Bow and Bromley (UK Parliament constituency)

UK former constituency infobox
Name = Bow and Bromley
Type = Borough
Year = 1885
Abolition = 1950
members = One

Bow and Bromley was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Located in the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar in London, it was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act for the 1885 general election and returned one Member of Parliament (MP) until it was abolished by the 1950 general election.

History

The area had been a part of the former two member Tower Hamlets seat, which was divided in 1885.

The constituency was marginal before 1918. The party holding the seat changed in 1886, 1892, 1895, 1906, January 1910, December 1910 and 1912. After the extension of the franchise to all adult men and some women in 1918, the seat became safely Labour from 1922.

Lansbury was first elected in December 1910 as a Labour candidate. He was on the left of the party and was known as a pacifist and supporter of votes for women. In November 1912 Lansbury resigned his seat so he could test public opinion on women's suffrage. He lost the subsequent by-election and did not regain the seat until 1922.

Lansbury was the only member of the cabinet of the Second Labour Ministry to both remain with the party and secure re-election in the 1931 general ection. As the party leader Arthur Henderson was not in the House of Commons, Lansbury became Acting Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition. In 1932 Henderson gave up the leadership and Lansbury was elected leader in his place. He retained the leadership until 1935.

Boundaries

In 1885 the area was administered as part of the county of Middlesex. It was located in the Tower division, in the east of the historic county. The neighbourhoods of Bow and Bromley were combined to form a division of the parliamentary borough of Tower Hamlets. The parliamentary division was part of the East End of London. It should be noted that the Bromley in this seat is not the same place as Bromley, Kent after which the Bromley constituency, created in 1918, was named.

In 1889 the Tower division of Middlesex was severed from the county, for administrative purposes. It became part of the County of London. In 1900 the lower tier of local government in London was re-modelled. Bow and Bromley became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.

When a re-distribution of parliamentary seats took place in 1918, the constituency became a division of Poplar. It comprised the wards of Bow Central, Bow North, Bow South, Bow West, Bromley North-East, Bromley North-West and Bromley South-West.

Members of Parliament

*"Constituency created (1885)"

*"Constituency abolished (1950)"

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Reginald Blair
votes = 4,042
percentage = 55.1
change = +10.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = George Lansbury
votes = 3,291
percentage = 44.9
change = -10.7Election box majority
votes = 751
percentage = 10.2
change = -0.9Election box turnout
votes = 7,333
percentage =
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election December 1910: Bow and BromleyElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = George Lansbury
votes = 4,315
percentage = 55.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Leo Amery
votes = 3,452
percentage = 44.4
change = Election box majority
votes = 863
percentage = 11.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 7,767
percentage =
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
loser = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

References

* "Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972", compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
* "British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918", compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1974)
* "British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949", compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1977)
* "Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume III 1919-1945", edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1976)
*Rayment