Islington West (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1950

"Islington West" redirects here. For the LCC constituency, see Islington West (London County Council constituency).

Islington West

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1950
Seats| one
Created from| Finsbury
Replaced by| Islington South West

Islington West was a borough 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 from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election. Elections were held using the first past the post voting system.

## Boundaries

[edit]

Islington West in London 1885–1918 Islington West in London 1918–50

1918–1950: The Metropolitan Borough of Islington wards of Lower Holloway and Thornhill.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member | Party

|
|

| 1885 | Richard Chamberlain | Liberal
| 1886 | Liberal Unionist
| 1892 | Thomas Lough | Liberal
| 1918 | Sir George Elliott | Unionist
| 1922 | James Despencer-Robertson | Unionist
| 1923 | Frederick Montague | Labour
| 1931 | Patrick Donner | Conservative
| 1935 | Frederick Montague | Labour
| 1947 | Albert Evans | Labour
1950 | constituency abolished: see Islington South West

## Elections

[edit]

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1885: Islington West [1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Richard Chamberlain | 3,470  | 60.6  |
| Conservative | George Danford Thomas[3] | 2,256  | 39.4  |
Majority | 1,214  | 21.2  |
Turnout | 5,726  | 78.7  |
Registered electors | 7,276  |  |
| Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Islington West [1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | Richard Chamberlain | 2,793  | 65.0  | +25.6
| Liberal | William Archibald Macdonald[4] | 1,501  | 35.0  | −25.6
Majority | 1,292  | 30.0  | N/A
Turnout | 4,294  | 59.0  | −19.7
Registered electors | 7,276  |  |
| Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +25.6  |

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

Thomas Lough General election 1892: Islington West [1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Thomas Lough | 3,385  | 56.0  | +21.0
| Liberal Unionist | Richard Chamberlain | 2,655  | 44.0  | −21.0
Majority | 730  | 12.0  | N/A
Turnout | 6,040  | 72.2  | +13.2
Registered electors | 8,365  |  |
| Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +21.0  |
General election 1895: Islington West [5][1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Thomas Lough | 3,494  | 53.5  | −2.5
| Liberal Unionist | George Barham | 3,031  | 46.5  | +2.5
Majority | 463  | 7.0  | −5.0
Turnout | 6,525  | 72.9  | +0.7
Registered electors | 8,950  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.5  |

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

General election 1900: Islington West [5][1][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Thomas Lough | 3,178  | 50.1  | −3.4
| Liberal Unionist | F H Medhurst  | 3,159  | 49.9  | +3.4
Majority | 19  | 0.2  | −6.8
Turnout | 6,337  | 69.8  | −3.1
Registered electors | 9,074  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −3.4  |
Thomas Lough General election 1906: Islington West [2][1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Thomas Lough | 4,116  | 53.2  | +3.1
| Liberal Unionist | F H Medhurst  | 3,618  | 46.8  | −3.1
Majority | 498  | 6.4  | +6.2
Turnout | 7,734  | 83.8  | +14.0
Registered electors | 9,229  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +3.1  |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election January 1910: Islington West [6][2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Thomas Lough | 3,768  | 51.7  | −1.5
| Liberal Unionist | Savile Crossley | 3,514  | 48.3  | +1.5
Majority | 254  | 3.4  | −3.0
Turnout | 7,282  | 85.2  | +1.4
Registered electors | 8,544  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.5  |
William Black General election December 1910: Islington West [7][6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Thomas Lough | 3,549  | 54.3  | +2.6
| Conservative | William George Black | 2,985  | 45.7  | −2.6
Majority | 564  | 8.6  | +5.2
Turnout | 6,534  | 76.5  | −8.7
Registered electors | 8,544  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +2.6  |

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;

* Liberal: Thomas Lough
* Unionist:

General election 1918: Islington West [8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

C | Unionist | George Elliott | 4,996 | 45.4 | −0.3
| Liberal | Thomas Lough | 2,616  | 23.7  | −30.6
| Labour | John Thomas Sheppard  | 2,300  | 20.9  | New
| NFDDSS | Ernest Miles Taylor  | 1,105  | 10.0  | New
Majority | 2,380  | 21.7  | N/A
Turnout | 11,017  | 42.1  | −34.6
Registered electors | 26,197  |  |
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +15.2  |
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

