Luton (UK Parliament constituency)

Luton
Luton
Former borough constituency; for the House of Commons
County	Bedfordshire
Major settlements	Luton
1950–1974
Seats	One
Replaced by	Luton East and Luton West
1885–1950
Seats	One
Type of constituency	County constituency
Created from	Bedfordshire
During its existence contributed to new seat(s) of:	Mid Bedfordshire (1918 to date); South Bedfordshire (1950-1983)

Luton was a constituency including the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1885 to 1974, elected by the first past the post system.

History

The seat was created for the 1885 general election as one of two divisions of the county which succeeded Bedfordshire county constituency and was formally known as the Southern or Luton Division of Bedfordshire. The constituency adjoined the Northern or Biggleswade Division to the north of the county until 1918.

From the 1910s onwards the town of Luton and contiguous suburbs expanded, as recorded at the census in each decade, resulting in expanding electorates. This resulted in territory loss to newly formed seats in 1918 and 1950 and further population growth (coupled with a programme of new housing principally under the New Towns Act 1946) justified abolition and division into East and West seats in 1974.

Political summary

Before 1945

The seat was Liberal-candidate held for 40 of the 46 years before 1931. The remaining six years had been won by Conservative and Unionist Party candidates, running under the emphasis of the party as 'Unionist'. In 1931, the sitting Liberal MP, Leslie Burgin, joined the Liberal Nationals (later the National Liberal Party).

After 1945

In the election landslide of 1945, the seat was won by the Labour Party, but recaptured at the next election by Charles Hill who served as a National Liberal, in coalition with the Conservatives, from 1950 until 1963, when he was made a life peer (Baron Hill of Luton). The resulting by-election was won by Labour which held it until 1970 when it was taken by the Conservative Party until the seat was abolished for the February 1974 general election.

Electorate size

The electorate rose through house-building from a relatively modest 37,051 in 1918 to an over-sized (malapportioned) 95,227 in 1945.^[1]

In 1950 the electorate of the curtailed seat was 56,569; this rose to 62,457 in 1970, after which the seat was abolished, as recommended by the Boundary Commission, as set out in its Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

The Sessional Divisions of Luton, Leighton Buzzard, and Woburn; and
Part of the Sessional Division of Ampthill.^[2]

The constituency was created as the Southern or Luton Division of Bedfordshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the two-member Parliamentary County of Bedfordshire was divided into the two single-member constituencies of Biggleswade and Luton.

1918–1950

The Boroughs of Luton and Dunstable; and
The Rural District of Luton.^[3]

Northern and western parts of the Division, including Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural areas, were transferred to the new Mid Bedfordshire Division.

1950–1974

The Borough of Luton wards of Central, Crawley, Dallow, High Town, Icknield, Lewsey, South, Stopsley, Sundon Park, and Wardown.^[3]

The Leagrave and Limbury wards, together with the Borough of Dunstable and surrounding rural areas were included in the new constituency of South Bedfordshire. Reclassified as a borough constituency.

For the February 1974 general election the seat was abolished and was split into two new constituencies of Luton East and Luton West.

Members of Parliament

	Member	Party
1885	Cyril Flower	Liberal
1892 by-election	Samuel Whitbread	Liberal
1895	Thomas Ashton	Liberal
1911 by-election	Cecil Harmsworth	Liberal
1922	Sir John Hewett	Unionist
1923	Geoffrey Howard	Liberal
1924	Terence O'Connor	Unionist
1929	Leslie Burgin	Liberal
1931	Leslie Burgin	National Liberal
1945	Will Warbey	Labour
1950	Charles Hill	National Liberal and Conservative
1963 by-election	Will Howie	Labour
1970	Charles Simeons	Conservative
Feb 1974	constituency abolished: see Luton East and Luton West

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Luton ^[4]^[5]^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Cyril Flower	6,080	61.1
	Conservative	Sydney Gedge	3,871	38.9
Majority			2,209	22.2
Turnout			9,951	82.2
Registered electors			12,106
	Liberal win (new seat)

