Beckenham and Penge General Election result 2024 in full as disabled winner promises to fight for inclusion

Labour's Liam Conlon has been elected to represent Beckenham and Penge, with the party staking its claim in the newly formed seat as Labour increases its majority across the country. The Labour MP said in his acceptance speech that he was 'proud' to be one of the few disabled MPs represented in parliament.

The candidate received a total of 25,753 votes, defeating Hannah Gray of the Conservatives by 12,905 votes. Edward Apostolides of Reform UK followed in third place, with Lib Dems' Chloe-Jane Ross coming in fourth.

Mr Conlon, who suffered an accident as a teenager requiring him to use a wheelchair, said he would work hard to support disabled individuals nationally, alongside residents in his constituency. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that he was particularly interested in improving step free access in train stations across the area.

The newly elected MP told the LDRS: "[My disability] has shaped my understanding of Labour and politics more generally, more than anything else... It makes me really proud to be part of it, but it's also about looking at the next chapter. Economic exclusion and social exclusion of disabled people in Beckenham and Penge and across the country is far, far too high and it's getting worse."

READ MORE: London General Election results live: Keir Starmer named next PM with exit poll

Beckenham and Penge results in full

Labour - Liam Conlon - 25,753

Conservative - Hannah Gray - 12,848

Reform UK - Edward Apostolides - 5,355

Liberal Democrats - Chloe-Jane Ross - 4,436

Green Party - Ruth Fabricant - 3,830

The results were called at 4am at Churchill Court in Bromley. Turnout for the constituency was 67.93 per cent, with a total of 52,443 votes. The number of rejected ballot papers was 218.

Hannah Gray of the Conservative Party, who represents the West Wickham ward for Bromley Council, said it remained a great honour to serve her community and she did not plan to stop anytime soon. She said she wanted to make sure the newly elected MP was held to account, but acknowledged the disappointing results for the Conservative Party in the country overall.

Cllr Gray told the LDRS: "I think we've got disgruntled Tories. They really aren't happy with the in-fighting in the party. We need to regroup, rethink and make sure we listen to what they want us to do, listen to how we can bring this country back."

Beckenham and Penge represents a new constituency in this year's General Election, having been derived from the former Beckenham ward, as well as the Lewisham West and Penge constituency. The new seat includes the Bromley Council wards of Beckenham Town and Copers Cope, Clock House, Crystal Palace and Anerley, Kelsey and Eden Park, Penge and Cator, Shortlands and Park Langley and West Wickham.

Mr Conlon said: "[The area] has been Conservative for a long, long time. If you look at the council election results from 2022, those four wards did not have a single Labour councillor. It's been 80 years of Conservative MPs [for Beckenham], so we knew this was going to be a huge challenge."

The Beckenham ward was won by the Conservative Party’s Bob Stewart in the 2019 General Election by a 28.2 per cent majority, who had represented the area since 2010. The Lewisham West and Penge constituency saw Labour’s Ellie Reeves winning by a 41.4 per cent majority in 2019.

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