Bournemouth East and Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Bournemouth East and Christchurch is a former United Kingdom
Parliamentary
constituency. It returned one Member of Parliament
, using the first past the post electoral system from the United Kingdom general election, 1950
until the constituency was abolished in 1974.
The seat was based upon the eastern part of the seaside resort of Bournemouth
and the neighbouring town of Christchurch
, which were united for parliamentary purposes in 1950. The constituency was in the south west of the historic county of Hampshire
in South East England.
of Bournemouth
formed part of the then Christchurch
constituency. Under the Representation of the People Act 1918
Bournemouth became a single-member constituency, with the same borders as the then county borough. Christchurch became part of the New Forest and Christchurch
constituency.
In the 1950 redistribution of parliamentary seats, the Representation of the People Act 1948
provided for the division of Bournemouth and Christchurch
into Bournemouth East and Christchurch and Bournemouth West.
This seat comprised the then County Borough of Bournemouth wards of Boscombe East, Boscombe West, King's Park, Queen's Park, Southbourne, and West Southbourne with the Municipal Borough
of Christchurch. The exact boundaries of the wards and Municipal Borough were altered in 1964.
In the redistribution which took effect in early 1974, this constituency was divided. The two seats of Bournemouth East and Christchurch and Lymington
then came into existence.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Parliamentary
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
constituency. It returned one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, using the first past the post electoral system from the United Kingdom general election, 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
until the constituency was abolished in 1974.
The seat was based upon the eastern part of the seaside resort of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and the neighbouring town of Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, which were united for parliamentary purposes in 1950. The constituency was in the south west of the historic county of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in South East England.
Boundaries
Before 1918 the County BoroughCounty borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
formed part of the then Christchurch
Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Centred on the town of Christchurch in Dorset, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
constituency. Under the Representation of the People Act 1918
Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
Bournemouth became a single-member constituency, with the same borders as the then county borough. Christchurch became part of the New Forest and Christchurch
New Forest and Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
New Forest and Christchurch was a county constituency in Hampshire which elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
constituency.
In the 1950 redistribution of parliamentary seats, the Representation of the People Act 1948
Representation of the People Act 1948
The Representation of the People Act 1948 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the law relating to parliamentary and local elections...
provided for the division of Bournemouth and Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
into Bournemouth East and Christchurch and Bournemouth West.
This seat comprised the then County Borough of Bournemouth wards of Boscombe East, Boscombe West, King's Park, Queen's Park, Southbourne, and West Southbourne with the Municipal Borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of Christchurch. The exact boundaries of the wards and Municipal Borough were altered in 1964.
In the redistribution which took effect in early 1974, this constituency was divided. The two seats of Bournemouth East and Christchurch and Lymington
Christchurch and Lymington (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch and Lymington was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Christchurch and Lymington in Hampshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
then came into existence.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 United Kingdom general election, 1950 The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five... |
Rt Hon Brendan Bracken Brendan Bracken, 1st Viscount Bracken Brendan Randell Bracken, 1st Viscount Bracken PC was an Irish businessman and a minister in the British Conservative cabinet. Primarily, the 1st Viscount Bracken is remembered for opposing the Bank of England's co-operation with Adolf Hitler, and for subsequently supporting Winston Churchill's... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1952 by-election Bournemouth East and Christchurch by-election, 1952 The Bournemouth East and Christchurch by-election of 6 February 1952 was held after Conservative Member of Parliament Brendan Bracken was elevated to the House of Lords. The seat was retained by the Conservatives.-Results:... |
Nigel Nicolson Nigel Nicolson Nigel Nicolson OBE was a British writer, publisher and politician.-Biography:Nicolson was the son of the writers Sir Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West; he had a brother Ben, later an art historian... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1959 United Kingdom general election, 1959 This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan... |
John Cordle | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| February 1974 United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
constituency abolished | ||