Regent's Park and Kensington North
Encyclopedia
Regent's Park and Kensington North was a constituency in Central London
and west London
represented in the House of Commons
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It elected one Member of Parliament
(MP) by the first past the post system of election.
& Kensington
. It was abolished at the 2010 general election.
With its stark contrasts between prosperity and deprivation, the constituency should have been highly competitive marginal between the Conservative Party
and Labour Party
in an even year, although for the three general elections of its existence it was won firmly by Labour. Before its creation it was considered a constituency likely to produce low swings which would be won on differential turnout, similar to its predecessor seats. However, in the political climate of the late 1990s and early 2000s this proved not to be the case.
, the Harrow Road
, Westbourne Green
, Maida Hill, Little Venice, parts of Queen's Park
, parts of Ladbroke Grove
and Notting Hill
as well as North Kensington
.
The electoral wards of the constituency were:
Despite the name, the seat did not include the area in the Regent's Park ward of the London Borough of Camden
.
receive two seats in its own right from the 2010 general election. As a result, Regent's Park and Kensington North was abolished with the Westminster section going into a reformed Westminster North
seat and the Kensington and Chelsea section going into a reformed Kensington
seat. These changes were implemented in 2010.
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
and west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
represented in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
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...
. It elected 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,...
(MP) by the first past the post system of election.
History
The constituency was created in 1997 from parts of the former seats of Westminster NorthWestminster North (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster North is a UK Parliamentary constituency in Central London and west London, comprising the northern part of the City of Westminster. It existed from 1983 to 1997...
& Kensington
Kensington (UK Parliament constituency)
Kensington is a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom in west London, comprising the northern and central parts of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around Kensington...
. It was abolished at the 2010 general election.
With its stark contrasts between prosperity and deprivation, the constituency should have been highly competitive marginal between the Conservative Party
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...
and Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in an even year, although for the three general elections of its existence it was won firmly by Labour. Before its creation it was considered a constituency likely to produce low swings which would be won on differential turnout, similar to its predecessor seats. However, in the political climate of the late 1990s and early 2000s this proved not to be the case.
Boundaries
The constituency covered the areas of St John's Wood, Maida ValeMaida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
, the Harrow Road
Harrow Road
The Harrow Road is an ancient route in Greater London which runs from Paddington in a northwesterly direction to Harrow. With minor deviations in the 19th and 20th centuries, the route remains otherwise unaltered...
, Westbourne Green
Westbourne Green
Westbourne Green is an area of London on the western edge of the City of Westminster.-Transport and locale:Nearby places*Paddington*Notting Hill*Bayswater*Warwick Avenue...
, Maida Hill, Little Venice, parts of Queen's Park
Queen's Park (London)
Queen's Park, managed by the City of London Corporation, is an area of northwest London, England, located on the boundary between the London Borough of Brent and the City of Westminster.-Toponymy:...
, parts of Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
and Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
as well as North Kensington
North Kensington
North Kensington is an area of west London lying north of Notting Hill Gate and south of Harrow Road.North Kensington is the key neighbourhood of Notting Hill...
.
The electoral wards of the constituency were:
- From the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: Avondale; Colville; Golborne; Kelfield; St Charles.
- From the City of Westminster: Church Street; Hamilton Terrace; Harrow Road; Little Venice; Lords; Maida Vale; Queen’s Park; Regent’s Park; Westbourne.
Despite the name, the seat did not include the area in the Regent's Park ward of the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
.
Abolition
The Boundary Commission proposed that the City of Westminster together with the sparsely populated City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
receive two seats in its own right from the 2010 general election. As a result, Regent's Park and Kensington North was abolished with the Westminster section going into a reformed Westminster North
Westminster North (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster North is a UK Parliamentary constituency in Central London and west London, comprising the northern part of the City of Westminster. It existed from 1983 to 1997...
seat and the Kensington and Chelsea section going into a reformed Kensington
Kensington (UK Parliament constituency)
Kensington is a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom in west London, comprising the northern and central parts of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around Kensington...
seat. These changes were implemented in 2010.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Karen Buck Karen Buck Karen Patricia Buck is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Regent's Park and Kensington North since 1997, and is a former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 2010 | constituency abolished: see Westminster North Westminster North (UK Parliament constituency) Westminster North is a UK Parliamentary constituency in Central London and west London, comprising the northern part of the City of Westminster. It existed from 1983 to 1997... & Kensington Kensington (UK Parliament constituency) Kensington is a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom in west London, comprising the northern and central parts of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around Kensington... |
||