Bexley and Bromley

[swanarcadian]

Bexley and Bromley

[timrollpickering]

Incumbent Gareth Bacon (Conservative) is retiring, having been elected to Westminster for Orpington.

The new Conservative candidate is to be selected.

[Pete Whitehead]

Results here in the 2019 General election based on notional ward results

Con 154044  54.9%
Lab    80871  28.8%
LD     33033  11.8%
Grn     9606    3.4%
BxP    1880     0.7%
Oth    1335     0.5%

[David Boothroyd]

Stef Borella is rumoured to have won the Labour selection.

[jacoblamsden]

With Gareth Bacon now the MP for Orpington, each of the three MLAs for this seat have gone on to become MPs.

[timrollpickering]

The Conservative candidate is Peter Fortune, currently deputy leader of Bromley council:

[heslingtonian]

Will be interesting to see if Gareth Bacon carries on for another year while now an MP or whether a by-election is called. Not many examples of GLA seat by-elections.

[David Boothroyd]

Mar 14, 2020 13:13:14 GMT heslingtonian said:

Will be interesting to see if Gareth Bacon carries on for another year while now an MP or whether a by-election is called. Not many examples of GLA seat by-elections.

Not many = 0

[samdwebber]

One of the most interesting stats in politics that, not a single constituency by-election in 20 years!

It is a fair question relating to Gareth Bacon. Will he resign his Bexley council seat now or hold off? What about the Lambeth and Southwark AM who is also now an MP? Presumably Tom Copley will need to take up his new City Hall appointment and will vacate his list AM seat and his Lewisham Council seat too?

[heslingtonian]

Mar 15, 2020 1:13:20 GMT samdwebber said:

One of the most interesting stats in politics that, not a single constituency by-election in 20 years!

It is a fair question relating to Gareth Bacon. Will he resign his Bexley council seat now or hold off? What about the Lambeth and Southwark AM who is also now an MP? Presumably Tom Copley will need to take up his new City Hall appointment and will vacate his list AM seat and his Lewisham Council seat too?

Have heard that Copley has to vacate his GLA and Council seat to join the administration, so that is definitely happening. It means the likely return of Murad Quereshi to the GLA.

Apparently there is precedent of MPs who were elected while serving on the GLA, remaining as GLA members - Andrew Pelling who served as an MP and GLA member from 2005 to 2008 is cited as a precedent. Therefore there’s no reason for Bacon to necessarily resign. Holding three mandates concurrently must be quite a challenge.

[neilm]

Is it a rule that you can't be a councillor and non-statutory deputy mayor? It's hard to argue that it's a politically restricted post. I don't see why Copley would have to stand down unless the mayor explicitly tells him to.

[samdwebber]

Expect so, as it is in the press release and other senior City Hall appointees like James Murray and Sophie Linden both resigned their Council seats sharpish.

"Tom’s start date will be announced shortly, this will follow him stepping down as a Lewisham Borough councillor and London Assembly Member."

www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/tom-copley-appointed-deputy-mayor-for-housing

[David Boothroyd]

Mar 16, 2020 4:55:49 GMT neilm said:

Is it a rule that you can't be a councillor and non-statutory deputy mayor? It's hard to argue that it's a politically restricted post. I don't see why Copley would have to stand down unless the mayor explicitly tells him to.

It's a special restriction in the Greater London Authority Act 1999. The Mayor can appoint two political advisers (s. 67(1)(a)) and 11 other members of staff (s. 67(1)(b)). Section 69 of the Act inserts a new provision in the Local Government Act 1972 which disqualifies GLA staff from serving on London Borough councils.

Anyone appointed becomes a member of GLA staff and is under political restrictions just like any other GLA employee, but that only applies over a certain salary level.

(The main difference between the political advisers and the other members of staff is that the Assembly has no power to require the political advisers to answer questions)