Reading (UK Parliament constituency)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Reading Borough constituency |
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|---|---|
| Created: | 1885, 1955 |
| Abolished: | 1950, 1974 |
| Type: | House of Commons |
Reading was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency covered an area in and around the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire.
Contents |
[edit] Members of Parliament
- Modern concept of a parliamentary constituency introduced (1885)
- 1885 — 1892: Charles Townshend Murdoch
- 1892 — 1895: George William Palmer, Liberal
- 1895 — 1898: Charles Townshend Murdoch
- 1898 — 1904: George William Palmer, Liberal
- 1904 — 1913: Rufus Isaacs, Liberal
- 1913 — 1922: Leslie Orme Wilson, Conservative
- 1922 — 1923: Edward Cecil George Cadogan, Conservative
- 1923 — 1924: Somerville Hastings, Labour
- 1924 — 1929: Herbert Williams, Conservative
- 1929 — 1931: Somerville Hastings, Labour
- 1931 — 1945: Alfred Bakewell Howitt, Conservative
- 1945 — 1950: Ian Mikardo, Labour
- Constituency abolished (1950)
- Constituency recreated (1955)
- 1955 — 1959: Ian Mikardo, Labour
- 1959 — 1966: Peter Emery, Conservative
- 1966 — 1970: John Lee, Labour
- 1970 — 1974: Gerard Vaughan, Conservative
- Constituency abolished (1974)
[edit] Politics and history of the constituency
The parliamentary constituency was effectively created in its modern form, with each constituency represented by a single MP, by the Representation of the People Act 1884. Prior to this act, the Parliamentary Borough of Reading was entitled to elect two MPs to Parliament, whilst the surrounding County of Berkshire was entitled to three MPs. After the act, the Reading area had a single constituency electing a single MP, whilst Berkshire was split into the adjacent constituencies of Abingdon, Newbury and Wokingham.
The single constituency of Reading continued to exist, until it was split in 1950 into the separate constituencies of Reading North and Reading South. These two constituencies were merged back into a single Reading constituency in 1955, and again split apart in 1974. Today the area formerly covered by the Reading constituency is within the constituencies of Reading East and Reading West.
[edit] References
- Leigh Rayment (2003). The House Of Commons - Constituencies from Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth to Rochdale. Retrieved June 2, 2005.
