# Battersea North (UK Parliament constituency)

Battersea North was a parliamentary constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea, and then the London Borough of Wandsworth, in South London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.
It was created for the 1918 general election, when the former Battersea constituency was divided in two. It was abolished for the 1983 general election, when it was reunited with most of Battersea South to form the new Battersea constituency.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: The Metropolitan Borough of Battersea wards of Church, Latchmere, Nine Elms, and Park.
1950–1974: The Metropolitan Borough of Battersea wards of Church, Latchmere, Newtown, Nine Elms, Park, Queenstown, Vicarage, and Winstanley.
1974–1983: The London Borough of Wandsworth wards of Latchmere, Queenstown, St John's, St Mary's Park, and Shaftesbury.
The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918. When seats were redistributed by the Representation of the People Act 1948 the seat was redefined as consisting of five wards by the addition of the Winstanley ward, transferred from Battersea South. However the wards of the borough were redrawn in 1949 prior to the next general election in 1950. Accordingly, changes were made under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949. Of the 16 new wards, eight were included in each of the Battersea North and South constituencies.
In 1965 Battersea became part of the London Borough of Wandsworth. This, however made no immediate change to the parliamentary constituencies. It was not until the general election of February 1974 that the constituency boundaries were altered. St John's and Shaftesbury wards were transferred from Battersea South. These boundaries were used until abolition.
The constituency was abolished for the election of 1983, and was subsumed by the new Battersea seat, where it formed 61.5% of the total constituency (with the addition of Balham, Fairfield and Northcote wards from Battersea South).

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Richard Morris | Liberal |
| | 1922 | Shapurji Saklatvala | Communist |
| | 1923 | Henry Hogbin | Liberal |
| | 1924 | Shapurji Saklatvala | Communist |
| | 1929 | William Sanders | Labour |
| | 1931 | Arthur Marsden | Conservative |
| | 1935 | William Sanders | Labour |
| | 1940 by-election | Francis Douglas | Labour |
| | 1946 by-election | Douglas Jay | Labour |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Richard Morris | 11,231 | 66.6 | |
| | Labour | Charlotte Despard | 5,634 | 33.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,597 | 33.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,865 | 43.7 | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shapurji Saklatvala | 11,311 | 50.5 | +17.1 |
| | National Liberal | Henry Hogbin | 9,290 | 41.6 | New |
| | Liberal | Vivian Claude Albu | 1,756 | 7.9 | −58.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,021 | 9.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,357 | | |
| | Labour gain from National Liberal | Labour gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1923: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Hogbin | 12,527 | 50.4 | +42.5 |
| | Labour | Shapurji Saklatvala | 12,341 | 49.6 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 186 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,868 | 61.9 | |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +4.9 | |
General election 1924: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Communist | Shapurji Saklatvala | 15,096 | 50.9 | New |
| | Constitutionalist | Henry Hogbin | 14,554 | 49.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 542 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,650 | 73.1 | +12.2 |
| | Communist gain from Liberal | Communist gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1929: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Sanders | 13,265 | 37.8 | New |
| | Unionist | Arthur Marsden | 10,833 | 30.8 | New |
| | Communist | Shapurji Saklatvala | 6,554 | 18.6 | −32.3 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Patrick Brogan | 4,513 | 12.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,432 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,165 | 69.7 | −3.4 |
| | Labour gain from Communist | Labour gain from Communist | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Marsden | 18,688 | 55.5 | +24.7 |
| | Labour | William Sanders | 11,985 | 35.6 | −2.2 |
| | Communist | Shapurji Saklatvala | 3,021 | 8.9 | −9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,703 | 19.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,694 | 67.6 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Sanders | 17,596 | 58.7 | +23.1 |
| | Conservative | Arthur Marsden | 12,393 | 41.3 | −14.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,203 | 17.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,989 | 63.5 | −4.1 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +18.6 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

