Looking over the most deprived constituencies I'm pretty shocked that the Tories managed to win a seat in Blackpool (!)
They've got two as a matter of fact. Blackpool has always been a place where the Tories have overperformed the demographics (though it wasn't always as deprived as it is now). The 1997 Labour landslide was actually the first time in its history that it had Labour representation at Westminster, it was always Tory before that (aside from a brief Liberal victory in 1923). Blackpool North (& Cleverleys) flipped back in 2010, helped by favourable boundary changes, which removed the (then) very reliably Labour town of Fleetwood. They didn't regain Blackpool South until 2019 but even in elections such as 2010 and 2015 it was still only marginally Labour despite its deprivation levels and the metropolitan Cameron being an atrocious fit for the area.
Seaside resorts in general have traditionally been Tory, going back to the Victorian era.
Interesting to know. My perception of Blackpool was that it was a distinctly working class seaside resort compared to the southern towns, more so than, like, Atlantic City which I guess was similar but attracted both the rich and poor in comparable numbers. So I guess I figured its status as a working class location would translate to politics
