Following the adoption of the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies this constituency was created for the 2010 general election with electoral wards from the London Boroughs of Bromley and Lewisham. The greater electorate and area of the constituency is in the London Borough of Lewisham. ;Political history At the 2010 general election a strong Liberal Democrat challenge edged the Conservative candidate narrowly into third. The 2015 Liberal Democrat candidate moved into fifth position on results night. The 2015 result made the seat the 106th safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority. Its predecessor seat, Lewisham West, from which this constituency was largely created, was a marginal bellwether for much of its existence, flipping back and forth between Labour and the Conservatives. The Conservative Party gained it in 1979, the year their Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher came to power and returned her party to government. However, Labour won it back in 1992, despite failing to win the election nationally; it has since become increasingly safe for the party. This is attributed to the area becoming more ethnically diverse and less suburban in character, a trend which has favoured Labour. Despite the 2010 boundary changes adding parts of the Beckenham constituency, which has historically been a safe seat for the Conservatives, these wards are now inclined towards Labour and represented by the party onBromley Council. Together with the remaining areas in Lewisham, which compose the bulk of the constituency, this means that all wards included in Lewisham West and Penge have a full slate of Labour councillors, and the constituency is thus dominated by the party at both local and national level.
Constituency profile
The seat comprises the south-western portion of Lewisham borough with the northwestern tip of Bromley borough. At the heart of the seat is Sydenham, with most of Forest Hill in the north. Its ambit also includes some of the Crystal Palace and Sydenham Hill and the nearby areas of Anerley and Penge. The parts of Beckenham around and railway stations are also included. The Guardian summarised it in 2010 as "suburban south-east London, with a large Afro-Caribbean population."
Boundaries
The seat covers the following electoral wards: Bellingham; Forest Hill; Perry Vale; Sydenham and Clock House; Crystal Palace; Penge & Cator. To create the new constituency the Boundary Commission for England transferred Perry Vale ward, Bellingham ward, Forest Hill ward, and Sydenham ward from the former Lewisham West constituency. Clock House ward, Crystal Palace ward, and Penge and Cator ward were transferred from Beckenham constituency.
