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West Ham (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
West Ham is a parliamentary constituency
in the London Borough of Newham
, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It was formed in 1997 when the constituency of Newham North West
was merged with part of Newham South
.
, including the areas of West Ham
, Forest Gate
, Plaistow
, Stratford
, Maryland
and Upton Park.
The boundary changes that took effect at the May 2010 election expanded the constituency by adding Canning Town
from the Poplar and Canning Town constituency, whilst losing Silvertown to East Ham. The boundary with the East Ham constituency
was modified to align with local government ward boundaries.
The constituency now comprises ten wards: Canning Town North, Canning Town South, Custom House, Forest Gate North, Forest Gate South, Green Street West, Plaistow North, Plaistow South, Stratford & New Town and West Ham.
had in 1892 sent Keir Hardie
to the Commons. Labour's Tony Banks was MP for first Newham North West
and then West Ham from 1983 until his retirement in 2005. He held the seat at the 2001 general election
with nearly 70% of the vote. The constituency has been one of the fastest growing in recent years and in 2006 was the second largest constituency of all, with only the Isle of Wight
having more voters. The neighbouring constituency of East Ham was the third largest constituency.
In the 1991 census just over 43% of residents were non-white. By the time of the 2001 census, whites made up 44.1% of the population, with 35.3% of residents born outside the UK. Over a quarter of the population are Afro-Caribbean. There is also a significant Asian
population, many of whom are Muslim
s. By the time of the 2005 General Election, only seven of the 646 constituencies had more Muslims than West Ham. As a result the RESPECT Coalition targeted it for the 2005 election, hoping to benefit from opposition to the Iraq war
; in the end it was not enough to unseat Labour's replacement for Banks, Lyn Brown, but they managed to take nearly 20% of the vote away from Labour.
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
in the London Borough of Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It was formed in 1997 when the constituency of Newham North West
Newham North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Newham North West was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in the London Borough of Newham. It returned one Member of Parliament, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
was merged with part of Newham South
Newham South (UK Parliament constituency)
Newham South was a parliamentary constituency in the London Borough of Newham, in east London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
.
Boundaries
The constituency covers the western half of NewhamLondon Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
, including the areas of West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
, Forest Gate
Forest Gate
Forest Gate is a residential area in the London Borough of Newham, 7 miles northeast of Charing Cross. It is bordered by Manor Park to the east and and to the west lies Stratford town centre. The northern half of the busy Green Street runs through it.-History:...
, Plaistow
Plaistow, Newham
Plaistow is a place in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It formed part of the County Borough of West Ham in Essex until 1965.Plaistow is a mainly residential area, including several council estates; the main road is the A112 - Plaistow Road, High Street, Broadway, Greengate Street and...
, Stratford
Stratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
, Maryland
Maryland, London
Maryland is a location in east London. It forms the northeastern part of Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. The area borders Leytonstone to the north, Stratford New Town to the west and Forest Gate to the east, with the centre of Stratford to the south-west.-History:Maryland's earliest...
and Upton Park.
The boundary changes that took effect at the May 2010 election expanded the constituency by adding Canning Town
Canning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
from the Poplar and Canning Town constituency, whilst losing Silvertown to East Ham. The boundary with the East Ham constituency
East Ham (UK Parliament constituency)
East Ham is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in the London Borough of Newham...
was modified to align with local government ward boundaries.
The constituency now comprises ten wards: Canning Town North, Canning Town South, Custom House, Forest Gate North, Forest Gate South, Green Street West, Plaistow North, Plaistow South, Stratford & New Town and West Ham.
Politics and history of the constituency
The area is generally considered a safe Labour seat; West Ham SouthWest Ham South (UK Parliament constituency)
West Ham South was a parliamentary constituency in the County Borough of West Ham, in what was then Essex but is now Greater London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.- History...
had in 1892 sent Keir Hardie
Keir Hardie
James Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
to the Commons. Labour's Tony Banks was MP for first Newham North West
Newham North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Newham North West was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in the London Borough of Newham. It returned one Member of Parliament, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
and then West Ham from 1983 until his retirement in 2005. He held the seat at the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
with nearly 70% of the vote. The constituency has been one of the fastest growing in recent years and in 2006 was the second largest constituency of all, with only the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight (UK Parliament constituency)
Isle of Wight is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, it covers the whole of the Isle of Wight and elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.-...
having more voters. The neighbouring constituency of East Ham was the third largest constituency.
In the 1991 census just over 43% of residents were non-white. By the time of the 2001 census, whites made up 44.1% of the population, with 35.3% of residents born outside the UK. Over a quarter of the population are Afro-Caribbean. There is also a significant Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
population, many of whom are Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. By the time of the 2005 General Election, only seven of the 646 constituencies had more Muslims than West Ham. As a result the RESPECT Coalition targeted it for the 2005 election, hoping to benefit from opposition to the Iraq war
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
; in the end it was not enough to unseat Labour's replacement for Banks, Lyn Brown, but they managed to take nearly 20% of the vote away from Labour.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Tony Banks Tony Banks, Baron Stratford Anthony Louis Banks, Baron Stratford was a British Labour Party politician, who was a Member of Parliament from 1983 to 2005, before being made a Member of the House of Lords. In government, he served for two years as Minister for Sport... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Lyn Brown Lyn Brown (politician) Lyn Carol Brown is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for West Ham since 2005.- Early life :... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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