Cities of London and Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)

Cities of London and Westminster (known as City of London and Westminster South from 1974 to 1997) is a constituency returning a single Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons in the United Kingdom Parliament. As with all constituencies, the election is decided using the first-past-the-post system of election. Until the 2024 general election, when the constituency elected Rachel Blake, a Labour Co-op MP, the constituency had always elected the candidate nominated by the Conservative Party.

Cities of London and Westminster
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Boundary within Greater London
CountyGreater London
Population127,800 (2022)
Electorate73,140 (March 2020)
BoroughCity of London and City of Westminster
Major settlementsCity of London, City of Westminster
Current constituency
Created1950
Member of ParliamentRachel Blake (Labour Co-op)
SeatsOne
Created fromCity of London (1298–1950), Westminster Abbey, Westminster St George's

History

Before 1950 the City of London formed a two-member constituency on its own. The Boundary Commission for England began reviewing constituencies in January 1946 using rules defined under the Representation of the People Act 1944, which excluded the City of London from the redistribution procedure; the Commission recommended that the borough of Chelsea and the City of Westminster form a single Parliamentary Borough of Chelsea and Westminster with two divisions.

In February 1948 the Government brought forward a new Representation of the People Bill which removed the right of owners of business premises to a second vote; this would have had the effect of reducing the electorate of the City of London from 12,500 to 4,600. The Bill proposed also to end the City of London as a separate constituency and to merge it with the adjacent boroughs of Finsbury and Shoreditch. During debates on the Bill, the Government amended it to substitute a link between the City of London and the City of Westminster. In introducing the amendment the Home Secretary James Chuter Ede noted that the alterations to the constituencies in Westminster, Chelsea and Kensington had been agreed unanimously at a conference between the Members of Parliament and representatives of the boroughs affected.

These changes came into force from the 1950 election.

Boundary changes

No alteration was made by the First Periodical Report on constituency boundaries in 1954. In the Second Periodical Report in 1969, the Boundary Commission wrote that their initial feelings were that "except for a minor alteration to follow a new ward boundary" they felt that there was "no reason to disturb" the constituency, and they received no objections to this proposal. Westminster City Council later suggested that the constituency could be more accurately named as 'The City of London and Westminster South'; the Boundary Commission found opinion divided and left the name unchanged when it published revised proposals for two other constituencies within the city. Subsequent representations on the name were received and the Commission decided that, although justified on historical grounds, the name was "not now entirely accurate" and so proposed the renaming as suggested by the City Council.

In initial proposals during the Third Periodical Review (1983), the Boundary Commission proposed to abolish the St Marylebone constituency and add four wards from it (Cavendish, Baker Street, Bryanston and Regents Park) to the previous City of London and Westminster South constituency; they provisionally named the result 'The City of London and Westminster'. After a local inquiry, the Regents Park ward was removed, and Hyde Park ward (from the Paddington constituency) was added; unanimous opinion at the inquiry favoured naming the result 'The City of London and Westminster South'.

For the Fourth Periodical Review (1995), the Boundary Commission paired the City of Westminster with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for consideration. The commission's initial proposals, to expand the constituency by two wards (Bayswater and Lancaster Gate) formerly in Westminster North and to return to the name 'Cities of London and Westminster', were upheld after a local inquiry, despite multiple counter-proposals.

At the Fifth Periodical Review (in 2007), the initial proposals of the Boundary Commission paired the City of Westminster with the London Borough of Brent although they involved only minor changes to the Cities of London and Westminster constituency to take account of new ward boundaries. Widespread objections ("almost universal hostility") to the pairing led to a local inquiry, which decided that Westminster and the City of London should be reviewed separately and not paired with any other borough. The Commission proposed a new Cities of London and Westminster constituency in which the revised Bayswater and Lancaster Gate wards were removed.

Early proposals made during the initial stages of the postponed Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies proposed linking the City of London to the southern wards of Islington in a constituency to be known as "The City of London and Islington South". Most of the Westminster wards were proposed to form part of a Westminster and Kensington constituency. This proposal was the first to suggest a split between the two Cities in Parliamentary elections since they were joined and proved unpopular in consultation; the Boundary Commission revised them to return the link between the City of London and the City of Westminster, although the review was subsequently placed on hiatus.

