Westminster (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Westminster was an area that elected people to the Parliament of England (until 1707), the Parliament of Great Britain (1707–1800), and then the Parliament of the United Kingdom (from 1801). For most of its history, it elected two members of parliament. After 1885, it elected only one.

This area first sent representatives to Parliament in 1545. It continued to do so until 1918, when the way parliamentary areas were drawn changed. Some famous people who represented Westminster include John Stuart Mill and Charles James Fox. Today, the closest area that elects MPs is called Cities of London and Westminster.

What areas did Westminster cover?

How the boundaries changed over time

The Westminster area was first created in 1545. It was formed from a part of Middlesex. It elected two members of parliament until 1885.

The City of Westminster is a central part of Inner London. Its southern edge is along the north side of the River Thames. Today, it is joined with Marylebone to the north. It is west of the smaller City of London and north of part of Lambeth. To its east are Holborn and St. Pancras, which were once part of a larger area called Finsbury. To its west are Kensington and Chelsea, which were grouped into a seat called Chelsea.

In 1885, the Westminster area was divided into three smaller areas, each electing one member. The main part of Westminster, including important places like the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall (where the government offices are), continued to be called Westminster. A new area called Strand was created to the north-east. Another area, St George's, Hanover Square, was created to the west.

In 1918, these three areas were changed again into two: Westminster St George's in the west and Westminster Abbey in the east. The Westminster Abbey area was slightly larger than the old 1885–1918 Westminster area.

Westminster's political history

Westminster was very important because it represented the heart of the British government. It had many voters, which meant that no single powerful person could easily control who was elected. Before 1832, many men who paid local property taxes could vote. Westminster had the most voters of any town, and only the large county area of Yorkshire had more. In the 1700s, there were about 8,000 to 12,000 voters. Because so many people could vote, elections were very expensive.

In the 1500s, officials from Westminster Abbey had a lot of influence. But as the area grew, their power became less important. The government also had some influence because of the royal homes and offices in the area. Sometimes, money was used to try and influence voters during close elections. Landowners could also try to affect results by threatening tenants who voted differently.

Sometimes, unfair methods were used to try and get certain candidates elected. For example, in 1741, an election was declared void because soldiers were used to close the voting early. The House of Commons strongly stated that having soldiers at an election was a serious attack on people's freedom and against the law.

By the 1700s, it was common for the elected members to be from important families, like sons of noblemen. This was because they were seen as worthy of representing such an important area.

The government spent a lot of money in 1780 and 1784 trying to defeat Charles James Fox, a leader of the opposition party. These elections were so costly that for the next election in 1790, the government and opposition agreed that each would have one member elected without a fight.

The last MP for the Westminster area was William Burdett-Coutts. He was born in the United States in 1851, but his grandparents were British. He represented the area from 1885 until 1918.

Members of Parliament

This section lists the people who represented Westminster in Parliament. The years shown are when the Parliament first met. If a second year is given, it's when that Parliament ended.

Members of Parliament 1545–1660

Members of Parliament 1660–1918

Fictional Member of Parliament

In the book The Way We Live Now (published 1875) by Anthony Trollope, a dishonest businessman named Augustus Melmotte became the MP for Westminster. He was elected as a Conservative.

Images for kids

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  Edward Spencer Beesly

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  Leif Jones