Lewisham Deptford (UK Parliament constituency)

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Lewisham, Deptford
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Lewisham, Deptford in Greater London.
County Greater London
Electorate 67,590 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Deptford, New Cross and Lewisham
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
2010 wards and boundaries of Lewisham Deptford Parliament constituency (red) shown within the London Borough of Lewisham (orange)
Lewisham town centre
Goldsmiths' College in New Cross.

Lewisham, Deptford is a parliamentary constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1987 by Joan Ruddock of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Contents

History [edit]

This seat was created in 1974 since which it has been held by only two Members of Parliament.

Constituency profile [edit]

This constituency takes in Lewisham's northern tip - a short stretch alongside the Thames - along with the Deptford and New Cross districts, and the centre of Lewisham itself. These are historically some of the more deprived in London with high crime rates and social problems,[2] counter to this, 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 Central London and Canary Wharf, via the Docklands Light Railway and South East Main Line. Goldsmiths, University of London and wider halls of residence and this is a popular living area for those staying and studying in Greater London, giving a substantial student minority to the electorate.[2]

Lewisham Deptford has been one of Labour's safest London seats since its 1924 creation - it was the party's 25th safest in Britain at the 2001 election - though social change in the last decade has seen things become a little more competitive; the most popular opposition is formed by the active Liberal Democrat party in the area. In terms of share of the vote, it received the 44th largest Labour vote in 2010, of the 650 constituencies.[3]

Boundaries [edit]

In 1983, the electoral wards used to form this seat were: Blythe Hill, Crofton Park, Drake, Evelyn, Grinling Gibbons, Ladywell, Marlowe, and Pepys.[4]

For the 2010 general election, 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

The Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which reformed this seat in time for 2010 also resulted in the creation of a new cross-boundary seat of Lewisham West and Penge which takes electoral wards from Lewisham and Bromley.

Proposed abolition [edit]

As part of the abandoned Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which commenced in 2011 the Boundary Commission for England proposed dividing the current Lewisham Deptford seat into three new constituencies.[5]

  • Deptford and Rotherhithe would have incorporated Brockley, New Cross, Ladywell, Deptford, and Rotherhithe[6]
  • Greenwich and Lewisham Central would have taken Greenwich and Blackheath together with central Lewisham, Rushey Green and Catford South[7]
  • Lewisham South would have incorporated Downham, Grove Park, Honor Oak Park and Sydenham[8]

Members of Parliament [edit]

Election Member [9] Party
February 1974 John Silkin Labour
1987 Joan Ruddock Labour

Election results [edit]

Elections in 2010s [edit]

General Election 2010:[10] Lewisham Deptford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joan Ruddock 22,132 53.7% -1.7[n 3]
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 [edit]

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 -4.1

Elections in 1990s [edit]

General Election 1997: Lewisham, Deptford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joan Ruddock 23,827 70.82
Conservative I. Kimm 4,949 14.71
Liberal Democrat K. Appiah 3,004 8.93
Socialist Labour J. Mulrenan 996 2.96
Referendum Party S. Shepherd 868 2.58
Majority 18,878 56.11
Turnout 57.87
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Lewisham, Deptford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joan Ruddock 22,574 60.86
Conservative T.A.J. O'Neill 10,336 27.87
Liberal Democrat J.C. Brightwell 4,181 11.27
Majority 12,238 32.99
Turnout 65.06
Labour hold Swing

Elections in 1980s [edit]

General Election 1987: Lewisham, Deptford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joan Ruddock 18,724 48.59
Conservative M.C. Punyer 11,953 31.66
Social Democrat A.M.E. Braun 6,513 17.25
Majority 6,771 17.93
Turnout 64.93
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Lewisham, Deptford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Silkin 17,360 48.34
Conservative R. Wheatley 11,328 31.54
Social Democrat D. Abbott 6,734 18.75
BNP P. Wilson 317 0.88
Assassin's Bullett S.B. Housego 173 0.48
Majority 6,032 16.80
Turnout 61.22
Labour hold Swing

Elections in 1970s [edit]

General Election 1979: Lewisham, Deptford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Silkin 19,391 54.22
Conservative D. Grant 11,638 32.54
Liberal N. Rowden 2,774 7.76
National Front R. Mitchell 1,490 4.17
Socialist Unity J. Maguire 274 0.77
Workers Revolutionary G. Dacres 198 0.55
Majority 7,753 21.68
Turnout 63.76
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Lewisham, Deptford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Silkin 21,145 58.87
Conservative C.H. Cross 8,111 22.58
Liberal M. Steele 4,931 13.73
National Front R. Edmonds 1,731 4.82
Majority 13,034 36.29
Turnout 58.68
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Lewisham, Deptford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Silkin 22,699 54.11 N/A
Conservative C.H. Cross 11,070 26.39 N/A
Liberal M. Steele 8,181 19.50 N/A
Majority 11,629 27.72 N/A
Turnout 69.11 N/A
Labour win (new seat)

Notes and References [edit]

Notes
  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
  3. ^ Changes in the election are nominal, based on the 2005 results for the new set of wards contested in 2010, (partly in other seats contested before the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies)
References
  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 
  2. ^ a b 2001 Census
  3. ^ General Election Results from the Electoral Commission
  4. ^ Crewe, Ivor (1983). British Parliament Constituencies - a statistical compendium. faber and faber. ISBN 0-571-13236-7. 
  5. ^ Breakdown tables Boundary Commission for England
  6. ^ Proposed map - Deptford and Rotherhithe Boundary Commission for England
  7. ^ Proposed map - Greenwich and Lewisham Central Boundary Commission for England
  8. ^ Proposd map - Lewisham Central Boundary Commission for England
  9. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 2)[self-published source][better source needed]
  10. ^ http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AEFCE766-4DB2-466E-A39A-A303921CF460/0/LewishamDeptfordSOPNNOP2.pdf

See also [edit]
Labour (38)
Conservative (28)
Liberal Democrats (7)

Coordinates: 51°28′N 0°02′W / 51.47°N 0.04°W / 51.47; -0.04

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