# Lewisham East (UK Parliament constituency)

Lewisham East is a parliamentary constituency in South London represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since the by-election on 14 June 2018 by Janet Daby of the Labour Party.

## Constituency profile

The constituency stretches from Blackheath, which has more in common with the more affluent areas of the Royal Borough of Greenwich (which contains the north and east parts of Blackheath) to the wards to the south of the constituency which contain more social housing and less architectural grandeur. Incidence of social deprivation is highest towards downtown Lewisham and the Rushey Green area of Catford, a low-to-middle income area which was home to one of the first indoor shopping malls in England.
At the southern end of the constituency is Grove Park, one of the quieter and more prosperous parts of Lewisham, which is more marginal between Labour and the Conservatives than the rest of the borough. Some wards in the constituency are steadily increasing in average income and median age, and thus have become Conservative targets in local elections. Nonetheless, Labour MP Heidi Alexander increased her majority in 2015 and then again in 2017. In the by-election of 2018, the Labour vote fell from 68% to 50%.

## History

Lewisham East was created for the 1918 general election. From 1945 to 1950 the seat was represented by cabinet minister Herbert Morrison of the Labour Party, who took the seat from its first MP, Conservative Assheton Pownall, a former army officer.
The seat was abolished in 1950 but recreated in 1974. From 1979 to 1997 the constituency was a marginal seat. The MP from 1983 to 1992 was Minister for Sport Colin Moynihan (Conservative). Since the 1997 general election the seat has swung towards Labour; in 2014 Labour won a landslide victory at the local council elections, with the Liberal Democrats losing ten seats and the Conservatives losing their only remaining councillor, while Steve Bullock was re-elected as the directly elected mayor of Lewisham, having held the office since its creation in 2002. Lewisham East had the 51st largest Labour vote share in the country at the 2015 election, out of 650 constituencies.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: The Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham wards of Blackheath, Church, Lewisham Park, Manor, and South, and parts of the wards of Catford and Lewisham Village.
1974–1983: The London Borough of Lewisham wards of Blackheath and Lewisham Village, Grove Park, Lewisham Park, Manor Lee, St Andrew, St Mildred Lee, South Lee, Southend, and Whitefoot.
1983–2010: The London Borough of Lewisham wards of Blackheath, Churchdown, Downham, Grove Park, Hither Green, Manor Lee, St Margaret, St Mildred, and Whitefoot.
2010–2024: The London Borough of Lewisham wards of Blackheath, Catford South, Downham, Grove Park, Lee Green, Rushey Green, and Whitefoot.
The 2010 redrawing of boundaries replaced Lewisham West with a cross-borough constituency, Lewisham West and Penge, requiring changes to the other seats in the borough.
* Lewisham East received:
** Catford South, and parts of Rushey Green and Whitefoot wards from the former constituency of Lewisham West.
** Part of Rushey Green from Lewisham Deptford
* Lewisham East lost:
** Part of Lewisham Central to Lewisham Deptford.
2010–2024: The London Borough of Lewisham wards of Bellingham, Catford South, Downham, Grove Park, Hither Green, Lee Green, and Rushey Green.
    Contents reflect new ward structure which became effective in May 2022. Blackheath ward was transferred to the re-established constituency of Lewisham North, offset by the gain of Bellingham ward from the abolished constituency of Lewisham West and Penge.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Assheton Pownall | Conservative |
| | 1945 | Herbert Morrison | Labour |
| 1950 | 1950 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |
| Feb 1974 | Feb 1974 | constituency recreated | constituency recreated |
| | Feb 1974 | Roland Moyle | Labour |
| | 1983 | Colin Moynihan | Conservative |
| | 1992 | Bridget Prentice | Labour |
| | 2010 | Heidi Alexander | Labour |
| | 2018 by-election | Janet Daby | Labour |

