Editing Downe (section)

==Local politics==

Since 2019, the local Member of Parliament has been [[Gareth Bacon]] of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party.]] In the 2017 General Election, with a majority of 19,453 votes (38.5%),{{contradict-inline|reason=38.5% may have been a plurality, but is by definition not a majority|date=December 2024}} [[Orpington (UK Parliament constituency)|Orpington]] was the safest Conservative Parliamentary seat in London.

One councillor is elected every four years to [[Bromley London Borough Council]]. To date, the Darwin ward has only been represented by representatives from the Conservative Party. It is the largest Greater London ward, and includes [[Berry's Green]], [[Single Street]], [[Luxted]], [[Leaves Green]], Westerham Hill, and [[Cudham]].

{{Election box begin |title=Darwin ward 2018}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Richard Scoates
  |votes      = 1,201
  |percentage = 72.8
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Frank Evans
  |votes      = 185
  |percentage = 11.2
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Democrats (UK)
  |candidate  = Millicent Scott Brooks
  |votes      = 133
  |percentage = 8.1
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party of England and Wales
  |candidate  = Jan Wilson
  |votes      = 130
  |percentage = 7.9
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box turnout
   |votes      = 1,649
   |percentage = 40.0
   |change     = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Conservative Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Darwin ward 2014 (1)}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
 |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate  = Richard Scoates 
 |votes      = 987
 |percentage = 51.2 
 |change     = 
}}
 {{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party      = UK Independence Party 
 |candidate  = Eric Hayward 
 |votes      = 681 
 |percentage = 35.3
 |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party      = Labour Party (UK) 
 |candidate  = John Evans 
 |votes      = 105 
 |percentage = 5.4 
 |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party      = Green Party of England and Wales
 |candidate  = Eileen Galloway 
 |votes      = 89
 |percentage =  4.6
 |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party      = Liberal Democrats (UK)
 |candidate  = William Ritchie 
 |votes      = 45
 |percentage = 2.3
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes      =  306
 |percentage =  
 |change     = 
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes      =  1,927
 |percentage = 
 |change     = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
 |winner = Conservative Party (UK)
 |swing = 
}}
{{Election box end}}