The first periodic review of Westminster constituencies was a review of constituency boundaries for the Westminster Parliament in the United Kingdom carried out by the boundary commissions created by the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949. The commissions reported in 1954 and their recommendations took effect for the 1955 general election. Legal action over the procedure for such reviews resulted in the passage of the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1958.O Gay, The Rules for the Redistribution of Seats – History and Reform (SN/PC/05628, 28 July 2010), p. 4
Summary of changes Although the review was carried out only 5 years after the major overhaul of constituency boundaries enacted by the Representation of the People Act 1948 (taking effect for the 1950 general election), there were a number of significant changes, with the total number of seats increasing from 625 to 630. There were 36 new constituencies created and 31 abolished, resulting in a net increase of 5 constituencies which were all in England (506 to 511), with the number of constituencies in Wales (36), Scotland (71) and Northern Ireland (12) remaining the same.
There were changes to a further 137 constituencies involving the transfer of local authorities or wards/parishes therein. There were also minor changes to 42 constituencies which involved bringing the constituency boundaries in line with local authority boundaries which had been altered. The bulk of the changes affected the large cities outside London (Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield). There were only a few marginal changes in Wales and no changes in Northern Ireland.
During the period 1951 to 1953, 29 Statutory Instruments, affecting 66 constituencies, had been passed under the provisions of the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 to bring boundaries in line with those of local authorities.
There was a considerable delay before the second periodic review was completed and approved by Parliament and this did not come into effect until the February 1974 general election. The boundaries and constituencies introduced by the First Review were therefore in use for the general elections of 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966 and 1970.
List of constituencies created, abolished or altered Source: Craig, F. W. S. (1972). Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. . Pages 49 to 116.
BC denotes a Borough Constituency; CC denotes a County Constituency.
England CountySeats 1950-55CreatedAbolishedMajor changesMinor changesSeats 1955-74Bedfordshire4Bedford CC Mid Bedfordshire CC4Berkshire6Reading BCReading North BC Reading South BCNewbury CC Wokingham CC5Buckinghamshire55Cambridgeshire22Cheshire15Nantwich CCCrewe CC Knutsford CC
Northwich CC16Cornwall55Cumberland44Derbyshire10South East Derbyshire CC Derby North BC
Derby South BC10Devon10Plymouth, Devonport BC Plymouth, Sutton BC10Dorset44Durham18Jarrow CC (redesignated as a BC)
Gateshead East BC
Gateshead West BC18Essex24Chigwell CC South East Essex CCBillericay CC Chelmsford CC
Southend East BC
Southend West BC
Woodford BC26Gloucestershire12Stroud CCStroud and Thornbury CCCirencester and Tewksbury CC South Gloucestershire CC
Bristol Central BC
Bristol North East BC
Bristol North West BC
Bristol South BC
Bristol South East BC
Bristol West BCGloucester BC12Hampshire13Eastleigh CCBasingstoke CC New Forest CC
Petersfield CC
Winchester CC
Southampton, Itchen BC
Southampton, Test BCPortsmouth, Langstone BC Portsmouth South BC
Portsmouth West BC14Herefordshire22Hertfordshire7East Hertfordshire CCBarnet CC Hertford CC
Hitchin CC
St Albans CC8Huntingdonshire11Isle of Ely11Isle of Wight11Kent18Erith and Crayford BCChislehurst CC Gravesend CC
Orpington CC
Dartford BC
(redesignated as a CC)Rochester and Chatham BC19Lancashire64Blackburn BC Manchester, Openshaw BCBlackburn East BC Blackburn West BC
Droylesden BC
