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Watford (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°39′N 0°24′W / 51.650°N 0.400°W / 51.650; -0.400
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Watford
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Watford in the East of England
CountyHertfordshire
Electorate70,576 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsGarston, Watford
Current constituency
Created1885
Member of ParliamentMatt Turmaine (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromHertfordshire

Watford is a UK parliamentary constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons since 2024 by Matt Turmaine, a member of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

[edit]

The constituency comprises the whole of the Borough of Watford, together with five wards from Three Rivers District. Two of the Three Rivers wards, Carpenders Park and Oxhey Hall, are to the south of Watford town and include mostly prosperous, elevated, commuter villages. The remaining three, Abbots Langley, Langleybury and Leavesden, are to the north of Watford, the first of which is a large village, and is mixed in character and levels of income.[2]

Watford has a considerable service sector economy, with several notable headquarters, and engineering, trade-craft, and distribution in its economy. However, it is also a commuter town to the City of London. British Waterways, J D Wetherspoon, Camelot Group, Iveco, manufacturers of commercial vehicles; part of Balfour Beatty; Bathstore, the largest bathroom retailer in the UK; construction firm Taylor Woodrow; and Mothercare are the largest of these. The borough is also the UK base of many multinationals including C. H. Robinson, Total Oil, TK Maxx, Costco, Vinci and Beko appliances. International golf tournaments such as the 2006 World Golf Championship have taken place at The Grove hotel.

Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 3.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[3]

History

[edit]

Before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 the area was part of the three-seat constituency of Hertfordshire. Upon this act, it took up the western division of the county; however, later seats such as South West Hertfordshire, established in 1950, have reduced its reach, as settlements in those areas, and Watford itself, have grown.

Political history

The seat has been a bellwether of the national result since February 1974, and since 1945 has only voted against the winning party twice: in 1951 and 1970. Watford saw considerable Liberal Democrat opposition in 2005, achieving second place, taking many Labour votes with the Conservative candidate close behind.[4]

Before the 2010 general election it was a three-way marginal seat in which local Tories, Labour supporters and Liberal Democrats aimed to garner support for their candidate. This election in Watford was won by Richard Harrington (Con) with 34.9% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats narrowly missed out on the seat with 32.4% of the vote and the defeat for Labour's candidate, Claire Ward, was a pronounced change with 26.7% of the vote.[5]

In 2015, the result saw a significantly increased majority for Harrington of more than 9,000 votes over Labour, whilst the Liberal Democrats fell back to third. The 2017 election saw Labour significantly cut the Conservative majority to 2,092. Harrington retired at the 2019 election, when a new Conservative candidate, Dean Russell, increased the majority to 4,433 over Labour.

However, in the 2024 UK General Election, Labour MP Matt Turmaine was elected with a majority of 4,723 votes, the first time the constituency was Labour since 2010.

Prominent frontbenchers

Dennis Herbert was Deputy Speaker from 1931 to 1943.

Major John Freeman was only a third-tier (junior) minister in the War Office as MP. His later unusually prominent positions in diplomacy led to his being appointed a member of the Privy Council and thereby being Rt Hon as of 1966.

Tristan Garel-Jones was Minister for Europe for three years of the Major ministry.

Both Herbert and Garel-Jones opted as peers in later life to use Watford as the territorial designation of their peerages.

Boundaries and boundary changes

[edit]

1885–1918

[edit]
  • Parts of the Sessional Division of Watford and Dacorum.[6]

The constituency was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (which followed on from the Third Reform Act) as one of four Divisions of the abolished three-member Parliamentary County of Hertfordshire, and was formally named as the Western or Watford Division of Hertfordshire. It included the towns of Watford, Rickmansworth, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring.

1918–1950

[edit]
  • The Urban Districts of Bushey, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, and Watford; and
  • The Rural District of Watford parishes of Aldenham, Rickmansworth Rural and Watford Rural.[7][8]

Aldenham was transferred from St Albans.  Northern half of constituency, including Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring formed the majority of the new Hemel Hempstead Division.

1950–1983

[edit]

Reconstituted as a Borough Constituency comprising the Municipal Borough of Watford.[9]  Remainder of the constituency formed the bulk of the new County Constituency of South West Hertfordshire.

