Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency)

Boundaries

1885–1918

The South-Western or Walthamstow Division of the parliamentary county of Essex was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the existing seat of South Essex was divided into three single-member constituencies.

The constituency consisted of the three civil parishes of Leyton, Woodford and Walthamstow. The area lay on the periphery of the London conurbation and became increasingly suburban over its existence.

The seat was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1918. Two new constituencies were created with Walthamstow Urban District divided between Walthamstow East and Walthamstow West.

From 1974

1974–1983: The London Borough of Waltham Forest wards of Higham Hill, High Street, Hoe Street, St James Street, and Wood Street.

1983–1997: As above plus Lloyd Park.

1997–2010: As above plus Chapel End and Lea Bridge.

2010–2022: The London Borough of Waltham Forest wards of Chapel End, Higham Hill, High Street, Hoe Street, Lea Bridge, Markhouse, William Morris, and Wood Street.[[File:Walthamstow 2023 Constituency.svg|thumb|Walthamstow from 2024]]2022–present: Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2022, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the London Borough of Waltham Forest:

• Chapel End; Higham Hill; High Street; Hoe Street (most); Lea Bridge; Markhouse; St James; William Morris; Wood Street; Upper Walthamstow (part); and small parts of Hale End and Highams Park South, Larkswood, and Leyton. The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structure in place at 1 December 2020, left the boundaries unchanged.

History

The seat has been represented by the Labour Party since 1992, before which it was won on a marginal majority in 1987 by a Conservative, having until then (since its 1974 recreation as a seat) been served by one Labour MP, Eric Deakins.

In 2015, Creasy's re-election saw Walthamstow become Labours' second-safest London seat, and tenth-safest nationally.

Prominent frontbenchers

Stella Creasy, the present member, was the Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention.

Constituency profile

The Walthamstow constituency is part of the Outer London commuter belt between London and rural Essex. The seat is closest to Stratford, with its international rail connections, major city shopping centre and London's Olympic Park. To the East the seat borders Walthamstow Forest and Gilbert's Slade, thin sections of Epping Forest, and to the West, the Lea Valley. To the south west is the green spaces of the Walthamstow Marshes. At the north of the constituency is the suburb of Chapel End close to the North Circular Road. The eponymous district had an open space feature a greyhound racing track, which has been redeveloped into a modernist housing and green space scheme. Other landmarks include Walthamstow Market and the William Morris Gallery. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly higher than the national average of 3.8% and Greater London average of 4%, at 7.2% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian. In 1991, Walthamstow was 70.7% White, 13% Asian and 11.1% Black. Since then the constituency has become more increasingly diverse.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

|reg. electors = 70,268 |reg. electors = 67,957 |reg. electors = 67,015

|access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 64,625

Elections in the 2000s

|access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 63,079 |access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 64,403

Elections in the 1990s

|reg. electors = 63,818 |access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 49,140

Elections in the 1980s

|access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 48,691 |access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 48,324

Elections in the 1970s

|access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 49,315 |access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 52,280 |access-date=2 September 2012 |reg. electors = 51,907

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914–15: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Liberal: Emslie Horniman
• Unionist: Stanley Johnson

|reg. electors = 39,117

|reg. electors = 39,117 |reg. electors = 39,117

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 35,321

|reg. electors = 24,187

Elections in the 1890s

|reg. electors = 19,845 |reg. electors = 17,747 |reg. electors = 15,323

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 11,233 |reg. electors = 11,233

Notes

References

;Specific

;General

References

1. Leyton was divided into two seats: [[Leyton East (UK Parliament constituency). Leyton East]] and [[Leyton West]], while Wanstead was included in the [[Epping (UK Parliament constituency). Epping]] constituency. (Youngs, p. 727)
2. LGBCE. "Waltham Forest {{!}} LGBCE".
3. "The London Borough of Waltham Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2021".
4. "New Seat Details – Walthamstow".
5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
6. "Labour Members of Parliament 2015".
7. "BBC NEWS {{!}} VOTE 2001 {{!}} RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES {{!}} Walthamstow".
8. [https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/nov/17/unemployment-and-employment-statistics-economics Unemployment claimants by constituency] ''[[The Guardian]]''
9. Anwar, Muhammad. "Race and Elections: The Participation of Ethnic Minorities in Politics".
10. "Ethnicity: JSNA {{!}} London Borough of Waltham Forest".
11. {{Rayment-hc. w. 1. (March 2012)
12. "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED AND NOTICE OF POLL".
13. (5 July 2024). "Stella Creasy says Walthamstow 'rejected hate and division' in election speech".
14. "Walthamstow Parliamentary constituency". BBC.
15. "Walthamstow parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
16. "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis". [[House of Commons Library]].
17. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
18. "London Green Party | 2015 General Election".
19. (4 February 2015). "TUSC parliamentary candidates in May 2015".
20. "Walthamstow". BBC.
21. (1980). "Election Expenses". [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].
22. (1974). "British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918". Macmillan Press.
23. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
24. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901