Flower was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 13 Feb 1886: Luton ^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	Cyril Flower	Unopposed
Registered electors			12,106
	Liberal hold

General election 1886: Luton ^[4]^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Cyril Flower	4,275	54.3	−6.8
	Conservative	Walter Barttelot	3,602	45.7	+6.8
Majority			673	8.6	−13.6
Turnout			7,877	65.1	−17.1
Registered electors			12,106
	Liberal hold		Swing	−6.8

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Luton ^[4]^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Cyril Flower	5,296	55.3	+1.0
	Liberal Unionist	Oliver Thomas Duke	4,277	44.7	−1.0
Majority			1,019	10.6	+2.0
Turnout			9,573	75.7	+10.6
Registered electors			12,642
	Liberal hold		Swing	+1.0

Flower is elevated to the peerage as Lord Battersea.

1892 Luton by-election^[4]^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Samuel Whitbread	4,838	51.3	−4.0
	Liberal Unionist	Oliver Thomas Duke	4,596	48.7	+4.0
Majority			242	2.6	−8.0
Turnout			9,434	74.6	−1.1
Registered electors			12,642
	Liberal hold		Swing	−4.0

General election 1895: Luton ^[4]^[5]^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Ashton	5,430	50.9	−4.4
	Liberal Unionist	Oliver Thomas Duke	5,244	49.1	+4.4
Majority			186	1.8	−8.8
Turnout			10,674	83.7	+8.0
Registered electors			12,760
	Liberal hold		Swing	−4.4

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Luton ^[8]^[5]^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Ashton	5,474	50.5	−0.4
	Conservative	George Elliott	5,371	49.5	+0.4
Majority			103	1.0	−0.8
Turnout			10,845	81.4	−2.3
Registered electors			13,317
	Liberal hold		Swing	−0.4

General election 1906: Luton ^[8]^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Ashton	7,240	57.3	+6.8
	Conservative	Alfred Peter Hillier	5,387	42.7	−6.8
Majority			1,853	14.6	+13.6
Turnout			12,627	87.3	+5.9
Registered electors			14,459
	Liberal hold		Swing	+6.8

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Luton ^[9]^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Ashton	7,946	52.9	−4.4
	Liberal Unionist	George Elliott	7,080	47.1	+4.4
Majority			866	5.8	−8.8
Turnout			15,026	90.7	+3.4
Registered electors			16,564
	Liberal hold		Swing	−4.4

General election December 1910: Luton ^[4]^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Ashton	7,601	53.4	+0.5
	Conservative	John Owen Hickman	6,623	46.6	−0.5
Majority			978	6.8	+1.0
Turnout			14,224	85.9	−4.8
Registered electors			16,564
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.5

1911 Luton by-election^[4]^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Cecil Harmsworth	7,619	52.1	−1.3
	Conservative	John Owen Hickman	7,006	47.9	+1.3
Majority			613	4.2	−2.6
Turnout			14,625	85.1	−0.8
Registered electors			17,177
	Liberal hold		Swing	−1.3

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1914 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Liberal: Cecil Harmsworth
Unionist: John Owen Hickman^[10]

General election 1918: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Liberal	Cecil Harmsworth	13,501	69.4	+16.0
	Labour	Willet Ball	5,964	30.6	New
Majority			7,537	38.8	+32.0
Turnout			19,465	62.5	−23.4
	Liberal hold		Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	John Hewett	13,301	43.5	*New*
	Liberal	Harry Arnold	10,137	33.2	−36.2
	Labour	Percy Alden	7,107	23.3	−7.3
Majority			3,164	10.3	N/A
Turnout			30,545	81.0	+18.5
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

General election 1923: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Geoffrey Howard	15,569	51.4	+18.2
	Unionist	John Hewett	11,738	38.7	−4.8
	Labour	Willet Ball	2,998	9.9	−13.4
Majority			3,831	12.7	N/A
Turnout			30,305	78.1	−2.9
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+11.5

