Orpington (UK Parliament constituency)

Orpington (UK Parliament constituency) is a constituency in the London Borough of Bromley, represented in the House of Commons since the 2010 general election by Gareth Bacon of the Conservative Party. Created for the 1945 general election, it is notable for the famous Orpington by-election of 1962, a major victory for the Liberal Party that signalled a revival in their fortunes. The seat has been held by the Conservative Party for most of its history, covering suburban areas to the southeast of Central London.

History

The constituency was established in the aftermath of the Second World War, as part of the post-war redistribution of parliamentary seats. It quickly became a safe seat for the Conservative Party, with its first MP, John Hollands, serving until 1955. The political landscape was dramatically altered by the Orpington by-election in 1962, triggered by the appointment of the sitting Conservative MP Donald Sumner as a County Court judge. In a major upset, Eric Lubbock of the Liberal Party won the seat, capitalising on local discontent and marking a significant breakthrough for the party during a period of Conservative dominance under Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. Lubbock held the seat until the February 1974 general election, when it was regained for the Conservatives by Ivor Stanbrook. Since then, it has remained a Conservative stronghold, with MPs including John Horam, who had previously been a Labour MP for Gateshead West, and Jo Johnson, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Boundaries

The constituency is coterminous with the Orpington ward of the London Borough of Bromley. It encompasses the town of Orpington itself and several surrounding settlements including St Mary Cray, St Paul's Cray, Farnborough, Chelsfield, and the village of Downe, home to Down House, the former residence of Charles Darwin. The boundaries have remained relatively stable since the 1983 redistribution, which solidified its character as a predominantly suburban commuter belt area within the M25 motorway orbital. The seat lies to the southeast of Central London and is bordered by the constituencies of Bromley and Chislehurst, Beckenham, and Sevenoaks.

Members of Parliament

{| class="wikitable" ! Election ! Member ! Party |- | 1945 | John Hollands | Conservative |- | 1955 | Donald Sumner | Conservative |- | 1962
(by-election) | Eric Lubbock | Liberal |- | Feb 1974 | Ivor Stanbrook | Conservative |- | 1992 | John Horam | Conservative |- | 2010 | Jo Johnson | Conservative |- | 2019 | Gareth Bacon | Conservative |}

Elections

Elections in the constituency since the Second World War have largely been contested between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, the successors to the Liberal Party. The 1966 general election saw Eric Lubbock retain the seat for the Liberals with a reduced majority. The Conservative recovery began in the 1970 election and was completed in February 1974. Subsequent contests, such as the 1997 election under Tony Blair and the 2005 election, saw strong Liberal Democrat challenges, but the Conservatives have consistently prevailed. The 2015 election and the 2017 election saw increased majorities for the Conservative candidate, a trend that continued in the 2019 election with the election of Gareth Bacon.

See also

* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London * London Borough of Bromley

Notes and references

Category:Orpington (UK Parliament constituency) Category:Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1945