Manchester, Clayton BCChorley CC Darwen CC
Ormskirk CC
Ashton-under-Lyne BC
Bootle BC
Crosby BC
Liverpool, Edge Hill BC
Liverpool, Exchange BC
Liverpool, Garston BC
Liverpool, Kirkdale BC
Liverpool, Walton BC
Liverpool, Wavertree BC
Liverpool, West Derby BC
Manchester, Ardwick BC
Manchester, Cheetham BC
Manchester, Exchange BC
Manchester, Gorton BC
Manchester, Withington BC
Manchester, Wythenshawe BCHuyton CC Newton CC
Widnes CC
Liverpool, Scotland BC
Liverpool, Toxteth BC
Oldham East BC
Oldham West BC
St Helens BC
Warrington BC62Leicestershire8Harborough CC Leicester South East BCBosworth CC Loughborough CC8Lincolnshire (Parts of Holland)11Lincolnshire (Parts of Kesteven)
and Rutlandshire22Lincolnshire (Parts of Lindsey)66London43Barons Court BC Fulham BC
Hackney Central BCFulham East BC Fulham West BC
Hammersmith South BC
Hackney South BCBethnal Green BC Hammersmith North BC
Stoke Newington and
Hackney North BCWoolwich East BC Woolwich West BC42Middlesex28Feltham BCSpelthorne CC Harrow Central BC
Harrow East BC
Harrow West BC
Heston and Isleworth BC29Norfolk88Northamptonshire55Northumberland10Newcastle upon Tyne Central BC Newcastle upon Tyne West BC10Nottinghamshire10Ashfield CC Nottingham North BC
Nottingham West BCBroxtowe CC Nottingham East BC
Nottingham North West BCBassetlaw CC Mansfield CC
Newark CC
Rushcliffe CC
Nottingham Central BC
Nottingham South BC10Oxfordshire33Shropshire44Somerset77Staffordshire18Walsall North BC Walsall South BCWalsall BCCannock CC Lichfield and Tamworth CC
Wednesbury BC
Wolverhampton North East BC
Wolverhampton South West BCBrierley Hill CC Bilston BC
Rowley Regis and Tipton BC
Stoke-on-Trent Central BC
Stoke-on-Trent North BC
Stoke-on-Trent South BC19Suffolk55Surrey19Croydon North East BC Croydon North West BC
Croydon South BC
Surbiton BCCroydon East BC Croydon North BC
Croydon West BCKingston upon Thames BC Wimbledon BC20Sussex (East)7Rye CCEastbourne CC East Grinstead CC
Lewes CC
Hastings BCBrighton, Kemptown BC Brighton, Pavilion BC8Sussex (West)44Warwickshire22Meriden CC Birmingham, All Saints BC
Birmingham, Selly Oak BCBirmingham, Erdington BC Birmingham, King's Norton BCNuneaton CC Sutton Coldfield CC
(redesignated as a BC)
Birmingham, Aston BC
Birmingham, Handsworth BC
Birmingham, Ladywood BC
Birmingham, Northfield BC
Birmingham, Small Heath BC
Birmingham, Sparkbrook BC
Birmingham, Stechford BC
Birmingham, Yardley BC23Westmorland11Wiltshire55Worcestershire6Dudley BC6Yorkshire (East Riding)6Haltemprice CC Howden CC
Kingston upon Hull West BCBeverley CC Kingston upon Hull,
Haltemprice BC
Kingston upon Hull Central BCBridlington BC Kingston upon Hull East BC
Kingston upon Hull North BC6Yorkshire (North Riding)66Yorkshire (West Riding)46Bradford West BC Leeds East BCBradford Central BC Leeds Central BC
Leeds North BC
Sheffield, Neepsend BCColne Valley CC Hemsworth CC
Penistone CC
Bradford East BC
Bradford North BC
Bradford South BC
Brighouse and Spenborough BC
Dewsbury BC
Huddersfield East BC
Huddersfield West BC
Leeds North East BC
Leeds North West BC
Leeds South East BC
Leeds West BC
Sheffield, Attercliffe BC
Sheffield, Brightside BC
Sheffield, Hallam BC
Sheffield, Heeley BC
Sheffield, Hillsborough BC
Sheffield, Park BC44
Wales CountySeats 1950-55CreatedAbolishedMajor changesMinor changesSeats 1955-74Anglesey11Breconshire and Radnorshire11Caernarvonshire22Cardiganshire11Carmarthenshire2Carmarthen CC Llanelly CC2Denbighshire22Flintshire22Glamorganshire16Swansea East BC Swansea West BC16Merionethshire11Monmouthshire6Monmouth CC Newport BC6Montgomeryshire11Pembrokeshire11
Scotland CountySeats 1950-55CreatedAbolishedMajor changesMinor changesSeats 1955-74Aberdeenshire4Aberdeenshire East CC Aberdeenshire West CCAberdeen North BC Aberdeen South BC4Angus and Kincardineshire44Argyll11Ayrshire and Bute5Bute and North Ayrshire CC Central Ayrshire CC5Banffshire11Berwickshire and East Lothian11Caithness and Sutherland11Dumfriesshire11Dunbartonshire22Fife44Inverness-shire and Ross and Cromarty33Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire11Lanarkshire22Glasgow, Craigton BC Glasgow, Provan BCGlasgow, Camlachie BC Glasgow, Tradeston BCGlasgow, Bridgeton BC Glasgow Central BC
