Erith and Thamesmead (UK Parliament constituency)

Erith and Thamesmead (/ˈɪərɪθ ...tɛmzmd/) is a constituency[n 1] created in 1997 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Abena Oppong-Asare of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Erith and Thamesmead
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Boundary within Greater London
CountyGreater London
Electorate76,728 (2023) [1]
Major settlementsErith, Plumstead, Thamesmead
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentAbena Oppong-Asare (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromWoolwich and Erith & Crayford

History

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The seat was created for the 1997 general election from parts of the old Woolwich and Erith and Crayford constituencies.

John Austin was the MP for this constituency from its creation for the 1997 general election until he stepped down at the 2010 election. The seat was then held for Labour by a local activist Teresa Pearce, who defeated the Conservative candidate Colin Bloom, a councillor for Bickley ward in Bromley.

Pearce increased her majority at the 2015 general election to rank 125th of the party's 232 MPs then elected.[2]

2010 Labour selection controversy

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In April 2009, an investigation took place into the tampering of ballot boxes and abuse of the postal vote system used for the selection of the prospective Labour candidate for Erith and Thamesmead. A rerun of the candidate selection ballot resulted in victory for Teresa Pearce.[3]

Constituency profile

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The cross-border constituency of Erith and Thamesmead currently stretches from Plumstead, and Abbey Wood in the west, to Lesnes Heath, and Erith in the east. The Conservatives' strongest wards are in the Bexley part of the seat, in particular Northumberland Heath ward. The remaining wards from Bexley and Greenwich have traditionally seen more support for the Labour Party, in both local and national elections. There is a significant demographic divide within the seat, with Northumberland Heath being over 85% white, and Erith and Belvedere are also predominantly white. However, Thamesmead and Plumstead have much more diverse populations, where no single ethnic group has more than half of the population.

The eastern part of the seat includes significant areas of industry along the River Thames, including Crossness Sewage Treatment Works.

Boundaries

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Map of boundaries 2010–2024

1997–2010: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Belvedere, Erith, Northumberland Heath, and Thamesmead East, and the London Borough of Greenwich wards of Abbey Wood, Eynsham, Glyndon, Lakedale, St Nicholas, and Thamesmead Moorings.

2010–2024: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Belvedere, Erith, Lesnes Abbey, Northumberland Heath, and Thamesmead East, and the London Borough of Greenwich wards of Abbey Wood, Plumstead, and Thamesmead Moorings.

Following its 2007 review of parliamentary representation in South London, and as a consequence of changes to ward boundaries, the Boundary Commission for England recommended for the 2010 general election that parts of Glyndon ward and Colyers ward be transferred from Erith and Thamesmead to the constituencies of Greenwich and Woolwich and Bexleyheath and Crayford respectively; that part of Plumstead ward be transferred to Erith and Thamesmead from Eltham; and that parts of Lesnes Abbey ward, Nothumberland Heath ward and Erith ward be transferred to Erith and Thamesmead from Bexleyheath and Crayford.

2024–present: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Belvedere, Erith, and Thamesmead East, and the Royal Borough of Greenwich wards of Abbey Wood, Plumstead & Glyndon, Plumstead Common (part), Shooters Hill (part), Thamesmead Moorings, West Thamesmead, and parts of Woolwich Arsenal and Woolwich Common.[4]

The Greenwich Borough wards of Glyndon and Shooters Hill were transferred from Greenwich and Woolwich, and Eltham (replaced by Eltham and Chislehurst) respectively. To partly compensate, southernmost parts in Bexley Borough were transferred to Bexleyheath and Crayford.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[5] Party
1997 John Austin Labour
2010 Teresa Pearce Labour
2019 Abena Oppong-Asare Labour

Election results

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Erith and Thamesmead[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Abena Oppong-Asare 22,246 55.1 −3.3
Reform UK Michael Pastor 5,944 14.7 +9.7
Conservative Richard Mark 5,564 13.8 −14.4
Green Sarah Barry 3,482 8.6 +5.8
Liberal Democrats Pierce Chalmers 1,872 4.6 −0.3
Workers Party Mohammed Shahed 1,071 2.7 N/A
Independent Diana Diamond 200 0.5 N/A
Majority 16,302 40.4 +10.3
Turnout 40,379 51.2 −5.0
Registered electors 78,886
Labour hold Swing  6.5

