Bermondsey (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950–1983

For the current constituency, see Bermondsey and Old Southwark (UK Parliament constituency).

Bermondsey

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Bermondsey in London 1885–1918

Bermondsey in London 1950–74

1885–1918
Seats| one
Created from| Southwark
Replaced by| Bermondsey West and Rotherhithe
1950–1983
Created from| Bermondsey West and Rotherhithe
Replaced by| Southwark and Bermondsey

Bermondsey was a borough constituency centred on the Bermondsey district of South London, England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Elections were held using the first-past-the-post voting system.

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election and abolished for the 1918 general election, when almost all its territory was represented by the new Bermondsey West and a very small amount going into the existing Rotherhithe constituency.

A new Bermondsey constituency was created for the 1950 general election including Rotherhithe, was and abolished for the 1983 election, when it was largely replaced by the new Southwark and Bermondsey constituency.

## History

[edit]

The 1983 by-election was one of the most bitterly contested by-elections in the United Kingdom as it involved Bob Mellish, the retired Labour MP, running a highly personal and homophobic campaign against the Labour candidate, Peter Tatchell. The result was the election of Simon Hughes as a Liberal in a former Labour stronghold.

## Boundaries

[edit]

1950–1974: The Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey.

1974–1983: The London Borough of Southwark wards of Abbey, Bricklayers, Browning, Cathedral, Chaucer, Dockyard, Riverside, and Rotherhithe.[1]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

### MPs 1885–1918

[edit]

Election  | Member[2] | Party[3]

|
|

| 1885 | Thorold Rogers | Liberal
| 1886 | Alfred Lafone | Conservative
| 1892 | Reuben Barrow | Liberal
| 1895 | Alfred Lafone | Conservative
| 1900 | Henry Cust
| 1906 | George Cooper | Liberal
| 1909 by-election | John Dumphreys | Conservative
| 1910 | Harold Glanville | Liberal
| 1918 | Constituency abolished: see Rotherhithe and Bermondsey West

### MPs 1950–1983

[edit]

Election | Member | Party | Notes

|
|
|

| 1950 | Bob Mellish | Labour | Labour Chief Whip 1969–1976. Resigned November 1982
| 1983 by-election | Simon Hughes | Liberal
| 1983 | constituency abolished: see Southwark and Bermondsey

## Election results

[edit]

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1885: Bermondsey [4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Thorold Rogers | 3,469  | 50.6  |
| Conservative | Alfred Lafone | 3,386  | 49.4  |
Majority  | 83  | 1.2  |
Turnout | 6,855  | 72.7  |
Registered electors | 9,433  |  |
| Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Bermondsey[4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alfred Lafone | 3,356  | 52.8  | +3.4
| Liberal | Thorold Rogers | 2,998  | 47.2  | −3.4
Majority  | 358  | 5.6  | N/A
Turnout | 6,354  | 67.4  | −5.3
Registered electors | 9,433  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.4  |

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

General election 1892: Bermondsey[4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Reuben Barrow | 4,390  | 54.1  | +6.9
| Conservative | Alfred Lafone | 3,732  | 45.9  | −6.9
Majority  | 658  | 8.2  | N/A
Turnout | 8,122  | 75.9  | +8.5
Registered electors | 10,702  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.9  |
General election 1895: Bermondsey[4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Alfred Lafone | 4,182  | 52.2  | +6.3
| Liberal | Reuben Barrow | 3,822  | 47.8  | −6.3
Majority  | 360  | 4.4  | N/A
Turnout | 8,004  | 73.2  | −2.7
Registered electors | 10,935  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.3  |