1983–1997

[edit]
Map
Map of boundaries 1997-2024
  • The Borough of Watford;
  • The District of Three Rivers wards of Abbots Langley and Leavesden (transferred from South West Hertfordshire); and
  • The District of St Albans wards of Park Street and St Stephens (transferred from the abolished South Hertfordshire constituency).[10]

1997–2024

[edit]
  • The Borough of Watford; and
  • The District of Three Rivers wards of Abbots Langley, Carpenders Park, Langleybury, Leavesden, and Oxhey Hall.[11][12]

Three further wards in the Three Rivers District transferred from South West Hertfordshire.  Park Street and St Stephens transferred to St Albans.

Current

[edit]

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The Borough of Hertsmere ward of Bushey North
  • The Borough of Watford.[13]

The parts in the District of Three Rivers were transferred to South West Hertfordshire. In order to bring the electorate back within the permitted range, the Bushey North ward was moved in from the Hertsmere constituency.

Members of Parliament

[edit]

Hertfordshire prior to 1885

Election Member[14] Party
1885 Frederick Halsey Conservative
1906 Nathaniel Micklem QC Liberal
1910 Arnold Ward Conservative
1918 Dennis Herbert Conservative
1943 by-election William Helmore Conservative
1945 Major John Freeman Labour
1955 Frederick Farey-Jones Conservative
1964 Raphael Tuck Labour
1979 Tristan Garel-Jones Conservative
1997 Claire Ward Labour
2010 Richard Harrington Conservative
September 2019 Independent
October 2019 Conservative
2019 Dean Russell Conservative
2024 Matt Turmaine Labour

Elections

[edit]

Elections in the 2020s

[edit]
General election 2024: Watford[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Matt Turmaine 15,708 35.3 –4.0
Conservative Dean Russell 10,985 24.7 –17.3
Liberal Democrats Ian Stotesbury 7,577 17.0 –0.7
Reform UK Gary Ling 4,930 11.1 N/A
Workers Party Khalid Chohan 2,659 6.0 N/A
Green Arran Bowen-la Grange 2,428 5.5 +5.2
Heritage Sarah Knott 168 0.4 N/A
Majority 4,723 10.6 N/A
Turnout 44,455 60.9 –7.5
Registered electors 73,000
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase6.7

Elections in the 2010s

[edit]
2019 notional result[16]
Party Vote %
Conservative 20,285 42.0
Labour 18,985 39.3
Liberal Democrats 8,570 17.7
Others 333 0.7
Green 125 0.3
Turnout 48,298 68.4
Electorate 70,576
General election 2019: Watford[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dean Russell 26,421 45.5 –0.1
Labour Chris Ostrowski 21,988 37.9 –4.1
Liberal Democrats Ian Stotesbury 9,323 16.1 +7.0
SDP Michael McGetrick 333 0.6 N/A
Majority 4,433 7.6 +4.0
Turnout 58,065 69.7 +1.9
Conservative hold Swing +2.0
General election 2017: Watford[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Harrington 26,731 45.6 +2.1
Labour Chris Ostrowski 24,639 42.0 +16.0
Liberal Democrats Ian Stotesbury 5,335 9.1 −9.0
UKIP Ian Green 1,184 2.0 −7.8
Green Alex Murray 721 1.2 −1.2
Majority 2,092 3.6 −13.9
Turnout 58,610 67.8 +1.2
Conservative hold Swing -6.9
General election 2015: Watford[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Harrington 24,400 43.5 +8.6
Labour Matthew Turmaine 14,606 26.0 −0.7
Liberal Democrats Dorothy Thornhill 10,152 18.1 −14.3
UKIP Nick Lincoln 5,481 9.8 +7.6
Green Aidan Cottrell-Boyce 1,332 2.4 +0.8
TUSC Mark O'Connor 178 0.3 N/A
Majority 9,794 17.5 +15.0
Turnout 56,149 66.6 −1.7
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
General election 2010: Watford[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Harrington 19,291 34.9 +5.3
Liberal Democrats Sal Brinton 17,866 32.4 +1.2
Labour Claire Ward 14,750 26.7 −6.9
BNP Andrew Emerson 1,217 2.2 N/A
UKIP Graham Eardley 1,199 2.2 −0.4
Green Ian Brandon 885 1.6 −1.4
Majority 1,425 2.5 N/A
Turnout 55,208 68.3 +3.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Background to Conservative candidates

