Barnet (UK Parliament constituency)

Barnet
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1945–February 1974
Number of members one
Replaced by Chipping Barnet and South Hertfordshire
Created from St Albans

Barnet was a parliamentary constituency in what is now the London Borough of Barnet, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

History

The constituency was created for the 1945 general election and abolished for the February 1974 general election.

Boundaries

1945-1950: The Urban Districts of Barnet and East Barnet, and the Rural District of Elstree.

1950-1955: The Urban Districts of Barnet and East Barnet, and the Rural Districts of Elstree and Hatfield.

1955-1974: The Urban Districts of Barnet and East Barnet, and the Rural District of Elstree.

The constituency was created in 1945 when the number of parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire was increased from five to six. Previously the area had been part of the St Albans seat. This was one of the English constituencies divided as an emergency measure, before the general review of parliamentary constituencies due later in the decade, because its electorate exceeded 100,000 voters.

In 1965 the Barnet and East Barnet urban districts were transferred to Greater London, becoming part of the London Borough of Barnet, while Elstree Rural District remained part of Hertfordshire. This did not affect parliamentary boundaries for nine years, however.

When seats were next redistributed, with effect from the February 1974 general election, the Greater London parts of the old constituency moved to the new seat of Chipping Barnet. The Elstree Rural District was transferred to South Hertfordshire.[1]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1945 Stephen Taylor Labour
1950 Reginald Maudling Conservative
Feb 1974 constituency abolished

Elections

Election in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Barnet
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stephen James Lake Taylor 17,764 45.15 N/A
Conservative Brig. A.E.J. Clarke 17,082 43.42 N/A
Liberal Jean Mary Henderson 4,495 11.43 N/A
Majority 682 1.73
Turnout 39,341 73.76
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1950: Barnet
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Reginald Maudling 32,953 53.31 +9.9
Labour Stephen James Lake Taylor 22,419 36.27 -8.9
Liberal William Herbert Jones 6,441 10.42 -1.0
Majority 10,534 17.04
Turnout 61,813 87.45
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.4
General Election 1951: Barnet
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Reginald Maudling 35,527 56.97
Labour Cyril Rawlett Fenton 22,375 35.88
Liberal William Herbert Jones 4,463 7.22
Majority 13,152 21.09
Turnout 62,365 85.89
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Barnet
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Reginald Maudling 30,299 60.76
Labour Sydney Hyam 19,570 39.24
Majority 10,729 21.52
Turnout 49,869
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1959: Barnet
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Reginald Maudling 33,136 62.67
Labour Reginald M Prideaux 19,737 37.33
Majority 13,399 25.34
Turnout 52,873
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1964: Barnet
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Rt Hon. Reginald Maudling 25,537 48.43
Labour David H. P. Levy 17,024 32.28
Liberal Hugh Russell Tinker 10,172 19.29
Majority 8,513 16.15
Turnout 52,733
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1966: Barnet
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Rt Hon. Reginald Maudling 24,833 47.1
Labour Geoffrey Hickman 19,347 36.7
Liberal Hugh Russell Tinker 8,539 16.2
Majority 5,486 10.4
Turnout 52,719
Conservative hold Swing

Election in the 1970s

R. Maudling
General Election 1970: Barnet
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Rt Hon. Reginald Maudling 26,845 52.29
Labour Mrs. Joan E. M. Baker 18,166 35.38
Liberal John D. O. Henchley 6,329 12.33
Majority 8,679 16.91
Turnout 51,340
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 No. 1674)
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Wirral
Constituency represented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer
1962–1964
Succeeded by
Cardiff South East
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