East Hertfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

East Hertfordshire
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1955–1983
Number of members one
Replaced by Broxbourne, Hertford & Stortford and Stevenage[1]
Created from Hertford

East Hertfordshire was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Hertfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Boundaries

1955-1974: The Urban Districts of Bishop's Stortford, Cheshunt, Hoddesdon, Sawbridgeworth, and Ware, and the Rural Districts of Braughing and Ware.

1974-1983: The Urban Districts of Bishop's Stortford, Cheshunt, Hoddesdon, and Sawbridgeworth, and the Rural Districts of Braughing and Ware.

History

The constituency was created for the 1955 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election.

On its abolition, most of the seat (including Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth) was amalgamated with the Hertford and Ware half of Hertford and Stevenage to form the new Hertford and Stortford constituency, while Cheshunt and Hoddesdon were carved off to create the heart of the new Broxbourne constituency.

The writer and TV playwright Dennis Potter was the Labour Party candidate in the constituency at the 1964 general election, but finished second behind the Conservative incumbent. His experience inspired Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1955 Sir Derek Walker-Smith Conservative
1983 constituency abolished: see Hertford and Stortford & Broxbourne

Elections

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1955: East Hertfordshire[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Derek Walker-Smith 26,936 56.88
Labour Co-op William Hilton 20,418 43.12
Majority 6,518 13.76
Turnout 79.11
Conservative win (new seat)
General Election 1959: East Hertfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Derek Walker-Smith 28,201 51.39
Labour Syd Bidwell 18,020 32.84
Liberal Kenneth John Whitehead Spargo 8,656 15.77
Majority 10,181 18.55
Turnout 82.01
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1964: East Hertfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Derek Walker-Smith 29,749 48.20
Labour Dennis Potter 21,887 35.46
Liberal Eric W Morgan 10,088 16.34
Majority 7,862 12.74
Turnout 81.02
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1966: East Hertfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Derek Walker-Smith 29,618 46.62
Labour Brian CS Murphy 24,412 38.43
Liberal Eric W Morgan 9,501 14.95
Majority 5,206 8.19
Turnout 80.09
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1970: East Hertfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Derek Walker-Smith 37,668 54.74
Labour Mike Thomas 23,601 34.30
Liberal David Walsh 7,538 10.96
Majority 14,067 20.44
Turnout 73.51
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: East Hertfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Derek Walker-Smith 32,032 44.96
Labour MM Keir 20,674 29.02
Liberal PC Clark 18,546 26.03
Majority 11,358 15.94
Turnout 80.98
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: East Hertfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Derek Walker-Smith 29,334 44.59
Labour MM Keir 20,999 31.92
Liberal PC Clark 15,446 23.48
Majority 8,335 12.67
Turnout 74.04
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1979: East Hertfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Derek Walker-Smith 41,599 55.50
Labour IJ Evans 20,139 26.87
Liberal Lesley Abdela 11,393 15.20
National Front J Smith 1,819 2.43
Majority 21,460 28.63
Turnout 77.81
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ "'Hertfordshire East', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  2. ↑ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.
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