Jump to content

Woodford (UK Parliament constituency)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Woodford
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyEssex
19451964
SeatsOne
Created fromEpping
Replaced byWanstead & Woodford
Woodford in Essex, 1945–1950

Woodford was a parliamentary constituency in Essex which returned one member of parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1945 until it was renamed for the 1964 general election.

The constituency's only member of parliament for its entire existence was Sir Winston Churchill of the Conservative Party; from 1924 he had represented the Epping constituency from which Woodford was created. He represented the Woodford seat during his second tenure as prime minister, and continued to hold it until he retired aged 89 at the 1964 general election; it was the last seat he represented in a parliamentary career that spanned over 60 years. He was the Father of the House for the last five years of his tenure in the seat. A statue of him was unveiled on Woodford Green in the constituency in 1959.

Boundaries

[edit]

1945–1955: The Borough of Wanstead and Woodford, and the Urban District of Chigwell.

1955–1964: The Borough of Wanstead and Woodford.

The constituency's boundaries were subject to a radical change in 1955, when the new Chigwell constituency was created, removing the less urbanised parts of the seat. The new Wanstead and Woodford constituency was subject to minor boundary changes reflecting alterations to the Municipal Borough of Wanstead and Woodford since the last general redistribution of parliamentary seats in 1955. The pre and post 1964 seats comprised the whole municipal borough, within its 1955 and 1964 boundaries respectively.

Members of Parliament

[edit]
Election Member Party
1945 Rt Hon Sir Winston Churchill Conservative
1964 constituency abolished: see Wanstead and Woodford

Election results

[edit]
General election 1945: Woodford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Winston Churchill 27,688 72.53
Independent Alexander Hancock 10,488 27.47
Majority 17,200 45.06
Turnout 38,176 65.53
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1950: Woodford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Winston Churchill 37,239 59.61 −12.92
Labour Seymour Hills 18,740 30.00 New
Liberal Howard Vivien Davies 5,664 9.07 New
Communist Bill Brooks[1] 827 1.32 New
Majority 18,499 29.61 −15.45
Turnout 62,470 86.06 +20.53
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Woodford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Winston Churchill 40,938 62.96 +3.35
Labour William Aaron Archer 22,359 34.39 +4.39
Communist John Ross Campbell 871 1.34 +0.02
Independent Alexander Hancock 851 1.31 New
Majority 18,579 28.57 −1.04
Turnout 65,019 83.38 −2.68
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Woodford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Winston Churchill 25,069 73.02
Labour Arnold Keith Morgan Milner 9,261 26.98
Majority 15,808 46.04
Turnout 34,330 75.96
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Woodford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Winston Churchill 24,815 71.24 −1.78
Labour Arthur Latham 10,018 28.76 +1.78
Majority 14,797 42.48 −3.57
Turnout 34,833 77.29 +1.33
Conservative hold Swing

References

[edit]
Notes
  1. ^ Stevenson, Graham. "Brooks Bill". Retrieved 30 April 2017.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by UK Parliament constituency
Representative for Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell
1950–1955
Succeeded by
UK Parliament constituency
Representative for Wanstead, Woodford
1945–1964
Succeeded by
Preceded by Constituency represented by the prime minister
5–26 July 1945
Succeeded by
Preceded by Constituency represented by the leader of the opposition
1945–1951
Succeeded by
Preceded by Constituency represented by the prime minister
1951–1955
Succeeded by
Preceded by Constituency represented by the father of the House
1959–1964
Succeeded by