Bermondsey (UK Parliament constituency) explained

Bermondsey was a borough constituency centred on the Bermondsey district of South London, England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Elections were held using the first-past-the-post voting system.The constituency was created for the 1885 general election and abolished for the 1918 general election, when almost all its territory was represented by the new Bermondsey West and a very small amount going into the existing Rotherhithe constituency.

A new Bermondsey constituency was created for the 1950 general election including Rotherhithe, was and abolished for the 1983 election, when it was largely replaced by the new Southwark and Bermondsey constituency.

History

The 1983 by-election was one of the most bitterly contested by-elections in the United Kingdom as it involved Bob Mellish, the retired Labour MP, running a highly personal and homophobic campaign against the Labour candidate, Peter Tatchell. The result was the election of Simon Hughes as a Liberal in a former Labour stronghold.

Boundaries

1950–1974: The Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey.

1974–1983: The London Borough of Southwark wards of Abbey, Bricklayers, Browning, Cathedral, Chaucer, Dockyard, Riverside, and Rotherhithe.^[1]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1885–1918

Election		Member	Party[2]
			Liberal
			Conservative
			Liberal
			Conservative
			Liberal
			Conservative
			Liberal
		Constituency abolished: see Rotherhithe and Bermondsey West

MPs 1950–1983

Election		Member	Party	Notes
				Labour Chief Whip 1969–1976. Resigned November 1982
			Liberal
		constituency abolished: see Southwark and Bermondsey

Election results

Elections in the 1980s

Note: Esmond Bevan made a mistake and inserted his occupation rather than politics in the nomination paper. He was an Independent Labour candidate.

Sources

• Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources: UK General Elections since 1832

Notes and References

1. Book: . 1972 . Statutory Instruments 1971 . Part III Section 2 . The Parliamentary Constituencies (London Borough of Southwark) Order 1971. SI 1971/2113 . London . . 6231–6233 .
2. Book: Craig , F. W. S. . F. W. S. Craig . British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 . 1969 . 3rd . 1983 . Parliamentary Research Services . Chichester . 0-900178-06-X . 47.