In 2016, the Boundary Commission produced a second attempt at the Sixth Periodic Review. Its proposed Cities of London and Westminster comprises the City attached to Regent's Park and Abbey Road to the north-west, Knightsbridge/Belgravia to the west, and Holborn/Covent Garden to the north.

London Assembly constituency

Although united for Parliamentary elections, in the London Assembly, the City of London is covered by the City and East constituency, and the area in Westminster by the West Central constituency. The Local Government Commission for England argued that "combining the City of London with areas to its east could assist in focussing regeneration eastwards" and linked it with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the London Borough of Newham, and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Boundaries

The seat covers the entire City of London and most of the City of Westminster lying South of the Marylebone Road and the Westway. In the latter, more residential, city it covers Westminster, Pimlico, Victoria, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, St. James's, Soho, most of Covent Garden, alongside parts of Fitzrovia, Marylebone, Edgware Road, Paddington and Bayswater.

Historic

1950–1974: From the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster: Charing Cross, Covent Garden, Great Marlborough Conduit, Grosvenor, Hamlet of Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge St. George, Pall Mall, Regent, St. Anne, St. John, St. Margaret, Strand.

In 1959, the boundaries changed, and the wards used instead were Abbey, Alderney, Aldwych, Berkeley, Cathedral, Churchill, Covent Garden, Dolphin, Eaton, Ebury, Grosvenor, Knightsbridge, Millbank, Regent Street, St. James's, Soho, Tachbrook, Victoria, Warwick and Wilton. In 1964, the City of Westminster was created to replace the old Metropolitan Borough of Westminster, which kept the same wards.

The City of London consisted of Aldersgate, Aldgate, Bassishaw, Bassishaw, Billingsgate, Bishopsgate, Bread Street, Bridge Within, Bridge Without, Broad Street, Candlewick, Castle Baynard, Cheap, Coleman Street, Cordwainer, Cornhill, Cripplegate, Dowgate, Farringdon Within, Farringdon Without, Langbourn, Lime Street, Portsoken, Queenhithe, Tower, Vintry and Walbrook.

In 1968, the City of Westminster ward boundaries changed, with the following used for this seat: Charing Cross, Churchill, Knightsbridge, Millbank, Regent Street, Victoria Street and Warwick.

1974–1997: The City of Westminster wards as above, and the City of London, as above.

New boundaries from 1978 meant the following wards from the City of Westminster were used: Baker Street, Belgrave, Bryanston, Cavendish, Churchill, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, Millbank, St George's, St James's, Victoria, and West End.

In the City of London, Bridge Within and Bridge Without were combined in 1978 to create Bridge.

1997–2010: The City of Westminster wards as above, plus, Bayswater and Lancaster Gate, and the City of London.

In 2002, a Local Government Boundary Commission for England review abolished the Baker Street, Belgrave, Bryanston, Cavendish, Knightsbridge, Millbank, St James's and Victoria wards.

For the 2005 general election, the Westminster electoral wards used in this constituency were Bayswater (part), Bryanston and Dorset Square (part), Churchill, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, Lancaster Gate, Marylebone High Street, St James's, Tachbrook, Vincent Square, Warwick and West End.

2010–2024: The City of Westminster wards of Bryanston and Dorset Square, Churchill, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, Marylebone High Street, St James's, Tachbrook, Vincent Square, Warwick, and West End, and the City of London.

Current

Following the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the City of London and the following wards of the City of Westminster:

  • Abbey Road; Hyde Park; Knightsbridge & Belgravia; Marylebone; Pimlico North; Pimlico South; Regent’s Park; St James’s; Vincent Square; West End.

The new boundaries reflect the local authority boundary review which came into effect in May 2022. The seat was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by adding the Abbey Road and Regent's Park wards which were previously in the abolished constituency of Westminster North.

Constituency profile

The Cities of London and Westminster seat contains the two historical centres of the capital. The City of London is an international financial centre, while Westminster, home to Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Whitehall and 10 Downing Street, represents Britain's political centre.

The seat includes iconic landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral, the West End's Theatreland and Soho. Some of the country's wealthiest residents live in exclusive Mayfair, Belgravia and Knightsbridge. Less than half the population were born in the UK - a fifth hail from elsewhere in Europe, while one in twenty is American, according to the 2011 Census.

Around half of the electorate are in the more socially mixed areas of Paddington and Pimlico, which includes some large council estates (Churchill Gardens and Millbank Estate).

The constituency also incorporates the wards of the City of London, some of which are the least populated wards in the United Kingdom, such as Coleman Street ward, which has a total electorate of 2, and Aldgate ward, which has a total electorate of 27.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1950 Sir Harold Webbe Conservative
1959 Sir Harry Hylton-Foster Conservative
1959 Speaker
1965 by-election John Smith Conservative
1970 Sir Christopher Tugendhat Conservative
1977 by-election Peter Brooke Conservative
2001 Mark Field Conservative
2019 Nickie Aiken Conservative
2024 Rachel Blake Labour Co-op

Election results

Named Cities of London and Westminster from 1997 to date

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Rachel Blake 15,302 39.0 10.1
Conservative Tim Barnes 12,594 32.1 8.2
Liberal Democrats Edward Lucas 4,335 11.1 17.1
Green Rajiv Sinha 2,844 7.3 5.4
Reform Tarun Ghulati 2,752 7.0 6.8
Workers Party Hoz Shafiei 727 1.9 N/A
Rejoin EU Liz Burford 352 0.9 N/A
SDP Hugo de Burgh 110 0.3 N/A
Independent John Generic 110 0.3 N/A
Independent Tim Hallett 55 0.1 N/A
Independent Matthew Carr 34 0.1 N/A
Majority 2,708 6.9 N/A
Turnout 39,215 53.5 −17.8
Registered electors 73,369
Labour Co-op gain from Conservative Swing 9.2

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result
Party Vote %
Conservative 21,020 40.3
Labour 15,044 28.9
Liberal Democrats 14,713 28.2
Green 1,010 1.9
Others 226 0.4
Brexit Party 103 0.2
Majority 5,596 11.5
Turnout 52,116 71.3
Electorate 73,140
General election 2019: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nickie Aiken 17,049 39.9 −6.7
Liberal Democrats Chuka Umunna 13,096 30.7 +19.6
Labour Gordon Nardell 11,624 27.2 −11.2
Green Zack Polanski 728 1.7 −0.4
CPA Jill McLachlan 125 0.3 N/A
Liberal Dirk van Heck 101 0.2 N/A
Majority 3,953 9.2 +1.0
Turnout 42,723 67.1 +4.3
Registered electors 63,700
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2017: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Field 18,005 46.6 −7.5
Labour Ibrahim Dogus 14,857 38.4 +11.0
Liberal Democrats Bridget Fox 4,270 11.1 +4.1
Green Lawrence McNally 821 2.1 −3.3
UKIP Anil Bhatti 426 1.1 −4.1
Independent Tim Lord 173 0.4 N/A
One Love Ankit Love 59 0.2 N/A
Young People's Benjamin Weenen 43 0.1 N/A
Majority 3,148 8.2 −18.5
Turnout 38,654 62.8 +3.5
Registered electors 61,533
Conservative hold Swing −9.3
General election 2015: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Field 19,570 54.1 +1.9
Labour Nik Slingsby 9,899 27.4 +5.2
Liberal Democrats Belinda Brooks-Gordon 2,521 7.0 −13.5
Green Hugh Small 1,953 5.4 +3.3
UKIP Robert Stephenson 1,894 5.2 +3.4
CISTA Edouard-Henri Desforges 160 0.4 N/A
CPA Jill McLachlan 129 0.4 N/A
Class War Adam Clifford 59 0.2 N/A
Majority 9,671 26.7 −3.3
Turnout 36,185 59.3 +3.8
Registered electors 60,992
Conservative hold Swing −1.6
General election 2010: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Field 19,264 52.2 +3.9
Labour Dave Rowntree 8,188 22.2 −3.1
Liberal Democrats Naomi Smith 7,574 20.5 +2.0
Green Derek Chase 778 2.1 −2.2
UKIP Paul Weston 664 1.8 +0.7
English Democrat Frank Roseman 191 0.5 N/A
Independent Dennis Delderfield 98 0.3 N/A
Pirate Jack Nunn 90 0.2 N/A
Independent Mad Cap'n Tom 84 0.2 N/A
Majority 11,076 30.0 +7.8
Turnout 36,931 55.5 +4.4
Registered electors 66,849
Conservative hold Swing +3.5

