Southall (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1945–1983

Southall

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Southall in Greater London for the February 1974 general election

Borough| Southall Urban District
London Borough of Ealing
1945–1983
Seats| one
Created from| Uxbridge (re: bulk)
Spelthorne (re: Harlington and Cranford)
Replaced by| Ealing Southall
During its existence contributed to new seat(s) of| Hayes and Harlington

Southall was a constituency from 1945 to 1983. It returned one member (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The Labour Party candidate won the seat at each general election and no by-elections took place.

It lay in local terms administratively in Middlesex, but from 1965, in the London Borough of Ealing.

After five years it shed roughly its western half to form a new seat, Hayes and Harlington. To compensate it took in Hanwell, and later further eastern additions – parts of Ealing.

## Summary of results

[edit]

Its voters, on the national first-past-the-post system, elected a series of three Labour Party candidates during its thirty-eight-year currency. Winning majorities ranged from 41.2% in 1945 - the landslide election for the party in which the seat included industrial Hayes to the west to 5.1% at the 1964 election which saw the start of the First Wilson Ministry when its second incumbent, Pargiter, who retired two years later, was aged 67. Its final winning majority (in 1979) was 21.5%.

Map that gives each named seat and any constant electoral success for national (Westminster) elections for Middlesex, 1955 to 1974.

## Boundaries and boundary changes

[edit]

Dates | Local authority  | Maps | Wards

|
|
|

1945–1950  | Southall Urban District and Hayes and Harlington Urban District |  | The borough of Southall and Hayes and Harlington Urban District
1950–1974  | Southall Urban District and Municipal Borough of Ealing (before 1965)
London Borough of Ealing (after 1965)  |  | The borough of Southall and the Hanwell North and Hanwell South wards of the Borough of Ealing.[1][2]
1974–1983  | London Borough of Ealing |  | Dormers Wells, Elthorne, Glebe, Northcote, Northfields, Walpole, and Waxlow Manor

### 1945–1950

[edit]

The constituency was formed largely from the existing constituency of Uxbridge

### 1950–1974

[edit]

The Hayes and Harlington Urban District was transferred to the new constituency of Hayes and Harlington and the Hanwell North and Hanwell South wards of the Borough of Ealing were transferred from the abolished constituency of Ealing West.

### 1974–1983

[edit]

The Hanwell North and Hanwell South wards were transferred to Ealing North, while Southern parts of Greenford were transferred from Ealing North. Wards including Northfields and Walpole were transferred from the abolished constituency of Ealing South

### Summary

[edit]

In the first five years the seat was largest (containing Hayes, Yeading, Harlington in the west)[3] The ward name Elthorne refers to the very large medieval hundred and, with minor parts of other wards in the same seat, took in Hanwell.

## Local government body change

[edit]

The seat was in local terms for 20 years in Middlesex and for the following 18 years in London — a change in county took place in 1965.

## Constituency profile

[edit]

See also: Southall § History

The Quaker Oats Company built a factory in Southall in 1936. Part of the operation that made pet foods was sold to Spiller's in 1994, and the remainder to Big Bear Group in 2006. The site continues to produce brands such as Sugar Puffs. Other engineering, paint and food processing factories prospered for many years, mostly alongside the railway and/or canal. A collection of Martinware – Salt glazed pottery in stoneware, and birds – is on display at Southall Library

Southall was the home of Southall Studios, one of the earliest British film studios. It played a historic role in film-making from its creation in 1924 to its closure in 1959. There has been a locomotive works at the Southall Depot for nearly 150 years. Originally a Great Western Railway shed, it was possibly the last London steam depot, outlasting Old Oak Common and Stewarts Lane depots. The depot was later used for DMU maintenance and as a base for the electrification programme. Currently the site, now referred to as the Southall Railway Centre, is used by three independent groups, including Locomotive Services (where volunteers can contribute to the preservation and restoration of mainline locomotives).

Glassy Junction pub, November 2005

The bus and commercial vehicle manufacturer Associated Equipment Company (AEC) was based in Southall, on a 25 hectares (62 acres) triangular site between Windmill Lane, the main Great Western Railway and the branch to Brentford Dock. The company moved there from Walthamstow in 1926 and closed in 1979 after losing market share whilst part of the giant but inefficient British Leyland group. The site was noticeable to railway passengers and to motorists on Uxbridge Road due to large signs proclaiming "AEC - Builders of London's Buses for 50 years".

