Old Bexley and Sidcup (UK Parliament constituency)

Old Bexley and Sidcup is a constituency[n 1] created in 1983 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by James Brokenshire, a Conservative. He is currently the Minister for Security within the Home Office. [n 2]

Old Bexley and Sidcup
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Old Bexley and Sidcup in Greater London
CountyGreater London
Electorate65,161 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentJames Brokenshire (Conservative)
Number of membersOne
Created fromBexleyheath (part) and Sidcup
Wards of the Old Bexley and Sidcup constituency (green) within the London Borough of Bexley (yellow and green) from the 2010 general election

History and profile

The seat was created in 1983 by combining a small part of the abolished seat of Bexleyheath, chiefly Old Bexley, with the abolished seat of Sidcup.

On 29 January 2008 the Conservative Party withdrew the whip from the MP Derek Conway following alleged misuse of funds revealed by the MPs expenses controversy, who declined to resign as MP and became an Independent. He retired from national politics in 2010.

Sir Edward Heath, (prime minister of the United Kingdom 1970–1974), held this area (also referring to its main predecessor seat, Sidcup) from 1950 until 2001 when he retired at the age of 84, at the time the longest serving MP in the Commons.

Political overview

The seat has been won at general elections since creation by the Conservative Party candidate. The 1997 New Labour Landslide saw the party's majority fall to its lowest level of 7% of the vote. Its greatest level has to date been 41.5% of the vote — in 1987.

In 2010 the seat was won by the Conservative James Brokenshire, who had transferred to this seat and approved by his local party when his former seat of Hornchurch was abolished in boundary changes. His 2015 result made the seat the 105th safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.[2]

Boundaries

1983–1997: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Blackfen, Blendon and Penhill, Cray, Lamorbey, St Mary's, Sidcup East, and Sidcup West.

1997–2010: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Blackfen, Blendon and Penhill, Cray, Danson, East Wickham, Falconwood, Lamorbey, St Mary's, Sidcup East, and Sidcup West.

2010–present: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Blackfen and Lamorbey, Blendon and Penhill, Cray Meadows, East Wickham, Falconwood and Welling, Longlands, St Mary’s, and Sidcup.

As its name suggests, the seat covers the Bexley and Sidcup areas; it formerly included Danson Park which owing to more development in the south was moved to the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.

Constituency profile

Old Bexley and Sidcup has average incomes above the national average,[3] a high proportion of semi-detached and detached homes[4] and low unemployment[5] with a lower than average dependency on social housing.[3]

The constituency generally consists of middle class and lower middle class outer London suburbia. It is served by two railway lines to Central London, Sidcup has been largely developed to neat garden suburb-inspired building schemes for most homes in common with a majority of outer Greater London seats and little of its housing is social housing.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[6] Party notes
1983 Sir Edward Heath Conservative Previously sat for Bexley (1950-1974) and Sidcup (1974-1983)
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1970-1974)
Father of the House (1992-2001)
2001 Derek Conway Previously sat for Shrewsbury and Atcham (1983-1997)
2008 Independent Whip removed
2010 James Brokenshire Conservative Previously sat for Hornchurch (2005-2010)
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (2016-2018)
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (2018-2019)

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Old Bexley and Sidcup[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Brokenshire 29,786 64.5 +3.1
Labour Dave Tingle 10,834 23.5 -5.8
Liberal Democrats Simone Reynolds 3,822 8.3 +5.0
Green Matt Browne 1,477 3.2 +1.5
CPA Carol Valinejad 226 0.5 +0.3
Majority 18,952 41.1 +8.8
Turnout 46,145 69.8 -3.0
Registered electors 66,104
Conservative hold Swing +4.4
General election 2017: Old Bexley and Sidcup[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Brokenshire 29,545 61.5 +8.7
Labour Danny Hackett 14,079 29.3 +10.3
UKIP Freddy Vachha 1,619 3.4 -14.9
Liberal Democrats Drew Heffernan 1,572 3.3 -0.2
Green Derek Moran 820 1.7 -1.2
BNP Michael Jones 324 0.7 +0.2
CPA Chinwe Nwadikeduruibe 83 0.2 N/A
Majority 15,466 32.2 -1.6
Turnout 48,042 72.8 +2.0
Registered electors 66,005
Conservative hold Swing -0.8
General election 2015: Old Bexley and Sidcup[10][11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Brokenshire 24,682 52.8 −1.3
Labour Ibby Mehmet 8,879 19.0 −0.3
UKIP Catherine Reilly 8,528 18.2 +14.9
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Keen 1,644 3.5 −11.9
Green Derek Moran 1,336 2.9 +2.0
National Health Action Bob Gill 1,216 2.6 N/A
Christian Laurence Williams 245 0.5 N/A
BNP Nicola Finch 218 0.5 −4.2
Majority 15,803 33.8 -1.1
Turnout 46,748 70.8 +1.5
Registered electors 66,035
Conservative hold Swing −0.5
General election 2010: Old Bexley and Sidcup[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Brokenshire 24,625 54.1 +4.1
Labour Rick Everitt 8,768 19.3 −8.7
Liberal Democrats Duncan Borrowman 6,996 15.4 +1.5
BNP John Brooks 2,132 4.7 +1.8
UKIP David Coburn 1,532 3.4 −1.2
English Democrat Elaine Cheeseman 520 1.1 N/A
Independents to save Queen Mary’s Hospital John Hemming-Clark 393 0.9 N/A
Green Jonathan Rooks 371 0.8 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Napoleon Dynamite 155 0.3 N/A
Majority 15,857 34.9 +12.6
Turnout 45,492 69.3 +4.0
Registered electors 65,699
Conservative hold Swing +6.4