## Election results
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Daby | 23,646 | 58.2 | −4.5 |
| | Green | Mike Herron | 5,573 | 13.7 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | Louise Brice | 4,401 | 10.8 | −9.2 |
| | Reform UK | Ruth Handyside | 3,469 | 8.5 | +5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Callum Littlemore | 2,471 | 6.1 | −4.0 |
| | Workers Party | Steph Koffi | 577 | 1.4 | N/A |
| | CPA | Maureen Martin | 404 | 1.0 | +0.4 |
| | Shared Ground | Richard Galloway | 96 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,073 | 44.5 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,637 | 55.4 | −9.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 73,376 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 7.4 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Labour | 29,344 | 62.7 |
| | Conservative | 9,365 | 20.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 4,736 | 10.1 |
| | Green | 1,653 | 3.5 |
| | Brexit Party | 1,212 | 2.6 |
| | Others | 522 | 1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 46,832 | 65.3 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 71,706 |
General election 2019: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Daby | 26,661 | 59.5 | −8.6 |
| | Conservative | Sam Thurgood | 9,653 | 21.5 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ade Fatukasi | 5,039 | 11.2 | +6.8 |
| | Green | Rosamund Kissi-Debrah | 1,706 | 3.8 | +2.1 |
| | Brexit Party | Wesley Pollard | 1,234 | 2.8 | N/A |
| | CPA | Maureen Martin | 277 | 0.6 | +0.2 |
| | Independent | Mark Barber | 152 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Young People's | Richard Galloway | 50 | 0.1 | N/A |
| | Independent | Roger Mighton | 43 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,008 | 38.0 | −6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,815 | 66.0 | −3.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 67,857 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.5 | |
2018 Lewisham East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Daby | 11,033 | 50.2 | −17.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lucy Salek | 5,404 | 24.6 | +20.2 |
| | Conservative | Ross Archer | 3,161 | 14.4 | −8.6 |
| | Green | Rosamund Kissi-Debrah | 788 | 3.6 | +1.9 |
| | Women's Equality | Mandu Reid | 506 | 2.3 | N/A |
| | UKIP | David Kurten | 380 | 1.7 | +0.1 |
| | For Britain | Anne Marie Waters | 266 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | CPA | Maureen Martin | 168 | 0.8 | +0.4 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Howling Laud Hope | 93 | 0.4 | N/A |
| | Democrats and Veterans | Massimo DiMambro | 67 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Libertarian | Sean Finch | 38 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Access to the Law for All | Charles Carey | 37 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Radical | Patrick Gray | 20 | 0.1 | N/A |
| | Young People's | Thomas Hall | 18 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,629 | 25.6 | −19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,056 | 33.3 | −36.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,140 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -19.0 | |
General election 2017: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Heidi Alexander | 32,072 | 67.9 | +12.2 |
| | Conservative | Peter Fortune | 10,859 | 23.0 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emily Frith | 2,086 | 4.4 | −1.3 |
| | Green | Störm Poorun | 803 | 1.7 | −4.0 |
| | UKIP | Keith Forster | 798 | 1.6 | −7.5 |
| | Independent | Willow Winston | 355 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | CPA | Maureen Martin | 228 | 0.4 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,123 | 44.9 | +11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,201 | 69.3 | +5.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 68,124 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
General election 2015: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Heidi Alexander | 23,907 | 55.7 | +12.6 |
| | Conservative | Peter Fortune | 9,574 | 22.3 | −1.3 |
| | UKIP | Anne Marie Waters | 3,886 | 9.1 | +7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julia Fletcher | 2,455 | 5.7 | −22.5 |
| | Green | Störm Poorun | 2,429 | 5.7 | +4.2 |
| | People Before Profit | Nick Long | 390 | 0.9 | +0.1 |
| | CPA | Maureen Martin | 282 | 0.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,333 | 33.4 | +18.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,923 | 64.1 | +0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,913 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.9 | |
General election 2010: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Heidi Alexander | 17,966 | 43.1 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pete Pattisson | 11,750 | 28.2 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Clamp | 9,850 | 23.6 | −0.7 |
| | UKIP | Roderick Reed | 771 | 1.8 | −0.4 |
| | Green | Priscilla Cotterell | 624 | 1.5 | −2.7 |
| | English Democrat | James Rose | 426 | 1.0 | N/A |
| | People Before Profit | George Hallam | 332 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,216 | 14.9 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,719 | 63.3 | +8.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 65,926 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.41 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bridget Prentice | 14,263 | 45.8 | −7.9 |
| | Conservative | James Cleverly | 7,512 | 24.1 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Thomas | 6,787 | 21.8 | +5.4 |
| | Green | Anna Baker | 1,243 | 4.0 | N/A |
| | UKIP | Arnold Tarling | 697 | 2.2 | +1.0 |
| | National Front | Bernard Franklin | 625 | 2.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,751 | 21.7 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,127 | 52.6 | −0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,269 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −4.1 | |
General election 2001: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bridget Prentice | 16,160 | 53.7 | −4.6 |
| | Conservative | David McInnes | 7,157 | 23.8 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Buxton | 4,937 | 16.4 | +5.2 |
| | BNP | Barry Roberts | 1,005 | 3.3 | N/A |
| | Socialist Alliance | Jean Kysow | 464 | 1.5 | N/A |
| | UKIP | Maurice Link | 361 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,003 | 29.9 | −2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,084 | 53.1 | −13.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 56,657 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.2 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bridget Prentice | 21,821 | 58.3 | +12.9 |
| | Conservative | Philip Hollobone | 9,694 | 25.9 | −17.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Buxton | 4,178 | 11.2 | −0.1 |
