Herne Hill councilor was elected MP in shock Conservative loss

A Lambeth councilor has been elected MP for Dartford after 35 years in local politics.

Jim Dickson ousted long-time Tory MP Gareth Johnson on election night – polling 15,392 votes to Mr Johnson’s 14,200.

Dartford is considered a typical bellwether seat. Electors voted for the winning party in all general elections since 1964.

According to Kent Online, Mr Dickson said: “I am delighted and very excited about my amazing work team in Dartford.”

He continued: “I’m very happy for Dartford which now has a new Labor MP, a fresh start and an MP of the same stripe as the government, so it will be easier for me to deal with the issues that the people of Dartford have with true. worried about.”

Mr Dickson led Lambeth Council from 1994 to 2000, during which time his leadership was praised by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The former Labor Party leader heralded Lambeth’s Labor caucus as “more New Labor than New Labour” while Dickson was in charge.

The veteran local politician, who will now stand down as Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction ward councillor, stood for Old Bexley and Sidcup in 2001.

In that election he narrowly lost to Conservative MP Derek Conway.

Several other Lambeth councilors were also Labor representatives in seats outside London.

Nanda Manley-Browne, councilor for Brixton North, sat in Henley and Thame, which went from Conservative to Lib Dem.

Marianna Masters, councilor for Streatham Wells, sat in St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, which also switched from Conservative to Lib Dem.

Tom Rutland, who left his seat in the Streatham Common and Vale ward shortly before the election, has been elected MP for Worthing and Shoreham.

The seat had been Conservative since 1997, but Rutland defeated Tory Leila Williams by 22,126 votes to 12,601.