First Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies explained

The First Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies was a review of constituency boundaries for the Westminster Parliament in the United Kingdom carried out by the Boundary Commissions created by the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949. The Commissions reported in 1954 and their recommendations took effect for the 1955 general election. Legal action over the procedure for such reviews resulted in the passage of the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1958.[1]

Summary of changes

Although the review was carried out only 5 years after the major overhaul of constituency boundaries enacted by the Representation of the People Act 1948 (taking effect for the 1950 general election), there were a number of significant changes, with the total number of seats increasing from 625 to 630. There were 36 new constituencies created and 31 abolished, resulting in a net increase of 5 constituencies which were all in England (506 to 511), with the number of constituencies in Wales (36), Scotland (71) and Northern Ireland (12) remaining the same.

There were changes to a further 137 constituencies involving the transfer of local authorities or wards/parishes therein. There were also minor changes to 42 constituencies which involved bringing the constituency boundaries in line with local authority boundaries which had been altered. The bulk of the changes affected the large cities outside London (Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield). There were only a few marginal changes in Wales and no changes in Northern Ireland.

During the period 1951 to 1953, 29 Statutory Instruments, affecting 66 constituencies, had been passed under the provisions of the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 to bring boundaries in line with those of local authorities.[2]

There was a considerable delay before the Second Periodic Review was completed and approved by Parliament and this did not come into effect until the February 1974 general election. The boundaries and constituencies introduced by the First Review were therefore in use for the general elections of 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966 and 1970.

List of constituencies created, abolished or altered

Source: Craig, F. W. S. (1972). Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. . Pages 49 to 116.

BC denotes a Borough Constituency; CC denotes a County Constituency.

England

CountySeats1950-55CreatedAbolishedMajor changesMinor changesSeats1955-74
Bedfordshire4Bedford CCMid Bedfordshire CC4
Berkshire6Reading BCReading North BCReading South BCNewbury CCWokingham CC5
Buckinghamshire55
Cambridgeshire22
Cheshire15Nantwich CCCrewe CCKnutsford CC

Northwich CC

16
Cornwall55
Cumberland44
Derbyshire10South East Derbyshire CCDerby North BC

Derby South BC

10
Devon10Plymouth, Devonport BCPlymouth, Sutton BC10
Dorset44
Durham18Jarrow CC(redesignated as a BC)

Gateshead East BC

Gateshead West BC

18
Essex24Chigwell CCSouth East Essex CCBillericay CCChelmsford CC

Southend East BC

Southend West BC

Woodford BC

26
Gloucestershire12Stroud CCStroud and Thornbury CCCirencester and Tewksbury CCSouth Gloucestershire CC

Bristol Central BC

Bristol North East BC

Bristol North West BC

Bristol South BC

Bristol South East BC

Bristol West BC

Gloucester BC12
Hampshire13Eastleigh CCBasingstoke CCNew Forest CC

Petersfield CC

Winchester CC

Southampton, Itchen BC

Southampton, Test BC

Portsmouth, Langstone BCPortsmouth South BC

Portsmouth West BC

14
Herefordshire22
Hertfordshire7East Hertfordshire CCBarnet CCHertford CC

Hitchin CC

St Albans CC

8
Huntingdonshire11
Isle of Ely11
Isle of Wight11
Kent18Erith and Crayford BCChislehurst CCGravesend CC

Orpington CC

Dartford BC

(redesignated as a CC)

Rochester and Chatham BC19
Lancashire64Blackburn BCManchester, Openshaw BCBlackburn East BCBlackburn West BC

