29 June 2006 2010 → 40.0% 37.8% 8.1% 6.6% | 11,621 10,988 2,347 1,925 | |
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A by-election was held in the UK parliament constituency of Bromley and Chislehurst in London, following the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Eric Forth on 17 May 2006. The writ for the electing of a new member was issued on 6 June for a polling day of 29 June 2006, the same day as the Blaenau Gwent by-elections. The by-election was an astonishing rebuff to both the governing and main opposition parties. The Conservatives held the seat but with their majority much reduced by the Liberal Democrats. By some measures this was the worst performance by the Conservatives in opposition since at least 1930. Labour was pushed into fourth place by the UK Independence Party on what was a terrible night for them when they also failed to win the Blaenau Gwent by-elections. This was only the second time Labour had fallen to fourth place in an English by-election since World War II, the 1989 Richmond (Yorks) by-election being the other occasion and Labour would later drop to 5th place at the Henley by-election, 2008.
Candidates
On 3 June 2006, the local Conservative Association selected Bob Neill, the London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley and leader of the Conservative group in the Assembly. The Liberal Democrats selected London Borough of Bromley councillor Ben Abbotts. He is the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman on Bromley Council. Labour chose economist Rachel Reeves, runner-up in 2005, to stand once again. The Green Party selected Ann Garrett as its candidate. Garrett stood as a Green Party candidate in the 2005 general election and the 2004 London Assembly elections. The United Kingdom Independence Party selected Nigel Farage MEP, who represents South East England in the European Parliament. The Official Monster Raving Loony Party selected John Cartwright.
Two independent candidates were validly nominated: John Hemming-Clark and Nick Hadziannis. The English Democrats selected Steven Uncles and candidates from the Money Reform Party and the National Front also ran. The Money Reform Party is a minor political party who only fought this by-election.
As per the Senior Electoral Officer of Bromley Council, the electorate for this by-election was 72,206, an increase of 1.50% from the 2005 election.