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Old Bexley and Sidcup[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Conway 22,191 49.8 +4.4
Labour Gavin Moore 12,271 27.5 −10.0
Liberal Democrats Nick O'Hare 6,564 14.7 +1.0
UKIP Michael Barnbrook 2,015 4.5 +1.1
BNP Claire Sayers 1,227 2.8 N/A
Independent Gregory Peters 304 0.7 N/A
Majority 9,920 22.3 +14.4
Turnout 44,572 65.3 +3.2
Registered electors 68,226
Conservative hold Swing +7.2
General election 2001: Old Bexley and Sidcup[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Conway 19,130 45.4 +3.4
Labour Jim Dickson 15,785 37.5 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Belinda Ford 5,792 13.7 −2.4
UKIP Janice Cronin 1,426 3.4 −1.4
Majority 3,345 7.9 +1.0
Turnout 42,133 62.1 −13.4
Registered electors 67,841
Conservative hold Swing +0.5

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Old Bexley and Sidcup[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Heath 21,608 42.1 −18.3
Labour Richard Justham 18,039 35.1 +13.5
Liberal Democrats Iain King 8,284 16.1 +0.2
Referendum Brian Reading 2,457 4.8 N/A
UKIP C. Bullen 489 1.0 N/A
BNP Valerie Tyndall 415 0.8 N/A
Natural Law Robert Stephens 99 0.2 −0.2
Majority 3,569 7.0 −31.8
Turnout 51,391 75.5 −6.5
Registered electors 68,079
Conservative hold Swing −14.1
General election 1992: Old Bexley and Sidcup[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Heath 24,450 60.3 −1.8
Labour Donna Brierly 8,751 21.6 +4.3
Liberal Democrats David J. Nicolle 6,438 15.9 −4.7
Independent Barry Rose 733 1.8 N/A
Natural Law Robert Stephens 148 0.4 N/A
Majority 15,699 38.7 −2.8
Turnout 40,520 81.9 +4.9
Registered electors 49,449
Conservative hold Swing −1.4

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Old Bexley and Sidcup[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Heath 24,350 62.1 +1.9
Liberal Thomas Pearce 8,076 20.6 −5.4
Labour Howard Stoate 6,762 17.3 +3.5
Majority 16,274 41.5 +7.4
Turnout 39,188 77.1 +2.9
Registered electors 50,831
Conservative hold Swing +3.7
General election 1983: Old Bexley and Sidcup[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Heath 22,442 60.2 N/A
Liberal Peter Vickers 9,704 26.0 N/A
Labour Chris Kiff 5,116 13.7 N/A
Majority 12,738 34.2 N/A
Turnout 37,262 74.2 N/A
Registered electors 50,255
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references
Notes
  1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
  1. "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. List of Conservative MPs elected in 2015 by % majority UK Political.info. Retrieved 2017-01-29
  3. "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk.
  4. "2011 census interactive maps". Archived from the original on 2016-01-29.
  5. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  6. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "O"
  7. "Old Bexley & Sidcup Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  8. "Old Bexley & Sidcup parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  9. http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf
  10. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. "Election results for Old Bexley and Sidcup, 7 May 2015". 7 May 2015.
  12. "Old Bexley & Sidcup parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  13. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Old Bexley & Sidcup [Archive]". www.webarchive.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2012-06-06.
  18. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Castle Point		 Constituency represented by the Father of the House
1992–2001		 Succeeded by
Linlithgow

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.