Mitcham (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids
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Mitcham was an area in South London that elected one person to represent its people in the UK Parliament. This area is called a constituency. It included the growing towns of Mitcham, Wallington, and Beddington. Until 1945, it also included Carshalton.
The Mitcham constituency was created for the 1918 general election. Before that, it was part of the Wimbledon constituency. It stopped being a separate constituency in February 1974. After that, its areas became part of other constituencies, like Mitcham and Morden.
Interestingly, two of the people who represented Mitcham in Parliament later became the Home Secretary. This is a very important job in the UK government.
Contents
What are the Boundaries of a Constituency?
The boundaries of a constituency define the exact area it covers. These boundaries can change over time, usually because the population grows or moves.
Mitcham's Boundaries Over Time
- 1918–1945: The Mitcham constituency included the areas of Beddington and Wallington, Carshalton, and Mitcham.
- 1945–1974: The constituency changed slightly. It then included the areas of Beddington and Wallington, and Mitcham. Carshalton became part of a different constituency.
Who Represented Mitcham in Parliament?
A Member of Parliament (MP) is the person elected by the people in a constituency to speak for them in the House of Commons. Here are the MPs who represented Mitcham:
| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | Thomas Worsfold | Conservative | Resigned in 1923 |
| 1923 by-election | James Chuter Ede | Labour | Later became Home Secretary (1945–1951) |
| 1923 | Richard Meller | Conservative | Served until he passed away in 1940 |
| 1940 by-election | Malcolm Robertson | Conservative | |
| 1945 | Tom Braddock | Labour | |
| 1950 | Robert Carr | Conservative | Later became Home Secretary (1972–1974) |
The Mitcham constituency was abolished in February 1974. Its areas were then included in new constituencies, such as Mitcham and Morden.
How Did People Vote?
Elections are how people choose their MP. Here, we look at some of the election results for the Mitcham constituency. These results show how many votes each candidate received and which party won.
1970 General Election
This was the last general election where Mitcham was a constituency.
| General election 1970: Mitcham | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Robert Carr | 27,257 | 54.58 | +8.85 | |
| Labour | Reginald C Vincent | 22,047 | 44.15 | -0.59 | |
| Communist | Sid French | 638 | 1.28 | +0.19 | |
| Majority | 5,210 | 10.43 | |||
| Turnout | 49,942 | 68.76 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +4.72 | |||
In this election, Robert Carr of the Conservative Party won with over 27,000 votes. The turnout was about 68%, meaning that many people in the area voted.
1966 General Election
| General election 1966: Mitcham | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Robert Carr | 24,234 | 45.73 | ||
| Labour | Thomas J Higgs | 23,706 | 44.74 | ||
| Liberal | Ross C Burgess | 4,470 | 8.44 | ||
| Communist | Sid French | 580 | 1.09 | ||
| Majority | 528 | 0.99 | |||
| Turnout | 52,990 | 79.43 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Robert Carr also won this election, but with a much smaller lead. The difference between his votes and the Labour candidate's votes was only 528.
1950 General Election
This election was important because it was when Robert Carr first became the MP for Mitcham.
| General election 1950: Mitcham | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Robert Carr | 31,881 | 50.77 | ||
| Labour | Tom Braddock | 27,055 | 43.08 | ||
| Liberal | Doreen L Page | 3,864 | 6.15 | New | |
| Majority | 4,826 | 7.69 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 62,800 | 85.84 | |||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Robert Carr won this election, taking the seat from the Labour Party. The turnout was very high, with almost 86% of registered voters participating.
1918 General Election
This was the very first election for the Mitcham constituency.
| General election 1918: Mitcham | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| C | Unionist | Thomas Worsfold | 7,651 | 60.6 | |
| Liberal | Samuel Barrow | 4,968 | 39.4 | ||
| Majority | 2,683 | 21.2 | |||
| Turnout | 12,619 | 43.6 | |||
| Registered electors | 28,952 | ||||
| Unionist win (new seat) | |||||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||
Thomas Worsfold of the Unionist Party (which was part of the Conservative Party at the time) won this first election. The turnout was lower than in later years, at about 43%.
