City of London — UK General Election Results
City of London elected 2 MPs at the 1945 general election: Andrew Rae Duncan (National) and George Thomas Broadbridge (Conservative). This page covers every general election in City of London from 1832 to 1945.
This constituency elected more than one MP at once in some years. Before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (and in a shrinking number of boroughs through 1948), most UK constituencies elected two or more MPs together by "multi-member plurality" (block vote): each elector could cast one vote per available seat, and the top vote-getters overall were all elected. In those elections below, "Elected" lists every MP returned, "Votes" is the count that secured the last seat, and "Majority" is the gap between that seat and the first candidate who missed out.
Full Election History, 1832–1945
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | George Grote (Radical); Matthew Wood (Whig); Robert Waithman (Whig); John Key (Whig) | 6,136 | 23.9% (top seat) | George Lyall (Conservative) | 1,024 (2.9 pts) | 47.3% |
| 1835 | Matthew Wood (Whig); James Pattison (Whig); William Crawford (Whig); George Grote (Radical) | 5,955 | 16.9% (top seat) | George Lyall (Conservative) | 1,356 (3.6 pts) | 52.0% |
| 1837 | Matthew Wood (Whig); William Crawford (Whig); James Pattison (Whig); George Grote (Radical) | 5,879 | 21.4% (top seat) | John Hinde Palmer (Conservative) | 6 (0.0 pts) | 38.6% |
| 1841 | John Masterman (Conservative); Matthew Wood (Whig); George Lyall (Conservative); John Russell (Whig) | 6,221 | 12.8% (top seat) | Matthias Wolverley Attwood (Conservative) | 9 (0.0 pts) | 64.9% |
| 1847 | John Russell (Whig); James Pattison (Whig); Lionel Nathan Freiherr de Rothschild (Whig); John Masterman (Conservative) | 6,722 | 14.3% (top seat) | George Gerard de Hochepled Larpent (Whig) | 3 (0.0 pts) | 62.3% |
| 1852 | John Masterman (Conservative); John Russell (Whig); James Duke (Whig); Lionel Nathan Freiherr de Rothschild (Whig) | 4,748 | 24.3% (top seat) | Robert Wigram Crawford (Whig) | 983 (3.9 pts) | 30.8% |
| 1857 | James Duke (Whig); Lionel Nathan Freiherr de Rothschild (Whig); John Russell (Whig); Robert Wigram Crawford (Whig) | 5,808 | 22.4% (top seat) | Raikes Currie (Whig) | 1,289 (4.3 pts) | 38.8% |
| 1859 | James Duke (Liberal); Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (Liberal); John Russell (Liberal); Robert Wigram Crawford (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1865 | George Joachim Goschen (Liberal); Robert Wigram Crawford (Liberal); William Lawrence (Liberal); Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (Liberal) | 6,525 | 19.9% (top seat) | George Lyall (Conservative) | 2,328 (6.5 pts) | 57.3% |
| 1868 | George Joachim Goschen (Liberal); Robert Wigram Crawford (Liberal); William Lawrence (Liberal); Charles Bell (Conservative) | 6,130 | 15.1% (top seat) | Philip Twells (Conservative) | 31 (0.1 pts) | 53.5% |
| 1874 | William James Richmond Cotton (Conservative); Philip Twells (Conservative); John Gellibrand Hubbard (Conservative); George Joachim Goschen (Liberal) | 6,787 | 18.7% (top seat) | William Lawrence (Liberal) | 133 (0.3 pts) | 49.6% |
| 1880 | William James Richmond Cotton (Conservative); Robert Nicholas Fowler (Conservative); John Gellibrand Hubbard (Conservative); William Lawrence (Liberal) | 5,950 | 21.3% (top seat) | Richard Biddulph Martin (Liberal) | 113 (0.2 pts) | 50.3% |
| 1885 | Robert Nicholas Fowler (Conservative); John Gellibrand Hubbard (Conservative) | 8,802 | 38.9% (top seat) | Stephen Low (Liberal) | 2,985 (9.0 pts) | 68.6% |
| 1886 | Robert Nicholas Fowler (Conservative); John Gellibrand Hubbard (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1892 | Reginald Hanson (Conservative); Alban George Henry Gibbs (Conservative) | 9,258 | 43.9% (top seat) | James Ritchie (Independent Conservative) | 5,051 (21.0 pts) | 41.3% |
| 1895 | Alban George Henry Gibbs (Conservative); Reginald Hanson (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1900 | Alban George Henry Gibbs (Conservative); Joseph Cockfield Dimsdale (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1906 | Edward George Clarke (Conservative); Alban George Henry Gibbs (Conservative) | 15,619 | 38.1% (top seat) | Felix Schuster (Liberal) | 10,306 (24.5 pts) | 68.7% |
| Dec 1910 | Arthur James Balfour (Conservative); Frederick George Banbury (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| Jan 1910 | Arthur James Balfour (Conservative); Frederick George Banbury (Conservative) | 17,302 | 45.0% (top seat) | Thomas Hugh Bell (Liberal) | 12,679 (31.8 pts) | 74.7% |
| 1918 | Arthur James Balfour (Unionist); Frederick George Banbury (Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1922 | Frederick George Banbury (Unionist); Edward Charles Grenfell (Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1923 | Frederick George Banbury (Unionist); Edward Charles Grenfell (Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1924 | Thomas Vansittart Bowater (Unionist); Edward Charles Grenfell (Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1929 | Thomas Vansittart Bowater (Unionist); Edward Charles Grenfell (Unionist) | 16,092 | 43.9% (top seat) | Thomas Owen Jacobsen (Liberal) | 11,513 (31.3 pts) | 39.6% |
