Louie French

French was born in Greenwich, London, and grew up in Welling and Sidcup.[4][5] He was elected as a Conservative councillor for the Falconwood and Welling ward in the 2014 Bexley Borough Council election and was re-elected in 2018.[6] Alongside his role as councillor, he was also a senior research analyst and later lead portfolio manager for sustainable portfolios and services for the financial planning and investment firm Tilney.[7][8]

French was selected as the Conservative candidate for the 2021 Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election on 30 October 2021.[9] The by-election was called after the death of the incumbent Conservative MP James Brokenshire of lung cancer on 7 October 2021.[10] The constituency is considered a safe Conservative seat and has been represented by a member of the party since its creation in 1983. He was elected with a majority of 4,478 (20.6%), reduced from 18,952 (41.0%) in the 2019 election. The turnout was low at 33.5%.[11][12] French had previously contested the Eltham seat in the 2019 general election, where he finished second to the incumbent Labour MP Clive Efford.[13] After his election, he pledged to focus on increasing the number of police officers, investment in schools and hospitals, and protecting green spaces in the constituency.[14] French had also pledged to quit his job as a lead portfolio manager for Tilney if he was elected as MP and reported doing so in his first week.[15][16] French made his maiden speech on 18 January 2022.[17][18]