Bexleyheath (UK Parliament constituency)

Bexleyheath
Former borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Bexleyheath in for the 1983 general election
County	Greater London
February 1974–1997
Seats	One
Created from	Bexley
Replaced by	Bexleyheath & Crayford, Old Bexley and Sidcup

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

Dates	Local authority	Maps	Wards
1974–1983	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. ^[1] 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. ^[2]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member [3]	Party
	Feb 1974	Cyril Townsend	Conservative
	1997	constituency abolished: see Bexleyheath and Crayford & Old Bexley and Sidcup

Election results

Elections in the 1970s

1970 notional result [4]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	20,500	51.3
	Labour	15,700	39.3
	Liberal	2,500	6.3
	Others	1,300	3.3
Turnout		40,000	76.3
Electorate		52,450

General election February 1974: Bexleyheath

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cyril Townsend	18,541	43.3	–7.9
	Labour Co-op	John Cartwright	14,675	34.3	–5.0
	Liberal	W. Pickard	9,575	22.4	+16.1
Majority			3,866	9.0	–3.0
Turnout			42,791	84.6	+8.4
Registered electors			50,558
	Conservative hold		Swing	–1.5

General election October 1974: Bexleyheath

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cyril Townsend	17,399	43.8	+0.5
	Labour	J. Stanyer	15,412	38.8	+4.5
	Liberal	W. Pickard	6,882	17.3	–5.0
Majority			1,987	5.0	–4.0
Turnout			39,693	77.8	−6.8
Registered electors			51,022
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.0

General election 1979: Bexleyheath

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cyril Townsend	21,888	53.7	+9.9
	Labour	Richard Blackwell [5]	13,342	32.7	−6.1
	Liberal	John Crowhurst [5]	4,782	11.7	−5.6
	National Front	Alan Wilkens [5]	749	1.8	New
Majority			8,546	21.0	+16.0
Turnout			40,761	80.1	+2.3
Registered electors			50,872
	Conservative hold		Swing	+8.0

1979 notional result [6]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	26,007	54.2
	Labour	15,620	32.6
	Liberal	5,459	11.4
	Others	875	1.8
Turnout		47,961
Electorate

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Bexleyheath ^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cyril Townsend	23,411	53.1	−1.2
	Liberal	Barry Standen	13,153	29.8	+18.4
	Labour	Andrew Erlam	7,560	17.1	−15.4
Majority			10,258	23.3	+1.6
Turnout			44,124	74.5	−5.6
Registered electors			59,263
	Conservative hold		Swing	−9.8

General election 1987: Bexleyheath ^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cyril Townsend	24,866	53.7	+0.7
	Liberal	Barry Standen	13,179	28.5	−1.3
	Labour	James Little	8,218	17.8	+0.6
Majority			11,687	25.3	+2.0
Turnout			46,263	77.8	+3.4
Registered electors			59,448
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.0

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Bexleyheath ^{[9] [10]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cyril Townsend	25,606	54.0	+0.3
	Labour	John Browning	11,520	24.3	+6.5
	Liberal Democrats	Wendy Chaplin	10,107	21.3	−7.2
	Independent	Roger W.C. Cundy	170	0.4	New
Majority			14,086	29.7	+4.5
Turnout			47,403	82.2	+4.4
Registered electors			57,684
	Conservative hold		Swing	−3.1

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in London

Notes and references

1. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.12 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
2. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.192 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
3. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
4. Michael Stead. "1970 notional general election & February 1974 general election". BBC. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
5. Election Expenses. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 1980. p. 9. ISBN   0102374805.
6. "BBC/ITN NOTIONAL ELECTION 1979". election.demon.co.uk. BBC/ITN. Archived from the original on 28 May 2004. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
7. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
8. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
9. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
10. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

51°27′N0°08′E / 51.45°N 0.14°E / 51.45; 0.14