Reading North (UK Parliament constituency)
Reading North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency covered an area in and around the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire.
Reading North | |
---|---|
Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Reading North in Berkshire, boundaries 1974-83 | |
County | Berkshire |
Major settlements | Reading |
1950–1955 | |
Replaced by | Reading |
Created from | Reading |
1974–1983 | |
Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
Replaced by | Reading East and Reading West |
Created from | Reading |
History
The Reading North parliamentary constituency was first created for the 1950 general election by splitting the previous parliamentary constituency of Reading into North and South divisions. These constituencies were merged back into a single Reading constituency in for the 1955 general election.
The Reading North constituency was recreated in 1974, when it was contested and won for the Conservative Party by Tony Durant. In 1983 the constituencies in Reading were reorganised, creating the new constituencies of Reading East and Reading West. Tony Durant went on to hold the Reading West constituency until 1997.
In both its incarnations, the constituency included Reading town centre.
Boundaries
1950–1955: The County Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Battle, Castle, Caversham East, Caversham West, Tilehurst, and Victoria.[1]
It was then abolished and absorbed into the re-established Borough Constituency of Reading, with the exception of the Tilehurst ward, which was transferred to Newbury.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Battle, Castle, Caversham, Katesgrove, Minster, Norcot, Thames, and Tilehurst.[1]
The Tilehurst and Norcot wards were transferred back from Newbury; the remaining wards were previously part of the abolished Borough Constituency of Reading.
The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election, with the majority forming the basis of the new County Constituency of Reading West, whilst northern areas, including Caversham, formed part of the new County Constituency of Reading East.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1950–1955
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1950 | Ronald Mackay | Labour | |
1951 | Frederic Bennett | Conservative | |
1955 | constituency abolished: see Reading |
MPs 1974–1983
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
Feb 1974 | Tony Durant | Conservative | |
1983 | constituency abolished: see Reading East & Reading West |
Elections
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Kim Mackay | 15,681 | 46.02 | n/a | |
Conservative | John Marling | 15,154 | 44.48 | n/a | |
Liberal | J Michael Derrick | 3,238 | 9.50 | n/a | |
Majority | 527 | 1.55 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 34,073 | 86.79 | n/a | ||
Labour win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Frederic Bennett | 17,378 | 50.44 | ||
Labour | Kim Mackay | 17,076 | 49.56 | ||
Majority | 302 | 0.88 | |||
Turnout | 34,454 | 86.83 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tony Durant | 19,984 | 39.4 | n/a | |
Labour | M. J. Denby | 17,615 | 34.72 | n/a | |
Liberal | J. Burnett | 13,137 | 25.89 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,369 | 4.67 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 63,943 | 79.35 | n/a | ||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tony Durant | 18,734 | 40.2 | +0.8 | |
Labour | M. J. Denby | 18,266 | 39.15 | ||
Liberal | K. Watts | 9,064 | 19.43 | ||
National Front | P. Baker | 594 | 1.27 | ||
Majority | 468 | 1.0 | |||
Turnout | 64,484 | 72.36 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tony Durant | 25,085 | 50.58 | ||
Labour | D. M. Mason | 17,662 | 35.61 | ||
Liberal | P. Minton | 6,170 | 12.44 | ||
National Front | P. Baker | 554 | 1.12 | ||
Independent | L. W. Edwards | 126 | 0.25 | ||
Majority | 7,423 | 14.97 | |||
Turnout | 65,369 | 75.87 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
References
- Craig, Fred W.S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)
- "UK General Elections since 1832". Election results 1974–1979. Retrieved 3 July 2005.