Mitcham and Morden (UK Parliament constituency)

Mitcham and Morden
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Mitcham and Morden in Greater London.
County	Greater London
Electorate	67,074 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements	Colliers Wood, Mitcham, Morden and Merton
Current constituency
Created	1974
Member of parliament	Siobhain McDonagh (Labour)
Number of members	One
Created from	Mitcham Merton & Morden
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	London

Mitcham and Morden is a constituency^{[n 1]} in Greater London represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Siobhain McDonagh of the Labour Party.^{[n 2]}

History

The constituency was created in 1974 from the former seats of Mitcham and Merton & Morden. Between 1974 and 1982 it was represented by Bruce Douglas-Mann who was elected as a Labour MP but defected in 1982 to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). On defecting, he resigned his seat and sought re-election as an SDP MP, he was the only defector to have resigned his seat.

In the subsequent by-election held in May 1982 at the time of the Falklands War, Angela Rumbold of the Conservative Party was elected. This was the last time to date that a seat has been gained by a governing party in the UK at a by-election.^{[n 3]} It was also the last time the Conservative Party would gain (as opposed to win) at a by-election until 22 May 2008 when Edward Timpson took Crewe and Nantwich.

At the 1997 General Election the seat was won by Labour and Siobhain McDonagh was elected as Member of Parliament. At the 2001, 2005 and 2010 General Elections, she was re-elected and her majority is 13,666 (31.2%) ahead of the next candidate, a Conservative, polling the 26th highest share of the vote for the party of the 631 seats contested.^[2]

Boundaries

1974-1983: The London Borough of Merton wards of Mitcham Central, Mitcham East, Mitcham North, Mitcham South, Mitcham West, Morden, and Ravensbury.

1983-2010: The London Borough of Merton wards of Colliers Wood, Figge's Marsh, Graveney, Lavender, Longthornton, Lower Morden, Phipps Bridge, Pollards Hill, Ravensbury, and St Helier.

2010-present: The London Borough of Merton wards of Colliers Wood, Cricket Green, Figge’s Marsh, Graveney, Lavender Fields, Longthornton, Lower Morden, Pollards Hill, Ravensbury, and St Helier.

Constituency profile

The seat is broadly suburban, with terraced houses and low-rise estates in southern parts of Tooting and Streatham at the northern end of the seat. In the south-west of the constituency is the most affluent part, Lower Morden. Despite the name of the seat, the area of the modern town centre around Morden tube station is actually in the neighbouring Wimbledon constituency.

In the middle, the former coaching stop town of Mitcham with its ancient cricket green retains some village-like characteristics and had relatively poor transport connections with the rest of London until the building of the Croydon Tramlink. In the 20th century, Mitcham became surrounded by modern council housing, and light industry. Housing varies between the large rented sector, privately acquired properties much of which using the Thatcher Ministry's right to buy and significant dependence in certain areas on social housing.^[3]

The seat has swung further to Labour than any other in London and is the only seat to have a bigger Labour majority in 2015 than in their landslide 1997 victory.

Across the borough, about 40% of the population has an ethnic heritage.^[4][5]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[6]	Party
	Feb 1974	Bruce Douglas-Mann	Labour
	1981		SDP
	1982 by-election	Angela Rumbold	Conservative
	1997	Siobhain McDonagh	Labour

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Mitcham and Morden[7][8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Siobhain McDonagh	27,380	60.7	+4.2
	Conservative	Paul Holmes	10,458	23.2	−2.1
	UKIP	Richard Hilton[9]	4,287	9.5	+7.5
	Green	Mason Redding[10]	1,422	3.2	+2.3
	Liberal Democrat	Diana Coman[11]	1,378	3.1	−8.8
	Christian Peoples	Des Coke[12]	217	0.5	+0.5
Majority			16,922	37.5	+6.3
Turnout			45,142	65.9	−1.1
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.1

General Election 2010: Mitcham and Morden[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Siobhain McDonagh	24,722	56.5	+0.1
	Conservative	Melanie Hampton	11,056	25.2	+0.3
	Liberal Democrat	Diana Coman	5,202	11.9	−2.1
	BNP	Tony Martin	1,386	3.2	N/A
	UKIP	Andrew Mills	857	2.0	N/A
	Green	Smarajit Roy	381	0.9	−2.6
	Independent	Rathy Alagaratnam	155	0.4	−0.1
	Independent	Ernest Redgrave	38	0.1	N/A
Majority			13,666	31.2	−0.9
Turnout			43,798	67.0	+6.2
	Labour hold		Swing	−0.4

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Mitcham and Morden[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Siobhain McDonagh	22,489	56.4	−4.0
	Conservative	Andrew Shellhorn	9,929	24.9	+0.8
	Liberal Democrat	Mrs. Jo A.E. Christie-Smith	5,583	14.0	+3.9
	Green	Thomas Joseph Walsh	1,395	3.5	+1.1
	Veritas	Adrian Kere James Roberts	286	0.7	N/A
	Independent	Mrs. Rathy Alagaratnam	186	0.5	N/A
Majority			12,560	31.5
Turnout			39,868	61.2	+3.4
	Labour hold		Swing	−2.4

