Poplar and Limehouse (UK Parliament constituency)

Poplar and Limehouse
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Poplar and Limehouse in Greater London
CountyGreater London
Electorate75,814 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsCanary Wharf, Limehouse, Poplar, Wapping
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentApsana Begum (Independent)
SeatsOne
Created fromPoplar & Canning Town, Bethnal Green & Bow

Poplar and Limehouse is a constituency[n 1] which was first created in 2010. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Apsana Begum, who was elected as a Labour Party MP.[n 2] However, the whip was withdrawn on 23 July 2024, as a result of her voting to scrap the two child benefit cap, and she was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party. Begum now sits as an Independent MP until the whip is re-established.

History

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Political history

The predecessors to this constituency (area electing MPs to the House of Commons) (see history of boundaries) since 1992 have elected Labour Party representatives. In 2010, Jim Fitzpatrick had a majority of 12.9% over the runner-up Conservative Party candidate.

The 2015 re-election of Fitzpatrick made the seat the 66th safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[2]

In 2019, Apsana Begum, selected to succeed the retiring Fitzpatrick as Labour's candidate, beat the runner-up Conservative Party candidate by 28,904 votes.[3] This was more than Jim Fitzpatrick’s 27,712 vote majority[4] at the 2017 general election, though the majority size in terms of vote share remained stable at 47.2%, and Labour's vote share declined.

Boundaries

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2010-2024

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Map
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

Parliament accepted the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which proposed the seat's creation for the 2010 general election, since when it has consisted of the following electoral wards:

History of boundaries

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Nomenclature

Alternative names, including "Tower Hamlets South" and "Poplar and Millwall" were rejected following public consultation.

Local authority boundary review

Following a review of ward boundaries in Tower Hamlets which became effective in May 2014,[6] the contents (but not the boundaries) of the constituency were changed to:

Current

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Poplar and Limehouse from 2024

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was reduced to bring the electorate within the permitted range. Shadwell and part of the Whitechapel wards were transferred to the re-established seat of Bethnal Green and Stepney, and the Bromley North ward was moved to the newly created constituency of Stratford and Bow.[7]

Constituency profile

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The constituency and its predecessor seats covering the Isle of Dogs have consistently been won by the Labour Party since the 1920s. The district has changed vastly over this time, and great wealth and considerable poverty now co-exist side by side as an example of income inequality.

Once home to shipping and heavy industry, the Docklands area was derelict for many years, before redevelopment began in the late-1980s. Now the area around Canary Wharf is one of the country's largest financial districts and has several landmark skyscrapers, such as One Canada Square.

The redevelopment of the Docklands has led to the construction of luxury housing in the constituency, which has somewhat altered the demographics. However, in parts of the Isle of Dogs and in the areas north, east and west of Poplar, there are still areas of high deprivation.

At the end of 2012, 6% of the population of the constituency were unemployment benefit claimants, ranking sixth among London seats (the highest percentage was Tottenham at 7.9%), and above the London-wide average of 3.9%.[8]

In the 2016 EU referendum, like the majority of London; the constituency voted 65.79% for Remain.[9]

The constituency is religiously diverse: 38.8% of residents are Muslim, 24.2% Christian, 2.8% Hindu, and 1.0% Buddhist. 24.8% claimed no religious affiliation.[10]

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[11] Party
2010 Jim Fitzpatrick Labour
2019 Apsana Begum Labour
2024 Independent

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Poplar and Limehouse[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Apsana Begum 18,535 43.1 –17.2
Green Nathalie Bienfait 5,975 13.9 +10.5
Conservative Freddie Downing 4,738 11.0 –6.7
Independent Ehtashamul Haque 4,554 10.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Richard Flowers 4,189 9.7 –5.8
Reform UK Tony Glover 3,403 7.9 +5.5
Workers Party Kamran Khan 1,463 3.4 N/A
SDP Manny Lawal 194 0.5 N/A
Majority 12,560 29.2 –13.5
Turnout 43,051 51.2 –17.1
Registered electors 84,116
Labour hold Swing –13.9

