Bexleyheath (UK Parliament constituency)
{{Short description|Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1974–1997}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox UK constituency main
|name = Bexleyheath
|parliament = uk
|map1 = Bexleyheath1983
|map2 =
|map_entity =
|map_year = 1983
|year = February 1974
|abolished = 1997
|type = Borough
|previous = Bexley
|next = Bexleyheath & Crayford, Old Bexley and Sidcup
|elects_howmany = One
|region = England
|county = Greater London
}}
Bexleyheath was a parliamentary constituency in south-east London, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Politics and history of the constituency
It was created for the February 1974 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election.
This safe Conservative seat was represented for its entire existence by Sir Cyril Townsend.
Boundaries
| class=wikitable
!Dates!!Local authority !Maps!!Wards | ||
| 1974–1983 | rowspan="2"|London Borough of Bexley | Brampton, Christchurch, Danson, East Wickham, Falconwood, St Michael's, and Upton. |
| 1983–1997 | Barnehurst, Barnehurst North, Brampton, Christchurch, Danson, East Wickham, Falconwood, St Michael's, and Upton. |
This constituency in the London Borough of Bexley was centred on the district of Bexleyheath. It was split in 1997 when the Boundary Commission for England recommended an extra seat for the paired boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich.C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.12 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995) It was largely replaced by the new constituency of Bexleyheath and Crayford, with about a third of the constituency being added to the existing Old Bexley and Sidcup constituency.C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.192 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
Members of Parliament
| class="wikitable" | ||
| colspan="2"|Election | Member{{Rayment-hc|b|3|date=March 2012}} | Party |
|---|---|---|
| style="color:inherit;background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| Feb 1974 | ||
| | 1997
|colspan="2"| constituency abolished: see Bexleyheath and Crayford & Old Bexley and Sidcup |
Election results
=Elections in the 1970s=
| class="wikitable" | ||
| colspan="4" | 1970 notional result{{cite web |title=1970 notional general election & February 1974 general election |url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dX47DuTxmFg6SXaizeo3TQwvlEEOKPdCWQCTABWyN40/edit?gid=0#gid=0 |author1=Michael Stead |publisher=BBC |access-date=18 March 2025 }} | ||
|---|---|---|
| bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | % | ||
| {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} | align=right| 20,500 | align=right| 51.3 |
| {{party color cell|Labour Party (UK)}}
| Labour | align=right| 15,700 | align=right| 39.3 |
| {{party color cell|Liberal Party (UK)}}
| Liberal | align=right| 2,500 | align=right| 6.3 |
| {{party color cell|Independent politician}}
| Others | align=right| 1,300 | align=right| 3.3 |
| colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"| | ||
| colspan="2"|Turnout
|align=right|40,000 |align=right|76.3 | ||
| colspan="2"|Electorate
|align=right|52,450 |
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election February 1974: Bexleyheath
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Cyril Townsend
|votes = 18,541
|percentage = 43.3
|change = –7.9
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Co-operative
|candidate = John Cartwright
|votes = 14,675
|percentage = 34.3
|change = –5.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate = W. Pickard
|votes = 9,575
|percentage = 22.4
|change = +16.1
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 3,866
|percentage = 9.0
|change = –3.0
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 42,791
|percentage = 84.6
|change = +8.4
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
| reg. electors = 50,558
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing = –1.5
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election October 1974: Bexleyheath
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Cyril Townsend
|votes = 17,399
|percentage = 43.8
|change = +0.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = J. Stanyer
|votes = 15,412
|percentage = 38.8
|change = +4.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate = W. Pickard
|votes = 6,882
|percentage = 17.3
|change = –5.0
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 1,987
|percentage = 5.0
|change = –4.0
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 39,693
|percentage = 77.8
|change = −6.8
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
| reg. electors = 51,022
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing = −2.0
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election 1979: Bexleyheath
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Cyril Townsend
|votes = 21,888
|percentage = 53.7
|change = +9.9
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = Richard Blackwell{{cite book|title=Election Expenses|date=1980|isbn=0102374805|page=9|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom}}
|votes = 13,342
|percentage = 32.7
|change = −6.1
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|votes = 4,782
|percentage = 11.7
|change = −5.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = National Front (United Kingdom)
