Dorking (UK Parliament constituency)

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Dorking
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Location of Surrey within England
CountySurrey
Major settlementsDorking and Horley
1950–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromReigate and Guildford
Replaced byMole Valley, Esher and Reigate[1]

Dorking was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Dorking and Horley in Surrey. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 – 1983. In the eight elections during its 33-year lifetime it was held by three Conservatives successively.

History[edit]

The seat was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 and first contested at the 1950 general election.[2][3] It was abolished prior to the 1983 general election.[4]

Boundaries[edit]

The Urban District of Dorking, the Rural District of Dorking and Horley, and in the Rural District of Guildford the parishes of Albury, East Clandon, East Horsley, Effingham, Ockham, Ripley, St Martha, Send, Shere, West Clandon, West Horsley, and Winsley.

In 1983 parliamentary boundaries were realigned to those of the local government districts created in 1974: the town of Dorking became part of Mole Valley district, and just over half of the previous area was transferred to the Mole Valley seat for national elections which took in territory to the north from elsewhere. Horley transferred to the redrawn Reigate seat.[4]

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member Party
1950 Sir Gordon Touche Conservative
1964 Sir George Sinclair Conservative
1979 Keith Wickenden Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Dorking
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Touche 22,096 59.2
Labour Julian D Richard 11,114 29.8
Liberal George Gordon Grant Francis 4,128 11.1
Majority 10,982 29.4
Turnout 37,338 83.4
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1951: Dorking [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Touche 24,416 65.85
Labour Julian D Richard 12,664 34.15
Majority 11,752 31.70
Turnout 37,080
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Dorking [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Touche 24,451 67.19
Labour Robert Patrick E Walsh 11,942 32.81
Majority 12,509 34.38
Turnout 36,393
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Dorking [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Touche 24,564 60.3 -6.9
Labour Stanley R Mills 9,605 23.6 -8.8
Liberal Wilfred Sydney Watson 6,582 16.1 New
Majority 14,959 36.7 +2.3
Turnout 40,751
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General election 1964: Dorking [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Sinclair 23,862 55.6 -4.7
Labour Douglas Sidney Tilbé 9,806 22.9 -0.7
Liberal Wilfred Sydney Watson 8,773 20.4 +4.3
Patriotic Party Barbara Davies 476 1.1 New
Majority 14,056 32.7 -4.0
Turnout 42,917
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Dorking [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Sinclair 23,087 53.8 -1.8
Labour Betty Dunmore 12,201 28.4 +5.5
Liberal George H Kahan 7,629 17.8 -2.6
Majority 10,886 25.4 -7.3
Turnout 42,917 79.0
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election 1970: Dorking [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Sinclair 25,393 59.0 +5.2
Labour W. John Fahy 10,523 24.5 −3.9
Liberal John Baker 7,103 16.5 −1.3
Majority 14,870 34.5 +9.1
Turnout 43,019 72.0 -7.0
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
General election February 1974: Dorking [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Sinclair 24,803 51.4 -7.6
Liberal G S A Andrews 14,490 30.0 +13.5
Labour J R Spiers 8,961 18.6 -5.9
Majority 10,313 21.4 -13.1
Turnout 48,254 82.6 +10.6
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Dorking [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Sinclair 22,403 50.6 -0.8
Liberal G S A Andrews 12,098 27.4 -2.6
Labour Jane Chapman 9,714 22.0 +3.4
Majority 10,305 23.2 +1.8
Turnout 44,215 75.0 -7.6
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Dorking [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Wickenden 29,003 61.43 +10.83
Liberal R Hope 9,240 19.57 -7.83
Labour JAS Weir 8,970 19.0 -3.0
Majority 19,763 41.86 +18.7
Turnout 47,213 77.87 +2.9
Conservative hold Swing +9.33

References[edit]

  1. ^ "'Dorking', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  2. ^ Representation of the People Act 1948, C.65, First Schedule, Parliamentary Constituencies.
  3. ^ Youngs, Frederic A Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 765–766. ISBN 0901050679.
  4. ^ a b The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983/417)
  5. ^ a b c d British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  6. ^ a b F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  7. ^ a b c British parliamentary election results, 1974-1983 by FWS Craig
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