Elections in the 2010s

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2019 notional result[13]
Party Vote %
Labour 31,176 60.3
Conservative 9,129 17.7
Liberal Democrats 8,009 15.5
Green 1,756 3.4
Brexit Party 1,219 2.4
Others 376 0.7
Turnout 51,665 68.1
Electorate 75,814
General election 2019: Poplar and Limehouse[14][15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Apsana Begum 38,660 63.1 −4.2
Conservative Sheun Oke 9,756 15.9 −4.2
Liberal Democrats Andrew Cregan 8,832 14.4 +7.7
Green Neil Jameson 2,159 3.5 +1.8
Brexit Party Catherine Cui 1,493 2.4 N/A
Independent Andy Erlam 376 0.6 N/A
Majority 28,904 47.2 Steady
Turnout 61,276 66.7 −0.6
Registered electors 91,836
Labour hold Swing 0.0
General election 2017: Poplar and Limehouse[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Fitzpatrick 39,558 67.3 +8.7
Conservative Chris Wilford 11,846 20.1 −5.3
Liberal Democrats Elaine Bagshaw 3,959 6.7 +2.5
Independent Oliur Rahman 1,477 2.5 N/A
Green Bethan Lant 989 1.7 −3.1
UKIP Nicholas McQueen 849 1.4 −4.7
Independent David Barker 136 0.2 N/A
Majority 27,712 47.2 +14.0
Turnout 58,814 67.3 +5.2
Registered electors 87,331
Labour hold Swing +7.0
General election 2015: Poplar and Limehouse[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Fitzpatrick 29,886 58.5 +18.6
Conservative Chris Wilford 12,962 25.4 −1.7
UKIP Nicholas McQueen 3,128 6.1 +4.9
Green Maureen Childs 2,463 4.8 +3.9
Liberal Democrats Elaine Bagshaw 2,149 4.2 −6.9
TUSC Hugo Pierre 367 0.7 N/A
Red Flag Anti-Corruption Rene Claudel Mugenzi 89 0.2 N/A
Majority 16,924 33.2 +20.2
Turnout 51,044 62.2 −0.1
Registered electors 82,081
Labour hold Swing +10.1
General election 2010: Poplar and Limehouse[21][22][23][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Fitzpatrick* 18,679 40.0
Conservative Tim Archer 12,649 27.1
Respect George Galloway* 8,160 17.5
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Fryer 5,209 11.2
UKIP Wayne Lochner 565 1.2
English Democrat Andrew Osborne 470 1.0
Green Chris Smith 449 1.0
Independent Kabir Mahmud 293 0.6
Independent Mohammed Hoque 167 0.4
Independent Jim Thornton 59 0.1
Majority 6,030 12.9
Turnout 46,700 62.3
Registered electors 74,955
Labour win (new seat)
* Served as an MP in the 2005–2010 Parliament

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – London". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Poplar & Limehouse parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Poplar and Limehouse - 2017 Election Results - General Elections Online". electionresults.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Electoral Calculus". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 29 August 2006.
  6. ^ LGBCE. "Tower Hamlets | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  7. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 3 London region.
  8. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency Archived 2017-08-02 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian
  9. ^ "Poplar and Limehouse, UK Parliament Constituency". 11 January 2019. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Poplar and Limehouse". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  11. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 2)
  12. ^ "Statement of Person Nominated and Notice of Poll: Poplar and Limehouse Constituency". Tower Hamlets Council. 7 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). Tower Hamlets council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). Tower Hamlets council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  16. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Poplar & Limehouse parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  18. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election results for Poplar & Limehouse, 7 May 2015". 7 May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  21. ^ Statement of Persons Nominated Archived 2010-05-02 at the Wayback Machine, Tower Hamlets Council
  22. ^ Poplar and Limehouse Archived 2008-02-09 at the Wayback Machine, UKPollingReport
  23. ^ "ED Candidate list". Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  24. ^ BBC News (2010-05-07). Election 2010 | Constituency | Poplar & Limehouse Archived 2019-01-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
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51°30′N 0°01′W / 51.50°N 0.02°W / 51.50; -0.02

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