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

General election 1900: Bermondsey[4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Henry Cust | 4,017  | 51.9  | −0.3
| Liberal | John William Benn  | 3,717  | 48.1  | +0.3
Majority  | 300  | 3.8  | −0.6
Turnout | 7,734  | 69.0  | −4.2
Registered electors | 11,211  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.3  |
George Cooper General election January 1906: Bermondsey[4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | George Cooper | 4,775  | 61.3  | +13.2
| Conservative | Henry Cust | 3,016  | 38.7  | −13.2
Majority  | 1,759  | 22.6  | N/A
Turnout | 7,791  | 73.4  | +4.4
Registered electors | 10,619  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.2  |
Spencer Hughes 1909 Bermondsey by-election[5][4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Dumphreys | 4,278  | 47.5  | +8.8
| Liberal | Spencer Leigh Hughes | 3,291  | 36.6  | −24.7
| Labour | Alfred Salter | 1,435  | 15.9  | New
Majority  | 987  | 10.9  | N/A
Turnout | 9,004  | 73.6  | +0.2
Registered electors | 12,233  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +16.8  |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

Harold Glanville General election January 1910: Bermondsey[4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Harold Glanville | 5,477  | 54.9  | −6.4
| Conservative | John Dumphreys | 4,508  | 45.1  | +6.4
Majority  | 969  | 9.8  | −12.8
Turnout | 9,985  | 82.4  | +9.0
Registered electors | 12,115  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −6.4  |
General election December 1910: Bermondsey[4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Harold Glanville | 4,911  | 57.1  | +2.2
| Conservative | John Dumphreys | 3,695  | 42.9  | −2.2
Majority  | 1,216  | 14.2  | +4.4
Turnout | 8,606  | 71.0  | −11.4
Registered electors | 12,115  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +2.2  |
Bermondsey historical election results

### Elections in the 1950s

[edit]

General election 1950: Bermondsey[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 26,018  | 76.9  |
| Conservative | F Warwick  | 5,964  | 17.6  |
| Liberal | Bridget Elizabeth Talbot | 1,852  | 5.5  |
Majority  | 20,054  | 59.3  |
Turnout | 33,834  | 79.7  |
| Labour win (new seat)
General election 1951: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 26,267  | 78.85  | +1.95
| Conservative | Ralph Manders  | 5,265  | 15.81  | −1.79
| Liberal | Harry Ball Wilson  | 1,779  | 5.34  | −0.16
Majority  | 21,002  | 63.04  | +3.74
Turnout | 33,311  | 78.22  | −1.48
| Labour hold | Swing | +1.87  |
General election 1955: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 21,709  | 76.75  | −2.10
| Conservative | Catherine Orr-Ewing  | 4,309  | 15.23  | −0.58
| Liberal | Harry Ball Wilson  | 1,554  | 5.49  | +0.15
| Ind. Labour Party | H Birkett  | 715  | 2.53  | New
Majority  | 17,400  | 61.52  | −1.52
Turnout | 28,287  | 69.51  | −8.51
| Labour hold | Swing | -1.34  |
General election 1959: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 20,528  | 76.84  | +0.09
| Conservative | Kenneth Payne  | 6,187  | 23.16  | +7.93
Majority  | 14,341  | 53.68  | −7.84
Turnout | 27,715  | 70.45  | +0.94
| Labour hold | Swing | +4.01  |

### Elections in the 1960s

[edit]

General election 1964: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 17,481  | 79.28  | +2.44
| Conservative | Jeremy GLM Porter  | 4,568  | 20.72  | −2.44
Majority  | 12,913  | 58.56  | +4.88
Turnout | 22,049  | 63.28  | −7.17
| Labour hold | Swing | +2.44  |
General election 1966: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 16,605  | 80.63  | +1.35
| Conservative | Jeremy GLM Porter  | 3,990  | 19.37  | −1.35
Majority  | 12,615  | 61.25  | +2.70
Turnout | 20,095  | 60.91  | −2.37
| Labour hold | Swing | +1.35  |

### Elections in the 1970s

[edit]

