Bexley (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Bexley
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Bexley1955Constituency.svg
Boundary of Bexley in Kentfor the 1955 general election
County Kent
(pre-1965)
Greater London
(post-1965)
1945–1974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Created from Dartford
Replaced by Bexleyheath, Sidcup

Bexley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Bexley district of what is now southeast London, which existed from 1945 to 1974. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

Contents

Its most famous MP was Edward Heath, who held the seat from 1950 until 1974, when he was re-elected in the newly-established seat of Sidcup. Heath served as Prime Minister from June 1970 to March 1974, resigning shortly after the February 1974 general election.

Boundaries and boundary changes

DatesLocal authorityMaps Wards
1945–1974 Municipal Borough of Bexley (before 1965)
London Borough of Bexley (after 1965)		 Bexley1955Constituency.svg The Municipal Borough of Bexley [1] [2] [3]

1945–1974

The constituency was formed entirely from the existing constituency of Dartford.

History

The constituency was created for the 1945 general election, from the Dartford seat, and abolished for the February 1974 general election and replaced by the two new constituencies of Bexleyheath and Sidcup.

The constituency's boundaries were co-terminous with those of the Municipal Borough of Bexley.

The MP when the constituency was abolished, the then Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath, fought and won the new Sidcup constituency in 1974. He went on to represent the new seat of Old Bexley and Sidcup from 1983 until he retired from Parliament in 2001 after being an MP for 50 years.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberPartyNotes
1945 Jennie Adamson Labour MP for Dartford (1937–1945); resigned 1946
1946 by-election Ashley Bramall Labour
1950 Edward Heath Conservative Leader of the Conservative Party 1965–1975; Prime Minister 1970–1974
Contested Sidcup following redistribution
Feb 1974 constituency abolished: see Bexleyheath & Sidcup

Election results

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Bexley [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Labour Jennie Adamson 24,686 56.9
Conservative John Lockwood 12,92329.8
Liberal Ward Smith5,75013.3
Majority11,76327.1
Turnout 43,35976.7
Registered electors 56,557
Labour win (new seat)
1946 Bexley by-election [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ashley Bramall 19,759 52.5 –4.5
Conservative John Lockwood 17,90847.5+17.7
Majority 1,8514.9–22.2
Turnout 37,66762.6–14.0
Registered electors 60,152
Labour hold Swing –11.1

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Bexley [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Heath 25,854 46.0 +16.2
Labour Ashley Bramall 25,72145.7–11.2
Liberal Mary Hart4,1867.4–5.8
Communist Charlie Job [6] 4810.9New
Majority 1330.2N/A
Turnout 56,24288.7+12.0
Registered electors 63,429
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +13.7
General election 1951: Bexley [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Heath 29,069 51.5 +5.5
Labour Ashley Bramall 27,43048.5+2.8
Majority 1,6392.9+2.7
Turnout 56,49987.8–0.9
Registered electors 64,343
Conservative hold Swing +1.3
General election 1955: Bexley [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Heath 28,610 54.3 +2.8
Labour Rubeigh Minney 24,11145.7–2.8
Majority 4,4998.5+5.6
Turnout 52,72182.6–5.3
Registered electors 63,863
Conservative hold Swing +2.8
General election 1959: Bexley [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Heath 32,025 57.8 +3.5
Labour Ashley Bramall 23,39242.2–3.5
Majority 8,63315.6+7.0
Turnout 55,51785.4+2.8
Registered electors 64,906
Conservative hold Swing +3.5

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Bexley [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Heath 25,716 47.4 –10.4
Labour Leslie Reeves21,12738.9–3.3
Liberal Peter MacArthur6,16111.4New
Anti-Common Market League John Paul1,2632.3New
Majority 4,5898.5–7.1
Turnout 54,22784.5–0.9
Registered electors 64,240
Conservative hold Swing –3.6
General election 1966: Bexley [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Heath 26,377 48.1 +0.7
Labour Russell Butler24,04443.9+4.9
Liberal Richard Lloyd4,4058.0−3.3
Majority 2,3334.3–4.2
Turnout 54,82685.8+1.3
Registered electors 63,886
Conservative hold Swing +2.1

Election in the 1970s

General election 1970: Bexley [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Heath 27,075 53.0 +4.9
Labour John Cartwright 19,01737.2−6.6
Liberal Edward Harrison3,2226.3−1.7
Independent Edward J R L Heath9381.8New
Ind. Conservative Michael Coney8331.6New
Majority 8,05815.8+11.5
Turnout 51,08576.3−9.5
Registered electors 66,980
Conservative hold Swing +5.8

References

Notes
  1. ↑ "The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Order 1945. SI 1945/701". Statutory Rules and Orders 1945. Vol. I. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1946. pp. 682–698.
  2. ↑ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch.1), retrieved 23 July 2023
  3. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (North Kent) Order 1955. SI 1955/13". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2155–2156.
  4. 1 2 Craig, Fred W. S (1969). British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949. Political Reference Publications. ISBN   0900178019 . Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Craig, Fred W. S (1983). British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 (2nd ed.). Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN   0900178078 . Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  6. ↑ Stevenson, Graham. "Job Charlie". Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the leader of the opposition
1965–1970		Succeeded by
Preceded by Constituency represented by the prime minister
1970–1974		Succeeded by
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