General Election 2001: Mitcham and Morden[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Siobhain McDonagh	22,936	60.4	+2.1
	Conservative	Henry (Harry) Armstrong Allen Stokes	9,151	24.1	−5.6
	Liberal Democrat	Nicholas Paul Harris	3,820	10.1	+2.5
	Green	Thomas Joseph Walsh	926	2.4	+1.6
	BNP	John Hutchyns Tyndall	642	1.7	+0.6
	UKIP	Adrian Kere James Roberts	486	1.3	+1.0
Majority			13,785	36.3	+7.6
Turnout			37,961	57.8	−15.5
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Mitcham and Morden[16][17][18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Siobhain McDonagh	27,984	58.4	+11.9
	Conservative	Angela Rumbold	14,243	29.7	−11.4
	Liberal Democrat	Nicholas Paul Harris	3,632	7.6	−1.6
	Referendum	Peter J. Isaacs	810	1.7	N/A
	BNP	Mrs. Linda Miller	521	1.1	N/A
	Green	Thomas Joseph Walsh	415	0.9	−0.4
	Independent	Krishnapillai Vaikunstha Vasan	144	0.3	N/A
	UKIP	John R. Barrett	117	0.2	N/A
	Independent	Nigel T.V. Dixon	80	0.2	N/A
Majority			13,741	28.7	+25.3
Turnout			47,946	73.3	−7.0
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+11.6

General Election 1992: Mitcham and Morden[19][20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Angela Rumbold	23,789	46.5	−1.7
	Labour	Siobhain McDonagh	22,055	43.1	+7.9
	Liberal Democrat	John C. Field	4,687	9.2	−7.5
	Green	Thomas J. Walsh	655	1.3	N/A
Majority			1,734	3.4	−9.6
Turnout			51,186	80.3	+4.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.8

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Mitcham and Morden[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Angela Rumbold	23,002	48.2	+5.5
	Labour	Siobhain McDonagh	16,819	35.2	+6.4
	Social Democratic	Bruce Douglas-Mann	7,930	16.6	−10.8
Majority			6,183	13.9
Turnout			47,751	75.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.5

General Election 1983: Mitcham and Morden[22]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Angela Rumbold	19,827	42.7	−1.2
	Labour	D.G. Nicholas	13,376	28.8	−16.4
	Social Democratic	Bruce Douglas-Mann	12,720	27.4	N/A
	National Front	J.R. Perryman	539	1.2	−0.8
Majority			6,451	13.9
Turnout			46,462	73.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

Mitcham and Morden by-election, 1982
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Angela Rumbold	13,306	43.4	−0.5
	Social Democratic	Bruce Douglas-Mann	9,032	29.4	N/A
	Labour	David Nicholas	7,475	24.4	−20.8
	National Front	Joseph Pearce	547	1.8	−0.2
	Independent Liberal	Edward Larkin	123	0.4	N/A
	Ethnic Minority Candidate	Roy Sawh	84	0.3	N/A
	Democratic Monarchist	Bill Boaks	66	0.2	N/A
	COPS	Jitendra Bardwaj	22	0.1	N/A
	Computer Democrat	Christopher Farnsworth	18	0.0	N/A
Majority			4,274	14.0
Turnout			30,673	48.5
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+10.2

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Mitcham and Morden
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Bruce Douglas-Mann	21,668	45.2	−3.0
	Conservative	D. Samuel	21,050	43.9	+9.0
	Liberal	R. Locke	4,258	8.9	−7.1
	National Front	J. Perryman	966	2.0	N/A
Majority			618	1.3
Turnout			47,942	76.9
	Labour hold		Swing	−6.0

General Election October 1974: Mitcham and Morden
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Bruce Douglas-Mann	22,384	48.2	+5.7
	Conservative	D. Samuel	16,193	34.9	−1.3
	Liberal	M. Simpson	7,429	16.0	−4.4
	Communist	Sid French	281	0.6	−0.4
	Independent	G. Giddins	106	0.2	N/A
	Air Road Public Safety White Resident	Bill Boaks	68	0.2	N/A
Majority			6,191	13.3
Turnout			46,461	71.0	−8.0
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.5

General Election February 1974: Mitcham and Morden
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Bruce Douglas-Mann	21,771	42.5	N/A
	Conservative	David Anthony Harris	18,546	36.2	N/A
	Liberal	P. C. Spratling	10,462	20.4	N/A
	Communist	Sid French	507	1.0	N/A
Majority			3,225	6.3	N/A
Turnout			51,286	79.0	N/A
	Labour win (new seat)

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London

Notes and references

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
3. See also vote splitting, spoiler effect and

References

1. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
2. General Election Results from the Electoral Commission
3. 2001 Census
4. http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/mitchamandmorden?cp=2
5. 2011 census interactive maps
6. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 3)
7. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
8. http://democracy.merton.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=45
9. "Mitcham and Morden". YourNextMP. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
10. https://twitter.com/MertonGreens/status/565971009925545985
11. https://ldcoman.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/selected-to-stand-in-mitcham-and-morden/
12. "CPA Candidates for the General Election". Christian Peoples Alliance. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
13. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
14. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
15. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
16. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
17. "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
18. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.120 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
19. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
20. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 Dec 2010.
21. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
22. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Coordinates: 51°24′04″N 0°10′34″W / 51.401°N 0.176°W