Eltham (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Electoral district of Eltham.

Eltham (/ˈɛltəm/ EL-təm) was a constituency^{[n 1]} in Greater London created in 1983 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1997 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Clive Efford of the Labour Party.^{[n 2]}

Eltham
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Eltham in Greater London
County	Greater London
Electorate	64,084 (Dec 2019)[1][2]
Major settlements	Eltham and Kidbrooke
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Clive Efford (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Woolwich West
Replaced by	Eltham & Chislehurst

The seat broadly covered the southern half of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.^[3][4]

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to boundary changes which incorporated the Borough of Bromley communities of Chislehurst and Mottingham. As a consequence, it was replaced by Eltham and Chislehurst, first contested at the 2024 general election.^[5]

Boundaries

Map of boundaries 2010-2024

1983–1997: The London Borough of Greenwich wards of Avery Hill, Coldharbour, Deansfield, Eltham Park, Herbert, Middle Park, New Eltham, Nightingale, Palace, Sherard, Sutcliffe, Tarn, and Well Hall.

1997–2010: As above less Nightingale, plus Plumstead Common, Shrewsbury, and Slade.

2010–2024: The London Borough of Greenwich wards of Coldharbour and New Eltham, Eltham North, Eltham South, Eltham West, Kidbrooke with Hornfair, Middle Park and Sutcliffe, and Shooters Hill.

The constituency was in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. Before 1983, a constituency with similar boundaries was called Woolwich West.

The seat was bordered by the constituencies of:

• Bromley and Chislehurst
• Erith and Thamesmead
• Greenwich and Woolwich
• Lewisham East
• Old Bexley and Sidcup

Constituency profile

The constituency is centred on Eltham which has a typical High Street shopping area, surrounded by 20th century suburbs such as Mottingham and New Eltham. There are two railway lines in the seat and many residents commute to Central London. Residents' health and wealth are around average for the UK.^[6]

Most central and southern wards have tended in local elections since 1997 to elect Conservative councillors whereas the other wards are inclined to Labour such as West Eltham. The former areas have more owner-occupied houses and are more middle-class. Labour has fared well in the same period in the northern areas of the constituency towards Greenwich, and in areas such as Shooters Hill and Well Hall with the exception of the conservation area parts of Blackheath adding to one ward.^[7]

History

Summary of results

The 2015 result gave the seat the 28th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.^[8]

The seat was held by high-profile Tory Peter Bottomley from its inception in 1983. Bottomley had been the MP for abolished Woolwich West before 1983. Labour's Clive Efford gained the seat in 1997, the first Eltham election in which Bottomley did not stand. Bottomley was standing instead for Worthing West, where he served as MP until 2024. After a further absolute majority in 2001, Efford's majority decreased in 2005; he resisted some national swing against the party in 2010 to hold the seat.

Opposition since 1997

Conservative and UKIP candidates won more than 5% of the vote in 2015 therefore kept their deposits. Conservative Drury fell 6.2% short of winning the seat in 2015; in 2017, however, Efford more than doubled his margin to 6,296, Labour's largest majority in the seat since 1997.

First use of open primaries in London

In 2006, the Eltham Conservative Association became the first in London to select a prospective parliamentary candidate by means of an open primary election, where any voter on the electoral roll was entitled to attend and vote. David Gold (PPC Brighton Pavilion 2001) defeated Jackie Doyle-Price (PPC Sheffield Hillsborough 2005) and Eric Ollerenshaw (former London Assembly member), by winning more than 50% of the ballot in the first round at a meeting chaired by Michael Portillo on 31 July 2006 at the Bob Hope Theatre. Approximately 140 people attended the open primary.^[9][10] Ironically while Gold was defeated in Eltham at the 2010 General Election, both Doyle-Price and Ollerenshaw won seats elsewhere.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[11]	Party
	1983	Peter Bottomley	Conservative
	1997	Clive Efford	Labour

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Eltham^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Efford	20,550	47.0	−7.4
	Conservative	Louie French	17,353	39.7	−1.1
	Liberal Democrats	Charley Hasted	2,941	6.7	+3.5
	Brexit Party	Steve Kelleher	1,523	3.5	New
	Green	Matthew Stratford	1,322	3.0	New
Majority			3,197	7.3	−6.3
Turnout			43,689	68.2	−3.4
Registered electors			64,084
	Labour hold		Swing	-3.2

