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Wanstead and Woodford (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

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Wanstead and Woodford was a special area in North East London. It was set up so that people living there could choose one person to represent them in the House of Commons. The House of Commons is a big part of the UK Parliament, where laws are made.

The person chosen by the voters was called a Member of Parliament (MP). They were elected using a system called "first past the post," which means the candidate with the most votes wins. This area existed from 1964 until 1997.

What Was Wanstead and Woodford?

A "constituency" is like a voting district. It's an area where people vote for their MP. Wanstead and Woodford was one of these districts. It was located in what is now Greater London.

How Did Elections Work Here?

In every election, people in Wanstead and Woodford voted for their favourite candidate. The person who got the most votes became their MP.

From 1964 to 1997, the people of Wanstead and Woodford always chose a candidate from the Conservative Party. The percentage of people who voted Conservative was usually between 51.7% and 63.6%.

The second most popular party changed over the years. Sometimes it was the Liberal Party, and other times it was the Labour Party. The winning MP usually won by a lot of votes, with their lead over the second-place candidate being between 26.7% and 43%.

Where Was This Area?

The boundaries of Wanstead and Woodford changed a few times over the years.

  • 1964–1974: It started as the Municipal Borough of Wanstead and Woodford. This area was in Essex. After 1965, it became part of the London Borough of Redbridge.
  • 1974–1983: The area was made up of specific parts of the London Borough of Redbridge. These parts were called "wards": Bridge, Clayhall, Snaresbrook, Wanstead, and Woodford.
  • 1983–1997: The area changed slightly again. It included the Redbridge wards of Bridge, Church End, Clayhall, Monkhams, Roding, Snaresbrook, and Wanstead.

How Did the Area Change Over Time?

The Wanstead and Woodford constituency was created in 1960. It was formed by making small changes to nearby areas like Ilford North, Ilford South, and Woodford.

This was one of the only times that voting area boundaries changed between 1955 and 1974. The new Wanstead and Woodford area was very similar to the older Woodford area.

In 1997, the Wanstead and Woodford constituency was closed down. Its parts were then added to new or existing constituencies:

  • Some parts (Church End and Monkhams wards) went to a new area called Chingford and Woodford Green.
  • Other parts (Snaresbrook and Wanstead wards) went to Leyton and Wanstead.
  • And some parts (Bridge, Clayhall, and Roding wards) were added to Ilford North.

There have been ideas to bring back the Wanstead and Woodford constituency in the future.

Who Represented Wanstead and Woodford?

Here are the Members of Parliament who represented Wanstead and Woodford:

Election Member Party
1964 Patrick Jenkin Conservative
1987 James Arbuthnot Conservative
1997 constituency abolished: see Chingford and Woodford Green, Ilford North & Leyton and Wanstead

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