Lewisham West (UK Parliament constituency)
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918–2010
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Lewisham West was a borough constituency in south-east London represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election from 1918, until it was abolished for the 2010 general election.
| Lewisham West | |
|---|---|
| Former borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Lewisham West in Greater London for the 2005 general election | |
| County | Greater London |
| 1918–2010 | |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Lewisham |
| Replaced by | Lewisham West and Penge |
History
Aside from a Labour gain in 1945 after the party's landslide general election victory, Lewisham West was a fairly safe Conservative seat from its creation in 1918, but from 1966 until 1992, it became a classic bellwether seat, being won by whichever party won the General Election (with the exception of 1979). However, long-term demographic trends turned the seat away from being a Labour-Conservative marginal into a safe Labour seat. Partly this occurred because of a strong increase in the number of ethnic minority residents. At the same time, the communities of Catford, Sydenham and Forest Hill became much less leafy and suburban over 30 years. The large council estate of Bellingham was a Labour stronghold, as other areas of the seat became increasingly safe for Labour, whereas in the past they were not.
Boundaries
1918–1950: The Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham wards of Brockley, Forest Hill, and Sydenham, and parts of the wards of Catford and Lewisham Village.
1950–1974: The Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham wards of Brockley, Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, Sydenham East, and Sydenham West.
1974–1983: The London Borough of Lewisham wards of Bellingham, Culverley, Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, Rushey Green, Sydenham East, and Sydenham West.
1983–2010: The London Borough of Lewisham wards of Bellingham, Catford, Forest Hill, Horniman, Perry Hill, Rushey Green, St Andrew, Sydenham East, and Sydenham West.
Lewisham West constituency covered the south-western part of the London Borough of Lewisham, being largely based on the communities of Catford, Sydenham, Forest Hill and Bellingham.
Boundary review
Following their review of parliamentary representation in South London, the Boundary Commission for England created a new constituency of Lewisham West and Penge, using electoral wards from Bromley and Lewisham.
Members of Parliament
Elections
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jim Dowd | 16,611 | 52.0 | –9.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Alex Feakes | 6,679 | 20.9 | +7.5 | |
| Conservative | Evett McAnuff | 6,396 | 20.0 | –2.3 | |
| Green | Nick Long | 1,464 | 4.6 | New | |
| UKIP | Jens Winton | 773 | 2.4 | +0.8 | |
| Majority | 9,932 | 31.1 | –7.6 | ||
| Turnout | 31,923 | 54.7 | +4.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 58,349 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | –8.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jim Dowd | 18,816 | 61.1 | –0.9 | |
| Conservative | Gareth Johnson | 6,896 | 22.4 | –1.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Richard Thomas | 4,146 | 13.5 | +3.7 | |
| UKIP | Frederick Pearson | 485 | 1.6 | New | |
| Independent | Nick Long | 472 | 1.5 | New | |
| Majority | 11,920 | 38.7 | +0.6 | ||
| Turnout | 30,815 | 50.6 | –13.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 60,947 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | +0.3 | |||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jim Dowd | 23,273 | 62.0 | +15.0 | |
| Conservative | Clare Whelan | 8,956 | 23.8 | −19.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Kathy McGrath | 3,672 | 9.8 | −0.1 | |
| Referendum | Anthony Leese | 1,098 | 2.9 | New | |
| Socialist Labour | Nick Long | 398 | 1.1 | New | |
| Liberal | Elizabeth Oram | 167 | 0.4 | New | |
| Majority | 14,317 | 38.1 | +33.9 | ||
| Turnout | 37,564 | 64.0 | −9.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 58,659 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | +17.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jim Dowd | 20,378 | 47.0 | +9.1 | |
| Conservative | John Maples | 18,569 | 42.8 | −3.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Mrs E Neale | 4,295 | 9.9 | −6.0 | |
| Anti-Federalist League | P Coulam | 125 | 0.3 | New | |
| Majority | 1,809 | 4.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 43,367 | 73.0 | +0.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 59,317 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.2 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Maples | 20,995 | 46.2 | +2.2 | |
| Labour | Jim Dowd | 17,223 | 37.9 | –0.5 | |
| Liberal | Sarah Titley | 7,247 | 15.9 | –0.9 | |
| Majority | 3,772 | 8.3 | +2.6 | ||
| Turnout | 45,465 | 72.2 | +1.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 62,923 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Maples | 19,521 | 44.0 | –0.2 | |
| Labour | Christopher Price | 17,015 | 38.4 | –7.7 | |
| Liberal | Hugh Mooney | 7,470 | 16.8 | +9.3 | |
| BNP | R. F. Hoy | 336 | 0.8 | New | |
| Majority | 2,506 | 5.7 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 44,342 | 70.3 | |||
| Registered electors | 63,043 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.7 | |||
Elections in the 1970s
| 1979 notional result[10] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Labour | 21,871 | 46.1 | |
| Conservative | 21,004 | 44.3 | |
| Liberal | 3,583 | 7.6 | |
| Others | 991 | 2.1 | |
| Turnout | 47,449 | ||
| Electorate | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Christopher Price | 20,932 | 46.4 | –1.8 | |
| Conservative | Noel Kemp[11] | 19,882 | 44.1 | +8.5 | |
| Liberal | Godfrey Payne | 3,350 | 7.4 | –6.2 | |
| National Front | Peter Williams[11] | 901 | 2.0 | –0.5 | |
| Majority | 1,050 | 2.3 | –10.3 | ||
