# Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency)

Walthamstow (/ˈwɔːlθəmstoʊ/, Estuary English:) is a constituency in Greater London created in 1974 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Stella Creasy, a member of Labour Co-op.
An earlier version of the constituency existed covering a significantly different area (1885–1918) and was among the vast majority by that time returning one member to the House of Commons.

## Boundaries
### 1885–1918

The South-Western or Walthamstow Division of the parliamentary county of Essex was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the existing seat of South Essex was divided into three single-member constituencies.
The constituency consisted of the three civil parishes of Leyton, Woodford and Walthamstow. The area lay on the periphery of the London conurbation and became increasingly suburban over its existence.
The seat was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1918. Two new constituencies were created with Walthamstow Urban District divided between Walthamstow East and Walthamstow West.

### From 1974

1974–1983: The London Borough of Waltham Forest wards of Higham Hill, High Street, Hoe Street, St James Street, and Wood Street.
1983–1997: As above plus Lloyd Park.
1997–2010: As above plus Chapel End and Lea Bridge.
2010–2022: The London Borough of Waltham Forest wards of Chapel End, Higham Hill, High Street, Hoe Street, Lea Bridge, Markhouse, William Morris, and Wood Street.
2022–present: Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2022, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the London Borough of Waltham Forest:
* Chapel End; Higham Hill; High Street; Hoe Street (most); Lea Bridge; Markhouse; St James; William Morris; Wood Street; Upper Walthamstow (part); and small parts of Hale End and Highams Park South, Larkswood, and Leyton.
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structure in place at 1 December 2020, left the boundaries unchanged.

## History

The seat has been represented by the Labour Party since 1992, before which it was won on a marginal majority in 1987 by a Conservative, having until then (since its 1974 recreation as a seat) been served by one Labour MP, Eric Deakins.
In 2015, Creasy's re-election saw Walthamstow become Labours' second-safest London seat, and tenth-safest nationally.

### Prominent frontbenchers

Stella Creasy, the present member, was the Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention.

## Constituency profile

The seat is the part of Outer London closest to Stratford, with its international rail connections, major city shopping centre and London's Olympic Park. To the East the seat borders Walthamstow Forest and Gilbert's Slade, thin sections of Epping Forest, and to the West, the Lea Valley. The eponymous district had as its open space feature a greyhound racing track, which has been redeveloped into a modernist housing and green space scheme. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly higher than the national average of 3.8% and Greater London average of 4%, at 7.2% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Edward Buxton | Liberal |
| | 1886 | William Makins | Conservative |
| | 1892 | Edmund Widdrington Byrne | Conservative |
| | 1897 | Sam Woods | Liberal |
| | 1900 | David John Morgan | Conservative |
| | 1906 | John Simon | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |
| Feb 1974 | Feb 1974 | Constituency recreated | Constituency recreated |
| | Feb 1974 | Eric Deakins | Labour |
| | 1987 | Hugo Summerson | Conservative |
| | 1992 | Neil Gerrard | Labour |
| | 2010 | Stella Creasy | Labour Co-op |

## Election results
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Stella Creasy | 27,172 | 59.3 | –16.8 |
| | Green | Rosalinda Rowlands | 9,176 | 20.0 | +16.4 |
| | Conservative | Sanjana Karnani | 2,353 | 5.1 | –7.2 |
| | Reform UK | Martin Lonergan | 1,836 | 4.0 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rebecca Taylor | 1,736 | 3.8 | –2.1 |
| | Workers Party | Imran Arshad | 1,535 | 3.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | Mohammed Ashfaq | 914 | 2.0 | N/A |
| | TUSC | Nancy Taaffe | 561 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Independent | Dan Edelstyn | 288 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Independent | Ruth Rawlins | 288 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,996 | 39.3 | –24.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,859 | 60.1 | –8.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,338 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | –16.6 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Stella Creasy | 36,784 | 76.1 | –4.5 |
| | Conservative | Shade Adoh | 5,922 | 12.3 | –1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Meera Chadha | 2,874 | 5.9 | +3.0 |
| | Green | Andrew Johns | 1,733 | 3.6 | +1.1 |
| | Brexit Party | Paul Campbell | 768 | 1.6 | N/A |
| | CPA | Deborah Longe | 254 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30,862 | 63.8 | –2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,355 | 68.8 | –2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,268 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | –1.3 | |
General election 2017: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Stella Creasy | 38,793 | 80.6 | +11.7 |
| | Conservative | Molly Samuel | 6,776 | 14.1 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ukonu Obasi | 1,384 | 2.9 | –1.1 |
| | Green | Andrew Johns | 1,190 | 2.5 | –3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32,017 | 66.5 | +11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,143 | 70.8 | +8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 67,957 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | +5.5 | |
General election 2015: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Stella Creasy | 28,779 | 68.9 | +17.1 |
| | Conservative | Molly Samuel | 5,584 | 13.4 | –0.6 |
| | Green | Michael Gold | 2,661 | 6.4 | +4.5 |
| | UKIP | Paul Hillman | 2,507 | 6.0 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Cheung | 1,661 | 4.0 | –24.7 |
| | TUSC | Nancy Taaffe | 394 | 0.9 | +0.2 |
| | Independent | Ellie Merton | 129 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Workers Revolutionary | Jonty Leff | 81 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,195 | 55.5 | +32.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,796 | 62.4 | –1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 67,015 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | +8.8 | |
General election 2010: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Stella Creasy | 21,252 | 51.8 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Farid Ahmed | 11,774 | 28.7 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | Andy Hemsted | 5,734 | 14.0 | –4.2 |
| | UKIP | Judith Chisholm-Benli | 823 | 2.0 | –0.4 |
| | Green | Daniel Perrett | 767 | 1.9 | N/A |
| | TUSC | Nancy Taaffe | 279 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | Christian | Ashar Mall | 248 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Independent | Paul Warburton | 117 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,478 | 23.1 | –0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,994 | 63.4 | +8.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 64,625 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | –0.0 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Gerrard | 17,323 | 50.3 | –11.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Farid Ahmed | 9,330 | 27.1 | +12.5 |
| | Conservative | Jane Wright | 6,254 | 18.2 | +0.1 |
| | UKIP | Robert Brock | 810 | 2.4 | +1.5 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Nancy Taaffe | 727 | 2.1 | –0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,993 | 23.2 | –20.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,444 | 54.6 | +1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,079 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | –12.2 | |
General election 2001: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Gerrard | 21,402 | 62.2 | –0.9 |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Smith | 6,221 | 18.1 | –2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Dunphy | 5,024 | 14.6 | +0.9 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Simon Donovan | 806 | 2.3 | N/A |
| | BNP | William Phillips | 389 | 1.1 | N/A |
| | UKIP | Gerda Mayer | 298 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | ProLife Alliance | Barbara Duffy | 289 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,181 | 44.1 | +1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,429 | 53.5 | –9.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 64,403 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.6 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Gerrard | 25,287 | 63.1 | +17.4 |
| | Conservative | Jill Andrew | 8,138 | 20.3 | –16.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Jackson | 5,491 | 13.7 | –0.8 |
| | Referendum | George Hargreaves | 1,139 | 2.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,149 | 42.8 | +34.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,055 | 62.8 | –9.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,818 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +17.9 | |
General election 1992: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Gerrard | 16,251 | 45.7 | +11.0 |
| | Conservative | Hugo Summerson | 13,229 | 37.2 | –1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Leighton | 5,142 | 14.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Vernon Wilkinson | 241 | 0.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,022 | 8.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,863 | 72.4 | 0.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,140 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.4 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugo Summerson | 13,748 | 39.0 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Eric Deakins | 12,236 | 34.7 | –5.1 |
| | SDP | Peter Leighton | 8,852 | 25.1 | +3.5 |
| | Independent | Zafar Iqnal Malik | 396 | 1.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,512 | 4.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,232 | 72.4 | +3.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,691 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +4.1 | |
General election 1983: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Deakins | 13,241 | 39.8 | –10.4 |
| | Conservative | Alan Amos | 11,936 | 35.9 | –1.8 |
| | SDP | Peter Leighton | 7,192 | 21.6 | N/A |
| | National Front | P. Mitchell | 444 | 1.3 | –1.9 |
| | Ecology | Stephen Lambert | 424 | 1.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,305 | 3.9 | –8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,237 | 68.8 | –2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,324 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | –4.3 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Deakins | 17,651 | 50.2 | –4.9 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Eyres | 13,248 | 37.7 | +13.4 |
| | Liberal | Mervyn Peter O'Flanagan | 3,117 | 8.9 | –6.1 |
| | National Front | George Flaxton | 1,119 | 3.2 | –2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,403 | 12.5 | –18.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,135 | 71.3 | +5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,315 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | –9.2 | |
General election October 1974: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Deakins | 19,088 | 55.1 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative | D. Arnold | 8,424 | 24.3 | –4.0 |
| | Liberal | Mervyn Peter O'Flanagan | 5,199 | 15.0 | –6.0 |
| | National Front | R. Adde | 1,911 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,664 | 30.8 | +8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,622 | 66.2 | –8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 52,280 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.2 | |
General election February 1974: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Deakins | 19,726 | 50.7 | |
| | Conservative | PS Gill | 10,992 | 28.3 | |
| | Liberal | Mervyn Peter O'Flanagan | 8,157 | 21.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,374 | 22.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,875 | 74.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,907 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1910s

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;
* Liberal: Emslie Horniman
* Unionist: Stanley Johnson
General election December 1910: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Simon | 16,998 | 56.1 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Carlyon Bellairs | 13,275 | 43.9 | –2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,723 | 12.2 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,273 | 77.4 | –7.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,117 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.6 | |
1910 Walthamstow by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Simon | 16,673 | 54.5 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | Stanley Johnson | 13,907 | 45.5 | –1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,766 | 9.0 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,580 | 78.2 | –6.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,117 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election January 1910: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Simon | 17,726 | 53.3 | –4.2 |
| | Conservative | Stanley Johnson | 15,531 | 46.7 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,195 | 6.6 | –8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,257 | 85.0 | +11.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,117 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | –4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Simon | 15,011 | 57.5 | +14.7 |
| | Conservative | William Isaac Shard | 11,074 | 42.5 | –14.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,937 | 15.0 | 29.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,085 | 73.9 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,321 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +14.7 | |
General election 1900: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Morgan | 9,807 | 57.2 | –3.1 |
| | Lib-Lab | Sam Woods | 7,342 | 42.8 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,465 | 14.4 | –6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,149 | 70.9 | +6.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,187 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –3.1 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1897 Walthamstow by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Sam Woods | 6,518 | 51.1 | +11.4 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Dewar | 6,239 | 48.9 | ―11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 279 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,757 | 64.3 | +0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,845 | | |
| | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Swing | +11.4 | |
General election 1895: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edmund Byrne | 6,876 | 60.3 | +5.1 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Pollen | 4,523 | 39.7 | –5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,353 | 20.6 | +10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,399 | 64.2 | –8.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,747 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.1 | |
General election 1892: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edmund Byrne | 6,115 | 55.2 | –7.6 |
| | Liberal | Walter Basden Whittingham | 4,965 | 44.8 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,150 | 10.4 | –15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,080 | 72.3 | +9.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,323 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –7.6 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1886: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Makins | 4,461 | 62.8 | +13.8 |
| | Liberal | Albert Spicer | 2,639 | 37.2 | –13.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,822 | 25.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,000 | 63.2 | –11.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,233 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +13.8 | |
General election 1885: Walthamstow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Buxton | 4,300 | 51.0 | |
| | Conservative | Thomas Charles Baring | 4,125 | 49.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 175 | 2.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,425 | 75.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,233 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |