Beckenham Parliamentary Constituency
Details of how the local Conservative Party is organised can be found on our page headed Who we are. On this page you will find a brief history of the constituency and the changes that will take place to the areas in the constituency at the General Election to be held on May 6th.
The Beckenham Conservative Association was formed in 1948 when it was decided that the population of Beckenham merited a separate parliamentary constituency. The new constituency elected its first MP in the General Election in February 1950. From time to time the Boundary Commission has altered the boundaries of the Beckenham Constituency.
Following the General Election held on May 6th, the Beckenham constituency now includes Coney Hall, Copers Cope, Kelsey and Eden Park, Shortlands and West Wickham as at the last election. Bromley Common and Keston and Hayes have 'moved' to the Beckenham constituency from the Bromley and Chislehurst constituency. Two roads in Bromley Common and Keston Ward, namely Holwood Park Avenue and Ninhams Wood, which were in the Orpington constituency, have also joined Beckenham.
Clockhouse, Crystal Palace, Penge and Cator wards now form part of a new Lewisham West and Penge constituency, together with four wards in Lewisham Borough. Information on Lewisham West and Penge Conservative Association can be found on their website: www.westlewishamandpengeconservatives.com.
Further information on boundary changes in Bromley and Lewisham can be found on the Boundary Commission website at: www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk.
In the past 60 years there have been four Members of Parliament: Patrick Buchan-Hepburn (1950-57), Sir Phillip Goodhart (1957-1992), Piers Merchant (1992-97) and Jacqui Lait (1997-2010).
Patrick Buchan-Hepburn was ennobled as Baron Hailes of Prestonkirk in 1957 and died in 1974. Piers Merchant died in September 2009.
Details of the election results for the Beckenham constituency since 1997 are below:
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BROMLEY, BECKENHAM
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Election
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Electors
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Turnout
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Candidate
|
Party
|
Votes
|
|
%
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Ch.
%
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1997
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73,126
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74.3
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†
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P.R.G. Merchant
R.N. Hughes
Miss R.E. Vetterlein
L.F. Mead
P.H. Rimmer
C.N. Pratt
J.C. McAuley
|
C
Lab
L Dem
RP
L
UKIP
NF
|
23,084
18,131
9,858
1,663
720
506
388
4,953
|
*
*
*
*
|
42.5
33.4
18.1
3.1
1.3
0.9
0.7
9.1
|
-17.8
+12.2
+1.4
|
|
(Resignation)
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|
1997
(20/11)
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74,019
|
43.1
|
|
Mrs. J.A.H. Lait
R.N. Hughes
Miss R.E. Vetterlein
P.H. Rimmer
J.C. McAuley
L.F. Mead
T.J. Campion
J.D. Small
|
C
Lab
L Dem
L
NF
NB
Ind
NLP
|
13,162
11,935
5,864
330
267
237
69
44
1,227
|
*
*
*
*
*
|
41.3
37.4
18.4
1.0
0.8
0.8
0.2
0.1
3.9
|
-1.2
+4.0
+0.2
-0.3
+0.1
|
|
2001
|
72,772
|
62.6
|
|
Mrs. J.A.H. Lait
R.F. Watts
A.D. Feakes
Miss K.A. Moran
C.N. Pratt
R. Winfield
|
C
Lab
L Dem
GP
UKIP
L
|
20,618
15,659
7,308
961
782
234
4,959
|
*
*
*
|
45.3
34.4
16.0
2.1
1.7
0.5
10.9
|
+2.8
+1.0
-2.1
+0.8
-0.8
|
|
2005
|
74,706
|
65.5
|
|
Mrs. J.A.H. Lait
L.K. Curran
J.W. Foulger
J.D.C. Cartwright
R.A. Reed
|
C
Lab
L Dem
UKIP
Ind C
|
22,183
13,782
10,682
1,301
836
8,401
|
*
*
|
45.3
28.1
22.2
2.7
1.7
17.2
|
+0.1
-6.2
+6.1
+0.9
|
|
2010
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66,219
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72.3
|
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R.A. Stewart
S.M. Jenkins
D.J. Egan
O.G.M. Brolly
R.W Tonks
A.C. Garrett
D.P. Cheesman
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C
L Dem
Lab
UKIP
BNP
Green
Eng Dem
|
27,597
9,813
6,893
1,551
1,001
608
223
17,784
|
|
57.9
20.6
14.5
3.3
2.1
1.3
0.5
37.3
|
|
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|
|
|
|
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