In July 2007 former candidate Ali Miraj, a candidate for Aberavon in 2001, was dropped from the candidates list by the Conservative Party after he complained about David Cameron's leadership style and allegedly demanded a peerage.[22][23] The public selected his former campaign manager Ian Oakley, who had been a candidate for Newport East in 2001 in the first Open Primary to be organised by the Conservative Party in November 2006. In July 2008, Oakley, withdrew candidature after being arrested for conducting a campaign of harassment against the local Liberal Democrats,[24][25] for which he was convicted and given an 18-week suspended prison sentence and 12-month supervision order on 13 October 2008.[26]

In December 2008 Watford Conservative Association selected a new candidate, Richard Harrington.[27]

Elections in the 2000s

[edit]
General election 2005: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Claire Ward 16,575 33.6 −11.7
Liberal Democrats Sal Brinton 15,427 31.2 +13.8
Conservative Ali Miraj 14,634 29.6 −3.7
Green Steve Rackett 1,466 3.0 +1.1
UKIP Kenneth Wight 1,292 2.6 +1.4
Majority 1,148 2.4 −9.6
Turnout 49,394 64.8 +3.7
Labour hold Swing -12.8
General election 2001: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Claire Ward 20,992 45.3 0.0
Conservative Michael McManus 15,437 33.3 −1.5
Liberal Democrats Duncan Hames 8,088 17.4 +0.6
Green Denise Kingsley 900 1.9 N/A
UKIP Edmund Stewart-Mole 535 1.2 N/A
Socialist Alliance Jon Berry 420 0.9 N/A
Majority 5,555 12.0 +1.5
Turnout 46,372 61.1 −13.5
Labour hold Swing +0.8

Elections in the 1990s

[edit]
General election 1997: Watford[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Claire Ward 25,109 45.3 +11.3
Conservative Robert Gordon 19,227 34.8 −13.3
Liberal Democrats Andrew Canning 9,272 16.8 0.0
Referendum Philip Roe 1,484 2.7 N/A
Natural Law Leslie Davis 234 0.4 +0.1
Majority 5,792 10.5 N/A
Turnout 55,236 74.6 −7.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +12.3
General election 1992: Watford[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tristan Garel-Jones 29,072 48.8 +0.1
Labour Michael J. Jackson 19,482 32.7 +4.5
Liberal Democrats Mark Oaten 10,231 17.2 −5.9
Green Jeremy Hywel-Davies 566 1.0 N/A
Natural Law Leslie Davis 176 0.3 N/A
Majority 9,590 16.1 −4.4
Turnout 59,527 82.3 +4.4
Conservative hold Swing −2.2

Elections in the 1980s

[edit]
General election 1987: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tristan Garel-Jones 27,912 48.7 +0.7
Labour Michael Jackson 16,176 28.2 +2.8
SDP Fiona Beckett 13,202 23.1 −2.9
Majority 11,736 20.5 −1.5
Turnout 57,290 77.9 +3.8
Conservative hold Swing -1.8
General election 1983: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tristan Garel-Jones 26,273 48.0 +0.3
SDP Peter Burton 14,267 26.0 N/A
Labour Ian Wilson[30] 14,247 26.0 −14.3
Majority 12,006 22.0 +14.6
Turnout 54,787 76.1 −5.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

