Lewisham Deptford
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 19044 (55.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 5899 (17.2%)
Conservative: 4392 (12.8%)
Other: 4951 (14.4%)
Majority: 13146 (38.3%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 3773 (12.4%)
Labour: 16902 (55.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 5091 (16.8%)
Green: 3367 (11.1%)
UKIP: 518 (1.7%)
Other: 742 (2.4%)
Majority: 11811 (38.9%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 3622 (12.4%)
Labour: 18915 (65%)
Liberal Democrat: 3409 (11.7%)
Green: 1901 (6.5%)
Other: 1260 (4.3%)
Majority: 15293 (52.5%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 4949 (14.7%)
Labour: 23827 (70.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 3004 (8.9%)
Referendum: 868 (2.6%)
Other: 996 (3%)
Majority: 18878 (56.1%)
Boundary changes: Gains most of Lewisham Central from Lewisham East and part of Crofton Park from Lewisham West. Loses part of Rushey Green to Lewisham East.
Profile: Lewisham Deptford runs from the river Thames, through areas of inner city poverty to the beginnings of suburbia in the south. To the north Deptford and New Cross have a trendy arts and music scene and are popular with students and artists, but beyond that they are areas of desolate council housing and deprivation with a large black population. There are severe problems with housing and poverty - the Pepys estate here was recently the focus of the BBC documentary The Tower, chronicling the beginnings of regeneration in the area.
Further south areas like Brockley are beginning to follow the familar pattern of gentrification. Old victorian properties that had been divided up into flats and houses of multiple occupancy in the last century are now being bought up by young urban professionals attracted by cheap prices and the new transport links offered by the Docklands extention. For the time being though this is safe Labour territory, though there is substantial support for the Green party who managed their second strongest performance in the country here at the last election. Along with Brighton Pavillon and Norwich South it is one of the party’s three targetted seats for the next election.
Current MP: Joan Ruddock (Labour) born 1943, Pontypool. Educated at Pontypool Grammar and Imperial College. Former chair of CND. First elected as MP for Lewisham Deptford in 1987. Undersecretary of state at Defra since 2007. She is the partner of Frank Doran, the MP for Aberdeen North (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: 
Darren Johnson (Green) born 1966 Educated at Goldsmiths College. Principle speaker for the Green party 2002. Contested London mayoral election 2000, 2004. List London Assembly member since 2000. Lewisham councillor since 2002 and leader of the Green group on Lewisham council.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 97252
Male: 48.6%
Female: 51.4%
Under 18: 23.4%
Over 60: 11.6%
Born outside UK: 30.1%
White: 57.2%
Black: 30.2%
Asian: 3.8%
Mixed: 4.5%
Other: 4.3%
Christian: 57.7%
Hindu: 1.5%
Muslim: 5.6%
Full time students: 9.6%
Graduates 16-74: 32.9%
No Qualifications 16-74: 22.9%
Owner-Occupied: 41.3%
Social Housing: 41.5% (Council: 30.3%, Housing Ass.: 11.2%)
Privately Rented: 15%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 10.7%
36 Responses
Pages:« 1 2 [3] Show All
Maybe one day when conservative-minded Afro-Caribbean voters start voting Conservative a seat like this might become a bit more competitive.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:04 amLewisham Deptford
I think, by that time, Conservative-leaning Afro-Caribbean voters are more likely to have moved out to the outer suburbs in any case. If they did crack mid-income Afro-Catibbean home-occupiers, then the Conservatives could probably carry Crofton Park, Ladywell, and possibly Lewisham Central in good years, and bring Labour’s winning margin down to about 10% in landslide conditions. But the fundamental demographics of this seat are always likely to defeat any right-wing party here.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:37 amBromley & Chislehurst
“But the fundamental demographics of this seat are always likely to defeat any right-wing party here.”
Apart from Nu Labour…….(smiley thingy)
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:49 amThe Conservatives are going to have their work cut out if they ever want to win Ladywell!
2006 RESULTS:
June 5th, 2008 at 10:55 amLabour Party Candidate 1073
Liberal Democrat 436
Conservative Party Candidate 288
Labour Party Candidate 957
Liberal Democrat 361
Green Party Candidate 1497 Elected
Green Party Candidate 1428 Elected
Liberal Democrat 346
Conservative Party Candidate 288
Green Party Candidate 1217 Elected
Labour Party Candidate 984
Conservative Party Candidate 224
Lewisham Deptford
The Conservatives are going to have their work cut out if they ever want to win Ladywell!
I wasn’t saying it was likely (I don’t think I’ll ever see it). But, if they appealed to the Afro-Caribbean lower-middle class homeowners in the same way as they did their white equivalents, then they’d have a very good chance.
June 23rd, 2008 at 2:46 pmLab 20,000, Greens 6,000, Cons 5,500, LD 3,000
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:36 pmPages: « 1 2 [3] Show All