Bromley and Chislehurst (UK Parliament constituency)

UK constituency infobox alt
Name = Bromley and Chislehurst


Type = Borough
Entity = Greater London
DivisionType = County
Division = Greater London
Year = 1997
MP = Bob Neill
Party = Conservative
EP = London

Bromley and Chislehurst is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, represented by Bob Neill for the Conservative Party. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Boundaries

Bromley and Chislehurst constituency covers the northern part of the London Borough of Bromley between the towns of Bromley and Chislehurst, and the central part of the borough as far south as Hayes and Bromley Common.

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in South London, the Boundary Commission for England has made changes to the existing Bromley and Chislehurst constituency. The electoral wards used in the formation are:

*Bickley, Bromley Town, Chislehurst, Cray Valley West, Mottingham and Chislehurst North, Plaistow and Sundridge from the London Borough of Bromley

The boundary changes that will come into force before the next General Election will remove the ward of Bromley Common & Keston and that part of the Hayes & Coney Hall ward that currently lies within the constituency, to Beckenham constituency, and the Cray Valley West ward will move into the seat from Orpington constituency.

History

Except for areas such as the former council estates in Mottingham and Bromley Common, this constituency consists largely of prosperous leafy suburbia and is one of the Conservative's strongest seats. The area is largely white and its character is one of prosperous small businesses, rather than commuting professionals.

Harold Macmillan was the MP for Bromley until his retirement in 1964, when he was succeeded by John Hunt. Hunt, on the left of the Conservative party, held the seat (renamed Ravensbourne in 1974) until 1997. The former Chislehurst constituency also had a tradition of electing centrist Conservative MPs, in the form of Patricia Hornsby-Smith and from 1974 Roger Sims. When the Chislehurst constituency was merged with part of Ravensbourne in 1997 to form Bromley and Chislehurst, both Hunt and Sims retired, and the eccentric libertarian Eric Forth was selected as the Conservative candidate.

In May 2006, just after the Local Elections, Eric Forth was taken ill, complaining of severe stomach pains. He was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and died peacefully a few days later.

The by-election was held on 29 June 2006. The current Greater London Authority member Bob Neill held the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of just over 600 votes separating him from the Liberal Democrat candidate Ben Abbotts.

Members of Parliament

* 1997 – 2006: Eric Forth, Conservative
* 2006 – Present: Bob Neill, Conservative

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Bob Neill
votes = 11,621
percentage = 40.1
change = –10.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Ben Abbotts
votes = 10,988
percentage = 37.9
change = +17.6Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Nigel Farage
votes = 2,307
percentage = 8.0
change = +4.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Rachel Reeves
votes = 1,925
percentage = 6.6
change = –15.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party of England and Wales
candidate = Ann Garrett
votes = 811
percentage = 2.8
change = –0.4Election box candidate with party link
party = National Front (UK)
candidate = Paul Winnett
votes = 476
percentage = 1.6
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = John Hemming-Clark
votes = 442
percentage = 1.5
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = English Democrats Party
candidate = Steven Uncles
votes = 212
percentage = 0.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Official Monster Raving Loony Party
candidate = John Cartwright
votes = 132
percentage = 0.5
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Nick Hadziannis
votes = 65
percentage = 0.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Money Reform Party
candidate = Anne Belsey
votes = 33
percentage = 0.1
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 633
percentage = 2.2
change = –26.7Election box turnout
votes = 29,012
percentage = 40.2
change = –24.7Election box hold with party link
winner =Conservative Party (UK)
swing =–13.8

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Eric Forth
votes = 23,583
percentage = 51.1
change = +1.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Rachel Reeves
votes = 10,241
percentage = 22.2
change = –6.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Peter Brookes
votes = 9,368
percentage = 20.3
change = +1.4Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = David Hooper
votes = 1,475
percentage = 3.2
change = +0.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party of England and Wales
candidate = Ann Garrett
votes = 1,470
percentage = 3.2
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 13,342
percentage = 28.9
change = Election box turnout
votes = 46,137
percentage = 64.8
change = +0.5Election box hold with party link
winner =Conservative Party (UK)
swing =+4.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Eric Forth
votes = 21,412
percentage = 49.5
change = +3.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Sue Polydorou
votes = 12,375
percentage = 28.6
change = +3.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Geoff Payne
votes = 8,180
percentage = 18.9
change = –4.8Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Rob Bryant
votes = 1,264
percentage = 2.9
change = +0.7Election box majority
votes = 9037
percentage = 20.9
change = Election box turnout
votes = 64,231
percentage = 64.3
change = –9.7

Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =–0.1

Election box begin
title=General Election 1997: Bromley and ChislehurstElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Eric Forth
votes = 24,428
percentage = 46.3
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Rob Yeldham
votes = 13,310
percentage = 25.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Paul Booth
votes = 12,530
percentage = 23.8
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = R Bryant
votes = 1,176
percentage = 2.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party of England and Wales
candidate = Frances Speed
votes = 640
percentage = 1.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = National Front (UK)
candidate = Michael Stoneman
votes = 369
percentage = 0.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK, 1989)
candidate = Gabriel Aitman
votes = 285
percentage = 0.5
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 11,118
percentage = 21.1
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 52,738
percentage = 74.1
change = "N/A"

ources

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/html/101.stm 2005 info from BBC]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/101.stm 2001 and 1997 information from the BBC]

References

By-elections in British politics: Chris Cook and John Ramsden (Routledge, 2003)

See also

* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London