Glasgow, Gorbals BC
Glasgow, Govan BC
Glasgow, Hillhead BC
Glasgow, Kelvingrove BC
Glasgow, Pollok BC
Glasgow, Scotstoun BC
Glasgow, Springburn BC
Glasgow, Woodside BC22Midlothian7Midlothian CCEdinburgh Central BC Edinburgh North BC
Edinburgh, Pentlands BC
Edinburgh West BCEdinburgh East BC8Midlothian and Peeblesshire1Midlothian and Peebles CC -Moray and Nairnshire11Orkney and Shetland11Perthshire and Kinross-shire22Renfrewshire44Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire1Roxburgh and Selkirk CC -Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire and
Peeblesshire -Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles CC1Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire3West Stirlingshire CC Stirling and Falkirk Burghs BC3West Lothian11
Northern Ireland CountySeats 1950-55CreatedAbolishedMajor changesMinor changesSeats 1955-74Antrim66Armagh11Down22Fermanagh and Tyrone22Londonderry11
Details of major changes Abbreviations
BC denotes a Borough Constituency; CC denotes a County Constituency.
CB - County borough; MB - Metropolitan borough; UD - Urban district; RD - Rural district
Berkshire (minus 1 seat, boundary changes)
Reading BC created by the merger of the majority of the two abolished seats of Reading North BC and Reading South BC. The Tilehurst ward was transferred from Reading North to Newbury CC, the East ward from Reading South to Wokingham CC.
Cheshire (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)
Nantwich CC created, comprising Nantwich UD and the bulk of Nantwich RD, transferred from Crewe CC; and Middlewich UD, Winsford UD, the southern part of Tarvin RD and a small part of Northwich RD, transferred from Northwich CC. Alsager UD and Sandbach UD transferred from Knutsford CC to Crewe.
Derbyshire (boundary changes) The parishes of Chaddesden and Littleover in Shardlow RD were transferred from South-East Derbyshire CC to Derby North BC and Derby South BC respectively.
Devon (boundary changes)
The Plymouth CB wards of Peverell, Tamerton and Trelawney were transferred from Plymouth, Devonport BC to Plymouth, Sutton BC in exchange for the wards of Drake and St Andrew.
Durham (boundary changes)
The Gateshead CB wards of East-Central and North-East were transferred from Gateshead East BC to Gateshead West BC. Felling UD was transferred from Jarrow CC (now redesignated as a BC) to Gateshead East.
East Sussex (plus 1 seat, boundary changes)
Rye CC was re-established, comprising Rye MB and parts of Battle RD transferred from Hastings BC; Bexhill MB and parts of Hailsham RD from Eastbourne CC, further parts of Hailsham RD from Lewes CC; and remaining parts of Battle RD from East Grinstead CC. Parts of Hailsham RD were also transferred from Lewes to Eastbourne.
Essex (plus 2 seats, boundary changes)
Woodford BC was divided in two, retaining Wanstead and Woodford MB, with Chigwell UD forming the bulk of the new seat of Chigwell CC, which also included Ongar RD, transferred from Chelmsford CC. South East Essex CC was re-established, comprising the three urban districts of Benfleet, Canvey Island and Rayleigh, which were previously part of Billericay CC, together with the Rochford RD, transferred from Southend East BC. Billericay was reconfigured, retaining Billericay UD and gaining Brentwood UD, which was transferred from Romford BC. Parts of Southend West BC transferred to Southend East.
Gloucestershire (seat and boundary changes)
Thornbury RD was transferred from Stroud and Thornbury CC to South Gloucestershire CC. Consequently, Stroud and Thornbury was abolished and the seat of Stroud CC was re-established. Tetbury RD was transferred from Cirencester and Tewkesbury CC to Stroud. Thornbury RD was transferred from Stroud to South Gloucestershire CC.