A major gas works manufacturing town gas was between the railway and the canal. In 1932 a large gasholder was built which has been a landmark from far away. Painted on the north east side of the gasholder are large letters 'LH' and an arrow to assist pilots toward Heathrow Airport's (closed) runway "23" when making visual approaches. The letters were painted in the mid-1960s after a fraction of pilots at a glance mistook RAF Northolt (which has a smaller gasholder under its approach at Harrow). Northolt has a much shorter runway and is not suitable for very large aircraft; one Boeing 707 did land at Northolt by mistake [4] and a number of other aircraft had to be warned off by air traffic control at the last minute. Since such gas production ceased in the 1970s upon tapping natural gas piped from the North Sea, much of the 36 ha (89-acre) site has been vacant, due to limited road access and remaining gas infrastructure.

The 1970s saw racial tensions in the area; in 1976 Sikh teenager Gurdip Singh Chaggar was killed in a racist attack.[5] On 23 April 1979, Blair Peach, a teacher and anti-racist activist, was killed after being knocked unconscious during a protest against the National Front (NF).[6][7] Another demonstrator, Clarence Baker – a singer of the reggae band Misty in Roots, remained in a coma for five months.[8] More than 40 others—including 21 police—were injured, and 300 were arrested.[9]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election  | Member  | Party  | Notes

|
|
|

| 1945 | Walter Ayles | Labour | Contested Hayes and Harlington following redistribution
| 1950 | George Pargiter | Labour | Member for Spelthorne (1945–1950)
| 1966 | Syd Bidwell | Labour | Contested Ealing Southall following redistribution
1983 | constituency abolished: see Ealing Southall

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Southall[10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Labour | Walter Ayles | 37,404  | 64.1
| Conservative | George Baker | 13,347  | 22.9
| Liberal | Wilfred Wakefield  | 7,598  | 13.0
Majority  | 24,057  | 41.2
Turnout | 58,349  | 74.2
Registered electors | 78,649  |
| Labour win (new seat)

### Elections in the 1950s

[edit]

General election 1950: Southall[11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Labour | George Pargiter | 27,107  | 53.9
| Conservative | Norman Cole | 18,392  | 36.6
| Liberal | Walter Andrews  | 3,917  | 7.8
| Communist | J. A. Purton  | 839  | 1.7
Majority  | 8,715  | 17.3
Turnout | 50,255  | 82.7
Registered electors | 60,752*  |
| Labour win (new boundaries)

*Note: major loss of territory to west to new seat, Hayes and Harlington

General election 1951: Southall[11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Pargiter | 29,123  | 57.9  | +4.0
| Conservative | Humphry Berkeley | 21,169  | 42.1  | +5.5
Majority | 7,954  | 15.8  | –1.5
Turnout | 50,292  | 84.0  | +1.3
Registered electors | 59,885  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | –0.8  |
General election 1955: Southall[11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Pargiter | 25,207  | 57.2  | –0.7
| Conservative | Arthur Tickler  | 18,872  | 42.8  | +0.7
Majority | 6,335  | 14.4  | –1.4
Turnout | 44,079  | 76.5  | –7.5
Registered electors | 57,633  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | –0.7  |
General election 1959: Southall[11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Pargiter | 22,285  | 52.7  | –4.4
| Conservative | Michael Underhill  | 19,966  | 47.3  | +4.4
Majority | 2,319  | 5.4  | –8.9
Turnout | 42,251  | 76.4  | –0.1
Registered electors | 55,290  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | –4.4  |

### Elections in the 1960s

[edit]

General election 1964: Southall[11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Pargiter | 18,041  | 48.0  | –4.8
| Conservative | Barbara Maddin  | 16,144  | 42.9  | –4.3
| British National | John Bean | 3,410  | 9.1  | New
Majority | 1,897  | 5.0  | –0.4
Turnout | 37,595  | 70.2  | –6.2
Registered electors | 53,558  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | –0.2  |
General election 1966: Southall[11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Syd Bidwell | 19,989  | 53.4  | +5.5
| Conservative | Barbara Maddin  | 14,642  | 39.2  | –3.8
| British National | John Bean | 2,768  | 7.4  | –1.7
Majority | 5,347  | 14.3  | +9.2
Turnout | 37,399  | 70.8  | +0.6
Registered electors | 52,811  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +4.6  |

