Kensington South (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Kensington South was a special area in west London that elected one person to the House of Commons. This person was called a Member of Parliament, or MP for short. The House of Commons is where laws are made for the United Kingdom.

This area was created for the election in 1885. It stopped being a separate area for elections in February 1974. For many years, Kensington South was known as a very safe seat for the Conservative Party. This meant that a Conservative MP almost always won the election there.

Who Represented Kensington South?

The people who were elected as MPs for Kensington South were all from the Conservative Party. They served the area for different lengths of time. Here is a list of the MPs who represented Kensington South:

How Did the Boundaries Change?

The exact area that made up Kensington South changed a few times over the years. These changes happened because of new laws that updated how election areas were drawn.

Early Boundaries (1885-1918)

Before 1885, the area was part of a larger election district called Chelsea. When Kensington South was created in 1885, it included all the southern parts of the Kensington area. It was defined as the part of the parliamentary borough of Kensington south of the Uxbridge Road.

Changes in the 1900s

In 1918, new boundary rules were made. Kensington South was then defined by specific parts of the Royal Borough of Kensington. These parts were called wards: Brompton, Earl's Court, Holland, Queen's Gate, and Redcliffe.

Later, in 1950, another change happened. The Brompton ward was moved to the Chelsea election area. So, Kensington South then included only the Earl's Court, Holland, Queen's Gate, and Redcliffe wards. It stayed this way until it was abolished.

Final Changes and Abolition

In 1965, there were big changes to local government in London. The old London County Council area became part of the new Greater London Council. Kensington South was then included in a new area called the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. However, this did not immediately change the election boundaries.

Finally, in 1974, Kensington South was removed as an election area. Its parts were divided and added to other constituencies. Earl's Court and Redcliffe wards became part of the Chelsea constituency. Holland and Queen's Gate wards became part of the new Kensington constituency.

A Look at the Elections

Kensington South was known for being a very strong area for the Conservative Party. From its creation in 1885 until its abolition in 1974, it consistently elected Conservative MPs. Many times, the Conservative candidate won by a very large number of votes. Sometimes, they even won without anyone else running against them! This showed how popular the Conservative Party was in this part of London for many decades.

Images for kids

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  Kensington South in the Metropolitan area 1885-1918

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  Kensington South in the Parliamentary County of London 1918-50

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  Kensington South in the Parliamentary County of London 1950-74

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  Kensington Metropolitan Borough wards in 1916