#ELLGE2015: Labour majorities up in all seats

Vicky Foxcroft speaks to party supporters after securing the Labour seat for Lewisham Deptford. Pic: Anna Mellin

Labour held all three Lewisham constituencies in each case with a substantially increased majority.

In Lewisham East, Labour MP Heidi Alexander was re-elected with 23,907 votes  a 56 per cent share  and a substantial improvement on the 2010 results when she won 43 per cent. The Liberal Democrats crashed from a 2010 share of 28.2 per cent, down to only 6 per cent and the UKIP candidate, Anna Maria Waters won a startling 3,886 votes ( 9 per cent). The Green vote for Strom Poorum at 2,429 votes  was up from 1.5 per cent to 6 per cent.

In Lewisham West and Penge  Labour incumbent, MP Jim Dowd won with 24,347 votes and a 51 percent share, again up from the percentage at the last election when he garnered 41.1 per cent. The Greens, UKIP and the Liberal Democrats had 8 per cent each. For the Liberal Democrats that is a drop from 28 per cent at the last election.

Lewisham Deptford’s newest MP Vicky Foxcroft won her first election with a strong result taking 28,572 votes and a share of 60 per cent which is an increase from 2010, when the retiring MP, Joan Ruddock, won 53.7 per cent of the vote.  The big gain of the evening was for the Greens. John Coughlin won 13 per cent, not far behind the Conservatives who took 15 per cent.

The announcement for the three constituencies happened between 4am-6am at Laurence House in Catford, Lewisham.

During Lewisham Deptford’s declaration Kath Nicholson, the deputy acting returning officer, failed to give Vicky Foxcroft’s votes, resulting in laughter among the audience of both supporters and press.

In her acceptance speech, the new Labour MP thanked all her voters for having faith in the Labour Party. She said she “wouldn’t let them down.”

In his concession speech, Conservative candidate for Lewisham West and Penge Russell Jackson said: “I’m pleased with a really good result, we did a good campaign. Make sure that [Dowd] works hard as a local MP.”

By Thu Maria Tran and Anna Mellin

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