[edit]
General election 1979: Watford[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tristan Garel-Jones 21,320 47.64 +12.5
Labour Tony Banks 18,030 40.28 −4.0
Liberal B Bodle 5,019 11.21 −7.8
National Front Brent Cheetham 388 0.87 −0.6
Majority 3,290 7.36 N/A
Turnout 44,757 81.26 +4.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.3
General election October 1974: Watford[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Raphael Tuck 19,177 44.28
Conservative Tristan Garel-Jones 15,220 35.14
Liberal Anthony Jacobs 8,243 19.03
National Front Jeremy Wotherspoon 671 1.55
Majority 3,957 9.14
Turnout 43,311 77.3 −7.7
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Watford[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Raphael Tuck 18,884 40.47
Conservative David W. Clarke 16,089 34.48
Liberal David Jacobs 11,035 23.65
National Front Jeremy Wotherspoon 651 1.4 N/A
Majority 2,795 5.99
Turnout 46,659 85.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1970: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Raphael Tuck 19,698 45.71
Conservative David W. Clarke 19,622 45.53
Liberal Colin G. Watkins 3,778 8.77 N/A
Majority 76 0.18
Turnout 43,098 75.44
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

[edit]
General election 1966: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Raphael Tuck 23,832 54.38
Conservative David W. Clarke 19,996 45.62
Majority 3,836 8.76
Turnout 43,828 82.87
Labour hold Swing
General election 1964: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Raphael Tuck 20,224 45.18
Conservative Frederick Farey-Jones 18,744 41.87
Liberal Margaret Neilson 5,797 12.95
Majority 1,480 3.31 N/A
Turnout 44,765 83.61
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s

[edit]
General election 1959: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Farey-Jones 21,216 46.85
Labour Renee Short 18,315 40.44
Liberal Ian S. Steers 5,753 12.70 N/A
Majority 2,901 6.41
Turnout 45,284 84.82
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Farey-Jones 22,546 51.98
Labour Ashley Bramall 20,829 48.02
Majority 1,717 3.96 N/A
Turnout 43,375 82.36
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1951: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Freeman 22,370 47.90
Conservative Sydney William Leonard Ripley 21,862 46.81
Liberal Hamilton Brinsley Bush 2,469 5.29
Majority 508 1.09
Turnout 46,701 87.18
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Freeman 21,759 47.36
Conservative Max Bemrose 20,302 44.19
Liberal Hamilton Brinsley Bush 3,879 8.44
Majority 1,457 3.17
Turnout 45,940 87.14
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

[edit]
General election 1945: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Freeman 32,138 46.03
Conservative William Helmore 29,944 42.88
Liberal Henry Harben 7,743 11.09 N/A
Majority 2,194 3.15 N/A
Turnout 69,825 73.40
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
1943 Watford by-election[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Helmore 13,839 53.9 −11.5
Common Wealth Raymond Blackburn 11,838 46.1 N/A
Majority 2,001 7.8 −23.0
Turnout 25,677 38.0 −25.5
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1930s

[edit]
General election 1935: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dennis Herbert 28,196 65.42
Labour Stanley Walter Morgan 14,906 34.58
Majority 13,290 30.84
Turnout 43,102 63.55
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: Watford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dennis Herbert 34,076 78.34
Labour Frank Jacques 9,423 21.66
Majority 24,653 56.68
Turnout 43,499 71.01
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

[edit]
General election 1929: Watford[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Dennis Herbert 18,583 45.9 −8.8
Liberal Edward Terrell 12,288 30.3 +11.6
Labour Herman Macdonald 9,665 23.8 −2.8
Majority 6,295 15.6 −12.5
Turnout 40,536 72.4 −0.7
Unionist hold Swing -10.2
Corbett Ashby
General election 1924: Watford[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Dennis Herbert 15,271 54.7 +11.7
Labour Herbert Elvin 7,417 26.6 −4.2
Liberal Margery Corbett Ashby 5,205 18.7 −7.5
Majority 7,854 28.1 +15.9
Turnout 27,893 73.1 +4.6
Unionist hold Swing +8.0
General election 1923: Watford[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Dennis Herbert 10,533 43.0 −6.2
Labour Jimmy Mallon 7,532 30.8 −4.1
Liberal Robert Allen Bateman 6,423 26.2 +10.3
Majority 3,001 12.2 −2.1
Turnout 24,488 68.5 −0.5
Unionist hold Swing -1.0
General election 1922: Watford[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Dennis Herbert 12,040 49.2 −8.0
Labour Jimmy Mallon 8,561 34.9 +9.5
Liberal Robert Allen Bateman 3,896 15.9 −1.5
Majority 3,479 14.3 −17.5
Turnout 24,497 69.0 +9.5
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1910s