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Field 17,260 47.3 +1.0
Labour Hywel Lloyd 9,165 25.1 −8.0
Liberal Democrats Marie-Louise Rossi 7,306 20.0 +4.6
Green Tristan Smith 1,544 4.2 +0.3
UKIP Colin Merton 399 1.1 −0.3
Independent Brian Haw 298 0.8 N/A
CPA Jillian McLachlan 246 0.7 N/A
Veritas David Harris 218 0.6 N/A
Independent Cass Cass-Horne 51 0.1 N/A
Majority 8,095 22.2 +9.0
Turnout 36,487 50.3 +3.1
Registered electors 71,935
Conservative hold Swing +4.5
General election 2001: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Field 15,737 46.3 −1.0
Labour Michael Katz 11,238 33.1 −2.0
Liberal Democrats Martin Horwood 5,218 15.4 +3.1
Green Hugo Charlton 1,318 3.9 N/A
UKIP Colin Merton 464 1.4 +0.9
Majority 4,499 13.2 +1.0
Turnout 33,975 47.2 −7.0
Registered electors 71,935
Conservative hold Swing +0.5

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Brooke 18,981 47.3 −12.0
Labour Kate Green 14,100 35.1 +11.0
Liberal Democrats Michael Dumigan 4,933 12.3 −1.8
Referendum Alan Walters 1,161 2.9 N/A
Independent Patricia Wharton 266 0.7 N/A
UKIP Colin Merton 215 0.5 N/A
Natural Law Richard Johnson 176 0.4 +0.1
Monster Raving Loony Nicholas Walsh 138 0.3 −0.1
Hemp Coalition Gordon Webster 112 0.3 N/A
Rainbow Dream Ticket Jerry Sadowitz 73 0.2 N/A
Majority 4,881 12.2 −26.3
Turnout 40,155 54.2 −8.9
Registered electors 74,035
Conservative hold Swing −11.5

Named City of London and Westminster South between 1974 and 1997

General election 1992: City of London and Westminster South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Brooke 20,938 60.3 +2.5
Labour Charlie Smith 7,569 21.8 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Jane Smithard 5,392 15.3 −6.5
Green Guy Herbert 458 1.3 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Peter Stockton 147 0.4 N/A
Irish Freedom Movement Alex Farrell 107 0.3 N/A
Natural Law Richard Johnson 101 0.3 N/A
Majority 13,369 38.5 +2.5
Turnout 34,712 63.1 +4.9
Registered electors 55,021
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: City of London and Westminster South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Brooke 19,333 57.8 −1.3
Liberal Jane Smithard 7,291 21.8 +0.8
Labour Ruth Bush 6,821 20.4 +3.3
Majority 12,042 36.0 −2.1
Turnout 33,445 58.2 +6.4
Registered electors 57,428
Conservative hold Swing −1.1
General election 1983: City of London and Westminster South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Brooke 20,754 59.1 −1.6
Liberal Adrian Walker-Smith 7,367 21.0 +8.8
Labour Stephen Jones 6,013 17.1 −8.4
Ecology Roger Shorter 419 1.2 N/A
National Front Anthony Reeve 258 0.7 −1.0
Communist A. W. Spence 161 0.5 N/A
Independent - Pro Nuclear War Gay Rights Victor Litvin 147 0.4 N/A
Majority 13,387 38.1 +2.9
Turnout 35,119 51.8 −3.4
Registered electors 67,773
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: City of London and Westminster South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Brooke 16,851 60.7 +9.0
Labour Russell Profitt 7,067 25.5 −5.4
Liberal Harry Ball-Wilson 3,375 12.2 −2.7
National Front Kenneth Mathews 478 1.7 −0.8
Majority 9,784 35.2 +14.4
Turnout 27,771 55.2 +2.0
Registered electors 50,357
Conservative hold Swing +7.2

1979 figure changes based on the October 1974 election, not the 1977 by-election.