Elections in the 2010s

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2019 notional result[7]
Party Vote %
Labour 25,141 58.4
Conservative 12,153 28.2
Brexit Party 2,174 5.0
Liberal Democrats 2,119 4.9
Green 1,226 2.8
Others 272 0.6
Turnout 43,085 56.2
Electorate 76,728
General election 2019: Erith and Thamesmead[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Abena Oppong-Asare 19,882 48.0 −9.5
Conservative Joe Robertson 16,124 39.0 +4.0
Brexit Party Tom Bright 2,246 5.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Sam Webber 1,984 4.8 +3.1
Green Claudine Letsae 876 2.1 +1.0
CPA Richard Mitchell 272 0.7 +0.2
Majority 3,758 9.0 −13.5
Turnout 41,284 63.3 −0.5
Registered electors 65,399
Labour hold Swing -6.7
General election 2017: Erith and Thamesmead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Teresa Pearce 25,585 57.5 +7.7
Conservative Edward Baxter 15,571 35.0 +7.6
UKIP Ronie Johnson 1,728 3.9 −13.4
Liberal Democrats Simon Waddington 750 1.7 −0.6
Green Claudine Letsae 507 1.1 −1.1
CPA Temi Olodu 243 0.5 −0.1
Independent Doro Oddiri 80 0.2 N/A
Majority 10,014 22.5 +0.1
Turnout 44,464 63.8 +3.3
Registered electors 69,724
Labour hold Swing +0.1
General election 2015: Erith and Thamesmead[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Teresa Pearce 21,209 49.8 +4.9
Conservative Anna Firth 11,684 27.4 −4.1
UKIP Ronie Johnson 7,368 17.3 +14.6
Liberal Democrats Simon Waddington 972 2.3 −9.7
Green Ann Garrett 941 2.2 +1.4
CPA Sidney Cordle 255 0.6 −0.3
English Democrat Graham Moore 188 0.4 −0.7
Majority 9,525 22.4 +9.0
Turnout 42,617 60.5 −0.3
Registered electors 70,397
Labour hold Swing +4.5
General election 2010: Erith and Thamesmead[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Teresa Pearce 19,068 44.9 −7.7
Conservative Colin Bloom 13,365 31.5 +5.0
Liberal Democrats Alex Cunliffe 5,116 12.0 −0.8
BNP Kevin Saunders 2,184 5.1 +0.9
UKIP Pamela Perrin 1,139 2.7 −1.1
English Democrat Laurence Williams 465 1.1 N/A
Independent Abbey Akinoshun 438 1.0 N/A
CPA Sidney Cordle 379 0.9 N/A
Green Marek Powley 322 0.8 N/A
Majority 5,703 13.4 −17.1
Turnout 42,476 60.8 +7.1
Registered electors 69,900
Labour hold Swing −6.3

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Erith and Thamesmead[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Austin 20,483 54.4 −4.9
Conservative Chris R. Bromby 8,983 23.9 −1.9
Liberal Democrats Steven T. Toole 5,088 13.5 +2.1
BNP Brian Ravenscroft 1,620 4.3 N/A
UKIP Barrie R. Thomas 1,477 3.9 N/A
Majority 11,500 30.5 −3.0
Turnout 37,651 52.3 +2.1
Registered electors 72,058
Labour hold Swing −7.7
General election 2001: Erith and Thamesmead[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Austin 19,769 59.3 −2.8
Conservative Mark Brooks 8,602 25.8 +5.6
Liberal Democrats Barry Kempton 3,800 11.4 −0.6
Socialist Labour Hardev Singh Dhillon 1,180 3.5 N/A
Majority 11,167 33.5 −8.4
Turnout 33,351 50.2 −15.4
Registered electors 66,371
Labour hold Swing -4.2

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Erith and Thamesmead[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Austin 25,812 62.1
Conservative Nadhim Zahawi 8,388 20.2
Liberal Democrats Alex H.C. Grigg 5,001 12.0
Referendum John E. Flunder 1,394 3.4
BNP Victor J. Dooley 718 1.7
UKIP M.L. Jackson 274 0.7
Majority 17,424 41.9
Turnout 41,587 65.6
Registered electors 63,417
Labour 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, Erith and Thamesmead 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. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – London". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
  3. ^ Kite, Melissa (18 April 2009). "Labour ballot box tampering row deepens – Telegraph". London: telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  4. ^ "New Seat Details – Erith and Thamesmead". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
  6. ^ "2024 General Election results". Royal Borough of Greenwich. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Erith & Thamesmead Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Erith & Thamesmead parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  10. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ^ 9Jul15
  12. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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51°29′38″N 0°07′55″E / 51.494°N 0.132°E / 51.494; 0.132