| 1931 | Thomas Vansittart Bowater (Conservative); Edward Charles Grenfell (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1935 | Alan Garrett Anderson (Conservative); Thomas Vansittart Bowater (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1945 | Andrew Rae Duncan (National); George Thomas Broadbridge (Conservative) | 5,309 | 39.5% (top seat) | Andrew McFadyean (Liberal) | 3,822 (28.3 pts) | 62.2% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Grote | Radical | 8,412 | 23.9% | Yes |
| Matthew Wood | Whig | 7,488 | 21.3% | Yes |
| Robert Waithman | Whig | 7,452 | 21.2% | Yes |
| John Key | Whig | 6,136 | 17.4% | Yes |
| George Lyall | Conservative | 5,112 | 14.5% | No |
| Michael Scales | Radical | 569 | 1.6% | No |
1835 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Wood | Whig | 6,418 | 16.9% | Yes |
| James Pattison | Whig | 6,050 | 15.9% | Yes |
| William Crawford | Whig | 5,961 | 15.7% | Yes |
| George Grote | Radical | 5,955 | 15.6% | Yes |
| George Lyall | Conservative | 4,599 | 12.1% | No |
| Wiliam Ward | Conservative | 4,560 | 12.0% | No |
| Thomas Wilson | Conservative | 4,514 | 11.9% | No |
1837 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Wood | Whig | 6,517 | 21.4% | Yes |
| William Crawford | Whig | 6,071 | 20.0% | Yes |
| James Pattison | Whig | 6,070 | 20.0% | Yes |
| George Grote | Radical | 5,879 | 19.3% | Yes |
| John Hinde Palmer | Conservative | 5,873 | 19.3% | No |
1841 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Masterman | Conservative | 6,339 | 12.8% | Yes |
| Matthew Wood | Whig | 6,315 | 12.8% | Yes |
| George Lyall | Conservative | 6,290 | 12.7% | Yes |
| John Russell | Whig | 6,221 | 12.6% | Yes |
| Matthias Wolverley Attwood | Conservative | 6,212 | 12.5% | No |
| James Pattison | Whig | 6,070 | 12.3% | No |
| William Crawford | Whig | 6,065 | 12.2% | No |
| John Pirie | Conservative | 6,017 | 12.1% | No |
1847 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Russell | Whig | 7,137 | 14.3% | Yes |
| James Pattison | Whig | 7,030 | 14.1% | Yes |
| Lionel Nathan Freiherr de Rothschild | Whig | 6,792 | 13.6% | Yes |
| John Masterman | Conservative | 6,722 | 13.5% | Yes |
| George Gerard de Hochepled Larpent | Whig | 6,719 | 13.5% | No |
| Robert Cooper Lee Bevan | Conservative | 5,268 | 10.5% | No |
| John Johnson | Conservative | 5,069 | 10.1% | No |
| James William Freshfield | Conservative | 4,704 | 9.4% | No |
| William Payne | Radical | 513 | 1.0% | No |
1852 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Masterman | Conservative | 6,195 | 24.3% | Yes |
| John Russell | Whig | 5,537 | 21.7% | Yes |
| James Duke | Whig | 5,270 | 20.7% | Yes |
| Lionel Nathan Freiherr de Rothschild | Whig | 4,748 | 18.6% | Yes |
| Robert Wigram Crawford | Whig | 3,765 | 14.8% | No |
1857 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Duke | Whig | 6,664 | 22.4% | Yes |
| Lionel Nathan Freiherr de Rothschild | Whig | 6,398 | 21.5% | Yes |
| John Russell | Whig | 6,308 | 21.2% | Yes |
| Robert Wigram Crawford | Whig | 5,808 | 19.6% | Yes |
| Raikes Currie | Whig | 4,519 | 15.2% | No |
1859 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Duke | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Lionel Nathan de Rothschild | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
| John Russell | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Robert Wigram Crawford | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1865 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Joachim Goschen | Liberal | 7,102 | 19.9% | Yes |
| Robert Wigram Crawford | Liberal | 7,086 | 19.9% | Yes |
| William Lawrence | Liberal | 6,637 | 18.6% | Yes |
| Lionel Nathan de Rothschild | Liberal | 6,525 | 18.3% | Yes |
| George Lyall | Conservative | 4,197 | 11.8% | No |
| Robert Nicholas Fowler | Conservative | 4,086 | 11.5% | No |
1868 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Joachim Goschen | Liberal | 6,520 | 15.1% | Yes |
| Robert Wigram Crawford | Liberal | 6,258 | 14.5% | Yes |
| William Lawrence | Liberal | 6,215 | 14.4% | Yes |
| Charles Bell | Conservative | 6,130 | 14.2% | Yes |
| Philip Twells | Conservative | 6,099 | 14.1% | No |
| Sills John Gibbons | Conservative | 6,013 | 13.9% | No |
| Lionel Nathan de Rothschild | Liberal | 5,995 | 13.9% | No |
1874 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Richmond Cotton | Conservative | 8,397 | 18.7% | Yes |
| Philip Twells | Conservative | 8,330 | 18.6% | Yes |
| John Gellibrand Hubbard | Conservative | 8,210 | 18.3% | Yes |
| George Joachim Goschen | Liberal | 6,787 | 15.1% | Yes |
| William Lawrence | Liberal | 6,654 | 14.8% | No |
| Lionel Nathan de Rothschild | Liberal | 6,490 | 14.5% | No |
1880 (4 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Richmond Cotton | Conservative | 10,326 | 21.3% | Yes |