1977 City of London and Westminster South by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Brooke 11,962 59.07 +7.35
Labour Malcolm Noble 3,997 19.74 −11.21
Liberal Angus Scrimgeour 1,981 9.78 −5.07
National Front Paul Kavanagh 1,051 5.19 +2.72
Pro-Homosexual Civil Rights Peter Mitchel 449 2.22 N/A
National Party Michael Lobb 364 1.80 N/A
New Britain Dennis Delderfield 306 1.51 N/A
Air, Road, Public Safety, White Resident Bill Boaks 61 0.30 N/A
Christian Outreach to Britain, Anti-Pornography William Thompson 43 0.21 N/A
Christ, Crown, Country, Commonwealth, Christian Constitution Ralph Herbert 37 0.18 N/A
Majority 7,965 39.33 +18.56
Turnout 20,251 39.60 −13.60
Conservative hold Swing +9.28
General election October 1974: City of London and Westminster South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Tugendhat 14,350 51.7 −1.5
Labour Phil Turner 8,589 30.9 +3.5
Liberal T. G. Underwood 4,122 14.9 −4.0
National Front D. Baxter 686 2.5 N/A
Majority 5,761 20.8 −5.1
Turnout 27,747 53.2 −8.2
Registered electors 52,170
Conservative hold Swing −2.5
General election February 1974: City of London and Westminster South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Tugendhat 16,945 53.3 −6.1
Labour Phil Turner 8,698 27.4 −3.9
Liberal T. G. Underwood 6,015 18.9 +10.5
Ind. Conservative C. D. Wertheim 134 0.4 N/A
Independent R. E. Eckley 44 0.1 N/A
Independent W. G. Boaks 35 0.1 N/A
Majority 8,247 25.9 −2.2
Turnout 31,871 61.4 +6.9
Registered electors 51,943
Conservative hold Swing −1.1

Named from 1950 to 1974 Cities of London and Westminster

General election 1970: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Tugendhat 19,102 59.4 +4.7
Labour Alf Dubs 10,062 31.3 −3.8
Liberal David Nicholson 2,708 8.4 −1.8
Independent - Anti-Labour Willoughby Clark 157 0.5 N/A
Independent - Young Ideas Lord Sutch 142 0.4 N/A
Majority 9,040 28.1 +8.5
Turnout 32,186 54.5 −5.5
Registered electors 58,987
Conservative hold Swing +4.3

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Smith 19,242 54.7 −3.67
Labour Alexander Pringle 12,349 35.1 +4.52
Liberal Thomas Houston 3,576 10.2 −0.85
Majority 6,893 19.6 −8.19
Turnout 35,167 60.0 +0.34
Registered electors 58,630
Conservative hold Swing −4.1
1965 Cities of London and Westminster by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Smith 15,037 59.53 +1.16
Labour Alexander Pringle 8,300 32.86 +2.28
Liberal Stephen Jakobi 1,595 6.32 −4.73
Independent Desmond Burgess 326 1.29 N/A
Majority 6,737 26.47 −1.32
Turnout 25,258 41.80 −17.86
Registered electors
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1964: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Speaker Harry Hylton-Foster 21,588 58.37 −6.73
Labour Ronald Wallace 11,309 30.58 +6.18
Liberal John W Derry 4,087 11.05 +0.55
Majority 10,279 27.79 −12.91
Turnout 36,984 59.66 −1.64
Registered electors 61,988
Speaker hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Hylton-Foster 27,489 65.1 −5.1
Labour Will Howie 10,301 24.4 −5.4
Liberal Derek Monsey 4,409 10.5 N/A
Majority 17,188 40.7 +0.2
Turnout 42,199 61.3 +1.2
Registered electors 68,896
Conservative hold Swing +0.2
General election 1955: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harold Webbe 31,314 70.2 +3.4
Labour Dennis Nisbet 13,270 29.8 −3.4
Majority 18,044 40.5 +6.9
Turnout 44,584 60.1 −7.1
Registered electors 74,162
Conservative hold Swing +3.4
General election 1951: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harold Webbe 35,275 66.8 +5.2
Labour Hugh Sutherland 17,527 33.2 +5.2
Majority 17,738 33.6 ±0.0
Turnout 52,802 67.2 +5.2
Registered electors 78,628
Conservative hold Swing ±0.0
General election 1950: Cities of London and Westminster
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Harold Webbe 32,672 61.6
Labour John Lewis Curthoys 14,849 28.0
Liberal Jacob Arthur Gorsky 4,670 8.8
Communist Gabriel Carritt 888 1.7
Majority 17,823 33.6
Turnout 53,079 72.4
Registered electors 73,316
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

  • List of parliamentary constituencies in London

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