Parliamentary constituencies in London facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Greater London, which includes the historic City of London, is split into 73 special areas called parliamentary constituencies. Each of these areas chooses one person to represent them in the UK Parliament. These representatives are called Members of Parliament, or MPs for short.

How London's MPs are Chosen
Future Changes to London's Constituencies
History of London's Constituencies
Recent Election Results (2019)
- How Votes Changed Over Time
- Number of Seats Won Over Time
Maps of Election Results
Images for kids
See also

How London's MPs are Chosen

In London, there are 73 areas, or constituencies, that each elect an MP. These are known as borough constituencies. When people vote in a general election, they choose which person they want to be their MP for their local area. The person who gets the most votes wins!

Here's a quick look at how many MPs each main political party has in London right now, based on the 2019 election: † Conservative ‡ Labour ¤ Liberal Democrat ♣ Green Party

Constituency	Electorate	Majority
Barking	77,953	15,427	Dame Margaret Hodge‡	Tamkeen Shaikh†
Battersea	79,350	5,668	Marsha de Cordova‡	Kim Caddy†
Beckenham	68,662	14,258	Bob Stewart†	Marina Ahmad‡
Bermondsey and Old Southwark	93,248	16,126	Neil Coyle‡	Humaira Ali¤
Bethnal Green and Bow	88,262	37,524	Rushanara Ali‡	Nicholas Stovold†
Bexleyheath and Crayford	65,466	13,103	Sir David Evennett†	Anna Day‡
Brent Central	84,032	20,870	Dawn Butler‡	David Brescia†
Brent North	83,788	8,079	Barry Gardiner‡	Anjana Patel†
Brentford and Isleworth	85,775	10,514	Ruth Cadbury‡	Seena Shah†
Bromley and Chislehurst	66,697	10,891	Sir Bob Neill†	Angela Wilkins‡
Camberwell and Peckham	88,971	33,780	Harriet Harman‡	Peter Quentin†
Carshalton and Wallington	72,941	629	Elliot Colburn†	Tom Brake¤
Chelsea and Fulham	67,110	11,241	Greg Hands†	Nicola Horlick¤
Chingford and Woodford Green	65,393	1,062	Sir Iain Duncan Smith†	Faiza Shaheen‡
Chipping Barnet	79,960	1,212	Theresa Villiers†	Emma Whysall‡
Cities of London and Westminster	63,700	3,953	Nickie Aiken†	Chuka Umunna¤
Croydon Central	81,407	5,949	Sarah Jones‡	Mario Creatura†
Croydon North	88,468	24,673	Steve Reed‡	Donald Ekekhomen†
Croydon South	83,982	12,339	Chris Philp†	Olga Fitzroy‡
Dagenham and Rainham	71,045	293	Jon Cruddas‡	Damian White†
Dulwich and West Norwood	80,331	27,310	Helen Hayes‡	Jonathan Bartley♣
Ealing Central and Acton	75,510	13,300	Rupa Huq‡	Julian Gallant†
Ealing North	74,473	12,269	James Murray‡	Anthony Pickles†
Ealing Southall	64,581	16,084	Virendra Sharma‡	Tom Bennett†
East Ham	88,319	33,176	Stephen Timms‡	Scott Pattenden†
Edmonton	65,747	16,015	Kate Osamor‡	James Hockney†
Eltham	64,086	3,193	Clive Efford‡	Louie French†
Enfield North	68,301	6,492	Feryal Clark‡	Joanne Laban†
