Manchester North West was one of six single-member Parliamentary constituencies created in 1885 by the division of the three-member Parliamentary Borough of Manchester under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Its first MP, William Houldsworth, had previously sat for Manchester. It was abolished in 1918.

Winston Churchill won the seat at the 1906 general election, but lost it at the 1908 by-election required at that time on his promotion to the Cabinet (he instead returned to Parliament for Dundee). In 1910, Bonar Law challenged Churchill to stand against him here, and promised "he would welcome him and they would have a lively time". Bonar Law suggested that the loser should stay out of the next parliament (The Times). Churchill declined. In the event Bonar Law lost to the sitting MP, Sir George Kemp.

Kemp resigned the seat in July 1912, ostensibly to concentrate on his business interests, but he was known to disagree with the Home Rule Bill (The Times).

The Municipal Borough of Manchester wards of Collegiate, Exchange, Oxford, St Ann's, St Clement's, St James's, and St John's, and the civil parish of Cheetham.