Feltham (UK Parliament constituency)

Feltham was a constituency, between 1955 and 1974, of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was used for five general elections and at each election returned the candidate of the Labour Party.

Feltham
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
The Feltham seat in Middlesex: its boundaries during the seat's existence.
1955–February 1974
Created fromHeston and Isleworth (part of) and Spelthorne (part of)
Replaced byFeltham and Heston
Map that gives each named seat and any constant electoral success for national (Westminster) elections for Middlesex, 1955 to 1974.

Boundaries

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Components
1955—1974: The Urban District of Feltham (Feltham, Bedfont and Hanworth), and the Borough of Heston and Isleworth wards of Cranford and Hounslow Heath (as to "Cranford" being the more populous eastern half of former parish).

In local government terms the area became the western parts of the London Borough of Hounslow due to the creation of Greater London on 1 April 1965 and formally recited as such ward-by-ward in legislation of 1970.[1]

Geographic context

The constituency was named after Feltham, a late-19th century small town in the west of the administrative county of Middlesex — a county abolished on the further growth of London in 1965. Its areas spread up to 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south and south-east of Heathrow Airport, on a terrain which is near-flat and immediately before the seat's creation rich in market gardening however stony, gravel-rich soil of low agricultural value covered the north and east towards Hounslow Heath.[2] During the seat's existence major industries included gravel works, railway works, aircraft maintenance, repairs and airport ancillary industries, motor sales and repairs, haulage, distribution and small-to-medium scale parts assembly and manufacture.

Predecessor seats

Before 1955 the Urban District of Feltham, in its latter years taking in Feltham, Hanworth and Bedfont, were in the Spelthorne constituency created in 1918; Cranford and Hounslow West (Hounslow Heath) were parts of the Heston and Isleworth constituency, created in 1945.

Successor seat

In the 1974 redistribution the seat was abolished to become the core of the new Feltham and Heston constituency, which added Heston to the north-east and most of the centre of the larger town of Hounslow to the east.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member Party
1955 Albert Hunter Labour
1966 Russell Kerr Labour
Feb 1974 constituency abolished

The area elected one MP as it post-dated the abolition of the last multi-member constituencies in 1950.

Elections

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Results of former UK House of Commons seat Feltham (created 1955, abolished 1974).

Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1955: Feltham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Hunter 21,521 54.2
Conservative James A Erskine-Shaw 18,171 45.8
Majority 3,350 8.4
Turnout 39,692 78.4
Registered electors 50,650
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1959: Feltham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Hunter 20,320 47.3 −6.9
Conservative James Brian W Turner 18,070 42.1 −3.7
Liberal Louis Alfred De Pinna 4,533 10.6 New
Majority 2,250 5.2 −3.2
Turnout 42,923 80.4 +2.0
Registered electors 53,417
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

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General election 1964: Feltham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Hunter 20,733 49.6 +2.3
Conservative James Brian W Turner 14,927 35.7 −6.4
Liberal Robert Roberts 6,141 14.7 +4.1
Majority 5,806 13.9 +8.7
Turnout 41,801 77.2 −3.2
Registered electors 54,147
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Feltham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Russell Kerr 22,389 54.0 +4.4
Conservative Barbara L Wallis 13,932 33.5 −2.2
Liberal William G Crauford 5,206 12.5 −2.2
Majority 8,457 20.5 +6.6
Turnout 41,527 77.3 +0.1
Registered electors 53,697
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1970: Feltham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Russell Kerr 21,561 52.5 −1.5
Conservative Barbara L Wallis 16,006 38.9 +5.4
Liberal Geoffrey Roy King 3,536 8.6 −3.9
Majority 5,555 13.6 −6.9
Turnout 41,103 68.2 −9.1
Registered electors 60,273
Labour hold Swing

See also

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References

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  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1983)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
Specific
  1. ^ Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 number 1674) Schedule 1 at page 5456 (or 13 of 76) and as to new definition in Schedule 2
  2. ^ Cranfield University National Soil Resources Institute