Lowestoft (UK Parliament constituency)
Lowestoft | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Suffolk |
Major settlements | Lowestoft |
1885–1983 | |
Number of members | One |
Replaced by | Waveney and Great Yarmouth[1] |
Created from | East Suffolk |
Lowestoft was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.
History[]
The Northern or Lowestoft Division was one of five single-member county divisions of the Parliamentary County of Suffolk created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 to replace the existing two 2-member divisions for the 1885 general election. It was formed from parts of the Eastern Division of Suffolk. It became a county constituency from the 1950 general election and was abolished for the 1983 general election, being replaced by the county constituency of Waveney.
It was more often won by the Conservative Party than not, although its representatives include two from the Liberal Party and one from the Labour Party.
Boundaries and boundary changes[]
1885–1918: The Borough of Southwold, the Sessional Divisions of Beccles, Bungay, Lothingland, and Mutford, part of the Sessional Division of Blything, and the part of the Borough of Great Yarmouth in the county of Suffolk.[2]
As Great Yarmouth formed a separate Parliamentary Borough, only non-resident freeholders of the Borough were entitled to vote in this constituency.
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Beccles, Lowestoft, and Southwold, the Urban Districts of Bungay and Oulton Broad, the Rural Districts of Mutford and Lothingland, and Wangford, and in the Rural District of Blything the parishes of Benacre, Covehithe, Easton Bavents, Frostenden, Henstead, Reydon, South Cove, and Wrentham.[3]
1950–1983: The Boroughs of Beccles, Lowestoft, and Southwold, the Urban Districts of Bungay and Halesworth, and the Rural Districts of Lothingland and Wainford.[4]
Throughout its existence, the Lowestoft constituency covered the North-Eastern corner of Suffolk and, although encompassing some rural areas, drew the majority of its voters from the towns of Lowestoft, a resort and fishing port, and Beccles; it also included the smaller towns of Bungay and Southwold, with its brewing interests.
Southwold is now in the Suffolk Coastal constituency.
The constituency established in 1885, which was formally named The Northern or Lowestoft Division of Suffolk (and was sometimes referred to simply as "Suffolk North"), also included the town of Halesworth and the rural areas in between. In the boundary changes of 1918, when the constituency became simply the "Lowestoft Division of East Suffolk" or East Suffolk, Lowestoft, Halesworth was transferred to the neighbouring Eye division.
At the 1950 general election, Halesworth was once more placed in the revised Lowestoft County Constituency, but it otherwise underwent only minor changes to reflect local government reorganisation. The boundaries were not altered in the boundary review implemented in 1974.
The constituency was revised in 1983 and renamed Waveney, as its new boundaries were now identical with those of the local government district of that name. The new constituency was very similar to the old Lowestoft one except a small area in the north, including Bradwell (comprising about 10,000 voters), which had been transferred from Suffolk to Norfolk as a result of the Local Government Act 1972, and was now transferred to the county constituency of Great Yarmouth.
Boundary Changes 2024[]
Under the Boundary Commissions proposals to take place before the next United Kingdom General Election in 2024, it is proposed to abolish the current Waveney constituency, In favour of a new Lowestoft constituency. The proposals would see Lowestoft, Somerleyton and Beccles in the new constituency, whereas Bungay and The Saints would be transferred to a new North Suffolk Constituency.