Droylesden BC

Manchester, Clayton BC

Chorley CCDarwen CC

Ormskirk CC

Ashton-under-Lyne BC

Bootle BC

Crosby BC

Liverpool, Edge Hill BC

Liverpool, Exchange BC

Liverpool, Garston BC

Liverpool, Kirkdale BC

Liverpool, Walton BC

Liverpool, Wavertree BC

Liverpool, West Derby BC

Manchester, Ardwick BC

Manchester, Cheetham BC

Manchester, Exchange BC

Manchester, Gorton BC

Manchester, Withington BC

Manchester, Wythenshawe BC

Huyton CCNewton CC

Widnes CC

Liverpool, Scotland BC

Liverpool, Toxteth BC

Oldham East BC

Oldham West BC

St Helens BC

Warrington BC

62
Leicestershire8Harborough CCLeicester South East BCBosworth CCLoughborough CC8
Lincolnshire(Parts of Holland)11
Lincolnshire(Parts of Kesteven)

and Rutlandshire

22
Lincolnshire(Parts of Lindsey)66
London43Barons Court BCFulham BC

Hackney Central BC

Fulham East BCFulham West BC

Hammersmith South BC

Hackney South BC

Bethnal Green BCHammersmith North BC

Stoke Newington and

Hackney North BC

Woolwich East BCWoolwich West BC42
Middlesex28Feltham BCSpelthorne CCHarrow Central BC

Harrow East BC

Harrow West BC

Heston and Isleworth BC

29
Norfolk88
Northamptonshire55
Northumberland10Newcastle upon Tyne Central BCNewcastle upon Tyne West BC10
Nottinghamshire10Ashfield CCNottingham North BC

Nottingham West BC

Broxtowe CCNottingham East BC

Nottingham North West BC

Bassetlaw CCMansfield CC

Newark CC

Rushcliffe CC

Nottingham Central BC

Nottingham South BC

10
Oxfordshire33
Shropshire44
Somerset77
Staffordshire18Walsall North BCWalsall South BCWalsall BCCannock CCLichfield and Tamworth CC

Wednesbury BC

Wolverhampton North East BC

Wolverhampton South West BC

Brierley Hill CCBilston BC

Rowley Regis and Tipton BC

Stoke-on-Trent Central BC

Stoke-on-Trent North BC

Stoke-on-Trent South BC

19
Suffolk55
Surrey19Croydon North East BCCroydon North West BC

Croydon South BC

Surbiton BC

Croydon East BCCroydon North BC

Croydon West BC

Kingston upon Thames BCWimbledon BC20
Sussex (East)7Rye CCEastbourne CCEast Grinstead CC

Lewes CC

Hastings BC

Brighton, Kemptown BCBrighton, Pavilion BC8
Sussex (West)44
Warwickshire22Meriden CCBirmingham, All Saints BC

Birmingham, Selly Oak BC

Birmingham, Erdington BCBirmingham, King's Norton BCNuneaton CCSutton Coldfield CC

(redesignated as a BC)

Birmingham, Aston BC

Birmingham, Handsworth BC

Birmingham, Ladywood BC

Birmingham, Northfield BC

Birmingham, Small Heath BC

Birmingham, Sparkbrook BC

Birmingham, Stechford BC

Birmingham, Yardley BC

23
Westmorland11
Wiltshire55
Worcestershire6Dudley BC6
Yorkshire(East Riding)6Haltemprice CCHowden CC

Kingston upon Hull West BC

Beverley CCKingston upon Hull,

Haltemprice BC

Kingston upon Hull Central BC

Bridlington BCKingston upon Hull East BC

Kingston upon Hull North BC

6
Yorkshire(North Riding)66
Yorkshire(West Riding)46Bradford West BCLeeds East BCBradford Central BCLeeds Central BC

Leeds North BC

Sheffield, Neepsend BC

Colne Valley CCHemsworth CC

Penistone CC

Bradford East BC

Bradford North BC

Bradford South BC

Brighouse and Spenborough BC

Dewsbury BC

Huddersfield East BC

Huddersfield West BC

Leeds North East BC

Leeds North West BC

Leeds South East BC

Leeds West BC

Sheffield, Attercliffe BC

Sheffield, Brightside BC

Sheffield, Hallam BC

Sheffield, Heeley BC

Sheffield, Hillsborough BC

Sheffield, Park BC

44

Wales

CountySeats1950-55CreatedAbolishedMajor changesMinor changesSeats1955-74
Anglesey11
Breconshire andRadnorshire11
Caernarvonshire22
Cardiganshire11
Carmarthenshire2Carmarthen CCLlanelly CC2
Denbighshire22
Flintshire22
Glamorganshire16Swansea East BCSwansea West BC16
Merionethshire11
Monmouthshire6Monmouth CCNewport BC6
Montgomeryshire11
Pembrokeshire11

