# Kensington South (UK Parliament constituency)

Kensington South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Kensington district of west 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 February 1974 general election. In every postwar election until its abolition, it was the safest Conservative seat (excluding Northern Irish constituencies) in the country.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Sir Algernon Borthwick | Conservative |
| | 1895 by-election | Lord Warkworth (known as Earl Percy from 1899) | Conservative |
| | 1910 | Lord Claud Hamilton | Conservative |
| | 1918 | Sir William Davison | Conservative |
| | 1945 by-election | Richard Law | Conservative |
| | 1950 | Sir Patrick Spens | Conservative |
| | 1959 | William Roots | Conservative |
| | 1968 by-election | Sir Brandon Rhys-Williams | Conservative |
| Feb 1974 | Feb 1974 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Boundaries

Prior to 1885, the area was originally part of the Chelsea constituency. Following the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the new Kensington South seat was a single-member constituency consisting of all of the parliamentary borough of Kensington south of the Uxbridge Road.
Following boundary changes under the Representation of the People Act 1918, the constituency was defined as consisting of the Royal Borough of Kensington wards of Brompton, Earl's Court, Holland, Queen's Gate, and Redcliffe.
In the 1950 redistribution, Brompton ward was transferred to the Chelsea constituency. The constituency was thus now defined as consisting of the Royal Borough of Kensington wards of Earl's Court, Holland, Queen's Gate, and Redcliffe. It then remained unchanged until its abolition in 1974.
In 1965, under major local government boundary changes, the London County Council area was absorbed by the new Greater London Council, and the constituency was included in a new London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. This did not affect parliamentary boundaries for another nine years, however.
In the 1974 redistribution, this constituency disappeared. Earl's Court and Redcliffe wards became part of the redrawn Chelsea constituency, while Holland and Queen's Gate wards became part of the new Kensington constituency.

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

General election 1885: Kensington, South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Algernon Borthwick | 4,602 | 68.3 | |
| | Liberal | Montagu Hughes Cookson | 2,138 | 31.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,464 | 36.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,740 | 76.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,859 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Kensington, South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Algernon Borthwick | 4,156 | 80.3 | +12.0 |
| | Liberal | Henry Fearnside Speed | 1,022 | 19.7 | −12.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,134 | 60.6 | +24.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,178 | 58.4 | −17.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,859 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +12.0 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Kensington, South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Algernon Borthwick | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1895: Kensington, South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Algernon Borthwick | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
By-election: 28 November 1895 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Percy | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Kensington, South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Percy | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1906: Kensington, South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Percy | 4,835 | 74.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Edward O'Malley | 1,624 | 25.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,211 | 49.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,459 | 70.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,223 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Kensington, South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Claud Hamilton | 5,771 | 81.6 | +6.7 |
| | Liberal | George Stanford MacIlwaine | 1,301 | 18.4 | −6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,470 | 63.2 | +13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,159 | 77.2 | +7.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election December 1910: Kensington, South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Claud Hamilton | 5,093 | 83.1 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal | George Rodhouse Reid | 1,033 | 16.9 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,060 | 66.2 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,159 | 66.9 | −10.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1918: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | William Davison | 10,693 | 66.8 | −16.3 |
| | National | Ernest Makins | 5,306 | 33.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,387 | 33.6 | −32.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,999 | 51.8 | −15.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 30,888 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −16.3 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Davison | 15,760 | 76.0 | +9.2 |
| | Independent | * Ferdinand Cavendish-Bentinck | 4,964 | 24.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,796 | 52.0 | +18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,724 | 58.1 | +6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,684 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +9.2 | |
*Cavendish-Bentinck was incorrectly labelled by the media as a National Liberal but corrected this label as 'anti-Conservative'.
General election 1923: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Davison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1924: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Davison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1929: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Davison | 28,049 | 66.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Hugh Seely | 7,570 | 18.0 | New |
| | Ind. Unionist | Rayner Goddard | 6,354 | 15.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,479 | 48.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,973 | 59.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,593 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Davison | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1935: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Davison | 38,297 | 88.9 | N/A |
| | Labour | Charles Henry Hartwell | 4,779 | 11.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33,518 | 77.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 69,520 | 62.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Davison | 22,166 | 69.8 | −19.1 |
| | Labour | Patricia Strauss | 6,014 | 18.9 | +8.8 |
| | Liberal | Francis N Beaufort-Palmer | 3,586 | 11.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,152 | 50.9 | −26.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,727 | 67.9 | +5.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
By-election, 20 November 1945 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Law | 15,846 | 81.7 | +11.9 |
| | Liberal | Lancelot Spicer | 3,559 | 18.3 | +7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,287 | 68.4 | +17.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,750 | 36.8 | −29.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patrick Spens | 32,870 | 73.1 | +3.3 |
| | Labour | Marcel Philip Picard | 8,002 | 17.8 | −1.1 |
| | Liberal | John Frankenburg | 4,079 | 9.1 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,868 | 55.3 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,319 | 71.0 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patrick Spens | 34,592 | 79.5 | +6.4 |
| | Labour | Michael Clynes Parker | 8,894 | 20.5 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,698 | 59.0 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,419 | 68.6 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patrick Spens | 32,051 | 82.5 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | Marjorie Macrae Crane | 6,804 | 17.5 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,247 | 65.0 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,724 | 62.0 | −6.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Roots | 26,606 | 74.3 | −8.2 |
| | Liberal | Gurth Hoyer-Millar | 4,666 | 13.0 | New |
| | Labour | Ivor Richard | 4,525 | 12.6 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,940 | 61.3 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,023 | 61.7 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Roots | 21,668 | 68.0 | −3.3 |
| | Labour | Barrington J Stead | 5,300 | 16.6 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal | Anthony A W Dix | 4,916 | 15.4 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,368 | 51.3 | −10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,157 | 56.8 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Roots | 21,050 | 65.1 | −2.9 |
| | Labour | Jonathan V Rosenhead | 6,419 | 19.8 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Kellock | 4,871 | 15.1 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,631 | 45.3 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,660 | 58.1 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
By-election of 14 March 1968 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brandon Rhys-Williams | 16,489 | 75.5 | +10.4 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Kellock | 2,742 | 12.6 | −2.5 |
| | Labour | Clive Bradley (executive) | 1,874 | 8.6 | −11.2 |
| | Independent | Sinclair Eustace | 675 | 3.1 | New |
| | Independent | William Gold | 59 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,747 | 62.9 | +17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,839 | 40.0 | −18.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Kensington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brandon Rhys-Williams | 21,591 | 75.7 | +10.6 |
| | Labour | Faith M Bridges | 6,928 | 24.3 | +4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,663 | 51.4 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,182 | 49.9 | −8.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |