Old Bexley and Sidcup

The seat was created in 1983 by combining a small part of the abolished seat of Bexleyheath, chiefly Old Bexley, with the abolished seat of Sidcup. Sir Edward Heath (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1970–1974) held this area (also referring to its main predecessor seats, Bexley and Sidcup) from 1950 until 2001 when he retired at the age of 84, at the time the longest-serving MP in the Commons, known as the Father of the House. On 29 January 2008 the Conservative Party withdrew the whip from the constituency's MP, Derek Conway, following alleged misuse of funds revealed by the MPs expenses controversy, who declined to resign as MP and became an Independent. He retired from national politics in 2010. ;Political overview The seat has been won at general elections since creation by the Conservative Party candidate. The 1997 New Labour landslide saw the party's majority fall to its lowest level of 7% of the vote. Its greatest level has to date been 41.5% of the vote — in 1987. In 2010 the seat was won by the Conservative candidate James Brokenshire, who had transferred to this seat and approved by his local party when his former seat of Hornchurch was abolished in boundary changes. His 2015 result made the seat the 105th safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority. The seat was left vacant following Brokenshire's death on 7 October 2021. until a by-election was held on 2 December which resulted in a Conservative hold. ==Boundaries==

Historic 1983–1997: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Blackfen, Blendon and Penhill, Cray, Lamorbey, St Mary's, Sidcup East, and Sidcup West. 1997–2010: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Blackfen, Blendon and Penhill, Cray, Danson, East Wickham, Falconwood, Lamorbey, St Mary's, Sidcup East, and Sidcup West. (yellow and green) from the 2010 general election 2010–2024: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Blackfen and Lamorbey, Blendon and Penhill, East Wickham, Falconwood and Welling, Longlands, St Mary's, and Sidcup. As its name suggests, the seat covers the Bexley and Sidcup areas; it formerly included Danson Park which owing to more development in the south was moved to the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency. Current (yellow) to be used from the 2024 general election. Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of: • The London Borough of Bexley wards of: Blackfen & Lamorbey; Blendon & Penhill; East Wickham; Falconwood & Welling; Longlands; St. Mary’s & St. James; Sidcup. The revised contents take into account the local government boundary review for Bexley which became effective in May 2018. Boundaries were extended slightly by adding the parts of the expanded East Wickham and Falconwood & Welling wards previously in Bexleyheath and Crayford. ==Constituency profile==

Old Bexley and Sidcup has average incomes among the highest of all constituencies, a high proportion of semi-detached and detached homes and low unemployment with a lower than average dependency on social housing. The constituency generally consists of middle-class and lower middle-class outer London suburbia, served by the Dartford Loop and Bexleyheath commuter railway lines to Central London. Sidcup has been largely developed to neat garden suburb-inspired building schemes for most homes. ==Members of Parliament==

Elections in the 2020s Elections in the 2010s Elections in the 2000s Elections in the 1990s Elections in the 1980s ==See also==