Westminster and the City of London (electoral division)

Westminster and the City of London was an electoral division for the purposes of elections to the Greater London Council. The constituency elected four councillors for a three-year term in 1964, 1967 and 1970. Desmond Plummer, the leader of the Greater London Council from 1967 to 1973, was elected from the division.

Westminster and the City of London
Former electoral division for the Greater London Council
Westminster and the City of London electoral division boundaries
District	City of Westminster and City of London
Population	244,710 (1969 estimate)
Electorate	192,744 (1964) 180,968 (1967) 174,838 (1970)
Major settlements	City of London, Marylebone, Paddington, Westminster
Area	6,010.2 acres (24.322 km2)
Former electoral division
Created	1965
Abolished	1973
Member(s)	4
Replaced by	City of London and Westminster South, St Marylebone and Paddington

History

It was planned to use the same boundaries as the Westminster Parliament constituencies for election of councillors to the Greater London Council (GLC), as had been the practice for elections to the predecessor London County Council, but those that existed in 1965 crossed the Greater London boundary. Until new constituencies could be settled, the 32 London boroughs were used as electoral areas. The City of Westminster was joined with the City of London for this purpose, creating a constituency called Westminster and the City of London. It replaced the London County Council constituencies of Cities of London and Westminster, Paddington North, Paddington South and St Marylebone.

Covering much of the innermost part of London, including large parts of Central London and the West End of London, the area was in a long-term period of population decline that was yet to reverse. The electorate reduced from 192,744 in 1964 to 174,838 in 1970. The population in 1969 was estimated to be 244,710. Covering an area of 6,010.2 acres (24.322 km²), the population density was 40.7 inhabitants per acre (10,100/km²).

The electoral division was replaced from 1973 by the single-member electoral divisions of City of London and Westminster South, St Marylebone and Paddington.

Elections

The Westminster and the City of London constituency was used for the Greater London Council elections in 1964, 1967 and 1970. Four councillors were elected at each election using first-past-the-post voting. Desmond Plummer, who was successful at all three elections, was Leader of the Greater London Council from 1967 to 1973.

1964 election

The first election was held on 9 April 1964, a year before the council came into its powers. The electorate was 192,744 and four Conservative Party councillors were elected. With 72,835 people voting, the turnout was 37.8%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term. Of those elected, Desmond Plummer and Louis Gluckstein were previously LCC councillors for St Marylebone, Samuel Isidore Salmon had been a councillor for Cities of London and Westminster since 1949 and Harold Sebag-Montefiore had unsuccessfully stood for Paddington North in 1961.

1964 Greater London Council election: Westminster and the City of London

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Louis Gluckstein	40,109
	Conservative	Harold Sebag-Montefiore	39,856
	Conservative	Samuel Isidore Salmon	39,703
	Conservative	Desmond Plummer	39,581
	Labour	J. J. Curran	25,735
	Labour	H. E. Browne	25,511
	Labour	Countess Lucan	25,136
	Labour	B. C. G. Whitaker	24,856
	Liberal	Timothy Wentworth Beaumont	4,996
	Liberal	Richard L. Afton	4,405
	Liberal	Arthur William Robert Capel	4,112
	Liberal	Lady Ruth Abrahams	4,035
	Communist	L. R. Temple	1,758
Turnout
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

1967 election

The second election was held on 13 April 1967. The electorate was 180,968 and four Conservative Party councillors were elected. With 60,718 people voting, the turnout was 33.6%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1967 Greater London Council election: Westminster and the City of London

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harold Sebag-Montefiore	38,447
	Conservative	Desmond Plummer	38,238
	Conservative	Roland Freeman	38,092
	Conservative	Michael Grylls	37,305
	Labour	D. R. Goodman	15,574
	Labour	J. Fairhead	15,433
	Labour	Countess Lucan	15,175
	Labour	Lady Kennet	15,040
	Liberal	D. A. T. Savill	4,283
	Liberal	T. P. M. Houston	4,264
	Liberal	Arthur William Robert Capel	4,208
	Liberal	J. Steel	3,785
	Communist	L. R. Temple	1,340
	Independent Carnaby	Harry Fox	1,081
	Independent	G. E. F. Bate	697
	Independent Carnaby	Henry Moss	659
Turnout
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Harry Fox and Henry Moss stood for election as a stunt to promote the Lady Jane boutique on Carnaby Street. Roland Freeman later represented Finchley from 1975 to 1981.

1970 election

The third election was held on 9 April 1970. The electorate was 174,838 and four Conservative Party councillors were elected. With 52,578 people voting, the turnout was 30.1%. The councillors were elected for a three-year term.

1970 Greater London Council election: Westminster and the City of London

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Desmond Plummer	31,742
	Conservative	Harold Sebag-Montefiore	31,307
	Conservative	Maurice Patrick Gaffney	30,960
	Conservative	Mervyn Scorgie	30,773
	Labour	W. M. Bryden	16,930
	Labour	G. E. Haywood	16,639
	Labour	K. McNicholas	16,552
	Labour	S. L. Saunders	16,280
	Liberal	M. M. G. Andrews	1,533
	Liberal	J. Steel	1,456
	Liberal	E. Pemberton	1,452
	Liberal	D. Miss Hart	1,286
	Homes Before Roads	D. Hart	1,110
	Homes Before Roads	D. J. Dux	1,021
	Homes Before Roads	J. H. Larrett	844
	Communist	L. R. Temple	823
	Communist	J. A. Henry	822
	Homes Before Roads	A. E Watkins	745
	Union Movement	P. J. F. Crisp	321
Turnout
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing