Tooting (electoral division)

Tooting
Former electoral division for the Greater London Council
District	Wandsworth
Electorate	54,088 (1973) 51,563 (1977) 50,769 (1981)
Area	780 hectares (7.8 km2)
Former electoral division
Created	1973
Abolished	1986
Member(s)	1
Created from	Wandsworth

Tooting was an electoral division for the purposes of elections to the Greater London Council. The constituency elected one councillor for a four-year term in 1973, 1977 and 1981, with the final term extended for an extra year ahead of the abolition of the Greater London Council.

History

It was planned to use the same boundaries as the Westminster Parliament constituencies for election of councillors to the Greater London Council (GLC), as had been the practice for elections to the predecessor London County Council, but those that existed in 1965 crossed the Greater London boundary. Until new constituencies could be settled, the 32 London boroughs were used as electoral areas. The London Borough of Wandsworth formed the Wandsworth electoral division. This was used for the Greater London Council elections in 1964, 1967 and 1970.

The new constituencies were settled following the Second Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies and the new electoral division matched the boundaries of the Tooting parliamentary constituency.

It covered an area of 780 hectares (7.8 km²).

Elections

The Tooting constituency was used for the Greater London Council elections in 1973, ^[1] 1977 ^[2] and 1981. ^[3] One councillor was elected at each election using first-past-the-post voting. ^[4]

1973 election

The fourth election to the GLC (and first using revised boundaries) was held on 12 April 1973. The electorate was 54,088 and one Labour Party councillor was elected. The turnout was 33.9%. The councillor was elected for a three-year term. This was extended for an extra year in 1976 when the electoral cycle was switched to four-yearly. ^[5]

1973 Greater London Council election: Tooting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Lilias Girdwood Gillies	11,783
	Conservative	N. R. Berry	6,162
	Communist	R. E. Lewis	417

1977 election

The fifth election to the GLC (and second using revised boundaries) was held on 5 May 1977. The electorate was 51,563 and one Conservative Party councillor was elected. The turnout was 39.5%. The councillor was elected for a four-year term.

1977 Greater London Council election: Tooting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Alfred Leefe Ham	9,787
	Labour	Lilias Girdwood Gillies	8,426
	Liberal	R. I. M. Fife	1,058
	National Front	D. L. Simons	791
	Communist	R. E. Lewis	319

1981 election

The sixth and final election to the GLC (and third using revised boundaries) was held on 7 May 1981. The electorate was 50,769 and one Labour and Co-operative Party councillor was elected. The turnout was 45.0%. The councillor was elected for a four-year term, extended by an extra year by the Local Government (Interim Provisions) Act 1984, ahead of the abolition of the council.

1981 Greater London Council election: Tooting

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Anthony Louis Banks	12,127
	Conservative	Thomas Alfred Leefe Ham	7,268
	Liberal	Ian D. Mason	2,278
	National Front	Peter Berbridge	443
	Ecology	Donald J. Valentine	314
	Communist	Robert E. Lewis	281
	Workers Party	Adrian L. Greeman	145

References

1. "Greater London Council Election" (PDF). 12 April 1973. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
2. "Greater London Council Election" (PDF). 5 May 1977. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
3. "Greater London Council Election" (PDF). 7 May 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
4. Boothroyd, David. "Greater London Council Election results: Wandsworth". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
5. "The London Councillors Order 1976" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. 17 February 1976. Retrieved 25 July 2023.