional occupations and a high proportion work in the retail and construction sectors.
White people made up 94% of residents in the
2021 census. Almost all seats in the constituency at
the local borough council are represented by the
Labour Party, except Atherton which elected
independent councillors. Voters in the constituency strongly supported leaving the
European Union in the
2016 referendum; an estimated 65% voted in favour of
Brexit compared to the nationwide figure of 52%. ==Boundaries==