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Eltham (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°27′22″N 0°03′43″E / 51.456°N 0.062°E / 51.456; 0.062
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Electoral district of Eltham.

Eltham
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Eltham in Greater London
CountyGreater London
Electorate64,084 (Dec 2019)[1][2]
Major settlementsEltham and Kidbrooke
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentClive Efford (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromWoolwich West
Replaced byEltham & Chislehurst

Eltham (/ˈɛltəm/ EL-təm) was a constituency[n 1] in Greater London created in 1983 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1997 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Clive Efford of the Labour Party.[n 2]

The seat broadly covered the southern half of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.[3][4]

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to boundary changes which incorporated the Borough of Bromley communities of Chislehurst and Mottingham. As a consequence, it was replaced by Eltham and Chislehurst, first contested at the 2024 general election.[5]

Boundaries

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Map
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

1983–1997: The London Borough of Greenwich wards of Avery Hill, Coldharbour, Deansfield, Eltham Park, Herbert, Middle Park, New Eltham, Nightingale, Palace, Sherard, Sutcliffe, Tarn, and Well Hall.

1997–2010: As above less Nightingale, plus Plumstead Common, Shrewsbury, and Slade.

2010–2024: The London Borough of Greenwich wards of Coldharbour and New Eltham, Eltham North, Eltham South, Eltham West, Kidbrooke with Hornfair, Middle Park and Sutcliffe, and Shooters Hill.

The constituency was in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. Before 1983, a constituency with similar boundaries was called Woolwich West.

The seat was bordered by the constituencies of:

Constituency profile

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The constituency is centred on Eltham which has a typical High Street shopping area, surrounded by 20th century suburbs such as Mottingham and New Eltham. There are two railway lines in the seat and many residents commute to Central London. Residents' health and wealth are around average for the UK.[6]

Most central and southern wards have tended in local elections since 1997 to elect Conservative councillors whereas the other wards are inclined to Labour such as West Eltham. The former areas have more owner-occupied houses and are more middle-class. Labour has fared well in the same period in the northern areas of the constituency towards Greenwich, and in areas such as Shooters Hill and Well Hall with the exception of the conservation area parts of Blackheath adding to one ward.[7]

History

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Summary of results

The 2015 result gave the seat the 28th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[8]

The seat was held by high-profile Tory Peter Bottomley from its inception in 1983. Bottomley had been the MP for abolished Woolwich West before 1983. Labour's Clive Efford gained the seat in 1997, the first Eltham election in which Bottomley did not stand. Bottomley was standing instead for Worthing West, where he served as MP until 2024. After a further absolute majority in 2001, Efford's majority decreased in 2005; he resisted some national swing against the party in 2010 to hold the seat.

Opposition since 1997

Conservative and UKIP candidates won more than 5% of the vote in 2015 therefore kept their deposits. Conservative Drury fell 6.2% short of winning the seat in 2015; in 2017, however, Efford more than doubled his margin to 6,296, Labour's largest majority in the seat since 1997.

First use of open primaries in London

In 2006, the Eltham Conservative Association became the first in London to select a prospective parliamentary candidate by means of an open primary election, where any voter on the electoral roll was entitled to attend and vote. David Gold (PPC Brighton Pavilion 2001) defeated Jackie Doyle-Price (PPC Sheffield Hillsborough 2005) and Eric Ollerenshaw (former London Assembly member), by winning more than 50% of the ballot in the first round at a meeting chaired by Michael Portillo on 31 July 2006 at the Bob Hope Theatre. Approximately 140 people attended the open primary.[9][10] Ironically while Gold was defeated in Eltham at the 2010 General Election, both Doyle-Price and Ollerenshaw won seats elsewhere.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[11] Party
1983 Peter Bottomley Conservative
1997 Clive Efford Labour

