City of Preston, Lancashire City of Preston, Lancashire The City of Preston () is a city and non-metropolitan district in Lancashire, England. On the north bank of the River Ribble, it was granted city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. The City of Preston district has a population of (), and lies at the centre of the Central Lancashire sub-region, with a population of 335,000. The district, formerly known as the Borough of Preston, is named after the urban settlement of Preston which lies in the south of the district, and also contains nine
William Preston (British politician) sitting Liberal MP, Patrick Collins. However, following his election, it was discovered that Preston had received payments for two small contracts to supply electrical fittings to the Post Office Stores Department. As a government contractor, Preston was ineligible to stand for parliament, and his election was declared void. Having overcome his legal difficulties, Preston was selected as Conservative candidate at the ensuing by-election. The poll was held on 27 February, and Preston was elected ahead of Liberal and Labour candidates, with a similar majority to that gained at the 1924 election. Preston was only a member of the House of