Following the untimely death of James Brokenshire in early October, the constituents of Old Bexley and Sidcup will go to the polls on December 2nd to elect a new member of parliament.

The Conservatives expect to retain the seat, having won the seat at every election since its formation in 1983. But it has been a difficult period for the party and Boris Johnson’s leadership.

Whether it is the MPs’ sleaze row, questions over Britain’s handling of the migrant Channel crossings, or Boris Johnson’s much-derided “Peppa Pig speech”, it has been a rough few weeks for the Conservatives.

What happens here will be a key litmus test of whether recent events have cut through to the public.