Enfield Southgate	65,525	4,450	Bambos Charalambous‡	David Burrowes†
Erith and Thamesmead	65,399	3,758	Abena Oppong-Asare‡	Joe Robertson†
Feltham and Heston	80,934	7,859	Seema Malhotra‡	Jane Keep†
Finchley and Golders Green	73,573	6,562	Mike Freer†	Luciana Berger¤
Greenwich and Woolwich	79,997	18,464	Matthew Pennycook‡	Thomas Turrell†
Hackney North and Stoke Newington	92,462	33,188	Diane Abbott‡	Benjamin Obese-Jecty†
Hackney South and Shoreditch	89,387	33,985	Meg Hillier‡	Mark Beckett†
Hammersmith	74,759	17,847	Andy Slaughter‡	Xingang Wang†
Hampstead and Kilburn	86,571	14,188	Tulip Siddiq‡	Johnny Luk†
Harrow East	72,106	8,170	Bob Blackman†	Pamela Fitzpatrick‡
Harrow West	72,464	8,692	Gareth Thomas‡	Anwara Ali†
Hayes and Harlington	72,357	9,261	John McDonnell‡	Wayne Bridges†
Hendon	82,661	4,230	Dr Matthew Offord†	David Pinto-Duschinsky‡
Holborn and St Pancras	86,061	27,673	Sir Keir Starmer‡	Alexandra Hayward†
Hornchurch and Upminster	80,765	23,308	Julia Lopez†	Tele Lawal‡
Hornsey and Wood Green	81,814	19,242	Catherine West‡	Dawn Barnes¤
Ilford North	72,973	5,218	Wes Streeting‡	Howard Berlin†
Ilford South	84,972	24,101	Sam Tarry‡	Ali Azeem†
Islington North	75,162	26,188	Jeremy Corbyn‡	Nick Richard-Wakeling¤
Islington South and Finsbury	70,489	17,328	Emily Thornberry‡	Kate Pothalingam¤
Kensington	64,609	150	Felicity Buchan†	Emma Dent Coad‡
Kingston and Surbiton	81,975	10,489	Sir Ed Davey¤	Aphra Brandreth†
Lewisham Deptford	80,631	32,913	Vicky Foxcroft‡	Gavin Haran†
Lewisham East	67,857	17,008	Janet Daby‡	Sam Thurgood†
Lewisham West and Penge	74,617	21,543	Ellie Reeves‡	Aisha Cuthbert†
Leyton and Wanstead	64,852	20,808	John Cryer‡	Noshaba Khiljee†
Mitcham and Morden	70,021	16,482	Siobhain McDonagh‡	Toby Williams†
Old Bexley and Sidcup	66,104	4,478	Louie French†	Daniel Francis‡
Orpington	68,877	22,378	Gareth Bacon†	Simon Jeal‡
Poplar and Limehouse	91,836	28,904	Apsana Begum‡	Sheun Oke†
Putney	65,556	4,774	Fleur Anderson‡	Will Sweet†
Richmond Park	82,699	7,766	Sarah Olney¤	Zac Goldsmith†
Romford	72,350	17,893	Andrew Rosindell†	Angelina Leatherbarrow‡
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner	72,816	16,394	David Simmonds†	Peymana Assad‡
Streatham	84,783	17,690	Bell Ribeiro-Addy‡	Helen Thompson¤
Sutton and Cheam	71,779	8,351	Paul Scully†	Hina Bokhari¤
Tooting	76,954	14,307	Dr Rosena Allin-Khan‡	Kerry Briscoe†
Tottenham	75,740	30,175	David Lammy‡	James Newhall†
Twickenham	84,906	14,125	Munira Wilson¤	Isobel Grant†
Uxbridge and South Ruislip	30,925	495	Steve Tuckwell†	Danny Beales‡
Vauxhall	88,659	19,612	Florence Eshalomi‡	Sarah Lewis¤
Walthamstow	70,267	30,862	Stella Creasy‡	Shade Adoh†
West Ham	97,947	32,388	Lyn Brown‡	Sara Kumar†
Westminster North	65,519	10,759	Karen Buck‡	Jamie Macfarlane†
Wimbledon	68,240	628	Stephen Hammond†	Paul Kohler¤