Members of Parliament[]
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 | Sir Savile Crossley | Liberal | |
1886 | Liberal Unionist | ||
1892 | Harry Foster | Conservative | |
1900 | Lt Colonel Francis Lucas | Conservative | |
1906 | Edward Beauchamp | Liberal | |
1910 (January) | Harry Foster | Conservative | |
1910 (December) | Sir Edward Beauchamp | Liberal | |
1918 | Coalition Liberal | ||
1922 | Sir Gervais Rentoul | Conservative | |
1934 by-election | Pierse Loftus | Conservative | |
1945 | Edward Evans | Labour | |
1959 | Jim Prior | Conservative | |
1983 | constituency abolished, became Waveney |
Elections[]
Elections in the 1880s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Savile Crossley | 4,324 | 53.6 | ||
Conservative | Heneage Charles Bagot-Chester[7] | 3,743 | 46.4 | ||
Majority | 581 | 7.2 | |||
Turnout | 8,067 | 73.6 | |||
Registered electors | 10,956 | ||||
Liberal win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | Savile Crossley | Unopposed | |||
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal |
Elections in the 1890s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Foster | 5,099 | 56.6 | N/A | |
Liberal | James Judd[8] | 3,909 | 43.4 | New | |
Majority | 1,190 | 13.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,008 | 76.2 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 11,827 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Foster | 5,199 | 57.6 | +1.0 | |
Liberal | Alfred Sington | 3,820 | 42.4 | −1.0 | |
Majority | 1,379 | 15.2 | +2.0 | ||
Turnout | 9,019 | 74.2 | −2.0 | ||
Registered electors | 12,153 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.0 |
Elections in the 1900s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Francis Lucas | 5,077 | 60.3 | +2.7 | |
Liberal | Adam Adams | 3,348 | 39.7 | −2.7 | |
Majority | 1,729 | 20.6 | +5.4 | ||
Turnout | 8,425 | 66.5 | −7.7 | ||
Registered electors | 12,678 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.7 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d4/Edward_Beauchamp.jpg/145px-Edward_Beauchamp.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Edward Beauchamp | 6,510 | 57.0 | +17.3 | |
Conservative | Francis Lucas | 4,905 | 43.0 | −17.3 | |
Majority | 1,605 | 14.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 11,415 | 81.5 | +15.0 | ||
Registered electors | 14,002 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.3 |
Elections in the 1910s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harry Foster | 6,530 | 50.9 | +7.9 | |
Liberal | Edward Beauchamp | 6,294 | 49.1 | −7.9 | |
Majority | 236 | 1.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 12,824 | 85.0 | +3.5 | ||
Registered electors | 15,084 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Edward Beauchamp | 6,248 | 51.1 | +2.0 | |
Conservative | Harry Foster | 5,983 | 48.9 | −2.0 | |
Majority | 265 | 2.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 12,231 | 81.1 | −3.9 | ||
Registered electors | 15,084 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.0 |
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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Liberal: Edward Beauchamp
- Unionist:
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Liberal | Edward Beauchamp | Unopposed | ||
Liberal hold | |||||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Gervais Rentoul | 14,154 | 57.0 | New | |
National Liberal | Brograve Beauchamp | 6,205 | 24.9 | N/A | |
Labour | Robert Arthur Mellanby | 4,511 | 18.1 | New | |
Majority | 7,949 | 32.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 24,870 | 71.0 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 35,012 | ||||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Gervais Rentoul | 11,103 | 45.8 | −11.2 | |
Liberal | Frederick Paterson | 8,362 | 34.5 | +9.6 | |
Labour | Robert Arthur Mellanby | 4,788 | 19.7 | +1.6 | |
Majority | 2,741 | 11.3 | −19.8 | ||
Turnout | 24,253 | 67.6 | −3.4 | ||
Registered electors | 35,881 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −10.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Gervais Rentoul | 13,422 | 50.6 | +4.8 | |
Labour | Robert Arthur Mellanby | 6,570 | 24.8 | +5.1 | |
Liberal | Frederick Paterson | 6,532 | 24.6 | −9.9 | |
Majority | 6,852 | 25.8 | +14.5 | ||
Turnout | 26,524 | 73.0 | +5.4 | ||
Registered electors | 36,321 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −0.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Gervais Rentoul | 13,624 | 39.8 | −10.8 | |
Liberal | Albert Edward Owen-Jones | 10,707 | 31.3 | +6.7 | |
Labour | Basil Hall | 9,903 | 28.9 | +4.1 | |
Majority | 2,917 | 8.5 | −17.3 | ||
Turnout | 34,234 | 84.8 | +11.8 | ||
Registered electors | 46,359 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −8.8 |
Elections in the 1930s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Gervais Rentoul | 22,886 | 67.8 | +28.0 | |