| Robert Nicholas Fowler | Conservative | 10,274 | 21.2% | Yes |
| John Gellibrand Hubbard | Conservative | 10,256 | 21.2% | Yes |
| William Lawrence | Liberal | 5,950 | 12.3% | Yes |
| Richard Biddulph Martin | Liberal | 5,837 | 12.1% | No |
| Walter Morrison | Liberal | 5,743 | 11.9% | No |
1885 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Nicholas Fowler | Conservative | 12,827 | 38.9% | Yes |
| John Gellibrand Hubbard | Conservative | 8,802 | 26.7% | Yes |
| Stephen Low | Liberal | 5,817 | 17.6% | No |
| William James Richmond Cotton | Independent Conservative | 5,563 | 16.9% | No |
1886 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Nicholas Fowler | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| John Gellibrand Hubbard | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1892 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reginald Hanson | Conservative | 10,556 | 43.9% | Yes |
| Alban George Henry Gibbs | Conservative | 9,258 | 38.5% | Yes |
| James Ritchie | Independent Conservative | 4,207 | 17.5% | No |
1895 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alban George Henry Gibbs | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Reginald Hanson | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1900 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alban George Henry Gibbs | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Joseph Cockfield Dimsdale | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1906 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward George Clarke | Conservative | 16,019 | 38.1% | Yes |
| Alban George Henry Gibbs | Conservative | 15,619 | 37.2% | Yes |
| Felix Schuster | Liberal | 5,313 | 12.6% | No |
| Joseph West Ridgeway | Liberal | 5,064 | 12.1% | No |
Dec 1910 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur James Balfour | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Frederick George Banbury | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
Jan 1910 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur James Balfour | Conservative | 17,907 | 45.0% | Yes |
| Frederick George Banbury | Conservative | 17,302 | 43.4% | Yes |
| Thomas Hugh Bell | Liberal | 4,623 | 11.6% | No |
1918 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur James Balfour | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Frederick George Banbury | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1922 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick George Banbury | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Edward Charles Grenfell | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1923 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick George Banbury | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Edward Charles Grenfell | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1924 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Vansittart Bowater | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Edward Charles Grenfell | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1929 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Vansittart Bowater | Unionist | 16,149 | 43.9% | Yes |
| Edward Charles Grenfell | Unionist | 16,092 | 43.7% | Yes |
| Thomas Owen Jacobsen | Liberal | 4,579 | 12.4% | No |
1931 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Vansittart Bowater | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Edward Charles Grenfell | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1935 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Garrett Anderson | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Thomas Vansittart Bowater | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1945 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Rae Duncan | National | 5,332 | 39.5% | Yes |
| George Thomas Broadbridge | Conservative | 5,309 | 39.3% | Yes |
| Andrew McFadyean | Liberal | 1,487 | 11.0% | No |
| Stanley Walter Alexander | Independent | 1,379 | 10.2% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
City of London has been contested at 28 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Radical, Whig, Conservative, Liberal, Unionist, National.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won City of London in the 1945 general election?
Andrew Rae Duncan (National), George Thomas Broadbridge (Conservative) won City of London in 1945.
Which parties have won City of London since 1832?
Since 1832, City of London has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, National, Radical, Unionist, Whig.
What was the closest result in City of London?
The closest result on record for City of London was 1837, when Whig beat Conservative by just 6 votes (0.0 percentage points).
Did City of London ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, City of London elected multiple MPs at once in some elections on this page (a system called multi-member plurality, or 'block vote'), each voter casting one vote per available seat.