TORY Louie French is the UK’s newest MP after winning the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election.
Mr French took more than half the votes in the contest, which was triggered by the death of former Cabinet minister James Brokenshire.
But there was a 10% swing to Labour and two-thirds of eligible voters chose to stay at home, meaning the Tory majority was slashed from almost 19,000 to 4,478.
Reform leader Richard Tice came in third, claiming his party was now “on the upward march”, while the Greens in fourth and Liberal Democrats in fifth both lost their deposits.
Figures in full
The turn-out in the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election was 34 per cent, with 21,788 votes cast, down from almost 70 per cent at the snap general election two years ago, when 46,145 votes were cast.
Results in full
The full results of the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election are:
Conservative hold.
Louie French (C) 11,189 (51.48%, -13.06%)
Daniel Francis (Lab) 6,711 (30.88%, +7.40%)
Richard Tice (Reform) 1,432 (6.59%)
Jonathan Rooks (Green) 830 (3.82%, +0.62%)
Simone Reynolds (LD) 647 (2.98%, -5.31%)
Elaine Cheeseman (Eng Dem) 271 (1.25%)
John Poynton (UKIP) 184 (0.85%)
Richard Hewison (Rejoin) 151 (0.69%)
David Kurten (Heritage) 116 (0.53%)
Carol Valinejad (CPA) 108 (0.50%)
Mad Mike Young (Loony) 94 (0.43%)
Conservative majority 4,478 (20.60%)
10.23% swing C to Lab
Electorate 64,827; Turnout 21,733 (33.52%, -36.28%)
2019: C maj 18,952 (41.07%) – Turnout 46,145 (69.81%)
Brokenshire (C) 29,786 (64.55%); Tingle (Lab) 10,834 (23.48%);
Reynolds (LD) 3,822 (8.28%); Browne (Green) 1,477 (3.20%); Valinejad
(CPA) 226 (0.49%)
Reaction
In his acceptance speech, new Old Bexley and Sidcup MP Louie French said: “I’m incredibly proud of the campaign my team and I have run based on local issues that matter to the people who live here.
“And tonight, those people send a clear message: they want an MP who will work with the Government to deliver on their priorities.
“My focus will now be delivering on those promises that I made during the campaign – get our fair share of London’s police officers, securing more investment for local schools and hospitals, protecting our precious green spaces.”
He promised voters he would “work tirelessly to repay the trust that you’ve placed in me and I will not let you down”.
Mr French, a local councillor, said he was the first home-grown MP for the seat.
“This is the greatest honour of my life. And I hope it inspires people to achieve their own dreams.”
Louie French’s share of more than 50 per cent of the vote in Old Bexley and Sidcup is “almost unheard of”, the Conservative deputy chairman has said.
Justin Tomlinson explained: “We’re absolutely thrilled.
"For a Government to get over 50% of the vote in a parliamentary by-election is almost unheard of, and with a majority of over 20%.
“A fantastic local candidate, positive campaign, focused on the tangible difference we’re making to people’s lives, having navigated the unprecedented challenges of Covid.”
He added that the result was an “absolute disaster” for the Labour Party, saying: “They do not look like a Government in waiting.”
Labour is “pleased” with the result in Old Bexley and Sidcup, which saw the Conservative majority fall to less than 5,000, albeit on a significantly reduced turnout.
Ellie Reeves, Labour MP for Lewisham West and Penge, said: “We’re pleased with the result tonight.
“This is a Conservative stronghold, somewhere that had a 19,000 majority at the last general election and what we’ve seen tonight is that majority being slashed. There’s been a 10% swing over to Labour this evening.
“We’ve been knocking on doors for weeks here and finding many, many Conservative voters that have said actually I’m not going to vote for them this time, I’m going to vote for Labour.
“I think it’s clear that we’re winning back the trust of people and it’s a remarkable result for us in a Tory stronghold.”
Shadow solicitor general Ellie Reeves tweeted: “A fantastic 10.3% swing to Labour in the Conservative heartland of Old Bexley and Sidcup. If replicated at a general election Labour would be within reach of forming a majority government.”
Reform UK candidate and party leader Richard Tice tweeted: “Huge thanks to voters in Old Bexley & Sidcup. A massive result for @reformparty_uk, coming 3rd with almost as many votes as the Lib Dems & Greens combined.
"Now only 5 parties to choose from in British politics and Reform UK is the only one on the upward march.”
Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden said he was “really not terribly worried about Labour” after the Tory majority was slashed in the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election.
Mr Dowden told Sky News: “This is a good result for a governing party mid-term.
“As you well know, governing parties shouldn’t expect to do well mid-term. We actually secured over 50% of the vote in Bexley. I pay tribute to our excellent candidate and the campaign team there that secured that result.
“This idea that Labour have made some surge ahead is really for the birds. They’ve actually got about the same vote share as they secured under Jeremy Corbyn in 2017. Keir Starmer couldn’t even be bothered to turn up to the by-election, so I am really not terribly worried about Labour.”
Asked about how allegations of sleaze may have affected the Tories’ performance, Mr Dowden said: “Of course people have concerns mid-term with any government’s performance. And, of course, people have been concerned about what’s happened over the past couple of months.
“I actually think it’s tribute, contrary to a lot of expectations, to the campaign that has been fought by Louie French, by the excellent team down there, that we secured 50% of the vote.
“Now, what I take from that is that the Government has to focus and get on with delivery.”
Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, Shabana Mahmood, said the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election result is an “excellent” outcome for her party.
The Conservatives held on to the seat, but saw their majority slashed – with a turnout of only 34%.
Ms Mahmood, who is MP for Birmingham Ladywood, said if the result was replicated in a general election, Labour would be “within touching distance” of a majority government.
“The Prime Minister should be worried because, even by by-election standards, a 10.3% swing towards the Labour Party in such a strong Tory area, if that was replicated at a general election, that would put us within touching distance of a majority Labour government. So I take a lot of heart from that result,” she said.
She added: “For us it means, certainly those conversations that I had, that more and more people are taking a second look at the Labour Party and more and more people are concluding that Keir Starmer would make a better prime minister of this country.
“So, as I say, I take great heart from that, this was true blue Tory heartlands, and a 10.3% swing is an excellent result for us.”
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