Luton was a constituency including the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1885 to 1974, elected by the first past the post system.
History The seat was created for the 1885 general election as one of two divisions of the county which succeeded Bedfordshire county constituency and was formally known as the Southern or Luton Division of Bedfordshire. The constituency adjoined the Northern or Biggleswade Division to the north of the county until 1918.
From the 1910s onwards the town of Luton and contiguous suburbs expanded, as recorded at the census in each decade, resulting in expanding electorates. This resulted in territory loss to newly formed seats in 1918 and 1950 and further population growth (coupled with a programme of new housing principally under the New Towns Act 1946) justified abolition and division into East and West seats in 1974.
Political summary Before 1945 The seat was Liberal-candidate held for 40 of the 46 years before 1931. The remaining six years had been won by Conservative and Unionist Party candidates, running under the emphasis of the party as 'Unionist'. In 1931, the sitting Liberal MP, Leslie Burgin, joined the Liberal Nationals (later the National Liberal Party).
After 1945 In the election landslide of 1945, the seat was won by the Labour Party, but recaptured at the next election by Charles Hill who served as a National Liberal, in coalition with the Conservatives, from 1950 until 1963, when he was made a life peer (Baron Hill of Luton). The resulting by-election was won by Labour which held it until 1970 when it was taken by the Conservative Party until the seat was abolished for the February 1974 general election.
Electorate size The electorate rose through house-building from a relatively modest 37,051 in 1918 to an over-sized (malapportioned) 95,227 in 1945.
In 1950 the electorate of the curtailed seat was 56,569; this rose to 62,457 in 1970, after which the seat was abolished, as recommended by the Boundary Commission, as set out in its Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies.
Boundaries and boundary changes 1885–1918 The Sessional Divisions of Luton, Leighton Buzzard, and Woburn; and Part of the Sessional Division of Ampthill.
The constituency was created as the Southern or Luton Division of Bedfordshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the two-member Parliamentary County of Bedfordshire was divided into the two single-member constituencies of Biggleswade and Luton.
1918–1950 The Boroughs of Luton and Dunstable; and The Rural District of Luton.
Northern and western parts of the Division, including Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural areas, were transferred to the new Mid Bedfordshire Division.
1950–1974 The Borough of Luton wards of Central, Crawley, Dallow, High Town, Icknield, Lewsey, South, Stopsley, Sundon Park, and Wardown.
The Leagrave and Limbury wards, together with the Borough of Dunstable and surrounding rural areas were included in the new constituency of South Bedfordshire. Reclassified as a borough constituency.
For the February 1974 general election the seat was abolished and was split into two new constituencies of Luton East and Luton West.
Members of Parliament ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1885 Cyril Flower LiberalMember for Brecon (1880–1885) 1892 by-election Samuel Whitbread Liberal 1895 Thomas Ashton Liberal 1911 by-election Cecil Harmsworth Liberal 1916 Coalition Liberal Jan 1922 National Liberal 1922 John Hewett Unionist 1923 Geoffrey Howard Liberal 1924 Terence O'Connor Unionist 1929Leslie Burgin Liberal 1931 National Liberal 1945 William Warbey Labour 1950 Charles Hill National Liberal and Conservative Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1957–1961)Elevated to the peerage as Baron Hill in June 1963 1963 by-election Will Howie Labour Comptroller of the Household (1967–1968) 1970 Charles Simeons ConservativeContested Luton East following redistribution Feb 1974constituency abolished: see Luton East and Luton West
Election results Election results 1885–1918 Elections in the 1880s
Flower was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1890s
Flower is elevated to the peerage as Lord Battersea.
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
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 from 1914 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Liberal: Cecil Harmsworth Unionist: John Owen HickmanLuton Times and Advertiser 15 May 1914
Election results 1918–1950 Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1940s 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; Liberal National: Leslie Burgin Labour: F. L. Kerran
Election results 1950–1974 Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
See also List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies
References