Tower Hamlets (electoral division)

Tower Hamlets was an electoral division for the purposes of elections to the Greater London Council. The constituency elected two councillors for a three-year term in 1964, 1967, and 1970.

Tower Hamlets
Former electoral division for the Greater London Council
Tower Hamlets electoral division boundaries
District	London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Population	188,080 (1969 estimate)
Electorate	136,374 (1964) 130,349 (1967) 126,738 (1970)
Area	4,875.8 acres (19.732 km2)
Former electoral division
Created	1965
Abolished	1973
Member(s)	2
Replaced by	Bethnal Green and Bow and Stepney and Poplar

History

It was planned to use the same boundaries as the Westminster Parliament constituencies for election of councillors to the Greater London Council (GLC), as had been the practice for elections to the predecessor London County Council, but those that existed in 1965 crossed the Greater London boundary. Until new constituencies could be settled, the 32 London boroughs were used as electoral areas which therefore created a constituency called Tower Hamlets.^[1]

The electoral division was replaced from 1973 by the single-member electoral divisions of Bethnal Green and Bow and Stepney and Poplar.^[2]

Elections

The Tower Hamlets constituency was used for the Greater London Council elections in 1964,^[3] 1967^[4] and 1970.^[5] Two councillors were elected at each election using first-past-the-post voting.^[6]

1964 election

The first election was held on 9 April 1964, a year before the council came into its powers. The electorate was 136,374 and two Labour Party councillors were elected. With 32,473 people voting, the turnout was 23.8%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1964 Greater London Council election: Tower Hamlets

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Patrick Branagan	25,350
	Labour	Ernest Ashley Bramall	24,488
	Communist	Solly Kaye	2,618
	Liberal	S. H. Woodham	2,179
	Liberal	J. W. Parton	2,133
	Conservative	A. J. Lawrence	2,113
	Conservative	B. Hawley	1,959
Turnout
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

1967 election

The second election was held on 13 April 1967. The electorate was 130,349 and two Labour Party councillors were elected. With 25,841 people voting, the turnout was 19.8%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1967 Greater London Council election: Tower Hamlets

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Patrick Branagan	16,477
	Labour	Ernest Ashley Bramall	15,663
	Conservative	R. D. Mitchell	3,996
	Conservative	C. D. Sills	3,509
	Liberal	E. G. Weekes	2,793
	Liberal	S. H. Woodham	2,786
	Communist	Solly Kaye	2,707
Turnout
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

1970 election

The third election was held on 9 April 1970. The electorate was 126,738 and two Labour Party councillors were elected. With 29,296 people voting, the turnout was 23.1%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1970 Greater London Council election: Tower Hamlets

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Patrick Branagan	22,866
	Labour	Ernest Ashley Bramall	21,794
	Conservative	R. D. Mitchell	3,052
	Conservative	P. R. C. Lloyd	2,934
	Independent	W. O'Dell	1,551
	Communist	Max Levitas	1,223
	Liberal	G. F. Stewart	1,065
	Liberal	C. A. S. Suett	954
	Homes before Roads	J. L. P. Drake	390
	Homes before Roads	R. K. Hall	241
	Union Movement	F. C. Lang	192
Turnout
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

References

1. British Information Services (1970). British Record: Political and Economic Notes. To date elections, normally fought on traditional party lines, have been based on the London boroughs, each borough returning two or more councillors; after 1973 there will be single member electoral areas based on parliamentary constituencies.
2. "The Greater London (Electoral Areas) Order 1972" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. 20 June 1972. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
3. "General Election of Greater London Councillors" (PDF). 9 April 1964. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
4. "General Election of Greater London Councillors" (PDF). 13 April 1967. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
5. "Greater London Council Election" (PDF). 9 April 1970. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
6. Boothroyd, David. "Greater London Council Election results: Tower Hamlets". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 24 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2023.