# Bermondsey (UK Parliament constituency)

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.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1885–1918

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Thorold Rogers | Liberal |
| 1886 | Alfred Lafone | Conservative |
| 1892 | Reuben Barrow | Liberal |
| 1895 | Alfred Lafone | Conservative |
| 1900 | Henry Cust | Conservative |
| 1906 | George Cooper | Liberal |
| 1909 by-election | John Dumphreys | Conservative |
| 1910 | Harold Glanville | Liberal |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished: see Rotherhithe and Bermondsey West | Constituency abolished: see Rotherhithe and Bermondsey West |

### MPs 1950–1983

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1950 | Bob Mellish | Labour | Labour Chief Whip 1969–1976. Resigned November 1982 |
| 1983 by-election | Simon Hughes | Liberal |
| 1983 | constituency abolished: see Southwark and Bermondsey | constituency abolished: see Southwark and Bermondsey |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thorold Rogers | 3,469 | 50.6 | |
| | Conservative | Alfred Lafone | 3,386 | 49.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 83 | 1.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,855 | 72.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,433 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alfred Lafone | 3,356 | 52.8 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal | Thorold Rogers | 2,998 | 47.2 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 358 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,354 | 67.4 | −5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,433 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.4 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Reuben Barrow | 4,390 | 54.1 | +6.9 |
| | Conservative | Alfred Lafone | 3,732 | 45.9 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 658 | 8.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,122 | 75.9 | +8.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,702 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.9 | |
General election 1895: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alfred Lafone | 4,182 | 52.2 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal | Reuben Barrow | 3,822 | 47.8 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 360 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,004 | 73.2 | −2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,935 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.3 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Cust | 4,017 | 51.9 | −0.3 |
| | Liberal | John William Benn | 3,717 | 48.1 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 300 | 3.8 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,734 | 69.0 | −4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,211 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.3 | |
General election January 1906: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Cooper | 4,775 | 61.3 | +13.2 |
| | Conservative | Henry Cust | 3,016 | 38.7 | −13.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,759 | 22.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,791 | 73.4 | +4.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,619 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.2 | |
1909 Bermondsey by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Dumphreys | 4,278 | 47.5 | +8.8 |
| | Liberal | Spencer Leigh Hughes | 3,291 | 36.6 | −24.7 |
| | Labour | Alfred Salter | 1,435 | 15.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 987 | 10.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,004 | 73.6 | +0.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,233 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +16.8 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harold Glanville | 5,477 | 54.9 | −6.4 |
| | Conservative | John Dumphreys | 4,508 | 45.1 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 969 | 9.8 | −12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,985 | 82.4 | +9.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,115 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.4 | |
General election December 1910: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harold Glanville | 4,911 | 57.1 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | John Dumphreys | 3,695 | 42.9 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,216 | 14.2 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,606 | 71.0 | −11.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,115 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.2 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 26,018 | 76.9 | |
| | Conservative | F Warwick | 5,964 | 17.6 | |
| | Liberal | Bridget Elizabeth Talbot | 1,852 | 5.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,054 | 59.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,834 | 79.7 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
General election 1951: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 26,267 | 78.85 | +1.95 |
| | Conservative | Ralph Manders | 5,265 | 15.81 | −1.79 |
| | Liberal | Harry Ball Wilson | 1,779 | 5.34 | −0.16 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,002 | 63.04 | +3.74 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,311 | 78.22 | −1.48 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.87 | |
General election 1955: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 21,709 | 76.75 | −2.10 |
| | Conservative | Catherine Orr-Ewing | 4,309 | 15.23 | −0.58 |
| | Liberal | Harry Ball Wilson | 1,554 | 5.49 | +0.15 |
| | Ind. Labour Party | H Birkett | 715 | 2.53 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,400 | 61.52 | −1.52 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,287 | 69.51 | −8.51 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.34 | |
General election 1959: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 20,528 | 76.84 | +0.09 |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Payne | 6,187 | 23.16 | +7.93 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,341 | 53.68 | −7.84 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,715 | 70.45 | +0.94 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.01 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 17,481 | 79.28 | +2.44 |
| | Conservative | Jeremy GLM Porter | 4,568 | 20.72 | −2.44 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,913 | 58.56 | +4.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,049 | 63.28 | −7.17 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.44 | |
General election 1966: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 16,605 | 80.63 | +1.35 |
| | Conservative | Jeremy GLM Porter | 3,990 | 19.37 | −1.35 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,615 | 61.25 | +2.70 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,095 | 60.91 | −2.37 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.35 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 13,908 | 76.92 | −3.71 |
| | Conservative | George HJ Nicholson | 4,172 | 23.08 | +3.71 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,736 | 53.84 | −7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,090 | 52.91 | −8.00 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.71 | |
General election February 1974: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 24,847 | 68.62 | −8.30 |
| | Conservative | Howard Flight | 6,126 | 16.92 | −6.16 |
| | Liberal | C Hewittson | 3,751 | 10.36 | New |
| | National Front | G Davey | 1,485 | 4.10 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,721 | 51.70 | −1.21 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,706 | 65.95 | +13.04 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.73 | |
General election October 1974: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 22,875 | 73.37 | +4.45 |
| | Conservative | Howard Flight | 4,294 | 13.77 | −3.15 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Taylor | 2,520 | 8.08 | −2.28 |
| | National Front | G Davey | 1,488 | 4.77 | +0.67 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,581 | 59.60 | +5.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,177 | 56.42 | −9.53 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.80 | |
General election 1979: Bermondsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Mellish | 19,338 | 63.60 | −9.77 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Duma | 7,582 | 24.94 | +11.17 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Taylor | 2,072 | 6.81 | −1.27 |
| | National Front | James Sneath | 1,175 | 3.86 | −0.91 |
| | Workers Revolutionary | Anthony Moore | 239 | 0.79 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,756 | 38.66 | −20.94 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,406 | 59.30 | +2.88 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −10.57 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

1983 Bermondsey by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Simon Hughes | 17,017 | 57.7 | +50.9 |
| | Labour | Peter Tatchell | 7,698 | 26.1 | −37.5 |
| | Real Bermondsey Labour | John O'Grady | 2,243 | 7.6 | New |
| | Conservative | Robert Hughes | 1,631 | 5.5 | −19.4 |
| | National Front | James Sneath | 426 | 1.4 | −2.5 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | David Sutch | 97 | 0.3 | New |
| | Independent Patriot | Jane Birdwood | 69 | 0.2 | New |
| | New Britain | Michael Keulemans | 62 | 0.2 | New |
| | Independent Labour | Barry Giddings | 50 | 0.2 | New |
| | Communist | Robert Gordon | 50 | 0.2 | New |
| | Ecology | George Hannah | 45 | 0.2 | New |
| | Revolutionary Communist | Fran Eden | 38 | 0.1 | New |
| | National Labour Party | Ann King | 25 | 0.1 | New |
| | United Democratic Party | Alan Baker | 15 | 0.1 | New |
| | Anti-Common Market Free Trade Party | David Wedgwood | 15 | 0.1 | New |
| | Systems Designer | Esmond Bevan | 8 | 0.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,319 | 31.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,489 | 57.7 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +44.2 | |
Note: Esmond Bevan made a mistake and inserted his occupation rather than politics in the nomination paper. He was an Independent Labour candidate.