Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales. The European Parliament constituencies used under that system were smaller than the later regional constituencies and only had one Member of the European Parliament each.

Created for the 1979 European Parliament elections in 1979, Lancashire Central was a single-member constituency formed from the grouping of numerous neighbouring UK Parliament constituencies.

• 1979–1984: Blackpool North, Blackpool South, Chorley, Fylde South, Preston North, Preston South, Westhoughton, Wigan
• 1984–1994: Blackpool North, Blackpool South, Chorley, Fylde, Preston, Ribble Valley, South Ribble, West Lancashire
• 1994–1999: Blackpool North, Blackpool South, Burnley, Fylde, Pendle, Preston, Ribble Valley, Wyre