# Woolwich East (UK Parliament constituency)

Woolwich East was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983. Its seat was Woolwich, now in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London.
The constituency was formed for the 1918 general election, when the constituency of Woolwich was divided into Woolwich East and Woolwich West, and abolished in 1983 when it was largely replaced by a new Woolwich constituency. Between 1950 and 1974 it included North Woolwich on the north bank of the River Thames; this was then transferred to Newham South.
Throughout its 65-year existence, the constituency elected Labour MPs with the sole exception of a Conservative elected in a 1921 by-election.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: The Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich wards of Burrage, Central, Glyndon, St Margaret's, and St Nicholas.
1950–1955: The Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich wards of Abbey Wood, Burrage, Central, Dockyard, Glyndon, River, St Margaret's, St Mary's, and St Nicholas.
1955–1974: The Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich wards of Abbey Wood, Burrage, Central, Glyndon, River, St Margaret's, St Mary's, St Nicholas, Slade, and Winn's Common.
1974–1983: The London Borough of Greenwich wards of Abbey Wood, Eynsham, St Margaret's, St Mary's, St Nicholas, Slade, and Woolwich.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1918 | Will Crooks | Labour |
| 1921 by-election | Robert Gee | Conservative |
| 1922 | Harry Snell | Labour |
| 1931 by-election | George Hicks | Labour |
| 1950 | Ernest Bevin | Labour |
| 1951 by-election | Christopher Mayhew | Labour |
| 1974 | Christopher Mayhew | Liberal |
| Oct 1974 | John Cartwright | Labour |
| 1981 | John Cartwright | SDP |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Will Crooks | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1920s

1921 Woolwich East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Robert Gee | 13,724 | 51.3 | New |
| | Labour | Ramsay MacDonald | 13,081 | 48.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 683 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,099 | 78.5 | N/A |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | N/A | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
General election 1922: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Snell | 15,620 | 57.1 | N/A |
| | Unionist | Robert Gee | 11,714 | 42.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,906 | 14.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,993 | 80.4 | +1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1923: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Snell | 15,766 | 61.6 | +4.5 |
| | Unionist | Ernest Taylor | 9,389 | 38.4 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,927 | 23.2 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,429 | 74.4 | −6.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
General election 1924: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Snell | 16,660 | 58.4 | −3.2 |
| | Unionist | D.A. Gooch | 11,862 | 41.6 | +3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,798 | 16.8 | −6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,935 | 81.6 | +7.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1929: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Snell | 20,447 | 63.2 | +4.8 |
| | Unionist | Edward Shrapnell-Smith | 11,906 | 36.8 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,541 | 26.4 | +9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,808 | 75.6 | −6.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.8 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

1931 Woolwich East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Hicks | 16,200 | 56.7 | −6.5 |
| | Conservative | Edward Shrapnell-Smith | 12,357 | 43.3 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,843 | 13.4 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,886 | 66.6 | −9.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Hicks | 16,658 | 50.9 | −12.3 |
| | Conservative | John Francis Finn | 16,050 | 49.1 | +12.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 608 | 1.8 | −24.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,857 | 76.3 | +0.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Hicks | 17,563 | 58.0 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative | John Francis Finn | 12,721 | 42.0 | −7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,842 | 16.0 | +14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,450 | 71.3 | −5.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Hicks | 18,983 | 70.4 | +12.4 |
| | Conservative | Reginald Bennett | 7,237 | 27.0 | −15.0 |
| | Independent | Hugh Harold Wright | 571 | 2.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,746 | 43.4 | +27.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,851 | 72.7 | +1.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ernest Bevin | 26,604 | 61.59 | −8.8 |
| | Conservative | J.D. Campbell | 14,234 | 32.95 | +5.9 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Maxwell Sage | 1,504 | 3.48 | New |
| | Communist | R. Palme Dutt | 601 | 1.39 | New |
| | Independent | F. Hancock | 252 | 0.58 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,370 | 28.64 | −15.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,195 | 83.31 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,849 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.4 | |
1951 Woolwich East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Mayhew | 20,801 | 60.73 | −0.86 |
| | Conservative | Richard Jon Stanley Harvey | 13,449 | 39.27 | +6.32 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,352 | 21.46 | −7.18 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,250 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.59 | |
General election 1951: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Mayhew | 26,982 | 63.63 | +2.04 |
| | Conservative | Richard Jon Stanley Harvey | 15,420 | 36.37 | +3.42 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,562 | 27.26 | −1.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,402 | 82.05 | −1.26 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,679 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.69 | |
General election 1955: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Mayhew | 23,275 | 64.29 | +0.66 |
| | Conservative | Henry C Crawford | 12,929 | 35.71 | −0.66 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,346 | 28.58 | +1.31 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,204 | 73.94 | −8.11 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,964 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.66 | |
General election 1959: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Mayhew | 22,353 | 63.88 | −0.41 |
| | Conservative | Edgar J Porter | 12,638 | 36.12 | +0.41 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,715 | 27.76 | −0.82 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,991 | 75.49 | +1.55 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 46,349 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.41 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Mayhew | 22,158 | 68.26 | +4.38 |
| | Conservative | David W Clarke | 10,303 | 31.74 | −4.38 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,855 | 36.52 | +8.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,461 | 68.98 | −6.51 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,061 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.38 | |
General election 1966: Woolwich East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Mayhew | 22,241 | 71.66 | +3.40 |
| | Conservative | Antony W Andrews | 8,798 | 28.34 | −3.40 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,443 | 43.32 | +6.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,039 | 67.02 | −1.96 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 46,310 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.40 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Christopher Mayhew | 19,423 | 65.44 |
| | Conservative | John Cope | 10,259 | 35.56 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,164 | 30.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,682 | 60.66 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election February 1974: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christopher Mayhew | 20,967 | 55.89 | −9.55 |
| | Conservative | Barry Horn Watson | 8,990 | 23.96 | −11.60 |
| | Liberal | David John Woodhead | 6,301 | 16.80 | New |
| | National Front | Philip Sydney Hanman | 1,066 | 2.84 | New |
| | Industrial Productivity for British Exports Campaign | John Richard Michael Murphy | 191 | 0.51 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,977 | 31.93 | +1.05 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,515 | 74.22 | +13.56 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Cartwright | 19,812 | 60.33 | +4.44 |
| | Conservative | Barry Horn Watson | 7,387 | 22.50 | −1.47 |
| | Liberal | David John Woodhead | 4,638 | 14.12 | −2.67 |
| | National Front | Malcolm Eric Leslie Skeggs | 1,000 | 3.05 | +0.20 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,425 | 37.83 | +5.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,837 | 64.41 | −9.81 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.96 | |
General election 1979: Woolwich, East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Cartwright | 21,700 | 58.93 | −1.40 |
| | Conservative | Patrick Rock | 11,240 | 30.53 | +8.03 |
| | Liberal | David John Woodhead | 2,998 | 8.14 | −5.98 |
| | National Front | Ian David Steven | 884 | 2.40 | −0.65 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,460 | 28.40 | −9.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,822 | 70.11 | +5.70 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.72 | |