General election 1970: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 13,908  | 76.92  | −3.71
| Conservative | George HJ Nicholson  | 4,172  | 23.08  | +3.71
Majority  | 9,736  | 53.84  | −7.4
Turnout | 18,090  | 52.91  | −8.00
| Labour hold | Swing | +3.71  |
General election February 1974: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 24,847  | 68.62  | −8.30
| Conservative | Howard Flight | 6,126  | 16.92  | −6.16
| Liberal | C Hewittson  | 3,751  | 10.36  | New
| National Front | G Davey  | 1,485  | 4.10  | New
Majority  | 18,721  | 51.70  | −1.21
Turnout | 32,706  | 65.95  | +13.04
| Labour hold | Swing | +7.73  |
General election October 1974: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 22,875  | 73.37  | +4.45
| Conservative | Howard Flight | 4,294  | 13.77  | −3.15
| Liberal | Thomas Taylor  | 2,520  | 8.08  | −2.28
| National Front | G Davey  | 1,488  | 4.77  | +0.67
Majority  | 18,581  | 59.60  | +5.90
Turnout | 31,177  | 56.42  | −9.53
| Labour hold | Swing | +3.80  |
General election 1979: Bermondsey  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bob Mellish | 19,338  | 63.60  | −9.77
| Conservative | Alexander Duma  | 7,582  | 24.94  | +11.17
| Liberal | Thomas Taylor  | 2,072  | 6.81  | −1.27
| National Front | James Sneath  | 1,175  | 3.86  | −0.91
| Workers Revolutionary | Anthony Moore  | 239  | 0.79  | New
Majority  | 11,756  | 38.66  | −20.94
Turnout | 30,406  | 59.30  | +2.88
| Labour hold | Swing | −10.57  |

### Elections in the 1980s

[edit]

1983 Bermondsey by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Simon Hughes | 17,017  | 57.7  | +50.9
| Labour | Peter Tatchell | 7,698  | 26.1  | −37.5
| Real Bermondsey Labour | John O'Grady  | 2,243  | 7.6  | New
| Conservative | Robert Hughes | 1,631  | 5.5  | −19.4
| National Front | James Sneath  | 426  | 1.4  | −2.5
| Monster Raving Loony | David Sutch | 97  | 0.3  | New
| Independent Patriot  | Jane Birdwood | 69  | 0.2  | New
| New Britain | Michael Keulemans  | 62  | 0.2  | New
| Independent Labour | Barry Giddings  | 50  | 0.2  | New
| Communist | Robert Gordon  | 50  | 0.2  | New
| Ecology | George Hannah  | 45  | 0.2  | New
| Revolutionary Communist | Fran Eden  | 38  | 0.1  | New
| National Labour Party | Ann King  | 25  | 0.1  | New
| United Democratic Party  | Alan Baker  | 15  | 0.1  | New
| Anti-Common Market Free Trade Party | David Wedgwood  | 15  | 0.1  | New
| Systems Designer | Esmond Bevan  | 8  | 0.0  | New
Majority  | 9,319  | 31.6  | N/A
Turnout | 29,489  | 57.7  | −1.6
| Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +44.2  |

Note: Esmond Bevan made a mistake and inserted his occupation rather than politics in the nomination paper. He was an Independent Labour candidate.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (London Borough of Southwark) Order 1971. SI 1971/2113". Statutory Instruments 1971. Part III Section 2. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1972. pp. 6231–6233.
2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)
3. ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 47\. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
5. ^ Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12357, 30 October 1909, Page 5
6. ^ British parliamentary election results 1950–1970, Craig, F.W.S.

## Sources

[edit]

* Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources: UK General Elections since 1832 Archived 5 May 2004 at the Wayback Machine

* v
* t
* e

Historic constituencies in London

1885|

* Battersea
* Bermondsey
* Bethnal Green North East
* Bethnal Green South West
* Bow and Bromley
* Brixton
* Camberwell North
* Chelsea
* City of London
* Clapham
* Deptford
* Dulwich
* Finsbury Central
* Finsbury East
* Fulham
* Greenwich
* Hackney Central
* Hackney North
* Hackney South
* Haggerston
* Hammersmith
* Hampstead
* Holborn
* Hoxton
* Islington East
* Islington North
* Islington South
* Islington West
* Kennington
* Kensington North
* Kensington South
* Lambeth North
* Lewisham
* Limehouse
* Marylebone East
* Marylebone West
* Mile End
* Newington West
* Norwood
* Paddington North
* Paddington South
* Peckham
* Poplar
* Rotherhithe
* Southwark West
* St George
* St George's Hanover Square
* St Pancras East
* St Pancras North
* St Pancras South
* St Pancras West
* Stepney
* Strand
* Walworth
* Wandsworth
* Westminster
* Whitechapel
* Woolwich