[edit]
Frank Gray
General election 1918: Watford[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Dennis Herbert 11,155 57.2
Labour George Lathan 4,952 25.4 N/A
Liberal Frank Gray 3,395 17.4
Majority 6,203 31.8
Turnout 19,50 59.5
Unionist hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Election results 1885–1918

[edit]

Elections in the 1880s

[edit]
General election 1885: Watford[37][38][39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Halsey 4,032 52.1
Liberal Sir George Faudel Faudel-Phillips, 1st Baronet 3,712 47.9
Majority 320 4.2
Turnout 7,744 77.2
Registered electors 10,029
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Watford[37][38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Halsey Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

[edit]
Halsey
General election 1892: Watford[37][38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Halsey 4,802 57.0 N/A
Liberal John Marnham 3,627 43.0 New
Majority 1,175 14.0 N/A
Turnout 8,429 76.4 N/A
Registered electors 11,037
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1895: Watford[37][38][40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Halsey Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s

[edit]
General election 1900: Watford[37][38][40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Halsey Unopposed
Conservative hold
Micklem
General election 1906: Watford[37][38][41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Nathaniel Micklem 7,612 55.4 New
Conservative Frederick Halsey 6,136 44.6 N/A
Majority 1,476 10.8 N/A
Turnout 13,748 82.1 N/A
Registered electors 16,741
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s

[edit]
Ward
General election January 1910: Watford[37][42]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arnold Ward 8,782 54.8 +10.2
Liberal Nathaniel Micklem 7,231 45.2 −10.2
Majority 1,551 9.6 N/A
Turnout 15,983 90.4 +8.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +10.2
General election December 1910: Watford[37][42]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arnold Ward 8,043 52.9 −1.9
Liberal Nathaniel Micklem 7,160 47.1 +1.9
Majority 883 5.8 −3.8
Turnout 15,203 85.8 −4.6
Conservative hold Swing -1.9

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  3. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency Archived 2017-08-02 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian
  4. ^ Deborah McGurran (15 May 2009). "First electoral test for councils". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  5. ^ "BBC News - Election 2010 - Constituency - Watford". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  6. ^ Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
  7. ^ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  8. ^ "H.M.S.O. Boundary Commission Report 1917, Hertford". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  9. ^ S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  11. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  12. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  13. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  14. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  15. ^ "UK Parliamentary General Election 2024 - Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Watford Borough Council. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "Watford Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Election 2017 - Watford". BBC. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  20. ^ Watford Archived 2008-07-27 at the Wayback Machine, UKPollingReport
  21. ^ Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll - Parliamentary Election 6 May 2010 : Watford Council
  22. ^ "Cameron critic axed as MP hopeful". 31 July 2007 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  23. ^ "Channel 4 News interview transcript". Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  24. ^ Editor, Andrew Porter, Political (20 July 2008). "Arrested Conservative candidate for Watford stands down". Archived from the original on 5 May 2013 – via www.telegraph.co.uk. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "Police charge Oakley". Watford Observer. 24 July 2008. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  26. ^ "'Vile' Oakley escapes jail". Watford Observer. 13 October 2008. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  27. ^ Harrison, John (17 December 2008). "Tory candidate: 'I'm confident of victory'". Watford Observer. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
  28. ^ [1][dead link]
  29. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  30. ^ Woodward, Ian (1985). Glenda Jackson : a study in fire and ice. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. p. 132. ISBN 0-297-78533-8. OCLC 11658097.
  31. ^ "UK General Election results: May 1979 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  32. ^ "Political Science Resources: links to UK and US politics". www.psr.keele.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  33. ^ "Political Science Resources: links to UK and US politics". www.psr.keele.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  34. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  35. ^ a b c d Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  36. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 298. ISBN 9781349022984.
  38. ^ a b c d e f The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  39. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  40. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  41. ^ The Times, 25 January 1906
  42. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  43. ^ Manchester Evening News 31 Jan 1914
[edit]

51°39′N 0°24′W / 51.650°N 0.400°W / 51.650; -0.400