Acton (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Acton
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Acton1974Constituency.svg
Boundary of Acton in Greater Londonfor the February 1974 general election
County 1918–1965: Middlesex
1965–1983: Greater London
Borough Acton
London Borough of Ealing
1918–1983
SeatsOne
Created from Ealing
Replaced by Ealing Acton
Map that gives each named seat and any constant electoral success for national (Westminster) elections for Middlesex, 1955 to 1974. Final Middlesex constituencies (1955-74).svg
Map that gives each named seat and any constant electoral success for national (Westminster) elections for Middlesex, 1955 to 1974.

Acton was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created for the 1918 general election. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

Contents

Boundaries and boundary changes

Acton (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 1974–1983
DatesLocal authorityMaps Wards
1918–1945 Municipal Borough of Acton Acton1918.png Acton Urban District
1945–1974 Municipal Borough of Acton (before 1965)
London Borough of Ealing (after 1965)		 Acton1945.png Acton Urban District [1] [2]
1974–1983 London Borough of Ealing Acton1974Constituency.svg Central, East, Hanger Hill, Heathfield, Southfield and Springfield. [3]

1918–1945

The constituency was formed entirely from the existing constituency of Ealing

1945–1974

The constituency was subject to minor boundary changes.

1974–1983

Wards to the west were transferred from the abolished constituency of Ealing South as well as minor parts of Ealing North.

History

The seat was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918 which increased the number of seats where population had expanded such as in Middlesex due to the conurbation growing around the County of London. It was based on the town of Acton. The seat consisted of the Acton Urban District which became a Municipal Borough in 1921.

A redistribution of Parliamentary seats, which took effect at the 1950 United Kingdom general election made no change to the boundaries; its legislation, affecting election expenses and returning officer re-classified, the seat as a borough constituency.

In 1965 the area became part of the London Borough of Ealing and Greater London.

In the redistribution which took effect at the February 1974 general election, the seat to the west, Ealing South, was abolished and this seat absorbed most of its area to reach the electoral quota, it having been heavily underweight in electorate. The seat in statute and statutory instrument became variously Ealing: Acton and/or simply Acton where under a heading of London Borough of Ealing. From the review effective from the election of 1983 it became Ealing Acton.

Components

The change was extension, along all of the former western edge.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberPartyNotes
1918 Sir Harry Brittain Unionist
1929 James Shillaker Labour
1931 Hubert Duggan Conservative Died October 1943
1943 by-election Henry Longhurst Conservative
1945 Joseph Sparks Labour
1959 Philip Holland Conservative
1964 Bernard Floud Labour Died October 1967
1968 by-election Kenneth Baker Conservative
1970 Nigel Spearing Labour
1974 Sir George Young Conservative Contested Ealing Acton following redistribution
1983 constituency abolished: see Ealing Acton

Elections

Elections in the 1910s

1918 general election: Acton [5] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
C Unionist Party (UK) Harry Brittain 11,67173.3
Labour Robert Dunsmore4,24126.7
Majority7,43046.7
Turnout 15,91253.9
Registered electors 29,539
Unionist win (new seat)
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

1922 general election: Acton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Harry Brittain 10,208 50.0 –23.4
Labour Mary Richardson 5,34226.2–0.5
Liberal Neville Dixey 4,87723.9New
Majority 4,86623.8–22.9
Turnout 20,42767.1+13.3
Registered electors 30,425
Unionist hold Swing –11.4
1923 general election: Acton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Harry Brittain 8,943 44.9 –5.1
Labour Herbert Baldwin6,06930.5+4.3
Liberal Bertram Levinson4,90924.6+0.8
Majority 2,87414.4–9.4
Turnout 19,92163.5–3.7
Registered electors 31,394
Unionist hold Swing –4.7
1924 general election: Acton [6] [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Harry Brittain 12,799 55.1 +10.2
Labour Herbert Baldwin5,58324.0–6.4
Liberal Bertram Levinson3,07413.2–11.4
Democratic Labour Mary Richardson 1,7757.6New
Majority 7,21631.1+16.6
Turnout 23,23172.6+9.1
Registered electors 31,999
Unionist hold Swing +8.3
1929 general election: Acton [6] [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour James Shillaker 13,208 41.4 +17.3
Unionist Harry Brittain 12,73939.9–15.2
Liberal Frank Medlicott 5,98118.7+5.5
Majority 4691.5N/A
Turnout 31,92875.5+2.9
Registered electors 42,276
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +16.3

Elections in the 1930s

1931 general election: Acton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Hubert Duggan 24,196 67.0 +27.1
Labour James Shillaker 11,92433.0–8.4
Majority 12,27234.0N/A
Turnout 36,12075.5–0.1
Registered electors 47,865
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +17.7
1935 general election: Acton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Hubert Duggan 19,137 58.5 –8.5
Labour William McLaine13,55941.5+8.5
Majority 5,57817.0–17.0
Turnout 32,69667.8–7.7
Registered electors 48,258
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

1943 Acton by-election [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Longhurst 5,014 60.3 +1.8
Ind. Labour Party Walter Padley 2,33628.1New
Independent Dorothy Crisp 7078.5New
Independent Edward Godfrey [n 1] 2583.1New
Majority 2,67832.2+15.1
Turnout 8,31517.1–50.7
Registered electors 48,663
Conservative hold Swing +7.6
1945 general election: Acton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Joseph Sparks 19,590 56.1 +14.7
Conservative Henry Longhurst 12,13434.8–23.8
Liberal Francis Halpin3,1729.1New
Majority 7,45621.4N/A
Turnout 34,89677.7+10.0
Registered electors 44,887
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +19.2

