2006 Bromley and Chislehurst by-election

By election due to death of MP

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 Conservatives held the seat but with their majority much reduced by the Liberal Democrats. Labour, who stood future Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, was pushed into fourth place by the UK Independence Party. 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. Labour would later drop to 5th place at the 2008 Henley by election.

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. Labour chose economist Rachel Reeves, runner up in 2005, to stand once again. The UK 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 was a minor political party. 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.