Barnet (UK Parliament constituency)
| Barnet | |
|---|---|
|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
| 1945–February 1974 | |
| Number of members | one |
| Replaced by | Chipping Barnet and South Hertfordshire |
| Created from | St Albans |
Barnet was a parliamentary constituency in what is now the London Borough of Barnet, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
History
The constituency was created for the 1945 general election and abolished for the February 1974 general election.
Boundaries
The constituency was created in 1945 when the number of parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire was increased from five to six. Previously the area had been part of the St Albans seat. This was one of the English constituencies divided as an emergency measure, before the general review of parliamentary constituencies due later in the decade, because its electorate exceeded 100,000 voters.
Initially, the constituency consisted of three local government areas: Barnet Urban District, East Barnet Urban District and Elstree Rural District. The constituency was enlarged in 1950 by the addition of Hatfield Rural District transferred from the St Albans parliamentary seat.[1] In 1955 the number of county constituencies in Hertfordshire was increased from six to seven, and the Barnet constituency reverted to its original boundaries, with Hatfield Rural District being transferred to the Hertford constituency.[2]
In 1965 the Barnet and East Barnet urban districts were transferred to Greater London, becoming part of the London Borough of Barnet, while Elstree Rural District remained part of Hertfordshire. This did not affect parliamentary boundaries for nine years, however.
When seats were next redistributed, with effect from the February 1974 general election, the Greater London parts of the old constituency moved to the new seat of Chipping Barnet. The Elstree Rural District was transferred to South Hertfordshire.[3]
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Stephen Taylor | Labour | |
| 1950 | Reginald Maudling | Conservative | |
| Feb 1974 | constituency abolished | ||
Elections
Election in the 1940s
| General Election 1945: Barnet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Labour | Stephen James Lake Taylor | 17,764 | 45.15 | ||
| Conservative | A.E.J. Clarke | 17,082 | 43.42 | ||
| Liberal | Jean Mary Henderson | 4,495 | 11.43 | ||
| Majority | 682 | 1.73 | |||
| Turnout | 73.76 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
| General Election 1950: Barnet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Reginald Maudling | 32,953 | 53.31 | ||
| Labour | Stephen James Lake Taylor | 22,419 | 36.27 | ||
| Liberal | William Herbert Jones | 6,441 | 10.42 | ||
| Majority | 10,534 | 17.04 | |||
| Turnout | 87.45 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
| General Election 1951: Barnet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Reginald Maudling | 35,527 | 56.97 | ||
| Labour | Cyril R. Fenton | 22,375 | 35.88 | ||
| Liberal | William Herbert Jones | 4,463 | 7.16 | ||
| Majority | 13,152 | 21.09 | |||
| Turnout | 85.89 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| General Election 1955: Barnet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Reginald Maudling | ||||
| Labour | Sydney Hyam | ||||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| General Election 1959: Barnet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Reginald Maudling | ||||
| Labour | Reginald M Prideaux | ||||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
| General Election 1964: Barnet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Rt Hon. Reginald Maudling | ||||
| Labour | David H. P. Levy | ||||
| Liberal | Hugh R. Tinker | ||||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| General Election 1966: Barnet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Rt Hon. Reginald Maudling | ||||
| Labour | Geoffrey Hickman | ||||
| Liberal | Hugh R. Tinker | ||||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Election in the 1970s
| General Election 1970: Barnet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Rt Hon. Reginald Maudling | ||||
| Labour | Mrs. Joan E. M. Baker | ||||
| Liberal | John D. O. Henchley | ||||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
References
- Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 1)
- ↑ Representation of the People Act 1948, (1948 C.65), Schedule 1
- ↑ F A Youngs, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England, London, 1979
- ↑ The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 No. 1674)
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wirral |
Constituency represented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer 1962–1964 |
Succeeded by Cardiff South East |