Eton and Slough (UK Parliament constituency)

Eton and Slough
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
County Buckinghamshire
1950–1983
Number of members One
Replaced by Slough, and Windsor and Maidenhead
1945–1950
Number of members One
Type of constituency County constituency
Created from Wycombe

Eton and Slough was a parliamentary 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 voting system.

The constituency was created in 1945 as part of an interim redistribution of seats in areas which had experienced large population growth since the last redistribution had taken effect in 1918. The 1945 redistribution preceded the first general review of constituencies by a permanent Boundary Commission for England which had been established in 1944. Before 1945 the area had formed part of the Wycombe constituency.

The constituency had some nationally known MPs: Fenner Brockway was a noted internationalist; Anthony Meyer, who later became MP for a constituency in Flintshire, Wales, challenged Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a "stalking horse" leadership candidate in 1989; and Joan Lestor, who later served as MP for Eccles, Greater Manchester, was a government minister and a founder of anti-fascist newsletter Searchlight. The seat contained a prestigious public school (Eton College), yet had Labour MPs for most of its history, mostly because of the inclusion of the new town of Slough, which mainly voted for Labour. The sole occasion a Conservative MP won the seat in 1964, was represented by an Old Etonian, Anthony Meyer.

Boundaries

1945–1950: Eton and Slough was established as a County Constituency comprising part of the administrative county of Buckinghamshire. It comprised the southernmost part of that county, consisting of the Municipal Borough of Slough, the Eton Urban District and the Eton Rural District.[1]

1950–1983: As a result of the first general review Eton and Slough became a borough constituency. The Municipal Borough of Slough and the Eton Urban District continued to be in the constituency, but Eton Rural District was transferred to the new South Buckinghamshire constituency.[1]

There were considerable changes in English local government in 1974 with the areas forming the constituency being transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire. However, there were no changes to parliamentary boundaries until 1983. In that year the constituency was abolished, with Eton becoming part of the Windsor and Maidenhead seat and Slough forming the new Slough constituency.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[2] Party
1945Benn LevyLabour
1950Fenner BrockwayLabour
1964Sir Anthony MeyerConservative
1966Joan LestorLabour
1983 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Eton and Slough[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Benn Levy 25,711 45.5 N/A
Conservative Edward Cobb 23,287 41.2 N/A
Liberal Aubrey Ward 7,487 13.3 N/A
Majority 2,424 4.3 N/A
Turnout 56,485 71.9 N/A
Registered electors 78,512
Labour gain from new seat Swing N/A

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1950: Eton and Slough[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Fenner Brockway 19,987 48.5 +3.0
Conservative Edward Cobb 15,594 37.8 -3.4
Liberal Sinclair Charles Wood 5,026 12.2 -1.1
Communist Peter Smith[5] 614 1.5 N/A
Majority 4,393 10.7 +6.4
Turnout 41,221 85.7 +13.8
Registered electors 48,401
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1951: Eton and Slough[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Fenner Brockway 22,732 55.0 +6.4
Conservative Victor R Rees 18,648 45.0 +7.2
Majority 4,084 9.9 -0.8
Turnout 41,380 84.3 -1.4
Registered electors 49,071
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955: Eton and Slough[4][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Fenner Brockway 20.567 53.2 -1.8
Conservative John Grant 18,124 46.8 +1.8
Majority 2,443 6.3 -3.6
Turnout 38,691 79.8 -4.5
Registered electors 48,459
Labour hold Swing -1.8
General Election 1959: Eton and Slough[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Fenner Brockway 20.851 50.1 -3.1
Conservative John Page 20,763 49.9 +3.1
Majority 88 0.21 -6.1
Turnout 41,614 79.9 +0.1
Registered electors 52,114
Labour hold Swing -3.1

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1964: Eton and Slough[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Anthony Meyer 22,681 50.1 +0.1
Labour Fenner Brockway 22,670 49.9 -0.1
Majority 11 0.02
Turnout 45,351 80.0 +0.1
Registered electors 56,725
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +0.1
General Election 1966: Eton and Slough[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Joan Lestor 26,553 54.8 +4.9
Conservative Anthony Meyer 21,890 45.2 -4.9
Majority 4,663 9.6
Turnout 48,443 85.3 +5.3
Registered electors 56,795
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.9

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1970: Eton and Slough[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Joan Lestor 24,103 49.2 -5.6
Conservative Nigel Lawson 21,436 43.8 -1.4
Liberal Peter G. D. Naylor 3,407 7.0 N/A
Majority 2,667 5.5 -4.1
Turnout 48,946 77.9 -7.4
Registered electors 62,875
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Eton and Slough[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Joan Lestor 22,919 45.0 -4.2
Conservative S. Dolland 16,028 31.5 -12.3
Liberal Philip Goldenberg 10,051 19.8 +12.5
National Front A. P. Coniam 1,541 3.0 N/A
Ind. Conservative S. H. Crevald 344 0.7 N/A
Majority 6,891 13.5 +8.0
Turnout 50,883 80.6 +2.7
Registered electors 63,167
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Eton and Slough[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Joan Lestor 22,238 47.9 +2.9
Conservative S. Dolland 14,575 31.4 -0.1
Liberal Philip Goldenberg 8,213 17.7 -2.1
National Front A. P. Coniam 1,241 2.7 -0.3
Independent John E. Renton 120 0.3 N/A
Majority 7,663 16.5 +3.0
Turnout 46,387 72.7 -7.9
Registered electors 63,794
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1979: Eton and Slough
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Joan Lestor 20,710 42.6 -5.3
Conservative Christopher Ward 19,370 39.8 +8.4
Liberal Philip Goldenberg 5,254 10.8 -6.9
Ind. Conservative George Brooker 2,359 4.9 N/A
National Front D. Jones 943 1.9 -0.8
Majority 1,340 2.8 -13.7
Turnout 48,636 74.9 +2.2
Registered electors 64,916
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. 1 2 Youngs, Frederic A, Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 714–175. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
  2. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
  3. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 British Parliamentary Election Results 1950–1974
  5. ↑ Walker, Michael. "Peter Leonard Niall Smith". Hayes People History. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  6. ↑ The Times Guide to the House of Commons. 1951.
  7. ↑ The Times Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.


  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972, compiled and edited by F. W. S. Craig (Political Reference Publications, 1972) ISBN 0-900178-09-4
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press, revised edition, 1977) ISBN 0-333-23048-5
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1950–1973, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services, 2nd edition, 1983) ISBN 0-900178-07-8
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1974–1983, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1984) ISBN 0-900178-23-X
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