1950|

* Battersea North
* Battersea South
* Bermondsey
* Bethnal Green
* Brixton
* Chelsea
* Cities of London and Westminster
* Clapham
* Deptford
* Dulwich
* Fulham East
* Fulham West
* Greenwich
* Hackney South
* Hammersmith North
* Hammersmith South
* Hampstead
* Holborn and St Pancras South
* Islington East
* Islington North
* Islington South West
* Kensington North
* Kensington South
* Lewisham North
* Lewisham South
* Lewisham West
* Norwood
* Paddington North
* Paddington South
* Peckham
* Poplar
* Putney
* St Marylebone
* St Pancras North
* Streatham
* Shoreditch and Finsbury
* Southwark
* Stepney
* Stoke Newington and Hackney North
* Vauxhall
* Wandsworth Central
* Woolwich East
* Woolwich West

1955|

* Barons Court
* Battersea North
* Battersea South
* Bermondsey
* Bethnal Green
* Brixton
* Chelsea
* Cities of London and Westminster
* Clapham
* Deptford
* Dulwich
* Fulham
* Greenwich
* Hackney Central
* Hammersmith North
* Hampstead
* Holborn and St Pancras South
* Islington East
* Islington North
* Islington South West
* Kensington North
* Kensington South
* Lewisham North
* Lewisham South
* Lewisham West
* Norwood
* Paddington North
* Paddington South
* Peckham
* Poplar
* Putney
* St Marylebone
* St Pancras North
* Shoreditch and Finsbury
* Southwark
* Stepney
* Stoke Newington and Hackney North
* Streatham
* Vauxhall
* Wandsworth Central
* Woolwich East
* Woolwich West

1974|

* Acton
* Barking
* Battersea North
* Battersea South
* Beckenham
* Bermondsey
* Bethnal Green and Bow
* Bexleyheath
* Brent East
* Brent North
* Brent South
* Brentford and Isleworth
* Carshalton
* Chelsea
* Chingford
* Chipping Barnet
* Chislehurst
* City of London and Westminster South
* Croydon Central
* Croydon North East
* Croydon North West
* Croydon South
* Dagenham
* Dulwich
* Ealing North
* Edmonton
* Enfield North
* Enfield Southgate
* Erith and Crayford
* Feltham and Heston
* Finchley
* Fulham
* Greenwich
* Hackney Central
* Hackney North and Stoke Newington
* Hackney South and Shoreditch
* Hammersmith North
* Hampstead
* Harrow Central
* Harrow East
* Harrow West
* Hayes and Harlington
* Hendon North
* Hendon South
* Holborn and St Pancras South
* Hornchurch
* Hornsey
* Ilford North
* Ilford South
* Islington Central
* Islington North
* Islington South and Finsbury
* Kensington
* Kingston-upon-Thames
* Lambeth Central
* Lewisham Deptford
* Lewisham East
* Lewisham West
* Leyton
* Mitcham and Morden
* Newham North East
* Newham North West
* Newham South
* Norwood
* Orpington
* Paddington
* Peckham
* Putney
* Ravensbourne
* Richmond
* Romford
* Ruislip-Northwood
* St Marylebone
* St Pancras North
* Sidcup
* Southall
* Stepney and Poplar
* Streatham
* Surbiton
* Sutton and Cheam
* Tooting
* Tottenham
* Twickenham
* Upminster
* Uxbridge
* Vauxhall
* Walthamstow
* Wanstead and Woodford
* Wimbledon
* Wood Green
* Woolwich East
* Woolwich West

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