Future Changes to London's Constituencies

The way London is divided into constituencies changes sometimes. This is done by a group called the Boundary Commission for England. They look at how many people live in each area to make sure that each MP represents a similar number of voters.

Recently, the Boundary Commission decided that London will get 2 more MPs, increasing the total from 73 to 75. This means some constituency borders will change, and some new ones will be created. For example, a new area called Stratford and Bow will be formed. Also, Streatham and Croydon North will be a new constituency in the south of London.

Only a few constituencies, like Walthamstow, Islington North, and Tooting, will stay almost exactly the same. Most others will have some changes to their borders or even their names. These new boundaries will be used in the next general election.

Here are some of the proposed new constituencies for London:

Constituencies proposed for London
Name	Electorate	Boroughs covered
Barking BC	71,822	Barking and Dagenham
Battersea BC	71,949	Wandsworth
Beckenham and Penge BC	76,625	Bromley
Bermondsey and Old Southwark BC	70,602	Southwark
Bethnal Green and Stepney BC	77,000	Tower Hamlets
Bexleyheath and Crayford BC	69,948	Bexley
Brent East BC	75,880	Brent
Brent West BC	76,443	Brent
Brentford and Isleworth BC	76,354	Hounslow Richmond upon Thames
Bromley and Biggin Hill BC	71,515	Bromley
Carshalton and Wallington BC	72,755	Sutton
Chelsea and Fulham BC	76,481	Hammersmith and Fulham Kensington and Chelsea
Chingford and Woodford Green BC	75,677	Redbridge Waltham Forest
Chipping Barnet BC	76,187	Barnet
Cities of London and Westminster BC	73,140	City of London Westminster
Clapham and Brixton Hill BC	75,460	Lambeth
Croydon East BC	75,436	Croydon
Croydon South BC	71,541	Croydon
Croydon West BC	70,812	Croydon
Dagenham and Rainham BC	73,627	Barking and Dagenham Havering
Dulwich and West Norwood BC	74,314	Lambeth Southwark
Ealing Central and Acton BC	75,399	Ealing Hammersmith and Fulham
Ealing North BC	72,985	Ealing
Ealing Southall BC	75,085	Ealing
East Ham BC	70,902	Newham
Edmonton and Winchmore Hill BC	75,204	Enfield
Eltham and Chislehurst BC	74,179	Bromley Greenwich
Enfield North BC	76,824	Enfield
Erith and Thamesmead BC	76,728	Bexley Greenwich
Feltham and Heston BC	75,226	Hounslow
Finchley and Golders Green BC	75,761	Barnet
Greenwich and Woolwich BC	69,824	Greenwich
Hackney North and Stoke Newington BC	75,401	Hackney
Hackney South and Shoreditch BC	75,197	Hackney
Hammersmith and Chiswick BC	74,746	Hammersmith and Fulham Hounslow
Hampstead and Highgate BC	74,222	Camden Haringey
Harrow East BC	76,299	Harrow
Harrow West BC	74,060	Harrow
Hayes and Harlington BC	72,897	Hillingdon
Hendon BC	71,496	Barnet
Holborn and St Pancras BC	75,475	Camden
Hornchurch and Upminster BC	76,938	Havering
Hornsey and Friern Barnet BC	70,565	Barnet Haringey
Ilford North BC	74,684	Redbridge
Ilford South BC	74,065	Barking and Dagenham Redbridge
Islington North BC	73,970	Islington
Islington South and Finsbury BC	75,905	Hackney Islington
Kensington and Bayswater BC	75,980	Kensington and Chelsea Westminster
Kingston and Surbiton BC	75,410	Kingston upon Thames
Lewisham East BC	71,706	Lewisham
Lewisham North BC	73,504	Lewisham
Lewisham West and East Dulwich BC	69,904	Lewisham Southwark
Leyton and Wanstead BC	71,330	Redbridge Waltham Forest
Mitcham and Morden BC	76,877	Merton
Old Bexley and Sidcup BC	74,317	Bexley
Orpington BC	71,571	Bromley
Peckham BC	71,176	Southwark
Poplar and Limehouse BC	75,814	Tower Hamlets
Putney BC	73,041	Wandsworth
Queen's Park and Maida Vale BC	75,256	Brent Westminster
Richmond Park BC	75,037	Kingston upon Thames Richmond upon Thames
Romford BC	72,730	Havering
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner BC	72,168	Harrow Hillingdon
Southgate and Wood Green BC	76,034	Enfield Haringey
Stratford and Bow BC	73,849	Newham Tower Hamlets
Streatham and Croydon North BC	76,050	Croydon Lambeth
Sutton and Cheam BC	71,284	Sutton
Tooting BC	76,986	Wandsworth
Tottenham BC	75,968	Haringey
Twickenham BC	75,889	Richmond upon Thames
Uxbridge and South Ruislip BC	75,042	Hillingdon
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green BC	69,995	Lambeth Southwark
Walthamstow BC	70,867	Waltham Forest
West Ham and Beckton BC	70,590	Newham
Wimbledon BC	74,641	Kingston upon Thames Merton

New and Old Seats

When the boundaries change, some old constituencies disappear, and new ones are created.

