1949 London County Council election

Last updated

1949 London County Council election
LCC arms 1914.png
  1946 7 April 1949 1952  
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Lab
Percy Harris (cropped).png
Leader Henry Brooke Isaac Hayward Percy Harris
Party Conservative Labour Liberal
Leader since19461947
Leader's seat Cities of London and Westminster Deptford Bethnal Green
Seats won64641
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 34Decrease2.svg 26Decrease2.svg 1
Popular vote1,526,0001,404,80537,266
Percentage50.9%46.9%1.2%

An election to the County Council of London took place on 7 April 1949. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having three votes in the three-member seats. The Conservative Party made substantial gains, achieving the same number of seats as the Labour Party. However, Labour held the chair of the council, and was thus able to retain control.

Contents

The constituencies were completely reorganised before the election. The 60 former two-member constituencies and one four-member constituency were replaced by 43 three-member constituencies, to align with the UK Parliamentary constituencies due to be introduced at the 1950 UK general election. [1]

Campaign

The Labour Party campaigned on its progress on the County of London Plan , its construction of housing and schools, and its takeover of health services. [2]

The Conservative Party chose not to stand candidates in Bethnal Green, where it hoped its supporters would instead vote for the Liberal Party candidates. It argued that the Labour administration was short of talent. [2] [3]

The Liberal Party and Communist Party of Great Britain each stood only six candidates, and hoped to retain representation in their strongest areas: Bethnal Green for the Liberals, and Stepney for the Communists. [1]

Results

The Conservative Party secured the most votes, but won the same number of seats as the Labour Party. The Liberal Party leader Percy Harris was the only other councillor to win a seat. Because there were ten appointed aldermen, all Labour representatives, Labour retained a majority for the election of a new chair, who would hold a casting vote. While this would usually be a council member, the party instead selected J. W. Bowen, a party member who was not on the council, and thereby secured an ongoing majority. Thus assured, it agreed to a Conservative proposal to arrange for the election of new aldermen in proportion to the party strengths. [4] [5]

Turnout at the election was 39%, a considerable increase from 26% three years earlier. [4]

PartyVotesSeats
Number%StoodSeats%
Conservative 1,526,00050.91266449.6
Labour 1,404,80546.91296449.6
Liberal 37,2661.2610.8
Communist 26,6660.9600.0
Union Movement 1,2530.0200.0
Independent 6170.0100.0

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 Greater London Council election</span>

The first election to the Greater London Council (GLC) was held on 9 April 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethnal Green and Bow (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK Parliament constituency in England since 1997

Bethnal Green and Bow is a constituency in Greater London, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Rushanara Ali of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percy Harris (politician)</span> British politician (1876–1952)

Sir Percy Alfred Harris, 1st Baronet, PC was a British Liberal Party politician. He was Liberal Chief Whip and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Parliamentary Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1949 United Kingdom local elections</span>

Elections in England and Wales, 1949 held during the week of 4–9 April for County Council positions, resulted in sweeping Conservative gains and correspondingly heavy Labour losses. A remarkable feature of the elections was the "dead heat" in the London County Council between Labour and the Conservatives, who each won 64 seats, with the Liberals retaining one seat, that of Sir Percy Harris in Bethnal Green. Outside London, Labour lost its former control of Middlesex, Essex, Northumberland, and the West Riding of Yorkshire; retained control of Derbyshire, Durham, Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, and Nottinghamshire, but won Carmarthenshire, the only county gained by Labour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1913 London County Council election</span>

An election to the County Council of London took place on 5 March 1913. It was the ninth triennial election of the whole Council. The size of the council was 118 councillors and 19 aldermen. The councillors were elected for electoral divisions corresponding to the parliamentary constituencies that had been created by the Representation of the People Act 1884. There were 57 dual member constituencies and one four member constituency. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the dual member seats. Unlike for parliamentary elections, women qualified as electors for these elections on exactly the same basis as men. Women were also permitted to stand as candidates for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1922 London County Council election</span>

An election to the County Council of London took place on 2 March 1922. It was the eleventh triennial election of the whole council. There were sixty dual member constituencies and one four member constituency, making a total of 124 seats. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the dual member seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1938 Aylesbury by-election</span>

The 1938 Aylesbury by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Aylesbury on 19 May 1938.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1931 Scarborough and Whitby by-election</span>

The Scarborough and Whitby by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Scarborough and Whitby on 6 May 1931.

The 1964 Haringey Council election took place on 7 May 1964 to elect members of Haringey London Borough Council in London, England. The whole council was up for election and the Labour party gained control of the council.

The 1964 Tower Hamlets Council election took place on 7 May 1964 to elect members of Tower Hamlets London Borough Council in London, England. The whole council was up for election and the Labour party won control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1961 London County Council election</span> 1961 local election in England

An election to the County Council of London took place on 13 April 1961. It proved to be the last election to the council, and plans for its replacement by the Greater London Council were already in process. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having three votes in the three-member seats.

An election to the County Council of London took place on 16 April 1958. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having three votes in the three-member seats. The Labour Party, who had already run the council for 24 years, won their largest ever majority.

An election to the County Council of London took place on 31 March 1955. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having three votes in the three-member seats. The Conservative Party made significant gains, but the Labour Party retained a substantial majority.

An election to the County Council of London took place on 3 April 1952. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having three votes in the three-member seats. The Labour Party made substantial gains and greatly increased its majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1946 London County Council election</span>

An election to the County Council of London took place on 7 March 1946. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the two-member seats. The Labour Party once more made gains, again increasing their majority over the Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1937 London County Council election</span> 1937 local election in England

An election to the County Council of London took place on 4 March 1937. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the two-member seats. The Labour Party made gains, increasing their majority over the Municipal Reform Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1934 London County Council election</span> 1934 local election in England

An election to the County Council of London took place on 8 March 1934. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the two-member seats. The Labour Party made large gains from the Municipal Reform Party, and for the first time won control of the council..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1931 London County Council election</span> 1931 local election in England

An election to the County Council of London took place on 5 March 1931. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the two-member seats. The Municipal Reform Party slightly increased its majority on the council, with overall results matching those from 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1928 London County Council election</span> 1928 local election in England

An election to the County Council of London took place on 8 March 1928. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the two-member seats. The Labour Party made slight gains at the expense of the Municipal Reform Party, which nonetheless retained a substantial majority.

References

  1. 1 2 "LCC election nominations". The Times. 23 March 1949.
  2. 1 2 "LCC polling to-morrow". The Times. 6 April 1949.
  3. "Challenge to Labour control". The Times. 7 April 1949.
  4. 1 2 "Parties dead heat in LCC elections". The Times. 9 April 1949.
  5. "Labour control of LCC". The Times. 14 April 1949.