Willesden West (UK Parliament constituency)

Willesden West was a constituency in Middlesex adjoining the County of London and forming part of the London conurbation, in London itself from 1965. It returned one member to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament 1918 – 1974.

Willesden West
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–February 1974
Number of membersone
Replaced byBrent East and Brent South
Created fromHarrow (small part of)

The outcome of the seat switched permanently to electing the Labour candidate, in 1923 — save for the four-year term when the party's number of MPs fell from 327 to 52 seats (1931-1935) and when the seat elected notable women's right advocate Mrs Mavis Tate.

History
Willesden West constituency within the parliamentary county of Middlesex, showing boundaries used from 1918-45.
Willesden West constituency within the parliamentary county of Middlesex, showing boundaries used from 1945-50.

Until 1918, Willesden formed part of the Harrow Division of Middlesex. The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918, and was first contested in the general election of that year. The boundaries were altered by further legislation in 1948 and the constituency was abolished when new seats based on the London Boroughs created by the London Government Act 1963 came into use for the February 1974 general election. The area of the constituency was divided between the two new seats of Brent East and Brent North.[1]

Boundaries

The 1918 legislation created a new parliamentary borough of Willesden, identical in area with the urban district of Willesden, and divided it into two single-member divisions. Willesden West comprised five of the eleven wards of the urban district: Church End, Harlesden, Roundwood, Stonebridge and Willesden Green. The remaining six wards formed the Willseden East division. In 1933 Willesden was incorporated as a municipal borough, although this made no change to the parliamentary divisions.[1]

When constituencies were redrawn prior to the 1950 general election, Willesden West was redefined in terms of seven wards of the borough as they then existed: Church End, Harlesden, Kensal Rise, Manor, Roundwood, Stonebridge and Willesden Green. Kensal Rise had previously formed part of Willesden East.[1]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1918 Charles Pinkham Conservative
1922 George James Furness Conservative
1923 Samuel Viant Labour
1931 Mavis Tate Conservative
1935 Samuel Viant Labour
1959 Laurie Pavitt Labour
Feb 1974 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1910s
General election 1918: Willesden West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Charles Pinkham 10,503 54.1
Labour Samuel Viant 7,217 37.2
Liberal John Smyth Crone 1,697 8.7
Majority 3,286 16.9
Turnout 19,417 53.3
Unionist win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Willesden West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist George James Furness 13,328 51.5 -2.6
Labour Samuel Viant 12,529 48.5 +11.3
Majority 799 3.0 -13.9
Turnout 25,857 66.7 +13.4
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1923: Willesden West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Samuel Viant 14,004 51.3 +2.8
Unionist George James Furness 8,256 30.3 -18.2
Liberal David Cleghorn Thomson 5,030 18.4 New
Majority 5,748 21.0 N/A
Turnout 27,290 69.1 +1.4
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +12.0
General election 1924: Willesden West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Samuel Viant 14,884 47.3 -4.0
Unionist Mitford Brice 13,539 43.0 +12.7
Liberal James McCulloch 3,061 9.7 -8.7
Majority 1,345 4.3 -16.7
Turnout 31,484 77.6 +8.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 1929: Willesden West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Samuel Viant 20,583 52.3 +5.0
Unionist Malcolm McCorquodale 12,779 32.4 -9.6
Liberal Arthur Lewis Leighton 6,038 15.3 +5.6
Majority 7,804 19.9 +15.6
Turnout 39,400 73.4 -4.2
Labour hold Swing +7.8

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Willesden West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mavis Tate 23,910 60.6 +28.2
Labour Samuel Viant 15,550 39.4 -12.9
Majority 8,360 21.2 N/A
Turnout 39,460 71.7 -1.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: Willesden West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Samuel Viant 19,402 54.1 +14.7
Conservative Sigmund Samuel 16,472 45.9 -14.7
Majority 2,930 8.2 N/A
Turnout 35,874 64.4 -7.3
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

General Election 1939/40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Willesden West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Samuel Viant 26,566 72.2 +18.1
Conservative JB Cartland 10,236 27.8 -18.1
Majority 16,330 44.4 +36.2
Turnout 36,802 70.5 +6.1
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Willesden West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Samuel Viant 33,963 61.1 -11.1
Conservative Attracta Rewcastle 17,848 32.1 +3.3
Liberal Sirdar Karan S.B. Ahluwalia 2,853 5.1 New
Communist David Michaelson[5] 938 1.7 New
Majority 16,115 29.0 -15.4
Turnout 55,602 83.2 +12.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Willesden West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Samuel Viant 35,296 64.3 +3.2
Conservative John L Bott 19,632 35.7 +3.6
Majority 15,664 28.6 -0.4
Turnout 54,928
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Willesden West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Samuel Viant 29,185 61.8 -2.5
Conservative Peter B Kenyon 18,074 38.2 +2.5
Majority 11,111 23.6 -5.0
Turnout 47,259 74.4
Labour hold Swing -2.5
General election 1959: Willesden West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Laurence Pavitt 25,680 57.2 -4.6
Conservative Pamela S Brookes 17,946 39.9 +1.7
Communist Leslie G Burt 1,324 2.9 New
Majority 7,734 17.3 -5.7
Turnout 44,950 73.0 -1.4
Labour Co-op hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Willesden West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Laurence Pavitt 23,862 62.8 +5.6
Conservative John S Grose 12,961 34.2 -5.7
Communist Leslie G Burt 1,130 3.0 +0.1
Majority 10,901 28.6 +11.3
Turnout 37,953 63.5 -9.5
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General election 1966: Willesden West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Laurence Pavitt 24,944 68.5 +5.7
Conservative A Pamela Thomas 10,362 28.4 -5.7
Communist Leslie G Burt 1,140 3.1 +0.1
Majority 14,582 40.1 +11.5
Turnout 36,446 63.6 +0.1
Labour Co-op hold Swing +5.7

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Willesden West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Laurence Pavitt 21,918 67.2 -1.3
Conservative Ronald F Dyason 10,163 31.2 +2.8
Communist Leslie G Burt 515 1.6 -1.5
Majority 11,755 36.0 -4.1
Turnout 32,596 59.3 -4.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing +2.0

References
  1. Youngs, Frederic A, Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 745–748. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
  2. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  3. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  4. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  5. Walker, Michael. "Michaelson David". Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  6. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
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