Orpington is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Gareth Bacon, a Conservative. Created in 1945, it is the largest constituency in Greater London by area, covering the east and south of the London Borough of Bromley.

Constituency profile

Orpington is a constituency in Greater London in England within the Borough of Bromley. It covers the town of Orpington and the small, rural villages to its south.

Orpington is a large, suburban town located around south-east of central London. It has historic origins and was a rural settlement until the interwar period when much of the suburban development took place. Today, the town is mostly affluent, especially so in its western neighbourhoods like Petts Wood. There is some deprivation in the north and east of the town (St Paul's Cray and St Mary Cray) which contain some post-war council estate development. The constituency is well-connected by rail to Kent and the rest of London, being served by four railway stations. Whilst only making up a tiny proportion of the population today, Orpington traditionally has a Romani community; the town hosted the first World Romani Congress at which the International Romani Union was established.Timeline of Romani History - Patrin House prices across the constituency are generally lower than the London average but still considerably higher than the UK average.

Orpington has a low proportion of young adults and an above-average population of middle-aged adults with children. Residents have high levels of income and homeownership and the child poverty rate is less than half the UK-wide figure. They have average levels of education and a high proportion work in the health and business administration sectors. The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is below-average. White people made up 78% of the population at the 2021 census. Asians, mostly of Indian origin, were the largest ethnic minority group at 10% and Black people were 6%.

Most of the constituency's representatives at the local borough council are Conservatives, although some Reform UK councillors were elected in St Paul's Cray. An estimated 56% of voters in Orpington supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the UK-wide rate of 52%.

History Orpington was created in a major boundary review enacted at the 1945 general election, which followed an absence of reviews since 1918. The seats of Dartford and Chislehurst had both seen their electorate grow enormously into newly built houses since the 1918 review and were treated as one and reformed into four seats, creating the additional seats of Bexley and this one in 1945. Political history The seat has been won by a Conservative since creation except for the 1962, 1964 and 1966 Liberal Party wins of Eric Lubbock.

The 2015 result made the seat the 43rd safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.

Role in the Liberal Party revival The seat is famous for its 1962 by-election when it was taken in a shock result and substantial victory by the Liberal Party candidate Eric Lubbock.On This Day - "1962: Liberals seize Orpington" BBC News He lost the seat in the 1970 general election.

The constituency shared boundaries with the Orpington electoral division for election of councillors to the Greater London Council at elections in 1973, 1977 and 1981.

Boundaries and boundary changes DatesLocal authorityMapsWards1945–1950Orpington Urban DistrictMunicipal Borough of BeckenhamMunicipal Borough of BromleyThe urban district of Orpington, and part of the municipal boroughs of Beckenham and Bromley.1950–1955Orpington Urban DistrictDartford Rural DistrictThe urban district of Orpington, and the rural district of Dartford except the parishes of Darenth, Stone, Sutton at Hone, and Wilmington.1955–1974Orpington Urban District (before 1965)London Borough of Bromley (after 1965)London Borough of Bexley (after 1965) The urban district of Orpington.1974–1983London Borough of Bromley Biggin Hill, Chelsfield, Darwin, Farnborough, Goddington, Petts Wood, and St Mary Cray.1983–1997London Borough of Bromley Chelsfield and Goddington, Crofton, Farnborough, Orpington Central, Petts Wood and Knoll, and St Mary Cray.1997–2010London Borough of Bromley Biggin Hill, Chelsfield and Goddington, Crofton, Darwin, Farnborough, Orpington Central, Petts Wood and Knoll, St Mary Cray, and St Paul's Cray.2010–2024London Borough of Bromley Biggin Hill, Chelsfield and Pratts Bottom, Cray Valley East, Darwin, Farnborough and Crofton, Orpington, and Petts Wood and Knoll.2024–London Borough of Bromley Chelsfield, Darwin (except polling district DAR1), Farnborough and Crofton, Orpington, Petts Wood and Knoll, St Mary Cray, St Paul's Cray.

