London's new constituencies for General Election 2024 and the old ones they replaced
Before Londoners head to the polls for the General Election on July 4, they might want to consider the effect of boundary changes that have been introduced since the last contest in December 2019. After a review by the Boundary Commission for England, the capital has gained two new seats in South and East London, and a number of names have changed to reflect new demographics.
One of the new seats is Streatham and Croydon North, comprising roughly half each of the old seats (of Streatham and Croydon North). The other new seat is Stratford and Bow, comprising around half of West Ham, a quarter of Bethnal Green and Bow, and just under 8 per cent of Poplar and Limehouse. Both new seats would currently be held by Labour based off the last election result.
But, the boundary changes also mean a gain for the Conservatives in Eltham and Chislehurst - the new name for the old seat of Eltham. This was previously won by Labour, but including voters from the seat of Bromley and Chislehurst brings it under Conservative control. Of course, as any hopeful MP will tell you, the size of any current theoretical majority means very little until the vote is done.
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Out of the 75 total constituencies, including the two new ones, 71 of the seats have changed name or boundary, or both. Hayes and Harlington, Islington North, Walthamstow, and Tooting were the only seats to retain the same name and makeup as their 2019 iteration. You can check out the full list of constituencies below, and visit ElectoralCalculus for more detail on the figures.
Barking
Dagenham and Rainham
Chipping Barnet
Finchley and Golders Green
Hendon
Bexleyheath and Crayford
Old Bexley and Sidcup
Brent East
Brent West
Beckenham and Penge
Bromley and Biggin Hill
Orpington
Hampstead and Highgate
Holborn and St Pancras
Cities of London and Westminster
Queen's Park and Maida Vale
Croydon East
Croydon South
Croydon West
Ealing Central and Acton
Ealing North
Ealing Southall
Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Enfield North
Southgate and Wood Green
Eltham and Chislehurst
Erith and Thamesmead
Greenwich and Woolwich
Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Hackney South and Shoreditch
Chelsea and Fulham
Hammersmith and Chiswick
Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Tottenham
Harrow East
Harrow West
Hornchurch and Upminster
Romford
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Brentford and Isleworth
Feltham and Heston
Islington South and Finsbury
Kensington and Bayswater
Kingston and Surbiton
Clapham and Brixton Hill
Dulwich and West Norwood
Streatham and Croydon North
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Lewisham East
Lewisham North
Lewisham West and East Dulwich
Mitcham and Morden
Wimbledon
East Ham
Stratford and Bow
West Ham and Beckton
Ilford North
Ilford South
Richmond Park
Twickenham
Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Peckham
Carshalton and Wallington
Sutton and Cheam
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Poplar and Limehouse
Chingford and Woodford Green
Leyton and Wanstead
Battersea
Putney
With two brand new seats set to benefit the Labour Party, and one seat to switch to the Tories (as a result of boundary changes), it leaves Labour with a net gain of one seat before anyone has put pen to a polling card.
After Labour member Sadiq Khan's victory against Tory Susan Hall last month in the Mayoral election, it looks like clawing back votes at a General Election will be even tougher for the incumbent Conservative government in a national vote. Mr Khan was maligned for his ULEZ rollout to Outer London, and his record on crime, but he still romped to victory with 276,000 more votes than Ms Hall and a 3.2 per cent swing in his favour.
The latest YouGov poll, commissioned by The Times newspaper, put Labour ahead of the Conservatives nationally on 46 points to 21. The picture in London is even bleaker for the Tories, with Labour way out ahead on 50 points compared to their 17. But the Conservatives have launched their campaign with their first eye-catching policy - promising to bring in compulsory national service by 2025.
In 2019 there were only four seats that changed hands after the vote: Kensington (Tory), Putney (Labour), Richmond Park (Lib Dem), and Carshalton and Wallington (Tory). These swing seats could be key battlegrounds for the parties as they look to take them back.
Another measure the parties will look at as they decide how to use campaigning resources, is how close their majority was last time out. In London in 2019 there were four seats with majorities of less than two per cent: Kensington (Tory), Dagenham and Rainham (Labour), Wimbledon (Tory), and Carshalton and Wallington (Tory). Expect these to be hard fought seats too.
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