Lewisham West (UK Parliament constituency)

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Lewisham West
Borough constituency
Lewisham West shown within Greater London
Created: 1918
MP: Jim Dowd
Party: Labour
Type: House of Commons
County: Greater London
EP constituency: London

Lewisham West is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

This constituency is to be abolished for the next general election (due no later than 2010), when it will be largely replaced by the new Lewisham West & Penge constituency.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

Lewisham West constituency covers the south-western part of the London Borough of Lewisham, being largely based on the communities of Catford, Sydenham, Forest Hill and Bellingham.

[edit] Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in South London, the Boundary Commission for England have created a new constituency of Lewisham West and Penge, which creates a cross-border constituency. Electoral wards from Bromley and Lewisham are used in the creation of this new seat.

[edit] History

From 1966 until 1992, Lewisham West a classic bellwether seat, being won by whichever party won the General Election (with the exception of 1979). However, long-term demographic trends have since turned the seat away from being a Labour-Conservative marginal into a safe Labour seat. Partly this has 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 have become much less leafy and suburban over the past 30 years. The large council estate in Bellingham has always been a Labour stronghold, and the other areas of the seat can also now be regarded as quite safe for Labour, wheareas in the past they were not.

[edit] Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1918 Edward Feetham Coates Coalition Conservative
1921 Philip Dawson Conservative
1938 Henry Brooke Conservative
1945 Arthur Skeffington Labour
1950 Henry Price Conservative
1964 Patrick McNair-Wilson Conservative
1966 James Dickens Labour
1970 John Gummer Conservative
1974 Christopher Price Labour
1983 John Maples Conservative
1992 Jim Dowd Labour

[edit] Election results

General Election 2005: Lewisham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Dowd 16,611 52.0 −9.1
Liberal Democrat Alex Feakes 6,679 20.9 +7.4
Conservative Evett McAnuff 6,396 20.0 −2.4
Green Nick Long 1,464 4.6 N/A
UK Independence Jens Winton 773 2.4 +0.8
Majority 9,932 31.1
Turnout 31,923 54.7 +2.6
Labour hold Swing −8.2
General Election 2001: Lewisham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Dowd 18,816 61.1 -0.9%
Conservative Gary Johnson 6,896 22.4 -1.5%
Liberal Democrat Richard Thomas 4,146 13.5 +3.7%
UK Independence Frederick Pearson 485 1.6
Independent Nick Long 472 1.5
Majority 11,920 38.7
Turnout 30,815 52.1 -12.0%
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1997: Lewisham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Dowd 23,273 61.96
Conservative C. Whelan 8,956 23.84
Liberal Democrat K. McGrath 3,672 9.78
Referendum Party A. Leese 1,098 2.92
Socialist Labour N. Long 398 1.06
Liberal E. Oram 167 0.45
Majority 14,317 38.11
Turnout 37,564 64.04
Labour hold Swing +17.00
General Election 1992: Lewisham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Dowd 20,378 46.99
Conservative John Maples 18,569 42.82
Liberal Democrat E. Neale 4,295 9.90
Anti-Federalist League P. Coulham 125 0.29
Majority 1,809 4.17
Turnout 43,367 73.11
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1987: Lewisham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maples 20,995 46.18
Labour Jim Dowd 17,223 37.88
Liberal S. C. Titley 7,247 15.94
Majority 3,772 8.30
Turnout 45,465 72.25
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Lewisham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maples 19,521 44.02
Labour C. Price 17,015 38.37
Liberal H. Mooney 7,470 16.85
British National Party R. F. Hoy 336 0.76
Majority 2,506 5.65
Turnout 44,342 70.34
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General Election 1979: Lewisham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C. Price 20,932 46.45
Conservative N. P. Kemp 19,882 44.12
Liberal G. A. Payne 3,350 7.43
National Front P. Williams 901 2.00
Majority 1,050 2.33
Turnout 45,065 76.01
Labour hold Swing

[edit] See also

[edit] References