General Election 2024 London seats: Who will be my MP in...Old Bexley and Sidcup?

Millions of voters across London will go the polls on July 4 to elect the new Government. The Standard looks at key battleground seats in the capital. Here we turn the spotlight on:

OLD BEXLEY AND SIDCUP

Estimated declaration time 3.30am

Candidates for main parties (in alphabetical order):

Brad Davies - Green Party

Maxine Forthergill – Reform UK

Louie French – Conservative

Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett – Liberal Democrat

Edward Jones – Labour

Summary:

Backbench Conservative Louie French has held this seat since 2021, following a by-election triggered by the death of James Brokenshire.

The seat has been historically blue and, in previous iterations, was held by Tory prime minister Edward Heath. It is located in Bexley, one of the few London boroughs that voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

Conservative typically win more than 50 per cent of the vote here, though it is worth noting that the seat became more competitive for second-placers Labour during the Tony Blair landslide elections of 1997 and 2001.

Area: Blackfen & Lamorbey, Blendon & Penhill, East Wickham, Falconwood & Welling, Longlands, Sidcup, and St Mary’s & St James, all wards in the borough of Bexley.

I’m not sure if I’m in this constituency: Here’s how you can check

Boundary changes impact (Thrasher and Rallings analysis): A slight widening of the constituency’s boundaries will have a negligible effect on the election outcome. According to analysis by Thrasher and Rallings if the new boundaries were in place at the last election, Conservatives would have lost 0.6 per cent of their vote to Labour and the Greens.

YouGov MRP poll prediction: Conservative hold

Evening Standard view: This is one of few constituencies in London expected to stay with the Conservatives. While incumbent Louie French may face a tougher challenge than usual from Labour, he is likely to hold onto this seat. Labour would require a stonking 20.02 per cent swing to take it.

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