Elections in the 1950s

1950 general election: Acton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Joseph Sparks 21,751 49.1 –7.1
Conservative George Willment19,11643.1+8.4
Liberal Pauline Furniss2,7816.3–2.8
Communist Albert Papworth6631.5New
Majority 2,6355.9–15.4
Turnout 44,31187.6+9.9
Registered electors 50,588
Labour hold Swing –7.7
1951 general election: Acton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Joseph Sparks 23,287 52.2 +3.1
Conservative Leslie Ramseyer21,29647.8+4.6
Majority 1,9914.5–1.5
Turnout 44,58386.9–0.7
Registered electors 51,292
Labour hold Swing –0.7
1955 general election: Acton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Joseph Sparks 20,645 50.6 +1.6
Conservative John Bott20,12049.4–1.6
Majority 5251.2–4.8
Turnout 40,76582.6–4.4
Registered electors 49,373
Labour hold Swing –1.6
1959 general election: Acton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Holland 19,358 51.2 +1.9
Labour Joseph Sparks 18,43848.8–1.9
Majority 9202.4N/A
Turnout 37,79680.7–1.9
Registered electors 46,835
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +1.9

Elections in the 1960s

1964 general election: Acton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bernard Floud 17,022 49.3 +0.6
Conservative Philip Holland 14,42341.8–9.4
Liberal Barwys Martin-Kaye3,0498.8New
Majority 2,5997.5N/A
Turnout 34,49477.4–3.3
Registered electors 44,557
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.0
1966 general election: Acton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bernard Floud 18,541 57.7 +8.3
Conservative Kenneth Baker 13,60042.3+0.5
Majority 4,94115.4+7.8
Turnout 32,14174.0–3.5
Registered electors 43,464
Labour hold Swing +3.9
1968 Acton by-election [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Kenneth Baker 12,242 48.7 +6.4
Labour Walter Johnson 8,52233.9–23.8
Liberal Frank Davis2,86811.4New
National Front Andrew Fountaine 1,4005.6New
Independent Harold Fox [n 2] 750.3New
Independent William Gold440.2New
Majority 3,72014.8N/A
Turnout 25,15159.7–14.2
Registered electors 42,103
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +15.1

Elections in the 1970s

1970 general election: Acton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Nigel Spearing 13,960 48.0 –9.7
Conservative Kenneth Baker 13,30045.7+3.4
Liberal Dion Scherer1,5835.4New
Communist Maurice Costin2580.9New
Majority 6602.3–13.1
Turnout 29,10166.6–7.3
Registered electors 43,670
Labour hold Swing –6.6
1970 notional result [10]
PartyVote %
Conservative 21,40049.7
Labour 18,70043.4
Liberal 3,0007.0
Turnout43,10066.0
Electorate65,305
February 1974 general election: Acton
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Young 18,492 43.3 –6.2
Labour Nigel Spearing 17,04139.9–3.5
Liberal Mario Uziell-Hamilton7,16016.8+9.8
Majority 1,4513.4+1.1
Turnout 42,69375.7+9.7
Registered electors 56,365
Conservative hold Swing –1.4
October 1974 general election: Acton [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Young 17,669 45.2 +1.9
Labour Glen Barnham16,86143.1+3.1
Liberal Mario Uziell-Hamilton4,56911.7–5.1
Majority 8082.1–1.3
Turnout 39,19969.0–6.8
Registered electors 56,689
Conservative hold Swing –0.7
1979 general election: Acton [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Young 21,056 51.9 +6.7
Labour Glen Barnham15,25837.6–5.5
Liberal Simon Rowley3,5498.7–2.9
National Front Clive Wakley5011.2New
Independent James O'Leary [n 3] 2430.6New
Majority 5,79814.3+12.2
Turnout 40,60771.4+2.4
Registered electors 56,875
Conservative hold Swing +6.1

Notes

  1. ↑ Leader of the English National Association
  2. ↑ Fox stood under the label 'Independent Carnaby Street’ candidate.
  3. ↑ O'Leary stood under the label 'Irish National Party'

References

  1. ↑ Representation of the People Act 1948, Sch. 1, at Middlesex (B) Borough Constituencies (page 107) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1948/65/pdfs/ukpga_19480065_en.pdf
  2. ↑ Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 number 1674), Sch 1 (list of contents of existing seats) at page 5454 (or 11 of 76)
  3. ↑ Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 number 1674), Sch 2 (list of contents of new seats) at page 5491 (or 48 of 76)
  4. ↑ Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 number 1674), Sch 2 (list of contents of new seats) at page 5491 (or 48 of 76)
  5. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1922
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 . Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p.  421. ISBN   0-900178-01-9.
  7. ↑ Walker, Michael (22 February 2009). "Labour Candidates 1922 and 1923 – West London". Hayes People History. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  8. ↑ "The General Election. First Returns, Polling in the Boroughs". The Times . 31 May 1929. p. 7.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Craig, Fred W. S (1983). British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 (2nd ed.). Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN   0900178078 . Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  10. ↑ Michael Stead. "1970 notional general election & February 1974 general election". BBC. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  11. ↑ "1974 - October 1974 General Election - Acton". UK general election results 1832 - 2019. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  12. ↑ "1979 - 1979 General Election - Acton". UK general election results 1832 - 2019. Parliament of the United Kingdom . Retrieved 1 November 2023.
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