# Mile End (UK Parliament constituency)

Mile End was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Mile End district of the East End of London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1950 general election.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: In this period the constituency was a division of the parliamentary borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. The seat was centred upon the community of Mile End including the Mile End Road, which adjoined the Charrington Brewery. The brewery was headed by Spencer Charrington, MP for the area between 1885 and 1904.
Before 1885 the division was administered as part of the county of Middlesex. It formed part of The Metropolis from 1855 to 1889. In 1889 there was a change in the administrative arrangements covering the constituency, with the creation of the County of London. In 1900 London was divided into Metropolitan Boroughs. The Mile End Old Town Parish Vestry was abolished, with Mile End becoming part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney.
1918–1950: The constituency became a division of Stepney. The Representation of the People Act 1918 defined it as comprising four local government wards of Mile End Old Town (Centre, North, South and West) as well as the ward of Whitechapel East.
In 1945, the seat became one of only two seats in that Parliament to have a Communist MP elected. Phil Piratin had been a local activist and borough councillor.
In 1950 the constituency was abolished. Its territory became part of the Stepney seat.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Spencer Charrington | Conservative |
| 1905 | Harry Levy-Lawson | Liberal Unionist |
| 1906 | Bertram Straus | Liberal |
| 1910, January | Harry Levy-Lawson | Liberal Unionist $^a$ |
| 1916 | Warwick Brookes | Unionist |
| 1918 | Sir Walter Preston | Unionist $^b$ |
| 1923 | John Scurr | Labour |
| 1931 | William O'Donovan | Conservative |
| 1935 | Daniel Frankel | Labour |
| 1945 | Phil Piratin | Communist |
| 1950 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |
Notes:-
* $^a$ The Liberal Unionist Party formally merged into the Conservative Party in 1912.
* $^b$ Coalition Unionist 1918–1922.

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

General election 1885: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Spencer Charrington | 2,091 | 52.9 | |
| | Liberal | Ernest Hart | 1,442 | 36.5 | |
| | Independent Liberal | Acton Smee Ayrton | 420 | 10.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 649 | 16.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,953 | 68.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,804 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Spencer Charrington | 2,110 | 62.2 | +9.3 |
| | Liberal | Arnold White | 1,281 | 37.8 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 829 | 24.4 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,391 | 58.4 | −9.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,804 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.0 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Spencer Charrington | 2,204 | 53.3 | −8.9 |
| | Liberal | James Haysman | 1,931 | 46.7 | +8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 273 | 6.6 | −17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,135 | 72.1 | +13.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,738 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.9 | |
General election 1895: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Spencer Charrington | 2,383 | 61.1 | +7.8 |
| | Liberal | James Haysman | 1,516 | 38.9 | −7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 867 | 22.2 | +15.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,899 | 70.2 | −1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,551 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.8 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Spencer Charrington | 2,440 | 65.6 | +4.5 |
| | Liberal | Charles Clarke | 1,280 | 34.4 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1160 | 31.2 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,720 | 62.9 | −7.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,915 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
1905 Mile End by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Harry Levy-Lawson | 2,138 | 50.9 | −14.7 |
| | Liberal | Bertram Straus | 2,060 | 49.1 | +14.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 78 | 1.8 | −29.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,198 | 78.0 | +15.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,380 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -14.7 | |
General election 1906: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Bertram Straus | 2,295 | 51.4 | +17.0 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Harry Levy-Lawson | 2,169 | 48.6 | −17.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 126 | 2.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,464 | 82.4 | +19.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,419 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +17.0 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Harry Levy-Lawson | 2,332 | 50.6 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal | Bertram Straus | 2,275 | 49.4 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,607 | 84.3 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.0 | |
General election December 1910: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Harry Levy-Lawson | 2,176 | 50.1 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal | Bertram Straus | 2,170 | 49.9 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 0.2 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,346 | 79.5 | −4.8 |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Unionist: Harry Levy-Lawson
* Liberal: Bertram Straus
1916 Mile End by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Warwick Brookes | 1,991 | 55.2 | +5.1 |
| | Independent | Noel Pemberton Billing | 1,615 | 44.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 376 | 10.4 | +10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,606 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1918: Stepney, Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Walter Preston | 6,025 | 63.2 | +13.1 |
| | Labour | William Devenay | 2,392 | 25.1 | New |
| | Liberal | Charles John Ough Sanders | 1,119 | 11.7 | −38.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,633 | 38.1 | +37.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,131 | 43.1 | −36.4 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Walter Preston | 6,014 | 41.0 | −22.2 |
| | Labour | John Scurr | 5,219 | 35.5 | +10.4 |
| | Liberal | Robert Bernard Solomon | 3,457 | 23.5 | +11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 795 | 5.5 | −32.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,690 | 63.8 | +20.7 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -16.3 | |
General election 1923: Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Scurr | 6,219 | 41.0 | +5.5 |
| | Unionist | Walter Preston | 4,741 | 31.2 | −9.8 |
| | Liberal | Robert Bernard Solomon | 4,215 | 27.8 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,478 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,787 | 63.8 | 0.0 |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +7.6 | |
General election 1924: Stepney, Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Scurr | 8,306 | 48.5 | +7.5 |
| | Unionist | Johnnie Dodge | 4,960 | 28.9 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal | Solomon Teff | 3,872 | 22.6 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,346 | 19.6 | +9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,245 | 70.7 | +6.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.9 | |
General election 1929: Stepney, Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Scurr | 11,489 | 47.1 | −1.4 |
| | Unionist | Johnnie Dodge | 7,401 | 30.3 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal | Solomon Teff | 5,525 | 22.6 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,088 | 16.8 | −2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,662 | 70.4 | −0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.4 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Stepney, Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William O'Donovan | 12,399 | 56.0 | +25.7 |
| | Labour | John Scurr | 9,738 | 44.0 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,661 | 12.0 | −4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,896 | 60.0 | −10.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +14.4 | |
General election 1935: Stepney, Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Daniel Frankel | 13,177 | 57.2 | +13.2 |
| | Conservative | William O'Donovan | 9,859 | 42.8 | −13.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3318 | 14.4 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,294 | 63.5 | +3.5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.2 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Labour: Daniel Frankel
* Conservative:
General election 1945: Stepney, Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Communist | Phil Piratin | 5,075 | 47.6 | New |
| | Labour | Daniel Frankel | 3,861 | 36.2 | −21.0 |
| | Conservative | V. Motion | 1,722 | 16.2 | −26.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,214 | 11.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,177 | 65.9 | +2.4 |
| | Communist gain from Labour | Communist gain from Labour | Swing | N/A | |