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MP: |
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EP constituency: |
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Erith and Crayford was a constituency which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK's Parliament.
It was created for the 1955 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election, when it was replaced by the new constituencies of Erith & Thamesmead and Bexleyheath & Crayford.
For its final 32 years it was in the London Borough of Bexley, south-east London but for its first ten years instead in Kent, divided among two council districts, below the higher tier of Kent County Council.
History
Boundaries
Erith and Crayford in Kent, boundaries used 1955-74
1955–1974: The Municipal Borough of Erith, and the Urban District of Crayford.
1974–1983: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Belvedere, Bostall, Crayford North, Crayford Town, Crayford West, Erith Town, and Northumberland Heath.
1983–1997: The London Borough of Bexley wards of Belvedere, Bostall, Crayford, Erith, North End, Northumberland Heath, and Thamesmead East.
Members of Parliament
Election |
Member |
Party |
Notes |
|
1955 |
Norman Dodds |
Labour Co-op |
Previously MP for Dartford from 1945. Died 1965 |
|
1965 by-election |
James Wellbeloved |
Labour |
|
1981 |
SDP |
|
1983 |
David Evennett |
Conservative |
Contested and lost Bexleyheath and Crayford in 1997. Subsequently, MP for the seat from 2005 |
|
1997 |
constituency abolished: see Erith and Thamesmead & Bexleyheath and Crayford |
Elections
Elections in the 1950s
General election 1955: Erith and Crayford |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
Norman Dodds |
24,957 |
60.43 |
|
|
Conservative |
Edward Gardner |
16,339 |
39.57 |
|
Majority |
8,618 |
20.86 |
|
Turnout |
41,296 |
|
|
|
Labour Co-operative win (new seat) |
General election 1959: Erith and Crayford |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
Norman Dodds |
24,523 |
56.65 |
|
|
Conservative |
James J Davis |
18,763 |
43.35 |
|
Majority |
5,760 |
13.30 |
|
Turnout |
43,286 |
|
|
|
Labour Co-operative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Erith and Crayford |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
Norman Dodds |
22,806 |
53.1 |
-3.5 |
|
Conservative |
B Black |
13,951 |
32.3 |
-11.0 |
|
Liberal |
Stanley W Vince |
6,189 |
14.4 |
New |
Majority |
8,855 |
20.6 |
+7.3 |
Turnout |
42,946 |
|
|
|
Labour Co-operative hold |
Swing |
|
|
By-election 1965: Erith and Crayford |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
James Wellbeloved |
21,835 |
55.4 |
+2.3 |
|
Conservative |
David Madel |
14,763 |
37.5 |
+5.2 |
|
Liberal |
Stanley W Vince |
2,823 |
7.2 |
-7.2 |
Majority |
7,072 |
17.9 |
-2.7 |
Turnout |
39,421 |
|
|
|
Labour hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1966: Erith and Crayford |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
James Wellbeloved |
24,243 |
55.53 |
|
|
Conservative |
David Madel |
15,033 |
34.43 |
|
|
Liberal |
Stanley W Vince |
3,827 |
8.77 |
|
|
Communist |
L Smith |
556 |
1.27 |
New |
Majority |
9,210 |
21.10 |
|
Turnout |
43,659 |
|
|
|
Labour hold |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Erith and Crayford |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
David Evennett |
20,203 |
45.2 |
+8.1 |
|
Labour |
Colin Hargrave |
13,209 |
29.5 |
+2.2 |
|
SDP |
James Wellbeloved |
11,300 |
25.3 |
−9.6 |
Majority |
6,994 |
15.7 |
+13.5 |
Turnout |
44,712 |
75.4 |
+1.9 |
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
+2.6 |
|
Elections in the 1990s