Abolished Seats

Beckenham
Bethnal Green and Bow
Brent Central
Brent North
Bromley and Chislehurst
Camberwell and Peckham
Croydon Central
Croydon North
Edmonton
Eltham
Enfield Southgate
Hammersmith
Hampstead and Kilburn
Hornsey and Wood Green
Kensington
Lewisham Deptford
Lewisham West and Penge
Streatham
Vauxhall
West Ham
Westminster North

New Seats

Beckenham and Penge
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Brent East
Brent West
Bromley and Biggin Hill
Clapham and Brixton Hill
Croydon East
Croydon West
Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Hammersmith and Chiswick
Hampstead and Highgate
Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Kensington and Bayswater
Peckham
Queen's Park and Maida Vale
Stratford and Bow
Streatham and Croydon North
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
West Ham and Beckton

History of London's Constituencies

London's political map has changed a lot over time. Here's a simplified look at how it developed:

Early Days (Before 1832)

Long ago, before 1832, London didn't have many MPs. Only a few areas like the City of London, Westminster, and Southwark had their own representatives. The rest of London was part of larger county areas like Middlesex and Surrey.

Growing Representation (1832 to 1885)

The Reform Act 1832 was a big deal! It gave more parts of London their own MPs. Seven new "metropolitan boroughs" were created, each electing two MPs. This meant more people in London had a direct say in Parliament.

In 1867, even more changes happened. A new area called Chelsea got its own MP, and Tower Hamlets was split into two separate areas: Hackney and Tower Hamlets.

More MPs for London (1885 to 1918)

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was another major change. It greatly increased the number of MPs for London, from 22 to 59! Most areas now had just one MP. Even though London's local government areas changed in 1889 (when the County of London was created), the MP areas stayed the same until 1918.

Modernizing the Map (1918 to 1974)

In 1918, the way London's constituencies were drawn up was updated to match the new local boroughs that had been created in 1900. This increased the number of MPs to 62. Later, in 1950, London was divided into 43 constituencies. There were only small changes in 1955.

When Greater London was formed in 1965, the old constituency boundaries didn't quite fit anymore. So, in 1974, new boundaries were drawn. All 92 constituencies were now completely within Greater London, and most were within a single London borough.

London Today (1983 to Present)

The number of constituencies and their boundaries have been updated several times since then. In 1983, London had 84 constituencies. By 1997, this number changed to 74. Since 2010, London has had 73 constituencies. These areas sometimes cross the borders of the local London boroughs to make sure each MP represents a similar number of people.

Recent Election Results (2019)

Here's how people voted in London during the 2019 general election:

Party	Votes	% of Votes	Change from 2017	Seats Won	Change in Seats
Labour	1,812,810	48.1%	6.4%	49	0
Conservative	1,205,129	32.0%	1.1%	21	0
Liberal Democrats	562,564	14.9%	6.1%	3	0
Greens	115,527	3.1%	1.3%	0	0
Brexit	51,735	1.4%	N/A	0	0
Others	18,355	0.5%	1.3%	0	0
Total	3,766,120	100.0		73

How Votes Changed Over Time

London votes percentage

This chart shows the percentage of votes each main party got in London over many years.

CON – Conservative Party
LAB – Labour Party
LIB – Liberal Party (and later SDP–Liberal Alliance and Liberal Democrats)
UKIP/Br – UK Independence Party / Brexit Party
Green – Green Party of England and Wales

Number of Seats Won Over Time

London seats

This chart shows how many MP seats each main party won in London over the years.

CON – Conservative Party
LAB – Labour Party
LIB – Liberal Party (and later SDP–Liberal Alliance and Liberal Democrats)
OTH – Other parties, like the Communist Party or Respect.

Maps of Election Results

These maps show which party won in different parts of London during past general elections.

1885
1886
1892
1895
1900
1906
Jan 1910
Dec 1910

1918
1922
1923
1924
1929
1931
1935
1945

1950
1951
1955
1959
1964
1966
1970

Feb 1974
Oct 1974
1979
1983
1987
1992
1997
2001
2005
2010
2015
2017
2019

Red means seats won by MPs from the Labour Party.
Blue means seats won by MPs from the Conservative Party.
Amber means seats won by MPs from the Liberal Democrats.
Green (in 2005) means the seat won by the Respect Party MP, George Galloway.
Yellow (in 1983 and 1987) means the seat won by the Liberal Party MP, Simon Hughes, who later became a Liberal Democrat MP.
Purple means the two seats won by MPs from the Social Democratic Party. These MPs were John Cartwright (who used to be Labour), and Rosie Barnes.