Bristol Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Bristol Central
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–February 1974
Number of members one

Bristol Central was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Bristol. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, and abolished for the February 1974 general election.

Boundaries

1950-1974: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Easton; Knowle; St Paul; St Philip and Jacob; and Windmill Hill.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1918 Thomas Inskip Conservative
1929 Joseph Alpass Labour
1931 Lord Apsley Conservative
1943 by-election Lady Apsley Conservative
1945 Stan Awbery Labour
1964 Arthur Palmer Labour Co-operative
Feb 1974 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Coalition Conservative Thomas Inskip 12,232 63.2
Labour Ernest Bevin 7,137 36.8
Majority 5,095 26.3

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1922: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Inskip 15,568 55.9
Labour Christopher Thomson 12,303 44.1
Majority 3,265 11.7
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1923: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Thomas Inskip 14,386 54.7
Labour S. E. Walters 11,932 45.3
Majority 2,454 9.3
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1924: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Thomas Inskip 17,177 55.1
Labour J. A. L. Fraser 14,018 44.9
Majority 3,159 10.1
Turnout 77.5
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1929: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joseph Alpass 20,749 55.7
Conservative Sir Thomas Inskip 16,524 44.3
Majority 4,225 11.3
Turnout 77.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1931: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lord Apsley 22,311 59.6
Labour Joseph Alpass 15,143 40.4
Majority 7,168 19.1
Turnout 80.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General Election 1935: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lord Apsley 15,774 52.5
Labour J. J. Taylor 14,258 47.5
Majority 1,516 5.0
Turnout 72.8
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

Bristol Central by-election, 18 February 1943
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lady Apsley 5,867 52.1 −0.4
Independent Labour Jennie Lee 4,308 38.2
Ind. Labour Party John McNair 830 7.4
Independent F. H. Dunn 258 2.3
Majority 1,559 13.9 +8.9
Turnout 32.9 −39.9
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1945: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Awbery 13,045 63.9
Conservative Lady Apsley 7,369 36.1
Majority 5,676 27.8
Turnout 70.0
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1950: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Awbery 25,889 59.7
Conservative John Peyton 13,461 31.0
Liberal Donald David Oliver Jones 4,042 9.3
Majority 12,428 28.7
Turnout 84.5
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1951: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Awbery 26,091 62.4
Conservative K. A. P. Dalby 15,725 37.6
Majority 10,366 24.8
Turnout 83.1
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Awbery 25,158 60.5
Conservative K. A. P. Dalby 16,406 39.5
Majority 8,752 21.0
Turnout 73.8
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1959: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stan Awbery 19,905 53.6
Conservative L. G. Pine 17,209 46.4
Majority 2,696 7.2
Turnout 75.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1964: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Palmer 16,207 54.5
Conservative J. R. E. Taylor 11,616 39.0
Independent D. H. R. Burgess 1,936 6.5
Majority 4,591 15.5
Turnout 71.9
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1966: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Palmer 15,399 58.9
Conservative J. R. E. Taylor 9,410 36.0
Independent D. H. R. Burgess 1,322 5.1
Majority 5,989 22.9
Turnout 70.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1970: Bristol Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Palmer 12,375 51.4
Conservative J. R. E. Taylor 9,130 37.9
Liberal A. Rider 2,569 10.7
Majority 3,245 13.5
Turnout 66.7
Labour hold Swing

See also

References