Croydon North East (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Croydon North East was a special area in Greater London that elected one person to speak for its residents in the House of Commons. This person is called a Member of Parliament (MP). The area existed from 1955 until 1997.

In the UK, when people vote in a general election, they use a system called "first past the post." This means the candidate who gets the most votes in their area wins and becomes the MP.

History of Croydon North East

This special area, or constituency, called Croydon North East was created for the 1955 general election. This happened just five years after the three other areas in Croydon had their boundaries changed.

Croydon North East was formed from parts of the older Croydon North and Croydon East areas. It also shared borders with Croydon North West and Croydon South.

The Croydon North East constituency was removed in the 1997 general election. Its different parts then joined two new areas. About one-third of it, including Thornton Heath, Upper Norwood, and South Norwood, became part of the new Croydon North area. The rest, including Woodside, Rylands, Addiscombe, Ashburton, and Monks Orchard, joined an expanded Croydon Central area.

Throughout its entire history, Croydon North East always elected Conservative MPs. One of its most well-known MPs was Bernard Weatherill. In 1987, he became the Speaker. The Speaker is like a referee in the House of Commons, making sure debates are fair and follow the rules. After the area was abolished in 1997, the new areas that took its place elected MPs from the Labour Party.

What Were the Boundaries?

The "boundaries" of a constituency are like its borders, showing exactly which streets and neighbourhoods are included. These boundaries can change over time because populations grow or shrink in different areas.

• 1955–1965: The area included the Croydon wards (smaller local sections) of Addiscombe, East, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, and Woodside.
• 1965–1983: The same wards were included, but now they were part of the new London Borough of Croydon.
• 1983–1997: The boundaries changed again to include the wards of Addiscombe, Ashburton, Monks Orchard, Rylands, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Upper Norwood, and Woodside.

When it was first created, Croydon North East covered areas like South Norwood and Addiscombe, along with parts of Thornton Heath and Shirley. Over the years, its boundaries shifted, generally stretching further north. By the time it was abolished in 1997, Croydon North East covered all of South Norwood, Upper Norwood, Addiscombe, the northern part of Shirley, and some areas of Thornton Heath.

Members of Parliament

The people listed below were the MPs who represented Croydon North East in the House of Commons.

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in London

Sources