Scotland

CountySeats1950-55CreatedAbolishedMajor changesMinor changesSeats1955-74
Aberdeenshire4Aberdeenshire East CCAberdeenshire West CCAberdeen North BCAberdeen South BC4
Angus andKincardineshire44
Argyll11
Ayrshire and Bute5Bute and North Ayrshire CCCentral Ayrshire CC5
Banffshire11
Berwickshire andEast Lothian11
Caithness andSutherland11
Dumfriesshire11
Dunbartonshire22
Fife44
Inverness-shire andRoss and Cromarty33
Kirkcudbrightshireand Wigtownshire11
Lanarkshire22Glasgow, Craigton BCGlasgow, Provan BCGlasgow, Camlachie BCGlasgow, Tradeston BCGlasgow, Bridgeton BCGlasgow Central BC

Glasgow, Gorbals BC

Glasgow, Govan BC

Glasgow, Hillhead BC

Glasgow, Kelvingrove BC

Glasgow, Pollok BC

Glasgow, Scotstoun BC

Glasgow, Springburn BC

Glasgow, Woodside BC

22
Midlothian7Midlothian CCEdinburgh Central BCEdinburgh North BC

Edinburgh, Pentlands BC

Edinburgh West BC

Edinburgh East BC8
Midlothian andPeeblesshire1Midlothian and Peebles CC-
Moray and Nairnshire11
Orkney and Shetland11
Perthshire andKinross-shire22
Renfrewshire44
Roxburghshire andSelkirkshire1Roxburgh and Selkirk CC-
Roxburghshire,Selkirkshire and

Peebleshire

-Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles CC1
Stirlingshire andClackmannanshire3West Stirlingshire CCStirling and Falkirk Burghs BC3
West Lothian11

Northern Ireland

CountySeats1950-55CreatedAbolishedMajor changesMinor changesSeats1955-74
Antrim66
Armagh11
Down22
Fermanaghand Tyrone22
Londonderry11

Details of major changes

Abbreviations

BC denotes a Borough Constituency; CC denotes a County Constituency.

CB - County borough; MB - Metropolitan borough; UD - Urban district; RD - Rural district

Berkshire (minus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Cheshire (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Derbyshire (boundary changes)

The parishes of Chaddesden and Littleover in Shardlow RD were transferred from South-East Derbyshire CC to Derby North BC and Derby South BC respectively.

Devon (boundary changes)

Durham (boundary changes)

East Sussex (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Essex (plus 2 seats, boundary changes)

Gloucestershire (seat and boundary changes)

Hampshire (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Hertfordshire (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Kent (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Lancashire (minus 2 seats, seat and boundary changes)

Leicestershire (boundary change)

London (minus 1 seat, seat and boundary changes)

Middlesex (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Northumberland (boundary change)

Nottinghamshire (seat and boundary changes)

Staffordshire (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Surrey (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Warwickshire (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)

Yorkshire, East Riding (seat and boundary changes)

Yorkshire, West Riding (minus 2 seats, boundary changes)

Aberdeenshire (boundary change)

Lanarkshire (seat and boundary changes)

Midlothian (boundary changes)

Midlothian, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire (seat and boundary changes)

Notes and References

  1. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:254IlF81NCwJ:www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-05628.pdf+The+Rules+for+the+Redistribution+of+Seats+%E2%80%93+History+and+Reform+(SN/PC/05628,+28+July+2010)&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShd3QeMe88u2MNxm_MN9P9YyHqL5227Ny-6TyLKgzkk_caGIBFoT5CHZoZsxoLwJXUHsmR5-QdkE0GPFEgnzX4WzO_44tgRoqkOeCnMdmjps3GQGTxdCooc4P7M7S976f5YuzPd&sig=AHIEtbQk1_SwhWJKez5edh6UGIchzFEN-w O Gay, The Rules for the Redistribution of Seats – History and Reform (SN/PC/05628, 28 July 2010), p. 4
  2. Book: Craig, Fred W. S.. Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. 1972. Political Reference Publications. 0900178094. Chichester. 539011.