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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.
History
Lewisham West in London 1918-50
Lewisham West in London 1950-74
From 1966 until 1992, Lewisham West was 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 of Bellingham has always been a Labour stronghold, and the other areas of the seat can also now be regarded as quite 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
Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
James Patrick 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 |
0.5 |
New |
Majority |
14,317 |
38.1 |
+33.9 |
Turnout |
37,564 |
64.0 |
−9.0 |
|
Labour hold |
Swing |
+17.0 |
|
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
General election 1966: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
James McCulloch York Dickens |
21,018 |
52.54 |
|
|
Conservative |
Patrick Michael Ernest David McNair-Wilson |
18,984 |
47.46 |
|
Majority |
2,034 |
5.08 |
N/A |
Turnout |
40,002 |
75.68 |
|
|
Labour gain from Conservative |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1964: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Patrick Michael Ernest David 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 |
|
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1950s
General election 1959: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Henry Alfred Price |
22,466 |
51.74 |
|
|
Labour |
Richard C Edmonds |
16,233 |
37.39 |
|
|
Liberal |
Trevor Arthur Smith |
4,721 |
10.87 |
New |
Majority |
6,233 |
14.35 |
|
Turnout |
38,689 |
80.30 |
|
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1955: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Henry Alfred Price |
24,066 |
54.94 |
|
|
Labour |
Tom Sargant |
19,741 |
45.06 |
|
Majority |
4,325 |
9.88 |
|
Turnout |
43,807 |
79.57 |
|
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1951: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Henry Alfred Price |
25,449 |
52.73 |
|
|
Labour |
Arthur Massey Skeffington |
22,813 |
47.27 |
|
Majority |
2,636 |
5.46 |
|
Turnout |
48,262 |
85.85 |
|
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
Arthur Massey Skeffington |
20,008 |
53.35 |
|
|
Conservative |
Henry Brooke |
17,492 |
46.65 |
|
Majority |
2,516 |
6.70 |
N/A |
Turnout |
37,500 |
73.65 |
|
|
Labour gain from Conservative |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1930s
1938 Lewisham West by-election |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Henry Brooke |
22,587 |
57.1 |
-7.6 |
|
Labour |
Arthur Massey Skeffington |
16,939 |
42.9 |
+7.6 |
Majority |
5,648 |
14.2 |
-15.2 |
Turnout |
39,526 |
58.0 |
-5.9 |
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1920s
General election 1929: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
Philip Dawson |
20,830 |
49.1 |
−10.2 |
|
Labour |
Catherine Mary Wadham |
10,958 |
25.9 |
+5.5 |
|
Liberal |
Arthur Reginald Newsom 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 |
|
General election 1924: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
Philip Dawson |
19,723 |
59.3 |
+8.4 |
|
Labour |
Barbara Drake |
6,781 |
20.4 |
New |
|
Liberal |
Barrett Lennard Albemarle 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 |
|
General election 1923: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
Philip Dawson |
12,448 |
50.9 |
−14.8 |
|
Liberal |
Barrett Lennard Albemarle 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 |
|
General election 1922: Lewisham West |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
Philip Dawson |
16,216 |
65.7 |
N/A |
|
Liberal |
Barrett Lennard Albemarle 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 |
|
1921 Lewisham West by-election |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
Philip Dawson |
9,427 |
39.0 |
N/A |
|
Anti-Waste League |
Walter George 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
See also
- List of parliamentary constituencies in London
Sources
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)