Regent's Park and Kensington North (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Regent's Park and Kensington North was a special area in London. It was used to elect one person to the UK Parliament. This person is called a Member of Parliament (MP). They represent the people living in that area.

The area was located in Central and West London. People voted for their MP using a system called first past the post. This means the candidate with the most votes wins.

What Was Regent's Park and Kensington North?

This area was a type of constituency. A constituency is like a voting district. It's a specific geographic area. People living there vote for one person to represent them in Parliament.

When Was This Area Created?

The Regent's Park and Kensington North constituency was first created in 1997. It was made from parts of two older voting areas. These were called Westminster North and Kensington.

When Did This Area Stop Being a Constituency?

This constituency was officially stopped in 2010. This happened before the general election that year. Its areas were then moved into new or changed constituencies.

Why Was This Area Interesting?

This area was quite unique. It had both very rich and less well-off parts. This mix usually means that elections could be very close. Both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party might have a good chance to win.

However, during the time this constituency existed, the Labour Party won easily. This was when Tony Blair's "New Labour" was very popular across the country.

Where Was Regent's Park and Kensington North Located?

This constituency covered many well-known parts of London. These included areas like St John's Wood and Maida Vale. It also covered parts of Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove.

What Were the Voting Areas Inside?

To help with elections, constituencies are divided into smaller parts. These are called electoral wards. The Regent's Park and Kensington North constituency included wards from two different London boroughs.

• From the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: Avondale, Colville, Golborne, Kelfield, and St Charles.
• From the City of Westminster: Church Street, Hamilton Terrace, Harrow Road, Little Venice, Lords, Maida Vale, Queen's Park, Regent's Park, and Westbourne.

Over time, some of these ward names changed or combined. For example, Avondale and Kelfield became Notting Barns in 2002.

Did the Name Match the Area Exactly?

Even though it was called "Regent's Park and Kensington North," it didn't include all of the Regent's Park area. Specifically, the part of Regent's Park that is in the London Borough of Camden was not part of this constituency.

How Was the Constituency Abolished?

The Boundary Commission is a group that reviews how constituencies are drawn. They suggested changes for London. They wanted the City of Westminster and the City of London to have two constituencies of their own.

What Happened to the Areas?

Because of these changes, Regent's Park and Kensington North was split up.

• Most of the Westminster part went into a new Westminster North constituency.
• The Kensington and Chelsea part went into a new Kensington constituency.
• Some areas, like Chelsea, moved to a new constituency called Chelsea and Fulham.
• A small part of Westminster joined the Cities of London and Westminster constituency.

These changes were put into place for the 2010 general election.

Who Were the Members of Parliament?

Only one person served as the Member of Parliament for Regent's Park and Kensington North.

Karen Buck was the MP from 1997 until the constituency was abolished in 2010. She was a member of the Labour Party.

Election Results

Elections are how people choose their representatives. Here are the results for the general elections held in this constituency.

General Election 2005

General Election 2001

General Election 1997

See Also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in London