Old Bexley and Sidcup
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 21149 (49.8%)
Labour: 11689 (27.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 6258 (14.7%)
BNP: 1060 (2.7%)
Other: 2210 (5.2%)
Majority: 9460 (22.3%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 22191 (49.8%)
Labour: 12271 (27.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 6564 (14.7%)
BNP: 1227 (2.8%)
UKIP: 2015 (4.5%)
Other: 304 (0.7%)
Majority: 9920 (22.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 19130 (45.4%)
Labour: 15785 (37.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 5792 (13.7%)
UKIP: 1426 (3.4%)
Majority: 3345 (7.9%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 21608 (42%)
Labour: 18039 (35.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 8284 (16.1%)
Referendum: 2457 (4.8%)
Other: 1003 (2%)
Majority: 3569 (6.9%)
Boundary changes: loses part of Danson Park ward to Bexleyheath and Crayford.
Profile: Conservative voting suburbia in south-east London, largely made up of owner-occupied 1930s built private housing. The titular “Old Bexley” refers to the smaller village-like part of Bexley, close to the border with Dartford, as opposed to the more built up and suburban Bexleyheath. The constituency was once widely known for returning Sir Edward Heath to Parliament, he represented the seat and its predecessors for 50 years before his retirement in 2001. The seat is safely Conservative – in 1997 Labour cut Heath`s majority to only 6.9% with the help of the Referendum party, but Derek Conway has since seen his majority grow to over 20%.
Current MP: Derek Conway(Independent Conservative) born 1953, Newcastle upon Tyne. Educated at Beacon Hill Boys School, Gateshead Technical College and Newcastle Polytechnic. Gateshead councillor from 1974 until 1983 and Conservative group leader on Tyne & Wear Metropolitan Council from 1979 to 1982. Contested Durham in October 1974 and Newcastle East in 1979. MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham between 1983 and 1997. Returned as MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup in 2001. Government whip from 1994 to 1997. Between his two periods in Parliament he served as Chief Executive of the Cats Protection League. In 2003 he was the first MP to publically announce he had written to the Chair of the 1922 Committee to ask for a vote of confidence in Iain Duncan Smith`s leadership and later became a key supporter and ally of David Davis in his 2005 leadership campaign. Had the Conservative whip suspended in 2008 after it was found he had paid his son to work for him while he was actually away at university (more information at They work for you)
Candidates:
James Brokenshire (Conservative) born 1968, Southend. Educated at Davenant Foundation School and the University of Exeter. Prior to his election worked as a corporate lawyer. MP for Hornchurch since 2005, his seat is due to be abolished in the next round of boundary changes. Shadow minister for Home Affairs.
Duncan Borrowman (Liberal Democrat) Former National Campaigns officer for the Liberal Democrats. Contested Bexley and Bromley in 2000 and 2004 London Assembly elections. Will contest London elections as list candidate in 2008.
John Hemming-Clark (Independents to save Queen Mary`s Hospital) born 1960. Publisher. Contested Bromley and Chislehurst by-election 2006.
Michael Barnbrook (BNP) Born Essex. Educated at Plaistow Grammar School. Retired policeman. Contested London in 2009 European elections.
Elaine Cheeseman (English Democrats) Educated at Bexley Grammar School. Financial administrator.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 82136
Male: 48%
Female: 52%
Under 18: 21.8%
Over 60: 23.3%
Born outside UK: 6.8%
White: 94.3%
Black: 1.2%
Asian: 2.6%
Mixed: 1.1%
Other: 0.8%
Christian: 75.9%
Hindu: 1%
Muslim: 1.4%
Sikh: 0.6%
Full time students: 2.5%
Graduates 16-74: 14.9%
No Qualifications 16-74: 26.9%
Owner-Occupied: 85.3%
Social Housing: 8.4% (Council: 1.4%, Housing Ass.: 7%)
Privately Rented: 4.8%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 6.6%
Were Bexley and Sidcup in the Dartford seat from 1885 to 1945? I take it Sidcup was in the Bexley seat from 1945-74, and Bexley was in the Sidcup seat 1974-83? Did the latter two seats cover more or less the same area?
“Were Bexley and Sidcup in the Dartford seat from 1885 to 1945?”
From 1885 to 1918 they were. Then Sidcup was put in the Chislehurst seat while Bexley (including ‘Old Bexley’ and the Welling area, which is that part of this constituency north of the A2) stayed with Dartford until 1945.
Sidcup stayed with Chislehurst (with which it formed an Urban District before 1964) until 1974 when it was seperated to form the new Sidcup seat. ‘Old Bexley’ (roughly the wards of St Marys and Blendon & Penhill) was added from the Bexley seat with the remainder of that seat becoming Bexleyheath, but the majority of the electorate of the Sidcup constiteuncy had come from Chislehurst. It was renamed Old Bexley & Sidcup in 1983 though there were no boundary changes
James Brokenshire has led a long and hard campaign to save St George’s Hospital in Hornchurch, and so far the campaign is winning. How it will fare when he is no longer the local MP is another matter.