Historic

1945–1950 The constituency was formed entirely from the existing of constituency Chislehurst

1950–1955 The part of the municipal borough of Beckenham included in the seat was transferred to the new constituency of Beckenham, part of the municipal borough of Bromley included in the seat was transferred to the constituency of Bromley while the Dartford Rural District (expect the parishes of Darenth, Stone, Sutton at Hone and Wilmington) was transferred from Chislehurst

1955–1974 The part of the Dartford Rural District included in the seat was transferred to the constituency of Dartford

1974–1983 Knockholt was transferred to the constituency of Sevenoaks

1983–1997 The wards of Biggin Hill and Darwin were transferred to the constituency of Ravensbourne

1997–2010 The wards of Biggin Hill and Darwin were transferred from the abolished constituency of Ravensbourne. The St Paul's Cray ward was transferred from the abolished constituency of Chislehurst

2010–2024 The ward of Cray Valley West was transferred to the constituency of Bromley and Chislehurst

Summary The seat has changed a little in subsequent boundary reviews since 1955. For the 1997 general election the Ravensbourne seat which had emerged in the west by Bromley was divided between three constituencies which before then overshot the London Borough of Bromley, adding to Orpington the community of Biggin Hill.

Current Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was defined as comprising the following wards of the London Borough of Bromley as they existed on 1 December 2020:

Chelsfield and Pratts Bottom; Cray Valley East; Cray Valley West; Darwin (part1); Farnborough and Crofton; Crockenhill; Well Hill; Hockenden; Orpington; Petts Wood and Knoll.

1.Area marked “4” on the map of the Orpington constituency produced by the Boundary Commission for England

The boundary with Bromley and Chislehurst (renamed Bromley and Biggin Hill) was realigned with Cray Valley West ward being transferred in (thus uniting the two Cray Valley wards), offset by the loss of Biggin Hill.

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2022, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the London Borough of Bromley from the 2024 general election:

Chelsfield; Darwin (except polling district DAR1); Farnborough and Crofton; Orpington; Petts Wood and Knoll; St Mary Cray; St Paul's Cray.

Members of Parliament Election MemberPartyNotes 1945 Waldron Smithers Member for Chislehurst (1924–1945), Died in December 1954 1955 by-election Donald Sumner Seat vacated after Sumner accepted an appointment as a County Court judge 1962 by-election Eric Lubbock Liberal Chief Whip (1963–1970) 1970 Ivor Stanbrook 1992 John Horam Parliamentary Secretary for the Public Service (1995)Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (1995–1997) 2010 Jo Johnson Minister of State at the Cabinet Office (2014–2015)Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (2015–2018, 2019)Minister of State for Transport (2018) 2019 Gareth Bacon Under-Secretary of State for Sentencing (2023–2024)Shadow Secretary of State for Transport (2024–2025) Shadow Minister for London (2024–) Shadow Minister of State for Housing and Planning (2025–)

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s 2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 30,308 61.9 Labour 9,681 19.8 Liberal Democrats 7,145 14.6 Green 1,824 3.7Turnout48,95868.4Electorate71,571

By numerical vote share, the 2017 general election saw Orpington become the safest Conservative seat in London.

Elections in the 2000s 2005 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 24,370 52.5 Liberal Democrats 18,859 40.6 Labour 2,674 5.8 UKIP 559 1.2Turnout46,46269.9Electorate66,448

Elections in the 1990s

1992 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 36,770 55.3 Liberal Democrats 18,840 28.3 Labour 9,837 14.8 Others 1,085 1.6Turnout66,53281.1Electorate82,032

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s 1979 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 26,735 57.2 Liberal 13,692 29.3 Labour 5,719 12.2 Others 558 1.2Turnout46,704Electorate

1970 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 23,900 47.3 Liberal 22,600 44.8 Labour 4,000 7.9Turnout50,50078.9Electorate64,041

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

See also List of parliamentary constituencies in London

Notes

References

External links Politics Resources (Election results from 1922 onwards) Electoral Calculus (Election results from 1955 onwards) UK Constituency Maps BBC Vote 2001 Includes 1997 and 2001 results BBC Election 2005 Political Science Resources Orpington UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Orpington UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Orpington UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK