Southall (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Southall was an area in the UK that had its own special representative in Parliament from 1945 to 1983. This area, called a constituency, elected one person, known as a Member of Parliament (MP), to speak for them in the House of Commons. During its time, the Labour Party always won the election in Southall.

Southall was first part of Middlesex, which was a county. But in 1965, it became part of London and was included in the London Borough of Ealing.

After five years, a part of Southall on its western side became a new constituency called Hayes and Harlington. To make up for this, Southall then included Hanwell and later some eastern parts of Ealing.

Who Represented Southall?

The people of Southall voted using a system called "first-past-the-post." This means the candidate with the most votes wins. For all 38 years, the voters in Southall chose candidates from the Labour Party.

The winning difference in votes for the Labour Party changed over the years. In 1945, when the Labour Party won by a lot across the country, their candidate in Southall won with a big lead of 41.2%. Later, in 1964, the winning lead was much smaller, only 5.1%. The last time Southall had an election in 1979, the Labour candidate won with a 21.5% lead.

Southall's Changing Borders

The area covered by the Southall constituency changed a few times:

• 1945–1950: It included the area of Southall and the areas of Hayes and Harlington. This was the largest the constituency ever was.
• 1950–1974: The Hayes and Harlington part became its own constituency. Southall then included the main Southall area and two parts of Ealing called Hanwell North and Hanwell South.
• 1974–1983: The constituency was made up of specific areas (called wards) within the London Borough of Ealing. These wards were Dormers Wells, Elthorne, Glebe, Northcote, Northfields, Walpole, and Waxlow Manor.

Southall within the parliamentary county of Middlesex, boundaries used 1945-50

Map showing parliamentary seats in Middlesex from 1955 to 1974.

Southall's History and Industries

Southall has a rich history with many different businesses and landmarks.

The Quaker Oats Company built a factory in Southall in 1936. They made food products there, including pet foods. Even today, the site still produces popular brands like Sugar Puffs. Many other factories that made things like machinery, paint, and food also did well in Southall for many years. Most of these were located near the railway or the canal.

Southall was also home to Southall Studios, which was one of the very first British film studios. It was important for making movies from 1924 until it closed in 1959.

For almost 150 years, there has been a place in Southall called the Southall Depot where locomotives (train engines) were repaired and maintained. It was one of the last places in London to work on steam trains. Today, this site, now called the Southall Railway Centre, is used by groups who work to preserve and restore old train engines.

Glassy Junction pub in Southall, November 2005

A big company called Associated Equipment Company (AEC) was also based in Southall. They built buses and other large vehicles, including London's famous buses, for many years. Their factory was a large triangular area that people could see from the railway and Uxbridge Road. AEC moved to Southall in 1926 and closed in 1979.

There was also a large gas works in Southall, located between the railway and the canal. In 1932, a huge gasholder was built there, which became a well-known landmark. For pilots flying towards Heathrow Airport, large letters "LH" and an arrow were painted on the gasholder to help them find their way. This was important because some pilots sometimes confused Heathrow with a smaller airport nearby. Since the 1970s, this gas works has not been used because the UK started using natural gas from the North Sea.

In the 1970s, Southall experienced some community tensions. There were protests against racism, and sadly, some people were hurt during these events. These protests highlighted the importance of equality and respect for all people in the community.

Members of Parliament for Southall

Here are the people who represented Southall in Parliament: