# Poplar (UK Parliament constituency)

Poplar was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Poplar 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.

## History

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1918 general election, when with very minor boundary changes it was replaced by the new constituency of Poplar South. A small amount of the constituency's territory was added to Bow and Bromley.
It was re-established for the 1950 general election, and abolished again for the February 1974 general election. It was then partly replaced by the new Stepney and Poplar constituency.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: In 1885 the area was administered as part of the county of Middlesex. It was located in the Tower division, in the east of the historic county. The suburban neighbourhood of Poplar formed a division of the parliamentary borough of Tower Hamlets.
In 1889 the Tower division of Middlesex was severed from the county, for administrative purposes. It became part of the County of London. In 1900 the lower tier of local government in London was re-modelled. Poplar constituency became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.
1950–1974: When a re-distribution of parliamentary seats took effect in 1950, the constituency was re-created. It then included the whole of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.
In 1965 the Metropolitan Borough was incorporated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Greater London.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Henry Green | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Sydney Buxton | Liberal |
| | 1914 b-e | Alfred Yeo | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished: see Poplar South & Bow and Bromley | constituency abolished: see Poplar South & Bow and Bromley |
| 1950 | 1950 | constituency re-created | constituency re-created |
| | 1950 | Charles Key | Labour |
| | 1964 | Ian Mikardo | Labour |
| Feb 1974 | Feb 1974 | constituency abolished: see Stepney and Poplar | constituency abolished: see Stepney and Poplar |

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

General election 1885: Tower Hamlets, Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Green | 4,090 | 65.9 | |
| | Conservative | Denzil Onslow | 2,113 | 34.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,977 | 31.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,203 | 68.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,041 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Tower Hamlets, Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Buxton | 2,903 | 50.7 | −15.2 |
| | Conservative | Alfred Welby | 2,827 | 49.3 | +15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 76 | 1.4 | −30.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,730 | 63.4 | −5.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,041 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -15.2 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Tower Hamlets, Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Buxton | 5,007 | 62.7 | +12.0 |
| | Conservative | Alfred Welby | 2,975 | 37.3 | −12.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,032 | 25.4 | +24.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,982 | 77.1 | +13.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,348 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +12.0 | |
General election 1895: Tower Hamlets, Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Buxton | 3,939 | 55.9 | −6.8 |
| | Conservative | William Pelham Bullivant | 3,110 | 44.1 | +6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 829 | 11.8 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,049 | 72.8 | −4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,684 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -6.8 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Tower Hamlets, Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Buxton | 3,992 | 58.4 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative | William Pelham Bullivant | 2,840 | 41.6 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,152 | 16.8 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,832 | 68.3 | −4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,009 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
General election 1906: Tower Hamlets, Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Buxton | 4,546 | 67.0 | +8.6 |
| | Conservative | George Borwick | 2,235 | 33.0 | −8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,311 | 34.0 | +17.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,781 | 74.6 | +6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,088 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +8.6 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Tower Hamlets, Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Buxton | 4,172 | 57.2 | −9.8 |
| | Conservative | Leslie Wilson | 3,125 | 42.8 | +9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,047 | 14.4 | −19.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,297 | 82.4 | +7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,857 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -9.8 | |
General election December 1910: Tower Hamlets, Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Buxton | 3,977 | 64.9 | +7.7 |
| | Conservative | Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett | 2,148 | 35.1 | −7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,829 | 29.8 | +15.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,125 | 69.2 | −13.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,857 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +7.7 | |
1914 Poplar by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Alfred Yeo | 3,548 | 46.0 | −18.9 |
| | Conservative | Robin S. Kerr-Clark | 3,270 | 42.4 | +7.3 |
| | British Socialist Party | Jack Jones | 893 | 11.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 278 | 3.6 | −26.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,711 | 79.8 | +10.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,658 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -13.1 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Key | 30,756 | 78.23 | |
| | Conservative | Richard Lonsdale | 6,088 | 15.48 | |
| | Liberal | Joseph Frederick Purkis | 1,933 | 4.92 | |
| | Communist | Harry Watson | 540 | 1.37 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,668 | 62.74 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,317 | 78.39 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,154 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
General election 1951: Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Key | 31,377 | 82.03 | +3.80 |
| | Conservative | Peter Emery | 6,875 | 17.97 | +2.49 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,502 | 64.06 | +1.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,252 | 75.73 | −2.66 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,509 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.66 | |
General election 1955: Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Key | 25,642 | 81.52 | −0.51 |
| | Conservative | Gerard Vaughan | 5,814 | 18.48 | +0.51 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,828 | 63.04 | −1.02 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,456 | 64.15 | −11.58 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,038 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.51 | |
General election 1959: Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Key | 22,506 | 77.23 | −4.29 |
| | Conservative | Peter Blair Black | 6,635 | 22.77 | +4.29 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,871 | 54.46 | −8.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,141 | 65.62 | +1.58 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,412 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.29 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mikardo | 20,271 | 77.71 | +0.48 |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Baker | 5,813 | 22.29 | −0.48 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,458 | 55.42 | +0.96 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,084 | 58.28 | −7.34 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,756 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.48 | |
General election 1966: Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mikardo | 21,071 | 84.51 | +6.80 |
| | Conservative | Roger Holloway | 3,863 | 15.49 | −6.80 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,208 | 69.02 | +13.60 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,934 | 57.67 | −0.61 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 43,236 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.80 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Poplar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mikardo | 16,520 | 80.37 | −4.14 |
| | Conservative | Ronald C Denney | 4,036 | 19.63 | +4.14 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,484 | 60.74 | −8.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,556 | 49.05 | −8.62 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 41,908 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.14 | |