Bournemouth East and Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)

Bournemouth East and Christchurch
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyHampshire
1950–February 1974
SeatsOne
Created fromBournemouth, and New Forest and Christchurch
Replaced byBournemouth East and Christchurch & Lymington

Bournemouth East and Christchurch was a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It returned one Member of Parliament, using the first past the post electoral system from the 1950 United Kingdom general election until the constituency was abolished in 1974.

The seat was based upon the eastern part of the seaside resort of Bournemouth and the neighbouring town of Christchurch, which were united for parliamentary purposes in 1950. The constituency was in the south west of the historic county of Hampshire in South East England.

It was held by the Conservative Party for the entirety of its existence, with the party gaining more than half of the votes cast at each election.

Boundaries

The County Borough of Bournemouth wards of Boscombe East, Boscombe West, King's Park, Queen's Park, Southbourne, and West Southbourne, and the Borough of Christchurch.

Before 1918 the County Borough of Bournemouth formed part of the then parliamentary borough of Christchurch. Under the Representation of the People Act 1918, Bournemouth became a single-member constituency, with the same boundaries as the then county borough. Christchurch became part of the new New Forest and Christchurch constituency.

In the 1950 redistribution of parliamentary seats, the Representation of the People Act 1948 provided for the division of Bournemouth and Christchurch into Bournemouth East and Christchurch and Bournemouth West.

In the 1974 redistribution, this constituency disappeared. The two new seats of Bournemouth East & Christchurch and Lymington then came into existence.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party Notes
1950 Brendan Bracken Conservative Previously MP for Bournemouth from by-election in 1945. Resigned January 1952 on being raised to the peerage
1952 by-election Nigel Nicolson Conservative
1959 John Cordle Conservative
Feb 1974 constituency abolished: see Bournemouth East & Christchurch and Lymington

Elections

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Bournemouth East and Christchurch
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brendan Bracken 27,677 58.81
Labour Dodo Lees 12,790 27.18
Liberal James Charles Holland 6,594 14.01
Majority 14,887 31.63
Turnout 47,061 84.98
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1951: Bournemouth East and Christchurch
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brendan Bracken 29,138 63.31
Labour Hallam J. Barnes 11,550 25.09
Liberal James Charles Holland 5,338 11.60
Majority 17,588 38.22
Turnout 46,026 80.84
Conservative hold Swing
1952 Bournemouth East and Christchurch by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Nicolson 22,480 61.85 −1.46
Labour R. D. Rees 8,498 23.38 −1.71
Liberal James Charles Holland 3,673 10.11 −1.49
Independent S. Kermode 1,693 4.66 New
Majority 13,982 38.47 +0.25
Turnout 36,334
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955:Bournemouth East and Christchurch
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Nicolson 28,757 65.55
Labour David Buckle 10,259 23.39
Liberal Brian Patrick Molony 4,851 11.06
Majority 18,498 42.16
Turnout 43,867 75.51
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Bournemouth East and Christchurch
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Cordle 29,014 62.34
Labour Jack D. Rutland 9,222 19.81
Liberal W.J. Wareham 8,308 17.85
Majority 19,792 42.53
Turnout 46,544 76.73
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Bournemouth East and Christchurch
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Cordle 26,852 56.41
Labour Alan G. Reynard 10,447 21.95
Liberal Alastair Campbell McLeish 10,304 21.65
Majority 16,405 34.46
Turnout 47,603 74.67
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Bournemouth East and Christchurch
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Cordle 27,047 55.95
Labour Clive S. Sabel 12,598 26.06
Liberal Alastair Campbell McLeish 8,698 17.99
Majority 14,449 29.89
Turnout 48,343 74.71
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Bournemouth East and Christchurch[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Cordle 31,104 62.36
Labour Tony C. Bisson 10,594 21.24
Liberal George K. Musgrave 8,182 16.40
Majority 20,510 41.12
Turnout 49,880 70.80
Conservative hold Swing

See also

References

  1. ^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1983)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)