Election results

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Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Eltham[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Efford 20,550 47.0 −7.4
Conservative Louie French 17,353 39.7 −1.1
Liberal Democrats Charley Hasted 2,941 6.7 +3.5
Brexit Party Steve Kelleher 1,523 3.5 New
Green Matthew Stratford 1,322 3.0 New
Majority 3,197 7.3 −6.3
Turnout 43,689 68.2 −3.4
Registered electors 64,084
Labour hold Swing -3.2
General election 2017: Eltham[13] [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Efford 25,128 54.4 +11.8
Conservative Matt Hartley 18,832 40.8 +4.4
Liberal Democrats David Hall-Matthews 1,457 3.2 +0.2
BNP John Clarke 738 1.6 New
Majority 6,296 13.6 +7.4
Turnout 46,155 71.6 +4.2
Registered electors 64,474
Labour hold Swing +3.7
General election 2015: Eltham[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Efford 18,393 42.6 +1.1
Conservative Spencer Drury 15,700 36.4 −1.1
UKIP Peter Whittle 6,481 15.0 +12.6
Liberal Democrats Alex Cunliffe 1,308 3.0 −9.6
Green James Parker 1,275 3.0 +2.0
Majority 2,693 6.2 +2.2
Turnout 43,157 67.4 +0.4
Registered electors 63,998
Labour hold Swing +1.1
General election 2010: Eltham[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Efford 17,416 41.5 −0.7
Conservative David Gold 15,753 37.5 +2.9
Liberal Democrats Steven Toole 5,299 12.6 −4.7
BNP Roberta Woods 1,745 4.2 +1.6
UKIP Ray Adams 1,011 2.4 −0.4
Green Arthur Hayles 419 1.0 New
English Democrat Mike Tibby 217 0.5 New
Independent Andrew Graham 104 0.2 −0.2
Majority 1,663 4.0 −5.3
Turnout 41,964 67.0 +8.6
Registered electors 77,724
Labour hold Swing -1.8

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Eltham[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Efford 15,381 43.6 −9.2
Conservative Spencer Drury 12,105 34.3 +2.2
Liberal Democrats Ian Gerrard 5,669 16.1 +3.9
UKIP Jeremy Elms 1,024 2.9 +0.8
BNP Barry Roberts 979 2.8 New
Independent Andrew Graham 147 0.4 −0.3
Majority 3,276 9.3 −11.4
Turnout 35,305 61.7 +3.0
Registered electors 56,797
Labour hold Swing -5.7
General election 2001: Eltham[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Efford 17,855 52.8 −1.8
Conservative Sharon Massey 10,859 32.1 +0.9
Liberal Democrats Martin Morris 4,121 12.2 +3.7
UKIP Terrence Jones 706 2.1 New
Independent Andrew Graham 251 0.7 New
Majority 6,996 20.7 −5.3
Turnout 33,792 58.7 −17.0
Registered electors 57,554
Labour hold Swing -1.8

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Eltham[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Efford 23,710 54.6 +12.7
Conservative Clive D Blackwood 13,528 31.2 −14.8
Liberal Democrats Amanda J Taylor 3,701 8.5 −3.2
Referendum Matthew D Clark 1,414 3.3 New
Liberal Henry Middleton 584 1.3 New
BNP William A Hitches 491 1.1 New
Majority 10,182 23.4 N/A
Turnout 43,428 75.7 −3.0
Registered electors 57,358
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -13.6
General election 1992: Eltham[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Bottomley 18,813 46.0 −1.5
Labour Clive Efford 17,147 41.9 +9.9
Liberal Democrats Christopher P. McGinty 4,804 11.7 −8.8
Independent Andrew Graham 165 0.4 New
Majority 1,666 4.1 −11.4
Turnout 40,929 78.7 +1.8
Registered electors 51,989
Conservative hold Swing -5.6

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: Eltham[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Bottomley 19,752 47.5 −0.4
Labour Rees Vaughan 13,292 32.0 +2.7
Liberal Edward Randall 8,542 20.5 −1.7
Majority 6,460 15.5 −3.1
Turnout 41,586 76.9 +2.8
Registered electors 54,063
Conservative hold Swing -1.6
General election 1983: Eltham[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Bottomley 19,530 47.9
Labour Colin Moore 11,938 29.3
Liberal Edward Randall 9,030 22.2
BNP PT Banks 276 0.7
Majority 7,592 18.6
Turnout 40,774 74.1
Registered electors 55,062
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, Eltham elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

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  1. ^ http://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/3455/eltham_constituency_results [dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  3. ^ Wells, Anthony. "Eltham". UKPollingReport. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  4. ^ Waller, Robert; Criddle, Byron (7 May 2007). The Almanac of British Politics. Routledge. p. 426. ISBN 978-1-135-20683-3. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2018 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – London | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Eltham: Seat Details". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  7. ^ "2001 results: Eltham". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Final three for Eltham" Archived 2011-11-04 at the Wayback Machine Conservative Home (blog)
  10. ^ "David Gold selected for Eltham" Archived 2013-03-14 at the Wayback Machine Conservative Home (blog)
  11. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
  12. ^ "Eltham Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Eltham parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  14. ^ Vyara Apostolova; Lukas Audickas; Carl Baker; Alex Bate; Richard Cracknell; Noel Dempsey; Oliver Hawkins; Rod McInnes; Tom Rutherford; Elise Uberoi (11 July 2017). "General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ Greenwich. "Greenwich Accessibility features". www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ^ "BBC News - Election 2010 - Constituency - Eltham". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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51°27′22″N 0°03′43″E / 51.456°N 0.062°E / 51.456; 0.062

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