Poplar (UK Parliament constituency)

Poplar
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1918
Number of members one
Replaced by Poplar South
Created from Tower Hamlets
1950–1974
Number of members one
Replaced by Stepney and Poplar
Created from Bow and Bromley and Poplar South

Poplar was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Poplar district of the East End of London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

History

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1918 general election, when with very minor boundary changes it was replaced by the new constituency of Poplar South. A small amount of the constituency's territory was added to Bow and Bromley.

It was re-established for the 1950 general election, and abolished again for the February 1974 general election. It was then partly replaced by the new Stepney and Poplar constituency.

Boundaries

Poplar in the Metropolitan area, showing boundaries used from 1885 to 1918.
Poplar in the Parliamentary County of London, showing boundaries used from 1950 to 1974.

1885-1918: In 1885 the area was administered as part of the county of Middlesex. It was located in the Tower division, in the east of the historic county. The neighbourhood of Poplar formed a division of the parliamentary borough of Tower Hamlets. The parliamentary division was part of the East End of London.

In 1889 the Tower division of Middlesex was severed from the county, for administrative purposes. It became part of the County of London. In 1900 the lower tier of local government in London was re-modelled. Poplar constituency became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.

1950-1974: When a re-distribution of parliamentary seats took effect in 1950, the constituency was re-created. It then included the whole of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.

In 1965 the Metropolitan Borough was incorporated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Greater London.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1885 Henry Green Liberal
1886 Rt Hon Sydney Buxton Liberal
1914 by-election Alfred William Yeo Liberal
1918 constituency abolished: see Poplar South & Bow and Bromley
1950 constituency re-created
1950 Charles Key Labour
1964 Ian Mikardo Labour
Feb 1974 constituency abolished: see Stepney and Poplar

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1885: Tower Hamlets, Poplar
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Green 4,090 65.9
Conservative Denzil R. Onslow 2,113 34.1
Majority 1,977 31.8
Turnout 9,041 68.6
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1886: Tower Hamlets, Poplar
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sydney Buxton 2,903 50.7
Conservative Alfred Cholmeley Earle Welby 2,827 49.3
Majority 76 1.4
Turnout 9,041 63.4
Liberal hold Swing -15.2

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1892: Tower Hamlets, Poplar
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sydney Buxton 5,007 62.7
Conservative Alfred Cholmeley Earle Welby 2,975 37.3
Majority 2,032 25.4
Turnout 10,348 77.1
Liberal hold Swing +12.0
Sydney Buxton
General Election 1895: Tower Hamlets, Poplar
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sydney Buxton 3,939 55.9
Conservative William Pelham Bullivant 3,110 44.1
Majority 829 11.8
Turnout 9,684 72.8
Liberal hold Swing -6.8

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1900: Tower Hamlets, Poplar
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sydney Buxton 3,992 58.4
Conservative William Pelham Bullivant 2,840 41.6
Majority 1,152 16.8
Turnout 10,009 68.3
Liberal hold Swing +2.5
General Election 1906: Tower Hamlets, Poplar
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sydney Buxton 4,546 67.0
Conservative George Oldroyd Borwick 2,235 33.0
Majority 2,311 34.0
Turnout 9,088 74.6
Liberal hold Swing +8.6

Elections in the 1910s

General Election January 1910: Tower Hamlets, Poplar
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Rt Hon. Sydney Charles Buxton 4,172 57.2
Conservative Leslie Orme Wilson 3,125 42.8
Majority 1,047 14.4
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing -9.8
General Election December 1910

Electorate11,175

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Rt Hon. Sydney Charles Buxton 3,977 64.9
Conservative Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett 2,148 35.1
Majority 1,829 29.8
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing +7.7
Alfred Yeo
Poplar by-election, 1914
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alfred William Yeo 3,548 46.0
Conservative Robin S. Kerr-Clark 3,270 42.4
British Socialist Party John Joseph Jones 893 11.6
Majority 278 3.6
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing -13.1

References