Wandsworth (electoral division)

Wandsworth was an electoral division for the purposes of elections to the Greater London Council. The constituency elected four councillors for a three-year term in 1964, 1967 and 1970.

Wandsworth
Former electoral division
for the Greater London Council
Map
Wandsworth electoral division boundaries
DistrictLondon Borough of Wandsworth
Population319,190 (1969 estimate)
Electorate
  • 223,185 (1964)
  • 216,617 (1967)
  • 223,189 (1970)
  • 216,934 (1972)
Area8,628.0 acres (34.916 km2)
Former electoral division
Created1965
Abolished1973
Member(s)4
Replaced byBattersea North, Battersea South, Putney and Tooting

History

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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 which therefore created a constituency called Wandsworth.[1]

The electoral division was replaced from 1973 by the single-member electoral divisions of Battersea North, Battersea South, Putney and Tooting.[2]

Elections

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The Wandsworth constituency was used for the Greater London Council elections in 1964,[3] 1967[4] and 1970.[5] Four councillors were elected at each election using first-past-the-post voting.[6]

1964 election

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The first election was held on 9 April 1964, a year before the council came into its powers. The electorate was 223,185 and four Labour Party councillors were elected. With 102,915 people voting, the turnout was 46.1%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1964 Greater London Council election: Wandsworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mrs. M. C. Jay 53,747
Labour Norman George Mollett Prichard 52,606
Labour George Frederick Rowe 51,857
Labour Joseph Simeon Samuels 51,292
Conservative Miss M. Bowen 37,459
Conservative J. I. Tweedie-Smith 37,292
Conservative F. L. Abbott 37,258
Conservative D. Y. Fell 36,776
Liberal A. Cowen 8,630
Liberal R. A. Locke 8,443
Liberal M. E. Lawson 7,897
Liberal C. V. Gittins 7,716
Communist Mrs. G. M. Easton 3,116
Communist D. J. Welsh 2,143
Turnout
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

1967 election

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The second election was held on 13 April 1967. The electorate was 216,167 and four Conservative Party councillors were elected. With 91,236 people voting, the turnout was 42.1%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1967 Greater London Council election: Wandsworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Lewis Abbott 45,133
Conservative Anthony Vincent Bradbury 45,003
Conservative William J. Shelton 44,383
Conservative Jack Elmer Swanson 43,424
Labour Mrs. M. C. Jay 37,956
Labour Joseph Simeon Samuels 36,649
Labour S. F. C. Sporle 36,284
Labour Norman G. M. Prichard 31,672
Liberal C. H. Pritchard 11,319
Liberal Mrs. E. K. Benest 5,058
Liberal D. J. A. Livingstone 4,500
Liberal Mrs. A. P. Uziell-Hamilton 4,448
Communist Mrs. G. M. Easton 1,754
Commonwealth Party of Great Britain T. A. Cox 1,371
Communist D. J. Welsh 1,188
Independent T. Lamb 1,139
Independent E. D. Larkin 953
Commonwealth Party of Great Britain P. A. Head 634
Commonwealth Party of Great Britain H. Petts 619
Commonwealth Party of Great Britain R. D. Wagenaar 230
Turnout
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

1970 election

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The third election was held on 9 April 1970. The electorate was 223,189 and four Labour Party councillors were elected. With 83,107 people voting, the turnout was 37.2%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1970 Greater London Council election: Wandsworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mrs. Marie Jenkins 40,940
Labour Sir Norman Prichard 40,345
Labour Mrs. Gladys Felicia Dimson 40,330
Labour Joseph Simeon Samuels 40,097
Conservative William Jeremy Masefield Shelton 36,927
Conservative Jack Elmer Swanson 36,470
Conservative W. T. O. Wallace 36,307
Conservative Frank Lewis Abbott 36,140
Liberal R. C. H. Boddington 2,971
Liberal D. J. Livingstone 2,865
Liberal J. P. Grisewood 2,746
Liberal M. Findley 2,736
Communist Mrs. M. G. Easton 1,397
Homes before Roads J. K. Sheppard 1,127
Communist D. J. Welsh 1,098
Homes before Roads J. Bottomley 981
Homes before Roads P. Whelan 560
Homes before Roads W. Konopka-Nowina 508
Union Movement G. R. Wren 150
Turnout
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

1972 by-election

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A by-election was held on 15 June 1972, following the death of Sir Norman Prichard.[7] The electorate was 216,934 and one Labour Party councillor was elected. With 39,699 voting, the turnout was 18.3%

Wandsworth by-election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alexander McLaughlin 26,537
Conservative Mrs. L. Chalker 12,767
Union Movement D. R. Gerlach 395
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ British Information Services (1970). British Record: Political and Economic Notes. To date elections, normally fought on traditional party lines, have been based on the London boroughs, each borough returning two or more councillors; after 1973 there will be single member electoral areas based on parliamentary constituencies.
  2. ^ "The Greater London (Electoral Areas) Order 1972" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. 20 June 1972. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  3. ^ "General Election of Greater London Councillors" (PDF). 9 April 1964. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  4. ^ "General Election of Greater London Councillors" (PDF). 13 April 1967. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Greater London Council Election" (PDF). 9 April 1970. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  6. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Greater London Council Election results: Wandsworth". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Greater London Council Election results: Wandsworth". Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2023.