Walthamstow: Parliamentary representation

PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION.

Under the Representation of the People Act, 1918, Walthamstow, previously part of the Walthamstow county division, became a parliamentary borough with two divisions, east and west. (fn. 1)

At the 1918 election Walthamstow East was won by a Conservative and the West by a Coalition Labour candidate. The Conservatives held the East until 1929. The West was won by Labour in 1922, but lost to the Liberals in 1924. In 1929 both seats were won by Labour: Walthamstow West was regained by Valentine (later Baron) McEntee, first mayor of Walthamstow, who had previously held it in 1922–4. He retained it until 1950. The Conservatives won back the East in 1931 and held it until 1945. From 1945 to 1951 both seats were held by Labour. Clement R. (later Earl) Attlee, prime minister 1945–51, represented Walthamstow West from 1950 to 1955. The Conservatives won back Walthamstow East in 1955, held it in 1959 and 1964, but lost it again in 1966. Walthamstow West was consistently held by Labour until the by-election of 1967, when a Conservative won it for the first time in its history. Walthamstow East was regained by the Conservatives at the by-election of 1969. In 1970 Labour regained Walthamstow West, while the Conservatives held the East. (fn. 2)