1931 London County Council election

An election to the County Council of London took place on 5 March 1931. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having two votes in the two-member seats. The Municipal Reform Party slightly increased its majority on the council, with overall results matching those from 1925.

Campaign

The Municipal Reform Party had run the council since 1907.^[1] The party campaigned on its record in government, contending that it had run the council economically, keeping rates low. Since the previous election, the council had gained the power to administer welfare benefits, and the Municipal Reformers argued that the Labour Party would practice "Poplarism" and be overly generous.^[2] The party stood 106 candidates, and won the seats in City of London, Kensington South, Paddington South, Westminster Abbey and Westminster St George's without facing a contest.^[3]

The Labour Party argued that welfare was administered in a harsh and cruel manner.^[1] It also contended that the Municipal Reform Party had not constructed houses for workers, and supported a government scheme for a board with oversight of traffic control in the city.^[2] The Manchester Guardian noted that Labour did not expect to take control of the council, as it was losing ground nationally.^[1] Other than the uncontested seats, the party stood everywhere except Chelsea and Hampstead, while it had only a single candidate in Stoke Newington.^[4]

The Liberal Party released a pamphlet putting forward ideas on housing, education, traffic, and the rating of land values.^[1] The Municipal Reform Party and the Liberal Party had a limited pact, with the two jointly backing anti-socialist candidates in Hackney South and the three divisions of Southwark. In the two divisions of Bethnal Green, and in Lambeth North, the Municipal Reformers backed the Liberal candidates.^[5] The Times noted that the Liberals were planning a much smaller campaign than in 1928, due to their losses that year, and a shortage of funds.^[6] The party stood only 27 candidates, down from 82 in 1928.^[3]

The Communist Party of Great Britain stood 14 candidates, and also backed six "Organised Unemployed" candidates in the three Southwark constituencies.^[3]

Results

The Times noted that "rarely has an election of such importance caused so few changes". The Municipal Reformers made limited gains, taking the Liberal seat in Hackney Central, and Labour seats in Hammersmith North, Islington South, Kennington, Peckham and St Pancras South East.^[7] Labour's vote fell, but the party gained seats in Islington East and Mile End, while the Liberal Party gained seats from Labour in Lambeth North.^[8]^[9] The Communist Party of Great Britain performed poorly. Former Member of Parliament Shapurji Saklatvala took only 728 votes for the party in Battersea North.^[10]

The numbers of seats won by each party matched exactly the results of the 1925 London County Council election.^[8]

Party		Votes			Seats
Party		Number	%	Stood	Seats	%
	Municipal Reform	270,655	50.0	106	83	66.9
	Labour	214,256	39.6	104	35	28.2
	Liberal	30,915	5.7	27	6	4.8
	Anti-Socialist	20,815		8	0	0.0
	Independent	9,441		7	0	0.0
	Ratepayers	5,440		2	0	0.0
	Communist	4,608		14	0	0.0
	Democratic	994		2	0	0.0
	Organised Unemployed	987		6	0	0.0

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "LCC Elections: Relief administration an issue". Manchester Guardian. 27 February 1931.
^ ^a ^b "LCC Election: parties and their policies". The Times. 3 January 1931.
^ ^a ^b ^c "LCC Election: full list of the nominations". The Times. 26 February 1931.
^ "Electing the LCC: socialist bid for power". The Times. 5 March 1931.
^ "LCC Elections: pacts in several divisions". Manchester Guardian. 20 February 1931.
^ "LCC Elections: Municipal Reform vs Socialism". The Times. 12 February 1931.
^ "The New LCC: Municipal Reform gains". The Times. 6 March 1931.
^ ^a ^b "The New LCC". The Times. 7 March 1931.
^ "LCC Election: seven seats lost by Labour". The Times. 7 March 1931.
^ "LCC Election Results". Manchester Guardian. 6 March 1931.

[relief-1] "LCC Elections: Relief administration an issue". Manchester Guardian. 27 February 1931.

[policies-2] "LCC Election: parties and their policies". The Times. 3 January 1931.

[nominations-3] "LCC Election: full list of the nominations". The Times. 26 February 1931.

[4] "Electing the LCC: socialist bid for power". The Times. 5 March 1931.

[5] "LCC Elections: pacts in several divisions". Manchester Guardian. 20 February 1931.

[6] "LCC Elections: Municipal Reform vs Socialism". The Times. 12 February 1931.

[7] "The New LCC: Municipal Reform gains". The Times. 6 March 1931.

[new-8] "The New LCC". The Times. 7 March 1931.

[9] "LCC Election: seven seats lost by Labour". The Times. 7 March 1931.

[10] "LCC Election Results". Manchester Guardian. 6 March 1931.

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v t e London County Council
Elections	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961
Members	Chairmen Members 1889-1919 Members 1919-1937 Members 1937-1949 Members 1949-1965
Constituencies (1889–1919)	Battersea Bermondsey Bethnal Green North East Bethnal Green South West Bow and Bromley Brixton Camberwell North Chelsea City of London Clapham Deptford Dulwich Finsbury Central Finsbury East Fulham Greenwich Hackney Central Hackney North Hackney South Haggerston Hammersmith Hampstead Holborn Hoxton Islington East Islington North Islington South Islington West Kennington Kensington North Kensington South Lambeth North Lewisham Limehouse Marylebone East Marylebone West Mile End Newington West Norwood Paddington North Paddington South Peckham Poplar Rotherhithe St George's Hanover Square St George St Pancras East St Pancras North St Pancras South St Pancras West Southwark West Stepney Strand Walworth Wandsworth Westminster Whitechapel Woolwich
Constituencies (1919–1949)	Balham and Tooting Battersea North Battersea South Bermondsey West Bethnal Green North East Bethnal Green South West Bow and Bromley Brixton Camberwell North Camberwell North West Chelsea City of London Clapham Deptford Dulwich Finsbury Fulham East Fulham West Greenwich Hackney Central Hackney North Hackney South Hammersmith North Hammersmith South Hampstead Holborn Islington East Islington North Islington South Islington West Kennington Kensington North Kensington South Lambeth North Lewisham East Lewisham West Limehouse Mile End Norwood Paddington North Paddington South Peckham Poplar South Putney Rotherhithe St Marylebone St Pancras North St Pancras South East St Pancras South West Shoreditch Southwark Central Southwark North Southwark South East Stoke Newington Streatham Wandsworth Central Westminster Abbey Westminster St George's Whitechapel and St George's Woolwich East Woolwich West
Constituencies (1949–1964)	Barons Court (1955–1964) Battersea North Battersea South Bermondsey Bethnal Green Brixton Chelsea Cities of London and Westminster Clapham Deptford Dulwich Fulham (1955–1965) Fulham East (1949–1955) Fulham West (1949–1955) Greenwich Hackney Central (1955–1964) Hackney South (1949–1955) Hammersmith North Hammersmith South (1949–1955) Hampstead Holborn and St Pancras South Islington East Islington North Islington South West Kensington North Kensington South Lewisham North Lewisham South Lewisham West Norwood Paddington North Paddington South Peckham Poplar Putney St Marylebone St Pancras North Shoreditch and Finsbury Southwark Stepney Stoke Newington and Hackney North Streatham Vauxhall Wandsworth Central Woolwich East Woolwich West
Other topics	Tramways Coat of Arms County Hall

v t e Elections and referendums in London
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London County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961
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Referendums	1998
See also Elections in London Boroughs Middlesex County Council elections

v t e (1930 ←) 1931 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1932)
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See also: UK General election