Lewisham West and Penge (UK Parliament constituency)

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Lewisham West and Penge was a constituency in Greater London created in 2010 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.Template:Refn

The seat was abolished for the 2024 general election and replaced by parts of three other constituencies.^[1]

Constituency profile

The seat comprised the south-western portion of Lewisham borough with the northwestern tip of Bromley borough. At the heart of the seat was Sydenham, with most of Forest Hill in the north. Its ambit also includes some of the Crystal Palace and Sydenham Hill (the park and site of the palace itself is on the intersection of five boroughs) and the nearby areas of Anerley and Penge. The parts of Beckenham around Template:Rws and Template:Rws railway stations are also included.^[2] The Guardian summarised it in 2010 as "suburban south-east London, with a large Afro-Caribbean population."

Boundaries

Template:Maplink The seat covers the following electoral wards: Bellingham; Forest Hill; Perry Vale; Sydenham (London Borough of Lewisham) and Clock House; Crystal Palace; Penge & Cator (London Borough of Bromley).

To create the new constituency the Boundary Commission for England transferred Perry Vale ward, Bellingham ward, Forest Hill ward, and Sydenham ward from the former Lewisham West constituency. Clock House ward, Crystal Palace ward, and Penge and Cator ward were transferred from Beckenham constituency.

History

Following the adoption of the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, this constituency was created for the 2010 general election with electoral wards from the London Boroughs of Bromley and Lewisham. The greater electorate and area of the constituency is in the London Borough of Lewisham.

Political history

At the 2010 general election, the Liberal Democrat challenge edged the Conservative candidate narrowly into third. The 2015 Liberal Democrat candidate moved into fifth position on results night.^[3]

Labour held the seat in the 2019 general election, with a reduced share of the vote 31,860.^[4] The Conservatives came second, and the Liberal Democrats achieved third place.

Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed three ways:^[1]

"Penge", comprising the Borough of Bromley wards of Clock House, Crystal Palace, and Penge and Cator, was included in the new constituency of Beckenham and Penge
The Borough of Lewisham wards of Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Sydenham were included in the new constituency of Lewisham West and East Dulwich
The Borough of Lewisham ward of Bellingham was transferred to Lewisham East

Members of Parliament

Election		Member^[5]	Party	Notes
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	2010	Jim Dowd	Labour	Member for main predecessor seat (1992–2010)
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	2017	Ellie Reeves	Labour	Contested Lewisham West and East Dulwich following redistribution
	2024	constituency abolished: see Lewisham West and East Dulwich and Beckenham and Penge