Battersea South (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Battersea South was a special area in London that elected one person to represent it in the UK Parliament. This person is called a Member of Parliament (MP). They work in the House of Commons, which is where laws are made.

This area was first created for an election in 1918. Before that, it was part of a larger area called Battersea. It also took some parts from the Clapham area. Battersea South stopped being a separate area for elections in 1983. Most of its land then became part of a new Battersea area, and some parts went to a new Tooting area.

What Were the Boundaries of Battersea South?

Battersea South in London from 1918 to 1950

A map showing the local areas (wards) of Battersea Metropolitan Borough in 1916

Battersea South in London from 1950 to 1974

The boundaries of Battersea South changed a few times over the years. These changes were made to make sure each MP represented a similar number of people.

Early Boundaries: 1918–1950

When Battersea South was first created, it included specific local areas, called wards, within the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea. These wards were Bolingbroke, Broomwood, St John, Shaftesbury, and Winstanley.

In 1948, new laws were made to change how election areas were drawn. This meant Battersea South's boundaries were adjusted. One ward, Winstanley, moved to Battersea North. Then, in 1949, the wards in the borough were redrawn again. This led to more changes for the 1950 election. From 16 new wards, eight went to Battersea North and eight to Battersea South.

Later Boundaries: 1950–1983

From 1950 to 1974, Battersea South included the wards of Bolingbroke, Broomwood, Lavender, Nightingale, St John, Shaftesbury, Stormont, and Thornton.

In 1965, Battersea became part of the London Borough of Wandsworth. However, this didn't immediately change the election areas. The next big change happened before the February 1974 election. At this time, the Shaftesbury and St John's wards moved to Battersea North. Battersea South then gained new areas that used to be in the Clapham and Putney election areas. These boundaries stayed the same until Battersea South was abolished in 1983.

When the constituency was abolished, most of its area, including Balham, Fairfield, and Northcote wards, became part of the new Battersea seat. The remaining parts, Earlsfield and Nightingale wards, joined the Tooting seat.

Who Were the Members of Parliament for Battersea South?

An MP is the person elected to represent a constituency in Parliament. Battersea South had several MPs during its existence.

Images for kids

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  Viscount Curzon, MP for Battersea South (1918-1929)

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  Arthur Lynch, a candidate in the 1918 election