2021 Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election
2 December 2021
Old Bexley and Sidcup constituency
Turnout33.5% (Decrease 36.3 pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Official Portrait of Louie French MP.jpg
Lab
Richard Tice campaigning in London in May 2018.jpg
Candidate Louie French Daniel Francis Richard Tice
Party Conservative Labour Reform UK
Last election 64.5% 23.5% New party
Popular vote 11,189 6,711 1,432
Percentage 51.5% 30.9% 6.6%
Swing Decrease 13.0pp Increase 7.4pp New
MP before election

James Brokenshire
Conservative

 Elected MP

Louie French
Conservative

A by-election was held in the UK Parliament constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup on 2 December 2021,[1] following the death of the sitting member of parliament, James Brokenshire, who had been the Conservative MP for the constituency since 2010. The by-election was the fifth of the 58th Parliament, which was elected in 2019.[2]

The election was won by Conservative candidate Louie French with a reduced majority.

Background

Old Bexley and Sidcup is a constituency in south-east London. The constituency includes the suburbs of East Wickham, Falconwood, Welling, Blackfen, Bexley and Sidcup. It voted to leave the European Union by 61 per cent to 39 per cent in the 2016 referendum.[3]

The constituency was created in 1983 and has only elected Conservative Members of Parliament. For 18 years, former Prime Minister Edward Heath, who had represented predecessor constituencies since 1950, represented Old Bexley and Sidcup. He retired from Parliament in 2001. James Brokenshire was first elected in 2010. He had previously been the MP for Hornchurch from 2005 until it was abolished when the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies took effect in 2010.[4] In 2019, he was re-elected with a majority of nearly 19,000 votes, the largest majority he had ever achieved.[5]

Brokenshire died from cancer on 7 October 2021, while serving.[6] The writ of election was moved by Conservative Chief Whip Mark Spencer on 1 November.[7]

On 3 November, polling day was confirmed for 2 December, with nominations closing on 9 November.[1]

Candidates

On 28 October 2021, Labour announced its candidate as Daniel Francis, a councillor for Belvedere, who was the Leader of the Labour Group on Bexley Council from 2017 to 2021.[8][9][10] The other shortlisted Labour candidates were Marcus Storm, Luke Murphy, and Rachel Taggart-Ryan.[11]

On 29 October, Reform UK announced that their leader Richard Tice would be their candidate.[12]

On 30 October, Bexley councillor Louie French was chosen as the Conservative candidate.[13] French had represented the Falconwood & Welling ward since 2014.[14]

The Green Party selected Jonathan Rooks, a lecturer at South Bank University,[15] who had previously contested the seat in 2010.[16]

David Kurten, a Former Member of the London Assembly for UKIP, stood for the Heritage Party, which he founded and leads.[16]

Care worker Simone Reynolds was selected as the candidate for the Liberal Democrats. Reynolds previously contested the seat in 2019.[17]

Mad Mike Young, a former Minster Parish Councillor, was selected for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.[18]

When nominations closed on 9 November it was announced that there were 11 candidates.[19]

Results

Bar chart of the election result.

Changes to the vote share are relative to the result in the 2019 general election.

2021 Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Louie French 11,189 51.5 –13.0
Labour Daniel Francis 6,711 30.9 +7.4
Reform UK Richard Tice 1,432 6.6 New
Green Jonathan Rooks 830 3.8 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Simone Reynolds 647 3.0 –5.3
English Democrat Elaine Cheeseman 271 1.3 New
UKIP John Poynton 184 0.8 New
Rejoin EU Richard Hewison 151 0.7 New
Heritage David Kurten 116 0.5 New
CPA Carol Valinejad 108 0.5 ±0.0
Monster Raving Loony Mad Mike Young 94 0.4 New
Majority 4,478 20.6 –20.4
Turnout 21,733 33.5 –36.3
Rejected ballots 50 0.2
Total ballots 21,783 33.6
Registered electors 64,831
Conservative hold Swing –10.2

Previous result

General election 2019: Old Bexley and Sidcup[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Brokenshire 29,786 64.5 +3.1
Labour Dave Tingle 10,834 23.5 –5.8
Liberal Democrats Simone Reynolds 3,822 8.3 +5.0
Green Matt Browne 1,477 3.2 +1.5
CPA Carol Valinejad 226 0.5 +0.3
Majority 18,952 41.0 +8.8
Turnout 46,145 69.8 –3.0
Registered electors 66,104
Conservative hold Swing +4.4

References

  1. 1 2 "NOTICE OF ELECTION UK Parliamentary By Election For OLD BEXLEY & SIDCUP" (PDF). Bexleyheath, Greater London: Acting Returning Officer, Electoral Services. 3 November 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "By-elections since the 2019 General Election". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  3. ↑ "Seat Details - Old Bexley and Sidcup". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "Former Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire dies, aged 53". BBC News. 8 October 2021. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Old Bexley & Sidcup parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  6. ↑ "Former Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire dies, aged 53". BBC News. 8 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  7. ↑ Share, Immy (2 November 2021). "Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election to take place within weeks". News Shopper. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  8. ↑ Evans, Kiro (1 November 2021). "Candidates announced for Bexley by-election to succeed the late MP James Brokenshire". London News Online. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  9. ↑ Rodgers, Sienna (28 October 2021). "Daniel Francis selected as Labour candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup". LabourList. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "Councillor details - Councillor Daniel Francis". London Borough of Bexley. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  11. ↑ Rodgers, Sienna (27 October 2021). "Revealed: Labour shortlist of candidates for Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election". LabourList. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  12. ↑ Diver, Tony (29 October 2021). "I'll land a by-election blow on Boris Johnson's nanny state, says Reform UK leader". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  13. ↑ Bryant, Miranda (30 October 2021). "Tories select councillor Louie French for Old Bexley and Sidcup byelection". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  14. ↑ "Councillor Louie French". Bexley London Borough Council. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  15. ↑ "Jonathan Rooks". London South Bank University. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  16. 1 2 O'Byrne Mulligan, Euan (8 October 2021). "Candidates for Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election announced". News Shopper. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  17. ↑ Mulligan, Euan O'Byrne (1 December 2021). "Old Bexley & Sidcup by-election: Liberal Democrat candidate asks for your vote". News Shopper. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Nurden, John (29 November 2021). "Sheppey's veteran Loony Party candidate Mad Mike Young has thrown his hat into the ring in the battle for the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  19. ↑ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED, NOTICE OF POLL AND SITUATION OF POLLING STATIONS" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  20. ↑ "Old Bexley and Sidcup: Tories hold safe London seat at by-election". BBC News. 3 December 2021. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
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