Harrow West

Constituency profile

The area covers the largely Georgian conservation area on a stand-alone, partly park-lined hill which hosts the famous Harrow School; it also includes the urban Harrow town centre, as well as suburban streets of homes with good-sized gardens and well-kept small parklands. The seat has fast London Underground links to the city centre and rail services, few dual carriageways and few high speed roads. In 1981, 13.3% of the constiuency were non-White.

Political history

;Summary of results The Labour Party have held the seat since 1997, with the Conservative Party second-placed in each election. The 2015 result made the seat the 215th safest of the party's 232 seats (by majority percentage), and thus the 18th most marginal seat. Thomas's majority has ranged from 2.3% in 1997 to 26.4% in 2017.

Unlike Harrow East, it had always been won by the Conservative Party until Labour's landslide in 1997, when a swing of 17.5% was the eighth-highest swing in that election; it was the safest Tory seat lost to Labour. Its electorate produced another better than average result for Labour in 2001, with a swing from the Conservatives to Labour of 5.4%, bettered in only four seats out of 650. The 2005 challenge by future Conservative MP Mike Freer produced a pro-Conservative swing of 4.5%.

The 2010 inceptive seat saw a notional swing to the Tories in line with that nationally of 5.7%; in overall outcome the incumbent Labour MP's swing increased. The Harrow West and East seats now present as less marginal than they were in previous decades.

After a 1.1% swing to the Tories in 2015, the seat swung to Labour in 2017 by around 11%, with a local record number of votes for their incumbent candidate. At 34.4%, the Conservative vote share was the lowest in the seat's history, but the party received more votes in 2017 than in 2001 and 2010.

;Other parties UKIP, Liberal Democrat and Green Party candidates won less than 5% of the vote in 2015 and 2017, therefore forfeiting their deposits.

Boundaries

The constituency was created for the 1945 general election when the Harrow constituency was split into the new seats of Harrow East and Harrow West. It was reduced in size for the 1950 general election, when a third Harrow seat, Harrow Central, was created. The Boundary Commission review before the 1983 general election saw the London Borough of Harrow contained in two seats, resulting in Harrow West gaining parts of the abolished Harrow Central.

Historic

2010 boundaries

Reviewing such representation in North London, the Boundary Commission for England (de facto), as is custom agreed by Parliament, altered the area's limits to avoid malapportionment, as London's housing and rates of occupancy have altered. The western border district, town or neighbourhood of Pinner went to a new cross-Borough seat, Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, making its source, based on a ward breakdown of the last result, and mirrored by local election results, a stronger seat for Labour; this was coupled with the inclusion of Marlborough ward which had returned many Labour councillors since World War II.

Current

Following the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following wards of the London Borough of Harrow:

• Greenhill, Harrow on the Hill, Headstone, Marlborough, North Harrow, Rayners Lane, Roxbourne, Roxeth, Wealdstone North, Wealdstone South, and West Harrow.

Wealdstone was transferred in from Harrow East. Other minor changes to align boundaries with new ward structure.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

|reg. electors = 72,477

|reg. electors = 68,797

| |reg. electors = 69,644

Note: From 2010 historically Conservative-strong Pinner formed part of the new seat Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner. The 2010 changes are not based on the 2005 result as the constituency underwent major changes. |reg. electors = 68,554

Elections in the 2000s

|reg. electors = 74,133

|reg. electors = 74,083

Elections in the 1990s

|reg. electors = 72,146

|reg. electors = 69,616

Elections in the 1980s

|reg. electors = 74,041

|reg. electors = 73,151

Elections in the 1970s

|reg. electors = 56,907

|reg. electors = 56,641

|reg. electors = 56,122

|reg. electors = 57,418

Elections in the 1960s

|reg. electors = 53,210 |reg. electors = 53,756 |reg. electors = 53,756

Elections in the 1950s

|reg. electors = 54,295 |reg. electors = 54,616 |reg. electors = 46,979 |reg. electors = 46,599 |reg. electors = 46,781

Elections in the 1940s

|reg. electors = 73,024

Notes

References

References

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2. "Labour Members of Parliament 2015".
3. "Highest constituency swings in each general election since 1951".
4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
5. {{Rayment-hc. h. 1. (March 2012)
6. "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED AND NOTICE OF POLL".
7. "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". [[UK Parliament]].
8. [https://www.harrow.gov.uk/downloads/file/26709/statement-of-persons-nominated-and-notice-of-poll-harrow-west Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll] harrow.gov.uk
9. "Harrow West parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
10. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
11. (1 January 2004). "Election results for Harrow West, 7 May 2015".
12. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
13. "BBC News – Election 2010 – Constituency – Harrow West".
14. Changes based upon 2005 notional results
15. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
16. "Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
17. "Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
18. "Election Data 1992". [[Electoral Calculus]].
19. "Election Data 1987". [[Electoral Calculus]].
20. "Election Data 1983". [[Electoral Calculus]].
21. (1980). "Election Expenses". [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].
22. "1960 By Election Results".
23. "1951 By Election Results".