General election 1922: Islington West [8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | James Despencer-Robertson | 7,335  | 38.9  | −6.5
| Liberal | Henry Mills | 6,643  | 35.3  | +11.6
| Labour | W. J. Lewington  | 4,856  | 25.8  | +4.9
Majority | 692  | 3.6  | −18.1
Turnout | 18,834  | 57.5  | +15.4
Registered electors | 32,775  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing | −9.1  |
General election 1923: Islington West [8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Frederick Montague | 7,955  | 41.4  | +15.6
| Unionist | James Despencer-Robertson | 5,829  | 30.3  | −8.6
| Liberal | Joseph William Molden  | 5,443  | 28.3  | −7.0
Majority | 2,126  | 11.1  | N/A
Turnout | 19,227  | 57.7  | +0.2
Registered electors | 33,351  |  |
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +12.1  |
General election 1924: Islington West [8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Frederick Montague | 10,174  | 45.3  | +3.9
| Unionist | James Despencer-Robertson | 9,499  | 42.3  | +12.0
| Liberal | Joseph William Molden  | 2,780  | 12.4  | −15.9
Majority | 675  | 3.0  | −8.1
Turnout | 22,453  | 67.2  | +9.5
Registered electors | 33,427  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | −4.1  |
General election 1929: Islington West [8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Frederick Montague | 13,768  | 55.2  | +9.9
| Unionist | James Despencer-Robertson | 6,921  | 27.7  | −14.6
| Liberal | David Eifion Puleston Evans  | 4,267  | 17.1  | +4.7
Majority | 6,847  | 27.5  | +24.5
Turnout | 24,956  | 60.2  | −7.0
Registered electors | 41,466  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +12.3  |

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1931: Islington West [8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Patrick Donner | 14,487  | 59.22  |
| Labour | Frederick Montague | 9,977  | 40.78  |
Majority | 4,510  | 18.44  | N/A
Turnout | 24,464  | 58.00  |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |  |
General election 1935: Islington West [8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Frederick Montague | 11,340  | 55.00  |
| Conservative | Frederick Ponsonby | 9,280  | 45.00  |
Majority | 2,060  | 10.00  | N/A
Turnout | 20,620  | 52.63  |
| 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;

* Labour: Frederick Montague[9]
* Conservative: ET Hope
* Liberal: WC Woodroofe [10]

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Islington West [8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Frederick Montague | 11,496  | 73.8  | +18.8
| Conservative | E.T. Hope  | 4,090  | 26.2  | −18.8
Majority | 7,406  | 47.6  | +37.6
Turnout | 25,926  | 60.1  | +7.5
| Labour hold | Swing | +18.8  |
1947 Islington West by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Albert Evans | 8,760  | 57.2  | −16.6
| Conservative | Tom Howard | 4,084  | 26.6  | +0.4
| Liberal | Edwin Malindine | 2,459  | 16.0  | New
| Independent | L.J. Wildman  | 33  | 0.2  | New
Majority | 4,676  | 30.6  | −17.0
Turnout | 29,859  | 51.4  | −8.7
| Labour hold | Swing | -8.5  |

## See also

[edit]

* List of parliamentary constituencies in Islington

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f The Liberal Year Book, 1907
2. ^ a b c d e f Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
3. ^ "The General Election". London Evening Standard. 30 November 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 2 December 2017 - via British Newspaper Archive.
4. ^ "Mr W. A. MacDonald M.P. On Ireland". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 18 December 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 2 December 2017 - via British Newspaper Archive.
5. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
6. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
7. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
8. ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
9. ^ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
10. ^ The Liberal Magazine, 1939

* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "I"

* 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

1918|

* Balham and Tooting
* Battersea North
* Battersea South
* Bermondsey West
* Bethnal Green North East
* Bethnal Green South West
* Bow and Bromley
* Brixton
* Camberwell North
* Camberwell North West
* Clapham
* Dulwich
* Chelsea
* City of London
* Deptford
* Finsbury
* Fulham East
* Fulham West
* Greenwich
* Hackney Central
* Hackney North
* Hackney South
* Hammersmith North
* Hammersmith South
* Hampstead
* Holborn
* Islington East
* Islington North
* Islington South
* Islington West
* Kennington
* Kensington North
* Kensington South
* Lambeth North
* Lewisham East
* Lewisham West
* Limehouse
* Mile End
* Norwood
* Paddington North
* Paddington South
* Peckham
* Poplar South
* Putney
* Rotherhithe
* St Marylebone
* St Pancras North
* St Pancras South East
* St Pancras South West
* Shoreditch
* Southwark Central
* Southwark North
* Southwark South East
* Stoke Newington
* Streatham
* Wandsworth Central
* Westminster Abbey
* Westminster St George's
* Whitechapel and St George's
* Woolwich East
* Woolwich West

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