Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918–1950
Birkenhead East |
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Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons |
1918–1950 |
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Seats | one |
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Created from | Birkenhead and Wirral |
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Replaced by | Birkenhead, Bebington |
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Birkenhead East was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Birkenhead area of Merseyside. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.
History
The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918 for the 1918 general election when the Parliamentary Borough of Birkenhead was split between the East and West Divisions.
It was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election.
Boundaries
The County Borough of Birkenhead wards of Argyle, Bebington, Clifton, Egerton, and Mersey, and the part of the borough which lay between the eastern boundary of Argyle, Mersey and Bebington wards and the centre of the bed of the River Mersey.[1]
On abolition, southern parts (Bebington, Egerton and Mersea wards) were included in the new constituency of Bebington, and northern parts (Argyle and Clifton wards) were included in the reconstituted constituency of Birkenhead.
Members of Parliament
Election results
Election in the 1910s
Election in the 1920s
General election 1922: Birkenhead East [3] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | Graham White | 14,690 | 57.8 | +49.0 |
| Unionist | Alfred Bigland | 10,745 | 42.2 | -22.3 |
Majority | 3,945 | 15.6 | N/A |
Turnout | 25,435 | 77.5 | -16.8 |
| Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +35.7 | |
General election 1923: Birkenhead East [4] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | Graham White | 15,845 | 63.5 | +5.7 |
| Unionist | Luke Lees | 9,091 | 36.5 | -5.7 |
Majority | 6,754 | 27.0 | +11.4 |
Turnout | 24,936 | 74.1 | -3.4 |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +5.7 | |
Election in the 1930s
General election 1931: Birkenhead East[7] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | Graham White | 26,938 | 73.2 | +37.3 |
| Labour | Charles McVey | 9,868 | 26.8 | -5.0 |
Majority | 17,070 | 46.4 | +42.8 |
Turnout | 36,806 | 79.1 | +0.3 |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +21.2 | |
- Conservative candidate Walter Fletcher withdrew 17 days before polling day[8]
General election 1935: Birkenhead East[9] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | Graham White | 16,548 | 48.1 | -25.1 |
| Conservative | S J Hill | 9,854 | 28.6 | New |
| Labour | Mary Mercer | 8,028 | 23.3 | -3.5 |
Majority | 6,694 | 19.5 | -26.9 |
Turnout | 34,430 | 74.2 | -4.9 |
| Liberal hold | Swing | | |
Election in the 1940s
General election 1945: Birkenhead East:[10] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Frank Soskice | 14,790 | 45.5 | +22.2 |
| Liberal | Graham White | 10,140 | 31.1 | -17.0 |
| Conservative | Frederick Newell Bucher | 7,624 | 23.4 | -5.2 |
Majority | 4,650 | 14.4 | N/A |
Turnout | 32,554 | 73.6 | -0.6 |
| Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +19.6 | |
See also
References
- ^ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ "Obituary: Sir Walter Fletcher Former M.P. For Bury". The Times. 7 April 1956. p. 11.
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
- Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.