Clapham (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Clapham was a special area in South London that used to elect one person, called a Member of Parliament (MP), to the House of Commons. This is where laws are made in the UK Parliament.

The Clapham area was first set up for the 1885 general election. Its borders changed a few times, especially in 1918. It stopped being a separate election area before the February 1974 general election. In its early years, until 1918, it was officially known as "Battersea and Clapham Parliamentary Borough: No. 2—The Clapham Division."

Clapham in London 1918-50

A map showing Wandsworth Metropolitan Borough Wards in 1916.

Clapham in London 1950-74

What is a Constituency?

A constituency is like a special zone or area that votes for its own representative in Parliament. Think of it as a team in a big game, where each team sends one player to represent them. The people living in that area vote for who they want their MP to be.

How Clapham's Borders Changed

1885 to 1918

In 1885, the Clapham voting area was created. It was part of a new "parliamentary borough" which included parts of both Battersea and Clapham. This area was in the northern part of an old county called Surrey.

A law called the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 helped create this area. It said that the Clapham Division would include:

• The Parish of Clapham (a parish is a small local area)
• Ward No. 1 of Battersea Parish
• Most of Ward No. 4 of Battersea Parish

1918 to 1950

In 1918, the Clapham area changed again. Half of the Battersea parts were moved to a new voting area called Battersea South. Instead, Clapham now included the local areas called Clapham North and Clapham South, plus a part of Balham. From this time, it was officially part of the Wandsworth "parliamentary borough."

Local Government Changes

In 1889, the Clapham area, along with many other parts of Surrey, became part of a new county called the County of London. Later, in 1900, the way local government worked in London was changed. Clapham became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth.

Even more recently, in 1965, the area became mostly part of the London Borough of Lambeth and the much larger area of Greater London.

Who Represented Clapham?

The people who were elected as MPs for Clapham changed over the years. They belonged to different political parties. Here's a list of the MPs who represented Clapham:

Images for kids

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  John Fletcher Moulton, the first MP for Clapham.

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  John Saunders Gilliat, who became MP in 1886.

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  Reginald McKenna, a Liberal candidate in 1892.

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  Frederick Low, a Liberal candidate in 1906.

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  Sir John Benn, a Liberal candidate in 1910.

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  Sir John Leigh, who became MP in 1922.