|votes = 749
|percentage = 1.8
|change = New
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 8,546
|percentage = 21.0
|change = +16.0
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 40,761
|percentage = 80.1
|change = +2.3
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
| reg. electors = 50,872
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing = +8.0
}}
{{Election box end}}
| class="wikitable" | ||
| colspan="4" | 1979 notional result{{cite web |title=BBC/ITN NOTIONAL ELECTION 1979 |url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/notional79.html |website=election.demon.co.uk |publisher=BBC/ITN |access-date=7 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040528085747/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/notional79.html |archive-date=28 May 2004}} | ||
|---|---|---|
| bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | % | ||
| {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} | align=right| 26,007 | align=right| 54.2 |
| {{party color cell|Labour Party (UK)}}
| Labour | align=right| 15,620 | align=right| 32.6 |
| {{party color cell|Liberal Party (UK)}}
| Liberal | align=right| 5,459 | align=right| 11.4 |
| {{party color cell|Independent politician}}
| Others | align=right| 875 | align=right| 1.8 |
| colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"| | ||
| colspan="2"|Turnout
|align=right|47,961 |align=right| | ||
| colspan="2"|Electorate
|align=right| |
=Elections in the 1980s=
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election 1983: Bexleyheath{{cite web|title=Election Data 1983|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1983.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054231/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1983.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Cyril Townsend
|votes = 23,411
|percentage = 53.1
|change = −1.2
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate = Barry Standen
|votes = 13,153
|percentage = 29.8
|change = +18.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = Andrew Erlam
|votes = 7,560
|percentage = 17.1
|change = −15.4
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 10,258
|percentage = 23.3
|change = +1.6
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 44,124
|percentage = 74.5
|change = −5.6
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
| reg. electors = 59,263
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing = −9.8
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election 1987: Bexleyheath{{cite web|title=Election Data 1987|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1987.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054243/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1987.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Cyril Townsend
|votes = 24,866
|percentage = 53.7
|change = +0.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate = Barry Standen
|votes = 13,179
|percentage = 28.5
|change = −1.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = James Little
|votes = 8,218
|percentage = 17.8
|change = +0.6
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 11,687
|percentage = 25.3
|change = +2.0
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 46,263
|percentage = 77.8
|change = +3.4
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
| reg. electors = 59,448
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing = +1.0
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Elections in the 1990s=
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election 1992: Bexleyheath{{cite web|title=Election Data 1992|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054418/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm|title=Politics Resources|date=9 April 1992|work=Election 1992|publisher=Politics Resources|access-date=6 Dec 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724020412/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm|archive-date=24 July 2011|url-status=dead}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Cyril Townsend
|votes = 25,606
|percentage = 54.0
|change = +0.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = John Browning
|votes = 11,520
|percentage = 24.3
|change = +6.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
|candidate = Wendy Chaplin
|votes = 10,107
|percentage = 21.3
|change = −7.2
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Roger W.C. Cundy
|votes = 170
|percentage = 0.4
|change = New
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 14,086
|percentage = 29.7
|change = +4.5
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 47,403
|percentage = 82.2
|change = +4.4
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
| reg. electors = 57,684
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing = −3.1
}}
{{Election box end}}
See also
Notes and references
{{reflist}}
{{coord|51.45|0.14|type:adm2nd_dim:7000_region:GB-BEX|display=title}}
{{Historic constituencies in London
| 1832 = n
| 1868 = n
| 1885 = n
| 1918 = n
| 1950 = n
| 1955 = n
| 1974 = y
| 1983 = y
| 1997 = n
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bexleyheath (Uk Parliament Constituency)}}
Category:Parliamentary constituencies in London (historic)
Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1974
Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1997