Sidcup (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Sidcup was a special area in the United Kingdom that elected one person to represent it in the government. This area was located around Sidcup, which is a suburb on the edge of London. It was part of the London Borough of Bexley.

The people living in Sidcup would vote for a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is someone who speaks for their local area in the House of Commons. This is a very important part of the UK Parliament.

The Sidcup area was set up for elections in February 1974. It stopped being an election area in 1983. After that, parts of it became part of a new area called Old Bexley and Sidcup.

A famous politician, Edward Heath, was the MP for Sidcup during its entire existence. He was even the Prime Minister for a few days after the February 1974 election. That election was a bit unusual because no single party won enough seats to form a strong government. This is sometimes called a "hung parliament."

What Were the Sidcup Boundaries?

Every election area has clear borders, called "boundaries." These boundaries show exactly which streets and neighborhoods are part of that area. For the Sidcup constituency, its boundaries included specific parts of the London Borough of Bexley.

These parts were known as wards. The wards that made up the Sidcup election area were Lamorbey East, Lamorbey West, North Cray, St Mary's, Sidcup East, and Sidcup West. Knowing these boundaries helped people know which MP they could vote for.

Who Represented Sidcup in Parliament?

The person who represents an area in Parliament is called a Member of Parliament, or MP. For the Sidcup constituency, only one person held this job during its time.

As you can see from the table, Edward Heath was the MP for Sidcup. He belonged to the Conservative Party. He was first elected in February 1974 and continued to be the MP until the Sidcup constituency was no longer used for elections in 1983.