This is the thirty-third in a series of blogposts (scroll to the bottom of the article for the others) which will seek to predict the outcome of every seat in the run-up to the next general election. The notion of a universal swing in May 2015 can be totally discounted. Each seat has to be treated on its merits. Feel free to add your comments and tell me where you think I have got things wrong. I will return to update each county analysis when and if I get new information.
Seats: 12
Current Political Makeup: Con 5, Lab 6, LibDem 1
Predicted Political Makeup after May 7: Con 5 , Lab 6, LibDem 1
*Final Prediction:
Beckenham
2010 Result:
Conservative: 27597 (57.9%)
Labour: 6893 (14.5%)
Lib Dem: 9813 (20.6%)
BNP: 1001 (2.1%)
Green: 608 (1.3%)
UKIP: 1551 (3.3%)
English Dem: 223 (0.5%)
MAJORITY: 17784 (37.3%)
Sitting MP: Col Bob Stewart (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Safe seat.
Bermondsey & Old Southwark
2010 Result:
Conservative: 7638 (17.1%)
Labour: 13060 (29.2%)
Lib Dem: 21590 (48.4%)
BNP: 1370 (3.1%)
Green: 718 (1.6%)
Independent: 155 (0.3%)
Others: 120 (0.3%)
MAJORITY: 8530 (19.1%)
Sitting MP: Simon Hughes (LibDem)
Prediction: LibDem hold
I had thought this would be a dead cert hold for Simon Hughes but increasingly I am wondering if I am right. Labour seem very confident they can take this. However, if you look at the electoral hurdles Labour would have to overcome to win this, I think they’re going to have a tough task. They might also be hindered by a number of coalition-friendly Tories lending Simon Hughes their votes. Or they might not :)
Bexleyheath & Crayford
2010 Result:
Conservative: 21794 (50.5%)
Labour: 11450 (26.5%)
Lib Dem: 5502 (12.7%)
BNP: 2042 (4.7%)
Green: 371 (0.9%)
UKIP: 1557 (3.6%)
English Dem: 466 (1.1%)
MAJORITY: 10344 (24%)
Sitting MP: David Evennett (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Safe seat.
Bromley & Chislehurst
2010 Result:
Conservative: 23569 (53.5%)
Labour: 7295 (16.6%)
Lib Dem: 9669 (22%)
BNP: 1070 (2.4%)
Green: 607 (1.4%)
UKIP: 1451 (3.3%)
English Dem: 376 (0.9%)
MAJORITY: 13900 (31.6%)
Sitting MP: Bob Neill (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Safe seat
Eltham
2010 Result:
Conservative: 15753 (37.5%)
Labour: 17416 (41.5%)
Lib Dem: 5299 (12.6%)
BNP: 1745 (4.2%)
Green: 419 (1%)
UKIP: 1011 (2.4%)
English Dem: 217 (0.5%)
Independent: 104 (0.2%)
MAJORITY: 1663 (4%)
Sitting MP: Clive Efford (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
Highly marginal seat which the Tories expected to take in 2010. They’re unlikely to do so in 2015 but I suppose, depending on demographic changes, it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility. Assuming the LibDem vote crumbles to Labour that possibility will die.
Erith & Thamesmead
2010 Result:
Conservative: 13365 (31.5%)
Labour: 19068 (44.9%)
Lib Dem: 5116 (12%)
BNP: 2184 (5.1%)
Green: 322 (0.8%)
UKIP: 1139 (2.7%)
English Dem: 465 (1.1%)
Others: 817 (1.9%)
MAJORITY: 5703 (13.4%)
Sitting MP: Teresa Pearce (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
It’s difficult to see any other result here than a Labour hold.
Greenwich & Woolwich
2010 Result:
Conservative: 10109 (24.5%)
Labour: 20262 (49.2%)
Lib Dem: 7498 (18.2%)
BNP: 1151 (2.8%)
Green: 1054 (2.6%)
English Dem: 339 (0.8%)
Christian: 443 (1.1%)
TUSC: 267 (0.6%)
Independent: 65 (0.2%)
MAJORITY: 10153 (24.7%
Sitting MP: Nick Raynsford (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
Safe Labour seat. Raynsford is standing down.
Lewisham Deptford
2010 Result:
Conservative: 5551 (13.5%)
Labour: 22132 (53.7%)
Lib Dem: 9633 (23.4%)
Green: 2772 (6.7%)
Others: 1132 (2.7%)
MAJORITY: 12499 (30.3%)
Sitting MP: Joan Ruddock (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
Safe Labour seat for Vicky Foxcroft to inherit. Joan Ruddock is standing down.
Lewisham East
2010 Result:
Conservative: 9850 (23.6%)
Labour: 17966 (43.1%)
Lib Dem: 11750 (28.2%)
Green: 624 (1.5%)
UKIP: 771 (1.8%)
English Dem: 426 (1%)
Others: 332 (0.8%)
MAJORITY: 6216 (14.9%)
Sitting MP: Heidi Alexander (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
The Tories will be looking to overtake the LibDems in a seat they once held in the 1980s.
Lewisham West & Penge
2010 Result:
Conservative: 11489 (25.5%)
Labour: 18501 (41.1%)
Lib Dem: 12673 (28.1%)
Green: 931 (2.1%)
UKIP: 1117 (2.5%)
Others: 317 (0.7%)
MAJORITY: 5828 (12.9%)
Sitting MP: Jim Dowd (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
You wouldn’t class this as a safe seat, but any other result that a Labour hold would be a big surprise. It’s the sort of seat the Tories could only win in a landslide.
Old Bexley & Sidcup
2010 Result:
Conservative: 24625 (54.1%)
Labour: 8768 (19.3%)
Lib Dem: 6996 (15.4%)
BNP: 2132 (4.7%)
Green: 371 (0.8%)
UKIP: 1532 (3.4%)
English Dem: 520 (1.1%)
Others: 548 (1.2%)
MAJORITY: 15857 (34.9%)
Sitting MP: James Brokenshire (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Safe seat.
Orpington
2010 Result:
Conservative: 29200 (59.7%)
Labour: 4400 (9%)
Lib Dem: 12000 (24.5%)
BNP: 1241 (2.5%)
Green: 511 (1%)
UKIP: 1360 (2.8%)
English Dem: 199 (0.4%)
MAJORITY: 17200 (35.2%)
Sitting MP: Jo Johnson (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Safe seat
If you’d like to see the rest of my seat by seat predictions, click HERE