### Elections in the 1970s

[edit]

General election 1970: Southall[11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Syd Bidwell | 19,389  | 53.7  | +0.2
| Conservative | Kenneth Reeves  | 15,166  | 42.0  | +2.8
| National Front | James Shaw  | 1,572  | 4.4  | –3.1
Majority | 4,223  | 11.7  | –2.6
Turnout | 37,399  | 64.5  | –6.3
Registered electors | 55,980  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | –1.3  |
1970 notional result[12]

Party  | Vote  | %
| Labour | 24,500 | 49.6
| Conservative | 22,700 | 46.0
| Others | 2,200 | 4.5
Turnout | 49,400  | 65.3
Electorate | 75,660
General election February 1974: Southall[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Syd Bidwell | 25,726  | 49.9  | +0.3
| Conservative | Walter Gilbey | 16,914  | 32.8  | –13.2
| Liberal | Ian Arnold[14] | 8,640  | 16.7  | New
| Anti-Helmet | Baldev Singh Chahal  | 310  | 0.6  | New
Majority | 8,812  | 17.1  | +13.4
Turnout | 51,590  | 73.4  | +8.0
Registered electors | 70,349  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +6.7  |
General election October 1974: Southall[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Syd Bidwell | 24,218  | 53.8  | +3.9
| Conservative | Robert Patten  | 14,235  | 31.6  | –1.2
| Liberal | Ian Arnold  | 6,557  | 14.6  | –2.2
Majority | 9,983  | 22.2  | +5.1
Turnout | 45,010  | 63.6  | –9.8
Registered electors | 70,818  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +2.5  |
General election 1979: Southall[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Syd Bidwell | 28,498  | 54.4  | +0.6
| Conservative | Robert Patten[15] | 17,220  | 32.9  | +1.2
| Liberal | Dick Hains  | 3,920  | 7.4  | –7.1
| National Front | John Fairhurst[15] | 1,545  | 2.9  | New
| Independent | Shambhu Gupta[15] | 637  | 1.2  | New
| Socialist Unity | Tariq Ali | 477  | 0.9  | New
| Independent Businessman  | Sohan Paul[15] | 115  | 0.2  | New
Majority | 11,278  | 21.5  | –0.7
Turnout | 52,412  | 71.7  | +8.1
Registered electors | 73,146  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | –0.3  |

## References

[edit]

* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 3)

Specific

1. ^ Representation of the People Act 1948, Sch. 1, at Middlesex (B) Borough Constituencies (page 108) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1948/65/pdfs/ukpga_19480065_en.pdf
2. ^ Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970 number 1674), Schedule 1 at page 5459 (or 16 of 76) and as to new definition in Schedule 2
3. ^ Boundary A vision of Britain, University of Portsmouth and Others, Accessed 11 June 2017]
4. ^ "Boeing 707-321, N725PA, Pan American World Airways (PA / PAA)". Abpic.co.uk. 25 October 1960. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
5. ^ Kettle, Martin; Hodges, Lucy (1982). Uprising! Police, the People and the Riots in Britain's Cities. Pan Books. p. 60,156. ISBN 0330268457.
6. ^ "BBC ON THIS DAY | 23 | 1979: Teacher dies in Southall race riots". BBC News. 23 April 1979. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
7. ^ Marshall, George (1991). Spirit of '69 – A Skinhead Bible. Dunoon, Scotland: S.T. Publishing. ISBN 1-898927-10-3. p.107
8. ^ "Blair Peach: killed by police". Socialistworker.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
9. ^ "Blair Peach: A 30-year campaign". BBC News. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
10. ^ Craig, Fred W. S (1969). British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949. Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178019. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
11. ^ a b c d e f g Craig, Fred W. S (1983). British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 (2nd ed.). Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0900178078. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
12. ^ Michael Stead. "1970 notional general election & February 1974 general election". BBC. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
13. ^ a b c F. W. S. Craig (1984). British parliamentary election results, 1974-1983. Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 090017823X. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
14. ^ "LIBERAL/LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CANDIDATES in the GREATER LONDON REGION 1945-2019" (PDF). liberalhistory.org.uk. Liberal Democrat History Group. pp. 6–98. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
15. ^ a b c d Election Expenses. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 1980. p. 11\. ISBN 0102374805.

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Historic constituencies in London

Outer London, 1965|

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1974|

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