1940 Battersea North by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Francis Douglas | 9,947 | 92.6 | +33.9 |
| | Independent | E.C. Joyce | 791 | 7.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,156 | 85.2 | +67.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,738 | 25.1 | −38.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1945: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Francis Douglas | 14,070 | 73.9 | +15.2 |
| | Conservative | John Serocold Paget Mellor | 4,969 | 26.1 | −15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,101 | 47.8 | +30.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,039 | 71.1 | +15.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
1946 Battersea North by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 11,329 | 68.9 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative | B A Shattock | 4,858 | 29.6 | +3.5 |
| | Ind. Labour Party | Hugo Dewar | 240 | 1.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,471 | 39.3 | −8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,427 | 55.4 | −15.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 24,762 | 69.57 | −4.33 |
| | Conservative | Martin Madden | 9,084 | 25.52 | −0.58 |
| | Liberal | Edward Richter Handscombe | 1,090 | 3.06 | New |
| | Communist | John Mahon | 655 | 1.84 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,678 | 44.05 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,591 | 80.7 | +9.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.75 | |
General election 1951: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 25,882 | 72.53 | +2.96 |
| | Conservative | Ian Percival | 9,905 | 27.47 | +1.95 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,077 | 45.06 | +1.01 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,787 | 80.24 | −0.46 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.51 | |
General election 1955: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 20,980 | 70.73 | −1.80 |
| | Conservative | Ian Percival | 8,058 | 27.17 | −0.30 |
| | Independent | Eric Fenner | 622 | 2.10 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,922 | 43.56 | −1.50 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,660 | 69.35 | −10.89 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −1.1 | |
General election 1959: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 19,595 | 67.84 | −2.89 |
| | Conservative | Robert Taylor | 9,289 | 32.16 | +4.99 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,533 | 35.68 | −7.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,884 | 70.56 | +1.21 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.94 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 14,930 | 63.71 | −4.13 |
| | Conservative | Robert Taylor | 5,847 | 24.95 | −7.21 |
| | Liberal | Stephen R Jakobi | 2,187 | 9.33 | New |
| | Communist | Gladys M Easton | 471 | 2.01 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,083 | 38.76 | +3.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,435 | 65.72 | −4.84 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.54 | |
General election 1966: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 15,522 | 72.12 | +8.41 |
| | Conservative | C Peter M Davidson | 5,350 | 24.86 | −0.09 |
| | Communist | Gladys M Easton | 650 | 3.02 | +1.01 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,172 | 47.26 | +8.50 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,522 | 63.21 | −2.51 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.24 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 11,621 | 65.51 | −6.61 |
| | Conservative | Anthony V Bradbury | 4,927 | 27.77 | +2.91 |
| | Liberal | Hester M G Smallbone | 1,012 | 5.70 | New |
| | Communist | D Welsh | 179 | 1.01 | −2.01 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,694 | 37.74 | −9.52 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,739 | 58.69 | −3.52 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −6.15 | |
General election February 1974: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 18,503 | 58.79 | −6.72 |
| | Conservative | Simon Randall | 8,080 | 25.67 | −2.10 |
| | Liberal | John Savile | 4,683 | 14.88 | +9.18 |
| | Communist (ML) | Carol Reakes | 208 | 0.66 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,423 | 33.12 | −4.62 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,474 | 70.72 | +12.03 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −2.31 | |
General election October 1974: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 17,161 | 62.22 | +3.43 |
| | Conservative | Simon J C Randall | 6,019 | 21.82 | −3.85 |
| | Liberal | C R Williams | 3,048 | 11.05 | −3.43 |
| | National Front | R Friend | 1,250 | 4.53 | New |
| | Communist (ML) | Carol Reakes | 102 | 0.37 | −0.29 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,142 | 40.40 | +7.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,580 | 61.56 | −9.16 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.64 | |
General election 1979: Battersea North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Jay | 15,384 | 56.22 | −6.00 |
| | Conservative | P Phillips | 9,358 | 33.22 | +11.40 |
| | Liberal | W Brown | 2,021 | 7.18 | −3.87 |
| | National Front | Michael Salt | 772 | 2.74 | −1.79 |
| | Workers (Leninist) | A Lavelle | 104 | 0.37 | New |
| | Workers Revolutionary | P Clay | 47 | 0.17 | New |
| | Community Party | J Harwell | 30 | 0.11 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,746 | 23.00 | −17.40 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,716 | 67.98 | +6.42 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −8.70 | |