Enfield (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Enfield was a special area in the United Kingdom that elected one person to the House of Commons. This is part of the UK Parliament. The area was in the very north of Middlesex, around the town of Enfield. It was part of the big city area of London.

The Enfield area changed quite a bit over the years. This happened as more and more people moved to the suburbs and cities. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) at a time. An MP is a person who represents their local area in Parliament. They help make laws and decisions for the country.

History of Enfield's Parliament Seat

The Enfield area was first set up as a special voting area in 1885. This was for the general election that year. It stopped being a single voting area in 1950.

After 1950, the area was split into two new voting areas. These were called Enfield East and Enfield West.

How Enfield's Borders Changed

The borders of the Enfield voting area changed over time. This was to make sure each area had a fair number of voters.

Enfield's Early Borders (1885–1918)

When it was first created, the Enfield voting area included several smaller towns. These were Edmonton, Enfield, Friern Barnet, Monken Hadley, and South Mimms. These were old local areas.

Friern Barnet was a bit of an odd shape. It stuck out towards the county border. Many of these areas were close to Barnet in Hertfordshire.

Enfield's Later Borders (1918–1950)

In 1918, the voting areas across Great Britain and Ireland were redrawn. This was due to a new law called the Representation of the People Act 1918.

• The Enfield voting area then included the Urban District of Enfield.
• It also included the Rural District of South Mimms.

Some parts of the old Enfield area moved to other voting areas:

• Edmonton became its own separate voting area.
• Friern Barnet moved to the new Finchley voting area.
• A new voting area called "Wood Green" was created. This took the southern parts of Enfield and a small part of Edmonton.

The Rural District of South Mimms was later renamed Potters Bar Urban District in 1934.

Members of Parliament for Enfield

Here are the people who represented Enfield in the UK Parliament:

How Elections Worked in Enfield

Elections are how people choose their representatives in Parliament. In Enfield, people voted for one person to be their MP.

By-elections

Sometimes, a special election called a "by-election" happens. This is when an MP leaves their job before the next general election. For example, if they get a new important role or move to a different part of Parliament.

• In 1886, William Pleydell-Bouverie became the Treasurer of the Household. This meant a by-election was needed.
• In 1889, William Pleydell-Bouverie became an Earl. This also caused a by-election.

Henry Bowles, an MP for Enfield

James Branch, another MP for Enfield

General Elections in the 1910s

Before the end of 1915, another general election was planned. The political parties were getting ready. By July 1914, the main candidates were:

• Unionist: John Pretyman Newman
• Liberal: John McEwan

However, the election didn't happen as planned due to World War I.

Another general election was expected before the end of 1940. The parties had chosen their candidates:

• Conservative: Bartle Bull
• Labour: Ernest Davies

This election was also delayed because of World War II.

Images for kids

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  Henry Bowles, an MP for Enfield

• 

  James Branch, another MP for Enfield