| | Referendum | Spencer Drury | 910 | 2.4 | N/A |
| | National Front | Robert Croucher | 431 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Peter White | 277 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | Independent | K Rizz | 97 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,127 | 32.4 | +29.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,410 | 66.4 | −8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 56,333 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +14.9 | |
General election 1992: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bridget Prentice | 19,576 | 45.4 | +11.2 |
| | Conservative | Colin Moynihan | 18,481 | 42.9 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julian Hawkins | 4,877 | 11.3 | −9.4 |
| | Natural Law | Gilda Mansour | 196 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,095 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,128 | 74.8 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,674 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.7 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Colin Moynihan | 19,873 | 45.1 | +4.8 |
| | Labour | Michael Profitt | 15,059 | 34.2 | −1.7 |
| | SDP | Vivienne Stone | 9,118 | 20.7 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,814 | 10.9 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,052 | 73.9 | +4.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,627 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
General election 1983: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Colin Moynihan | 17,168 | 40.4 | −2.4 |
| | Labour | Roland Moyle | 15,259 | 35.9 | −10.1 |
| | SDP | Polly Toynbee | 9,351 | 22.0 | +13.4 |
| | BNP | Richard Edmonds | 288 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | Ecology | Alan Hassard | 270 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Communist | G Roberts | 135 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Workers Revolutionary | P Gibson | 71 | 0.2 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,909 | 4.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,538 | 69.5 | −4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,216 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | -3.8 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roland Moyle | 22,916 | 45.96 | −4.96 |
| | Conservative | Humfrey Malins | 21,323 | 42.76 | +10.56 |
| | Liberal | James Forrest | 4,265 | 8.55 | −8.32 |
| | National Front | Michael Ellis | 1,168 | 2.34 | N/A |
| | Workers Revolutionary | (Grantley) Herbert Harewood | 190 | 0.38 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,593 | 3.20 | −15.52 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,863 | 74.35 | +5.59 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 67,066 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roland Moyle | 24,350 | 50.92 | +5.33 |
| | Conservative | D Mahony | 15,398 | 32.20 | −1.58 |
| | Liberal | M Minter | 8,069 | 16.87 | −2.88 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,952 | 18.72 | +6.91 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,815 | 68.76 | −8.77 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 69,540 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roland Moyle | 24,339 | 45.59 | |
| | Conservative | John Marshall | 18,033 | 33.78 | |
| | Liberal | M Minter | 10,543 | 19.75 | |
| | Independent | C Carey | 269 | 0.5 | |
| | New Freedom | Frank Hansford-Miller | 203 | 0.38 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,306 | 11.81 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,389 | 77.53 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 68,863 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Herbert Morrison | 37,361 | 61.82 | +17.26 |
| | Conservative | Assheton Pownall | 22,142 | 36.64 | −18.80 |
| | Independent | Frederick Russell | 931 | 1.54 | new |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,219 | 25.18 | n/a |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,434 | 76.19 | +8.17 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 79,318 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Assheton Pownall | 32,874 | 55.44 | −11.43 |
| | Labour | Freda Corbet | 26,425 | 44.56 | +11.43 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,449 | 10.88 | −22.86 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,299 | 68.02 | −6.84 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 87,178 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Assheton Pownall | 41,354 | 66.87 | +24.47 |
| | Labour | John Wilmot | 20,485 | 33.13 | −8.57 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,869 | 33.74 | +33.04 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,839 | 74.86 | +3.36 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 82,606 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Assheton Pownall | 23,208 | 42.4 | −21.2 |
| | Labour | John Wilmot | 22,806 | 41.7 | +5.3 |
| | Liberal | Edward Penton | 8,729 | 15.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 402 | 0.7 | −26.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,743 | 71.5 | −3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,562 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -13.25 | |
General election 1924: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Assheton Pownall | 23,842 | 63.6 | +19.2 |
| | Labour | John Wilmot | 13,621 | 31.4 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,221 | 27.2 | +14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,463 | 74.9 | +12.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,019 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +7.1 | |
General election 1923: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Assheton Pownall | 13,560 | 44.4 | −13.2 |
| | Labour | Ernest Wesley Wilton | 9,604 | 31.4 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal | Edward Penton | 7,397 | 24.2 | +10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,956 | 13.0 | −15.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,561 | 62.6 | −1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,812 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -7.8 | |
General election 1922: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Assheton Pownall | 16,726 | 57.6 | N/A |
| | Labour | Ernest Wesley Wilton | 8,402 | 28.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | JCL Zorn | 3,906 | 13.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,324 | 28.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,034 | 64.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 45,377 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Lewisham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Assheton Pownall | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||