Lewisham Deptford (UK Parliament constituency)

Lewisham, Deptford
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Lewisham, Deptford in Greater London.
County	Greater London
Electorate	67,590 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created	1974 (1974)
Member of Parliament	Joan Ruddock (Labour)
Number of members	One
Created from	Deptford and Lewisham North
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	London

Lewisham, Deptford is a parliamentary 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.

Contents 1 Constituency profile 2 Boundaries 2.1 Boundary review 3 Members of Parliament 4 Election results 4.1 Elections in 2010s 4.2 Elections in 2000s 5 References 6 See also

Constituency profile

The seat takes in Lewisham's northern tip - a short stretch alongside the river Thames - along with the Deptford and New Cross areas, and the centre of Lewisham itself. These are historically some of the more deprived in London with high crime rates and social problems, though some more upmarket housing developments are springing up as former industrial sites are cleared away as part of an ongoing rejuvenation process.

The area is relatively affordable, given the short commuting distance to both central London and Canary Wharf, via the Docklands Light Railway. Goldsmiths, University of London is within the seat and there is a substantial student population here.

Lewisham Deptford has been one of Labour's safest London seats for many years - it was the party's 25th safest in the entire country at the 2001 election - though social change in the last decade has seen things become a little more competitive, with an active Liberal Democrat party in the area.

Boundaries

The constituency covers the northern and north-western parts of the London Borough of Lewisham. It is made up of seven electoral wards from the borough:

• Brockley; Crofton Park; Evelyn; Ladywell; Lewisham Central; New Cross; Telegraph Hill

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in South London, the Boundary Commission for England has made changes to the constituencies within Lewisham borough, pairing Lewisham with the London Borough of Bromley and allocating six seats to the pairing, with the electorate of Lewisham requiring approximately 2.5 seats and Bromley 3.5. This resulted in the creation of a new cross-boundary seat of Lewisham West and Penge which takes electoral wards from both Boroughs.

In Lewisham, Deptford the Commission made changes following a review of ward boundaries. Part of Crofton Park ward was transferred from the former Lewisham West constituency. A large part of Lewisham Central ward was transferred from Lewisham East constituency, and part of Rushey Green ward was transferred from Lewisham, Deptford to Lewisham East.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member [2]	Party
	February 1974	John Silkin	Labour
	1987	Joan Ruddock	Labour

Election results

Elections in 2010s

General Election 2010:[3] Lewisham Deptford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joan Ruddock	22,132	53.7%	-1.7
	Liberal Democrat	Tam Langley	9,633	23.4%	+5.4
	Conservative	Gemma Townsend	5,551	13.5%	+0.8
	Green	Darren Johnson	2,772	6.7%	-3.3
	Socialist Alternative	Ian Page	645	1.6%	-0.6
	Christian Peoples	Malcolm Martin	487	1.2%	+1.2
Majority			12,499	30.3
Turnout			41,220	61.5	+10.6
	Labour hold		Swing	−7.2

Elections in 2000s

General Election 2005: Lewisham, Deptford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joan Ruddock	16,902	55.6	−9.4
	Liberal Democrat	Columba Blango	5,091	16.8	+5.1
	Conservative	James Cartlidge	3,773	12.4	0.0
	Green	Darren Johnson	3,367	11.4	+4.6
	Socialist Alternative	Ian Page	742	2.4	1.9
	UKIP	David Holland	518	1.7	N/A
Majority			11,811	38.9
Turnout			30,393	51.5	+3.2
	Labour hold		Swing	−7.2

General Election 2001: Lewisham, Deptford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joan Ruddock	18,915	65.0	-5.8
	Conservative	Cordelia McCartney	3,622	12.4	-2.3
	Liberal Democrat	Andrew Wiseman	3,409	11.7	+2.8
	Green	Darren Johnson	1,901	6.5	N/A
	Socialist Alliance	Ian Page	1,260	4.3	N/A
Majority			15,293	52.6
Turnout			29,107	48.3
	Labour hold		Swing

References

1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/electoral-figures/electoral-figures.htm. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 
2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)
3. ^ http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AEFCE766-4DB2-466E-A39A-A303921CF460/0/LewishamDeptfordSOPNNOP2.pdf

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London

Constituencies in London (73) Labour (37) Barking Bethnal Green and Bow Brent North Camberwell and Peckham Croydon North Dagenham and Rainham Dulwich and West Norwood Ealing North Ealing Southall East Ham Edmonton Eltham Erith and Thamesmead Feltham and Heston Greenwich and Woolwich Hackney North and Stoke Newington Hackney South and Shoreditch Hammersmith Harrow West Hayes and Harlington Hampstead and Kilburn Holborn and St. Pancras Ilford South Islington North Islington South and Finsbury Lewisham Deptford Lewisham East Lewisham West and Penge Leyton and Wanstead Mitcham and Morden Poplar and Limehouse Streatham Tooting Tottenham Vauxhall Walthamstow West Ham Westminster North Conservative (28) Battersea Beckenham Bexleyheath and Crayford Brentford and Isleworth Bromley and Chislehurst Chelsea and Fulham Chingford and Woodford Green Chipping Barnet Cities of London and Westminster Croydon Central Croydon South Ealing Central and Acton Enfield North Enfield Southgate Finchley and Golders Green Harrow East Hendon Hornchurch and Upminster Ilford North Kensington Old Bexley and Sidcup Orpington Putney Richmond Park Romford Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner Uxbridge and South Ruislip Wimbledon Liberal Democrats (7) Bermondsey and Old Southwark Brent Central Carshalton and Wallington Hornsey and Wood Green Kingston and Surbiton Sutton and Cheam Twickenham London European constituency: Conservative (3) Labour (2) Liberal Democrats (1) Green (1) UKIP (1)