| Turnout | 45,065 | 76.0 | +5.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 59,292 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | –5.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Christopher Price | 21,102 | 48.2 | +5.0 | |
| Conservative | M. Marshall | 15,573 | 35.6 | –2.7 | |
| Liberal | James Eagle | 5,952 | 13.6 | –2.7 | |
| National Front | P. Williams | 1,114 | 2.5 | +0.5 | |
| Majority | 5,529 | 12.6 | +7.7 | ||
| Turnout | 43,741 | 70.1 | –8.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 62,435 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | +3.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Christopher Price | 21,118 | 43.3 | –6.4 | |
| Conservative | John Gummer | 18,716 | 38.4 | –12.0 | |
| Liberal | James Eagle | 7,974 | 16.3 | New | |
| National Front | P. Williams | 1,000 | 2.0 | New | |
| Majority | 2,402 | 4.9 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 48,808 | 78.9 | +11.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 61,866 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.8 | |||
| 1970 notional result[12] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Conservative | 22,200 | 50.3 | |
| Labour | 21,900 | 49.7 | |
| Turnout | 44,100 | 67.3 | |
| Electorate | 65,499 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Gummer | 19,676 | 51.0 | ||
| Labour | James Dickens | 18,916 | 49.0 | ||
| Majority | 760 | 2.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 38,592 | 68.1 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | James Dickens | 21,018 | 52.54 | ||
| Conservative | Patrick McNair-Wilson | 18,984 | 47.46 | ||
| Majority | 2,034 | 5.08 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 40,002 | 75.68 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Patrick McNair-Wilson | 18,167 | 44.78 | ||
| Labour | Joan Lestor | 17,281 | 42.59 | ||
| Liberal | Alan B Mountain | 5,123 | 12.63 | ||
| Majority | 886 | 2.19 | |||
| Turnout | 40,571 | 74.82 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Price | 22,466 | 51.74 | ||
| Labour | Richard C Edmonds | 16,233 | 37.39 | ||
| Liberal | Trevor Smith | 4,721 | 10.87 | New | |
| Majority | 6,233 | 14.35 | |||
| Turnout | 38,689 | 80.30 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Price | 24,066 | 54.94 | ||
| Labour | Tom Sargant | 19,741 | 45.06 | ||
| Majority | 4,325 | 9.88 | |||
| Turnout | 43,807 | 79.57 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Price | 25,449 | 52.73 | ||
| Labour | Arthur Skeffington | 22,813 | 47.27 | ||
| Majority | 2,636 | 5.46 | |||
| Turnout | 48,262 | 85.85 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Price | 23,628 | 49.23 | ||
| Labour | Arthur Skeffington | 21,433 | 44.65 | ||
| Liberal | Alfred Pritchard | 2,939 | 6.12 | New | |
| Majority | 2,195 | 4.58 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 45,061 | 85.70 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1940s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Arthur Skeffington | 20,008 | 53.35 | ||
| Conservative | Henry Brooke | 17,492 | 46.65 | ||
| Majority | 2,516 | 6.70 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 37,500 | 73.65 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1930s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Brooke | 22,587 | 57.1 | −7.6 | |
| Labour | Arthur Skeffington | 16,939 | 42.9 | +7.6 | |
| Majority | 5,648 | 14.2 | −15.2 | ||
| Turnout | 39,526 | 58.0 | −5.9 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Sir Philip Dawson | 27,173 | 64.7 | −12.8 | |
| Labour | Michael Stewart | 14,803 | 35.3 | +12.8 | |
| Majority | 12,370 | 29.4 | −25.6 | ||
| Turnout | 41,976 | 63.9 | −5.3 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Sir Philip Dawson | 34,289 | 77.5 | +28.4 | |
| Labour | Michael Stewart | 9,956 | 22.5 | −3.4 | |
| Majority | 24,333 | 55.0 | +31.8 | ||
| Turnout | 44,245 | 69.2 | −0.1 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1920s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Philip Dawson | 20,830 | 49.1 | −10.2 | |
| Labour | Catherine Wadham | 10,958 | 25.9 | +5.5 | |
| Liberal | Arthur Roberts | 10,590 | 25.0 | +4.7 | |
| Majority | 9,872 | 23.2 | −15.7 | ||
| Turnout | 42,378 | 69.3 | −6.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 61,191 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −7.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Philip Dawson | 19,723 | 59.3 | +8.4 | |
| Labour | Barbara Drake | 6,781 | 20.4 | New | |
| Liberal | Barrett O'Malley | 6,756 | 20.3 | −28.8 | |
| Majority | 12,942 | 38.9 | +37.1 | ||
| Turnout | 33,260 | 75.5 | +18.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 44,078 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | +18.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Philip Dawson | 12,448 | 50.9 | −14.8 | |
| Liberal | Barrett O'Malley | 12,009 | 49.1 | +14.8 | |
| Majority | 439 | 1.8 | −29.6 | ||
| Turnout | 24,457 | 57.0 | −1.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 42,940 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −14.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Philip Dawson | 16,216 | 65.7 | N/A | |
| Liberal | Barrett O'Malley | 8,469 | 34.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 7,747 | 31.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 24,685 | 58.1 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 42,455 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Philip Dawson | 9,427 | 39.0 | N/A | |
| Anti-Waste League | Walter Windham | 8,580 | 35.4 | New | |
| Liberal | Frank Raffety | 6,211 | 25.6 | New | |
| Majority | 847 | 3.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 24,218 | 59.2 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 40,919 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1910s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Unionist | Sir Edward Coates | Unopposed | ||
| Unionist win (new seat) | |||||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||