General election 1924: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Terence O'Connor	15,443	47.1	+8.4
	Liberal	Geoffrey Howard	11,495	35.1	−16.3
	Labour	Philip L Millwood	5,850	17.8	+7.9
Majority			3,948	12.0	N/A
Turnout			32,788	82.6	+4.5
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

General election 1929: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Leslie Burgin	20,248	45.5	+10.4
	Unionist	Terence O'Connor	16,930	38.0	−9.1
	Labour	Florence Harrison Bell	7,351	16.5	−1.3
Majority			3,318	7.5	N/A
Turnout			44,529	81.5	−1.1
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+9.8

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Leslie Burgin	32,015	80.2	+34.7
	Labour	James H MacDonnell	7,897	19.8	+3.3
Majority			24,118	60.4	+52.9
Turnout			39,912	67.8	−13.7
	National Liberal hold		Swing

General election 1935: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Leslie Burgin	28,809	65.5	−14.7
	Labour	F. L. Kerran	15,181	34.5	+14.7
Majority			13,628	31.0	−29.4
Turnout			43,990	63.2	−4.6
	National Liberal hold		Swing

Elections in the 1940s

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Liberal National: Leslie Burgin
Labour: F. L. Kerran

General election 1945: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Warbey	39,335	55.2	+20.7
	National Liberal	Bruno Brown	31,914	44.8	−20.7
Majority			7,421	10.4	N/A
Turnout			71,249	74.9	+11.7
	Labour gain from National Liberal		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Charles Hill	22,946	46.59
	Labour	William Warbey	21,860	44.38
	Liberal	Wilfred G Matthews	4,447	9.03	N/A
Majority			1,086	2.21	N/A
Turnout			49,253	87.07
	National Liberal gain from Labour		Swing

General election 1951: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	National Liberal	Charles Hill	26,554	52.69
	Labour	William Warbey	23,842	47.31
Majority			2,712	5.38
Turnout			50,396	87.59
	National Liberal hold		Swing

General election 1955: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	Charles Hill	24,722	51.33
	Labour	Morris Janis	20,304	42.15
	Liberal	Jean Henderson	3,140	6.52	N/A
Majority			4,418	9.18
Turnout			48,166	83.14
	National Liberal hold		Swing

General election 1959: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	National Liberal	Charles Hill	27,153	55.09
	Labour Co-op	Cyril Rawlett Fenton	22,134	44.91
Majority			5,019	10.18
Turnout			49,287	82.46
	National Liberal hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

1963 Luton by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Howie	21,108	48.02	+3.11
	Conservative	John Fletcher-Cooke	17,359	39.49	−15.60
	Liberal	Malvyn A Benjamin	5,001	11.38	N/A
	Communist	Tony Chater	490	1.11	New
Majority			3,749	8.53	N/A
Turnout			43,958
	Labour gain from National Liberal		Swing

General election 1964: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Howie	23,751	50.16	+5.25
	Conservative	Charles Simeons	23,028	48.64	−6.45
	Communist	Tony Chater	567	1.20	N/A
Majority			723	1.52	N/A
Turnout			47,346	79.84
	Labour gain from National Liberal		Swing

General election 1966: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Howie	23,069	48.76
	Conservative	Charles Simeons	20,605	43.55
	Liberal	Thomas H Daniels	3,049	6.44	New
	Communist	Tony Chater	586	1.24
Majority			2,464	5.21
Turnout			47,309	79.21
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Luton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Simeons	23,308	50.99
	Labour	William Howie	21,959	48.04
	Communist	Tony Chater	447	0.98
Majority			1,349	2.95	N/A
Turnout			45,714	73.17
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

References

^ GB Historical GIS, University of Portsmouth. "Bedfordshire Luton PDivCon through time | Political Life Statistics | Total Electorate". A Vision of Britain through Time.
^ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports.
^ ^a ^b Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. p. 11. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g The Liberal Year Book, 1907
^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
^ ^a ^b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
^ ^a ^b ^c Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
^ ^a ^b ^c Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
^ Luton Times and Advertiser 15 May 1914