Lewisham West (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids
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Lewisham West was a special area in south-east London. It was called a borough constituency. This area chose one person to represent it in the House of Commons. This is part of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The person chosen was called a Member of Parliament (MP). They were elected using a system called first past the post. This means the candidate with the most votes wins. Lewisham West elected an MP from 1918 until 2010. After that, this area was changed and no longer existed as a separate constituency.
Contents
History of Lewisham West
From 1966 to 1992, Lewisham West was known as a "bellwether" seat. This means it often voted for the political party that ended up winning the general election across the country. The only time it didn't was in 1979.
Over time, the area changed a lot. More people from different backgrounds moved in. This made the seat less likely to switch between the Labour and Conservative parties. It became a very safe seat for the Labour Party. Areas like Catford, Sydenham, and Forest Hill became less like quiet suburbs. Bellingham, a large area with many council homes, was always a strong Labour area. Now, other parts of the constituency also tend to vote Labour.
Boundaries of the Constituency
A constituency is an area that elects its own Member of Parliament. The boundaries of Lewisham West changed several times over the years.
1918–1950 Boundaries
This constituency included parts of the Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham. It covered the areas of Brockley, Forest Hill, and Sydenham. It also included parts of Catford and Lewisham Village.
1950–1974 Boundaries
The area changed slightly. It still included Brockley, Forest Hill, and Sydenham. New areas like Honor Oak Park, Sydenham East, and Sydenham West were added.
1974–1983 Boundaries
The boundaries changed again. This time, it included Bellingham, Culverley, Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, Rushey Green, Sydenham East, and Sydenham West. These were all wards within the London Borough of Lewisham.
1983–2010 Boundaries
For its final years, Lewisham West covered Bellingham, Catford, Forest Hill, Horniman, Perry Hill, Rushey Green, St Andrew, Sydenham East, and Sydenham West. These areas are mostly in the south-western part of the London Borough of Lewisham.
Boundary Review and New Constituency
Experts called the Boundary Commission for England looked at the parliamentary areas in South London. They decided to create a new constituency. This new area is called Lewisham West and Penge. It uses parts of the old Lewisham West area and also includes parts of Bromley.
Members of Parliament
Here are the people who were elected as MPs for Lewisham West:
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | Edward Feetham Coates | Coalition Conservative | |
| 1921 by-election | Philip Dawson | Conservative | |
| 1938 by-election | Henry Brooke | Conservative | |
| 1945 | Arthur Skeffington | Labour | |
| 1950 | Henry Price | Conservative | |
| 1964 | Patrick McNair-Wilson | Conservative | |
| 1966 | James Dickens | Labour | |
| 1970 | John Gummer | Conservative | |
| Feb 1974 | Christopher Price | Labour | |
| 1983 | John Maples | Conservative | |
| 1992 | Jim Dowd | Labour | |
| 2010 | constituency abolished: see Lewisham West and Penge | ||
See also
Sources
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)
