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Westminster and the City of London (electoral division)

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Westminster and the City of London was an electoral division for the purposes of elections to the Greater London Council. The constituency elected four councillors for a three-year term in 1964, 1967 and 1970. Desmond Plummer, the leader of the Greater London Council from 1967 to 1973, was elected from the division.

Westminster and the City of London
Former electoral division
for the Greater London Council
Map
Westminster and the City of London electoral division boundaries
DistrictCity of Westminster and City of London
Population244,710 (1969 estimate)
Electorate
  • 192,744 (1964)
  • 180,968 (1967)
  • 174,838 (1970)
Major settlementsCity of London, Marylebone, Paddington, Westminster
Area6,010.2 acres (24.322 km2)
Former electoral division
Created1965
Abolished1973
Member(s)4
Replaced byCity of London and Westminster South, St Marylebone and Paddington

History

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It was planned to use the same boundaries as the Westminster Parliament constituencies for election of councillors to the Greater London Council (GLC), as had been the practice for elections to the predecessor London County Council, but those that existed in 1965 crossed the Greater London boundary. Until new constituencies could be settled, the 32 London boroughs were used as electoral areas. The City of Westminster was joined with the City of London for this purpose, creating a constituency called Westminster and the City of London. It replaced the London County Council constituencies of Cities of London and Westminster, Paddington North, Paddington South and St Marylebone.

Covering much of the innermost part of London, including large parts of Central London and the West End of London, the area was in a long-term period of population decline that was yet to reverse. The electorate reduced from 192,744 in 1964 to 174,838 in 1970. The population in 1969 was estimated to be 244,710. Covering an area of 6,010.2 acres (24.322 km2), the population density was 40.7 inhabitants per acre (10,100/km2).

The electoral division was replaced from 1973 by the single-member electoral divisions of City of London and Westminster South, St Marylebone and Paddington.[1]

Elections

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The Westminster and the City of London constituency was used for the Greater London Council elections in 1964,[2] 1967[3] and 1970.[4] Four councillors were elected at each election using first-past-the-post voting.[5] Desmond Plummer, who was successful at all three elections, was Leader of the Greater London Council from 1967 to 1973.

1964 election

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The first election was held on 9 April 1964, a year before the council came into its powers. The electorate was 192,744 and four Conservative Party councillors were elected. With 72,835 people voting, the turnout was 37.8%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term. Of those elected, Desmond Plummer and Louis Gluckstein were previously LCC councillors for St Marylebone, Samuel Isidore Salmon had been a councillor for Cities of London and Westminster since 1949 and Harold Sebag-Montefiore had unsuccessfully stood for Paddington North in 1961.

1964 Greater London Council election: Westminster and the City of London
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Louis Gluckstein 40,109
Conservative Harold Sebag-Montefiore 39,856
Conservative Samuel Isidore Salmon 39,703
Conservative Desmond Plummer 39,581
Labour J. J. Curran 25,735
Labour H. E. Browne 25,511
Labour Countess Lucan 25,136
Labour B. C. G. Whitaker 24,856
Liberal Timothy Wentworth Beaumont 4,996
Liberal Richard L. Afton 4,405
Liberal Arthur William Robert Capel 4,112
Liberal Lady Ruth Abrahams 4,035
Communist L. R. Temple 1,758
Turnout
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

1967 election

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The second election was held on 13 April 1967. The electorate was 180,968 and four Conservative Party councillors were elected. With 60,718 people voting, the turnout was 33.6%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1967 Greater London Council election: Westminster and the City of London
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harold Sebag-Montefiore 38,447
Conservative Desmond Plummer 38,238
Conservative Roland Freeman 38,092
Conservative Michael Grylls 37,305
Labour D. R. Goodman 15,574
Labour J. Fairhead 15,433
Labour Countess Lucan 15,175
Labour Lady Kennet 15,040
Liberal D. A. T. Savill 4,283
Liberal T. P. M. Houston 4,264
Liberal Arthur William Robert Capel 4,208
Liberal J. Steel 3,785
Communist L. R. Temple 1,340
Independent Carnaby Harry Fox 1,081
Independent G. E. F. Bate 697
Independent Carnaby Henry Moss 659
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Harry Fox and Henry Moss stood for election as a stunt to promote the Lady Jane boutique on Carnaby Street. Roland Freeman later represented Finchley from 1975 to 1981.

1970 election

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The third election was held on 9 April 1970. The electorate was 174,838 and four Conservative Party councillors were elected. With 52,578 people voting, the turnout was 30.1%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1970 Greater London Council election: Westminster and the City of London
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Desmond Plummer 31,742
Conservative Harold Sebag-Montefiore 31,307
Conservative Maurice Patrick Gaffney 30,960
Conservative Mervyn Scorgie 30,773
Labour W. M. Bryden 16,930
Labour G. E. Haywood 16,639
Labour K. McNicholas 16,552
Labour S. L. Saunders 16,280
Liberal M. M. G. Andrews 1,533
Liberal J. Steel 1,456
Liberal E. Pemberton 1,452
Liberal D. Miss Hart 1,286
Homes Before Roads D. Hart 1,110
Homes Before Roads D. J. Dux 1,021
Homes Before Roads J. H. Larrett 844
Communist L. R. Temple 823
Communist J. A. Henry 822
Homes Before Roads A. E Watkins 745
Union Movement P. J. F. Crisp 321
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "The Greater London (Electoral Areas) Order 1972" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. 20 June 1972. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  2. ^ "General Election of Greater London Councillors" (PDF). 9 April 1964. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  3. ^ "General Election of Greater London Councillors" (PDF). 13 April 1967. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Greater London Council Election" (PDF). 9 April 1970. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  5. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Greater London Council Election results: Cities of London and Westminster". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
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