# Eltham (UK Parliament constituency)

Eltham (/ˈɛltəm/ EL-təm) was a constituency 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.
The seat broadly covered the southern half of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
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.

## Boundaries

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.
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.

## History
### Summary of results

The 2015 result gave the seat the 28th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.
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. Ironically while Gold was defeated in Eltham at the 2010 General Election, both Doyle-Price and Ollerenshaw won seats elsewhere.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1983 | Peter Bottomley | Conservative |
| | 1997 | Clive Efford | Labour |

## Election results
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 3,197 | 7.3 | −6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,689 | 68.2 | −3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 64,084 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.2 | |
General election 2017: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 6,296 | 13.6 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,155 | 71.6 | +4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 64,474 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.7 | |
General election 2015: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 2,693 | 6.2 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,157 | 67.4 | +0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,998 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
General election 2010: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,663 | 4.0 | −5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,964 | 67.0 | +8.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,724 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 3,276 | 9.3 | −11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,305 | 61.7 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 56,797 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.7 | |
General election 2001: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 6,996 | 20.7 | −5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,792 | 58.7 | −17.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,554 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 10,182 | 23.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,428 | 75.7 | −3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,358 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -13.6 | |
General election 1992: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,666 | 4.1 | −11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,929 | 78.7 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,989 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.6 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 6,460 | 15.5 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,586 | 76.9 | +2.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,063 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.6 | |
General election 1983: Eltham :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 7,592 | 18.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,774 | 74.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,062 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
1979 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 20,905 | 47.8 |
| | Labour | 17,959 | 41.0 |
| | Liberal | 4,261 | 9.7 |
| | Others | 644 | 1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 43,769 | |
| Electorate | Electorate | |