Labour | E. J. C. Neep | 10,894 | 32.3 | +3.4 | |
Majority | 11,992 | 35.5 | +27.0 | ||
Turnout | 33,780 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Pierse Loftus | 15,912 | 47.9 | -19.9 | |
Labour | Reginald Sorensen | 13,992 | 42.1 | +9.8 | |
Liberal | William Smith | 3,304 | 10.0 | New | |
Majority | 1,920 | 5.8 | -29.7 | ||
Turnout | 48,900 | 67.9 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | -14.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Pierse Loftus | 21,064 | 61.21 | ||
Labour | Frederick Wise | 13,348 | 38.79 | ||
Majority | 7,716 | 22.42 | |||
Turnout | 34,412 | 69.00 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Pierse Loftus
- Labour: A D Belden
- Liberal:
Elections in the 1940s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edward Evans | 12,759 | 42.1 | +3.3 | |
Conservative | Pierse Loftus | 10,996 | 36.3 | -24.9 | |
Liberal | Matthew P Crosse | 6,545 | 21.6 | New | |
Majority | 1,763 | 5.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 44,679 | 67.8 | -1.2 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edward Evans | 20,838 | 44.83 | ||
Conservative | Philip Geoffrey Whitefoord | 17,516 | 37.68 | ||
Liberal | Ruth Crisp English | 8,132 | 17.49 | ||
Majority | 3,322 | 7.15 | |||
Turnout | 55,456 | 83.83 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edward Evans | 23,591 | 50.91 | ||
Conservative | Alfred Henry Willetts | 22,744 | 49.09 | ||
Majority | 847 | 1.82 | |||
Turnout | 56,582 | 81.89 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edward Evans | 23,587 | 52.12 | ||
Conservative | J T Griffiths | 21,672 | 47.88 | ||
Majority | 1,915 | 4.24 | |||
Turnout | 56,850 | 79.61 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Prior | 24,324 | 51.58 | ||
Labour | Edward Evans | 22,835 | 48.42 | ||
Majority | 1,489 | 3.16 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 49,653 | 64.4 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | −3.1 |
Elections in the 1960s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jim Prior | 23,976 | 47.80 | ||
Labour | Ronald Atkins | 21,272 | 42.41 | ||
Liberal | Charles Gordon A. Steele | 4,911 | 9.79 | ||
Majority | 2,704 | 5.39 | |||
Turnout | 60,775 | 82.53 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jim Prior | 24,063 | 46.03 | ||
Labour | Michael D Cornish | 23,705 | 45.34 | ||
Liberal | David R Crome | 4,513 | 8.63 | ||
Majority | 358 | 0.69 | |||
Turnout | 62,881 | 83.14 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1970s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jim Prior | 28,842 | 50.69 | ||
Labour | Douglas A Baker | 23,319 | 40.98 | ||
Liberal | David R Crome | 4737 | 8.33 | ||
Majority | 5,523 | 9.71 | |||
Turnout | 72,320 | 78.68 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jim Prior | 26,157 | 40.89 | ||
Labour | Douglas A Baker | 22,553 | 35.26 | ||
Liberal | P Hancock | 15,261 | 23.86 | ||
Majority | 3,604 | 5.63 | |||
Turnout | 76,350 | 83.79 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jim Prior | 25,510 | 42.43 | ||
Labour | Douglas A Baker | 23,448 | 39.00 | ||
Liberal | P Hancock | 11,165 | 18.57 | ||
Majority | 2,062 | 3.43 | |||
Turnout | 76,936 | 78.15 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jim Prior | 33,376 | 50.46 | ||
Labour | A Lark | 25,555 | 38.63 | ||
Liberal | B Skelcher | 6,783 | 10.25 | ||
Ecology | T Pye | 435 | 0.66 | New | |
Majority | 7,821 | 11.83 | |||
Turnout | 82,733 | 79.95 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
References[]
- ^ "'Lowestoft', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- ^ Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
- ^ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.
- ^ "Representation of the People Act, 1948". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ a b c The Liberal Year Book, 1907
- ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
- ^ "The Northern or Lowestoft Division of the County of Suffolk". Lowestoft Journal. 12 December 1885. p. 4. Retrieved 3 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Wodehouse, John (1997). Hawkins, Angus; Powell, John (eds.). The Journal of John Wodehouse, First Earl of Kimberley for 1862-1902. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521623285.
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
- ^ a b c d e f g Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- Robert Waller, The Almanac of British Politics (1st edition, London: Croom Helm, 1983)
- Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)
- The Constitutional Year Book, 1913
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 4)
- Parliamentary constituencies in Suffolk (historic)
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1885
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1983
- Lowestoft