General Election 2024 London seats: Who will be my MP in Beckenham and Penge?
Millions of voters across London will go to the polls on July 4 to elect the new Government.
The Standard looks at key battleground and other seats in the capital, and has published an interactive map. Here we turn the spotlight on:BECKENHAM AND PENGE
Candidates for main parties (in alphabetical order):
Edward Apostolides - Reform UK
Liam Conlon - Labour Party
Ruth Fabricant - Green Party
Hannah Gray - Conservatives
Chloe-Jane Ross - Liberal Democrats
Summary:
Since its creation as constituency at the 1950 General Election, Beckenham has always voted for a Conservative MP. But the redrawing of boundary lines to include parts of the old Lewisham West and Penge seat in the new constituency makes this a more comfortable fight for Labour.
Colonel Bob Stewart had been MP for Beckenham since 2010. At the last general election his majority decreased slightly but was still a large 14,258, making it one of the safer Tory seats in the capital.
Mr Stewart was last year found guilty of racially abusing an activist and sat as an independent for his final few months in Parliament. The conviction was quashed on appeal but he agreed to step down before the election. The Tories picked Bromley councillor Hannah Gray to stand in the new constituency, where she has already run into trouble. In the first week of her campaign Ms Gray was force to recall thousands of leaflets following a complaint from the Met Police.
Labour’s candidate, Liam Conlon, is the son of Partygate investigator and Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray.
The constituency is ranked very high for its share of university graduates compared to other seats and is ranked low for its share of people with “working class” occupations.
Area: Wards in the constituency include Clock House, Copers Cope, Crystal Palace, Kelsey and Eden Park, Penge and Cator, Shortlands and West Wickham
I’m not sure if I’m in this constituency: Here’s how you can check
Boundary changes impact: The redrawing of boundary lines has made the race for this seat much tighter between Labour and the Conservatives.
YouGov MRP poll prediction: Labour win
Evening Standard view: Previously a “true blue” Tory safe seat, but with new boundaries and the Conservatives polling dreadfully, Beckenham and Penge is top of Labour’s London target list.
