Islington South
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1950
Seatsone
Created fromFinsbury
Replaced byIslington South West

Islington South was a parliamentary constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Islington in North London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1950 general election.

Boundaries

1885–1918

Islington South in London 1885–1918

The constituency was defined as comprising 3 wards of the parish of Islington: Barnsbury, St Mary and St Peter. These wards were used for the election of vestryman under the Metropolis Management Act 1855.[1]

1918–1950

Islington South in London 1918–50

Under the Representation of the People Act 1918 constituencies in the County of London were redefined in terms of the Metropolitan Boroughs created in 1900. The constituency was defined as comprising three wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington having the same names as the previous wards: Barnsbury, St Mary and St Peter.[1]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1885 Henry Spicer Liberal
1886 Sir Albert Rollit Conservative
1906 Thomas Wiles Liberal
1918 Charles Higham Unionist
1922 Charles Garland Unionist
1923 William Cluse Labour
1931 Tom Howard Conservative
1935 William Cluse Labour
1950 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Islington South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Spicer 3,050 54.9
Conservative Henry Wildey Wright[3] 2,502 45.1
Majority 548 9.8
Turnout 5,552 79.0
Registered electors 7,024
Liberal win (new seat)
Sir Albert Rollit
General election 1886: Islington South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Albert Rollit 2,774 55.7 +10.6
Liberal Henry Spicer 2,208 44.3 -10.6
Majority 566 11.4 N/A
Turnout 4,982 70.9 −8.1
Registered electors 7,024
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +10.6

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Islington South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Albert Rollit 3,194 52.6 −3.1
Liberal William Digby 2,873 47.4 +3.1
Majority 321 5.2 −6.2
Turnout 6,067 73.1 +2.2
Registered electors 8,299
Conservative hold Swing −3.1
General election 1895: Islington South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Albert Rollit 3,563 60.3 +7.7
Liberal Heber Hart 2,342 39.7 −7.7
Majority 1,221 20.6 +15.4
Turnout 5,905 71.6 −1.5
Registered electors 8,244
Conservative hold Swing +7.7

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Islington South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Albert Rollit 3,881 70.0 +9.7
Liberal James Andrew Strahan 1,665 30.0 −9.7
Majority 2,216 40.0 +19.4
Turnout 5,546 63.1 −8.5
Registered electors 8,796
Conservative hold Swing +9.7
Thomas Wiles
General election 1906: Islington South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Wiles 3,606 55.7 +25.7
Conservative Albert Rollit 1,991 30.8 −39.2
Ind. Conservative W. Hunt[n 1] 870 13.5 New
Majority 1,615 24.9 N/A
Turnout 6,467 77.3 +14.2
Registered electors 8,361
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +32.5

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Islington South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Wiles 3,917 55.1 -0.6
Conservative David Faber 3,187 44.9 +14.1
Majority 730 10.2 -14.7
Turnout 8,268 85.9 +8.6
Liberal hold Swing
General election December 1910: Islington South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Wiles 3,494 55.5 +0.4
Conservative Lionel Wormser Harris 2,803 44.5 -0.4
Majority 691 11.0 +0.8
Turnout 8,268 76.2 -9.7
Liberal hold Swing

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 and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Islington South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Charles Higham 6,885 53.9 +9.4
Liberal Thomas Wiles 5,883 46.1 −9.4
Majority 1,002 7.8 N/A
Turnout 12,768 44.1 −32.1
Registered electors 28,976
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +9.4
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Islington South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Garland 7,877 36.1 −17.8
Liberal Thomas Wiles 7,352 33.6 −12.5
Labour Frederick Pethick-Lawrence 6,634 30.3 New
Majority 525 2.5 −5.3
Turnout 21,863 64.2 +20.1
Registered electors 34,029
Unionist hold Swing −2.7
General election 1923: Islington South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Cluse 7,764 37.0 +6.7
Liberal Edward Brotherton-Ratcliffe 7,531 35.9 +2.3
Unionist Charles Garland 5,691 27.1 −9.0
Majority 233 1.1 N/A
Turnout 20,986 60.9 −3.3
Registered electors 34,462
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +2.2
General election 1924: Islington South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Cluse 10,347 42.8 +5.8
Unionist Tom Howard 8,668 35.9 +8.8
Liberal Edward Brotherton-Ratcliffe 5,158 21.3 −14.6
Majority 1,679 6.9 +5.8
Turnout 24,173 69.4 +8.5
Registered electors 34,818
Labour hold Swing −1.5
General election 1929: Islington South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Cluse 13,737 46.6 +3.8
Unionist Tom Howard 9,418 32.0 −3.9
Liberal Frank Milton 6,316 21.4 +0.1
Majority 4,319 14.6 +7.7
Turnout 29,471 66.2 −3.2
Registered electors 44,490
Labour hold Swing +3.9

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Islington South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Howard 18,071 62.4 +29.4
Labour William Cluse 10,910 37.6 -9.0
Majority 7,161 24.8 N/A
Turnout 28,981 64.8 -1.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: Islington South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Cluse 12,526 52.4 +14.8
Conservative Tom Howard 11,398 47.6 -14.8
Majority 1,128 4.8 N/A
Turnout 23,924 56.7 -8.1
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: Islington South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Cluse 12,893 72.5 +20.1
Conservative Tom Howard 4,877 27.5 -20.1
Majority 8,016 45.0 +40.2
Turnout 17,770 64.0 +3.3
Labour hold Swing

See also

Notes and References

Notes

  1. ^ Supported by the Tariff Reform League

References

  1. ^ a b Youngs, Frederic A Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 743, 749. ISBN 0901050679.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  3. ^ "Mr Wildey Wright". Islington Gazette. 2 March 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 2 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
  5. ^ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
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