General election 2017: Eltham^{[13] [14]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Efford	25,128	54.4	+11.8
	Conservative	Matt Hartley	18,832	40.8	+4.4
	Liberal Democrats	David Hall-Matthews	1,457	3.2	+0.2
	BNP	John Clarke	738	1.6	New
Majority			6,296	13.6	+7.4
Turnout			46,155	71.6	+4.2
Registered electors			64,474
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.7

General election 2015: Eltham^[15][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Efford	18,393	42.6	+1.1
	Conservative	Spencer Drury	15,700	36.4	−1.1
	UKIP	Peter Whittle	6,481	15.0	+12.6
	Liberal Democrats	Alex Cunliffe	1,308	3.0	−9.6
	Green	James Parker	1,275	3.0	+2.0
Majority			2,693	6.2	+2.2
Turnout			43,157	67.4	+0.4
Registered electors			63,998
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.1

General election 2010: Eltham^[17][18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Efford	17,416	41.5	−0.7
	Conservative	David Gold	15,753	37.5	+2.9
	Liberal Democrats	Steven Toole	5,299	12.6	−4.7
	BNP	Roberta Woods	1,745	4.2	+1.6
	UKIP	Ray Adams	1,011	2.4	−0.4
	Green	Arthur Hayles	419	1.0	New
	English Democrat	Mike Tibby	217	0.5	New
	Independent	Andrew Graham	104	0.2	−0.2
Majority			1,663	4.0	−5.3
Turnout			41,964	67.0	+8.6
Registered electors			77,724
	Labour hold		Swing	-1.8

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Eltham^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Efford	15,381	43.6	−9.2
	Conservative	Spencer Drury	12,105	34.3	+2.2
	Liberal Democrats	Ian Gerrard	5,669	16.1	+3.9
	UKIP	Jeremy Elms	1,024	2.9	+0.8
	BNP	Barry Roberts	979	2.8	New
	Independent	Andrew Graham	147	0.4	−0.3
Majority			3,276	9.3	−11.4
Turnout			35,305	61.7	+3.0
Registered electors			56,797
	Labour hold		Swing	-5.7

General election 2001: Eltham^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Efford	17,855	52.8	−1.8
	Conservative	Sharon Massey	10,859	32.1	+0.9
	Liberal Democrats	Martin Morris	4,121	12.2	+3.7
	UKIP	Terrence Jones	706	2.1	New
	Independent	Andrew Graham	251	0.7	New
Majority			6,996	20.7	−5.3
Turnout			33,792	58.7	−17.0
Registered electors			57,554
	Labour hold		Swing	-1.8

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Eltham^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Efford	23,710	54.6	+12.7
	Conservative	Clive D Blackwood	13,528	31.2	−14.8
	Liberal Democrats	Amanda J Taylor	3,701	8.5	−3.2
	Referendum	Matthew D Clark	1,414	3.3	New
	Liberal	Henry Middleton	584	1.3	New
	BNP	William A Hitches	491	1.1	New
Majority			10,182	23.4	N/A
Turnout			43,428	75.7	−3.0
Registered electors			57,358
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	-13.6

General election 1992: Eltham^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Bottomley	18,813	46.0	−1.5
	Labour	Clive Efford	17,147	41.9	+9.9
	Liberal Democrats	Christopher P. McGinty	4,804	11.7	−8.8
	Independent	Andrew Graham	165	0.4	New
Majority			1,666	4.1	−11.4
Turnout			40,929	78.7	+1.8
Registered electors			51,989
	Conservative hold		Swing	-5.6

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Eltham^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Bottomley	19,752	47.5	−0.4
	Labour	Rees Vaughan	13,292	32.0	+2.7
	Liberal	Edward Randall	8,542	20.5	−1.7
Majority			6,460	15.5	−3.1
Turnout			41,586	76.9	+2.8
Registered electors			54,063
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.6

General election 1983: Eltham^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Bottomley	19,530	47.9	+0.1
	Labour	Colin Moore	11,938	29.3	−11.7
	Liberal	Edward Randall	9,030	22.2	+12.5
	BNP	PT Banks	276	0.7	New
Majority			7,592	18.6
Turnout			40,774	74.1
Registered electors			55,062
	Conservative win (new seat)

1979 notional result[25]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	20,905	47.8
	Labour	17,959	41.0
	Liberal	4,261	9.7
	Others	644	1.5
Turnout		43,769
Electorate

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in London
• Politics of Greenwich
• Royal Borough of Greenwich
• Greenwich London Borough Council

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).
2. As with all constituencies, Eltham elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.