Billericay was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Billericay | |
---|---|
Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundary of Billericay in Essex in from 1997 to 2010. | |
![]() Location of Essex within England. | |
County | Essex |
1983–2010 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Basildon, Thurrock[1] |
Replaced by | Basildon and Billericay, South Basildon and East Thurrock, Rayleigh and Wickford |
1950–February 1974 | |
Created from | South East Essex |
Replaced by | Basildon, Brentwood and Ongar |
History
editThe seat was first created as a county constituency for the 1950 general election under the Representation of the People Act 1948, as a successor to the abolished seat of South East Essex. The First Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies brought in for the 1955 general election resulted in major boundary changes and it was abolished by the Second Review for the February 1974 general election.
It was re-established for the 1983 general election, with further major changes for the 1997 general election, and abolished once again for the 2010 general election.
Under both versions, the seat returned Conservative MPs at every election except 1966.
Boundaries and boundary changes
edit1950–1955
- The Urban Districts of Billericay, Benfleet, Canvey Island, and Rayleigh.[2]
Formed from the abolished South-Eastern Division of Essex, excluding the Rural District of Rochford.
1955–1974
- The Urban Districts of Billericay and Brentwood.[2]
Benfleet, Canvey Island and Rayleigh (together with Rochford) now formed the re-established constituency of South East Essex. Billericay was combined with Brentwood, which had previously been included in Romford.
On abolition, the Urban District of Billericay, which had been reconstituted as the Urban District of Basildon, formed the new constituency of Basildon. The Urban District of Brentwood formed the basis for the new constituency of Brentwood and Ongar.
1983–1997
- The District of Basildon wards of Billericay East, Billericay West, Burstead, Laindon, Wickford North, and Wickford South; and
- The Borough of Thurrock wards of Corringham and Fobbing, Orsett, Stanford-le-Hope, and The Homesteads.[3]
Re-established as a County Constituency, formed from northern parts of the constituency of Basildon, including Billericay and Wickford, together with northern parts of the constituency of Thurrock.
1997–2010
- The District of Basildon wards of Billericay East, Billericay West, Burstead, Laindon, Pitsea East, Pitsea West, Wickford North, and Wickford South.[4]
Major realignment of boundaries with Basildon: Pitsea was transferred from Basildon in exchange for the northern part of the Borough of Thurrock.
The seat was abolished once again for the 2010 general election. The majority, comprising Billericay, Burstead and Laindon, was included in the new constituency of Basildon and Billericay; Pitsea was included in the new constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock; and Wickford was included in the new constituency of Rayleigh and Wickford.
Members of Parliament
editBillericay has elected somewhat colourful characters to Westminster, namely Harvey Proctor, the right-wing MP who resigned after homosexual sex charges, and Teresa Gorman, the Maastricht rebel who stood down after accusing the Commons Standards and Privileges committee of sexism over questions surrounding her registered business dealings.
MPs 1950–1974
editElection | Member[5] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1950 | Bernard Braine | Conservative | |
1955 | Richard Body | Conservative | |
1959 | Edward Gardner | Conservative | |
1966 | Eric Moonman | Labour | |
1970 | Robert McCrindle | Conservative | |
Feb 1974 | constituency abolished: see Basildon |
MPs 1983–2010
editElection | Member[5] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Harvey Proctor | Conservative | |
1987 | Teresa Gorman | Conservative | |
2001 | John Baron | Conservative | |
2010 | constituency abolished: see Basildon and Billericay |
Elections
editElections in the 1950s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Bernard Braine | 23,803 | 50.5 | ||
Labour Co-op | Albert Oram | 19,437 | 41.3 | ||
Liberal | Sidney Hayden | 3,872 | 8.2 | ||
Majority | 4,366 | 9.2 | |||
Turnout | 47,112 | 79.6 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Bernard Braine | 26,936 | 56.7 | +6.2 | |
Labour Co-op | Brian Clapham | 20,613 | 43.3 | +2.0 | |
Majority | 6,323 | 13.4 | +4.2 | ||
Turnout | 47,549 | 77.1 | +2.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Body | 24,327 | 54.7 | −2.0 | |
Labour Co-op | Brian Clapham | 20,121 | 45.3 | +2.0 | |
Majority | 4,206 | 9.4 | −4.0 | ||
Turnout | 44,448 | 75.5 | −1.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Gardner | 29,224 | 46.4 | −7.3 | |
Labour Co-op | Mrs. Rita Alison Smythe | 24,402 | 38.8 | −6.5 | |
Liberal | Peter Sheldon-Williams | 9,347 | 14.8 | New | |
Majority | 4,822 | 7.6 | −1.8 | ||
Turnout | 45,626 | 80.4 | +4.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.4 |
Elections in the 1960s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Lucas Gardner | 35,347 | 44.3 | −2.1 | |
Labour Co-op | Rita Alison Smythe | 33,755 | 42.3 | +3.5 | |
Liberal | Peter Sheldon-Williams | 10,706 | 13.4 | −1.4 | |
Majority | 1,592 | 2.0 | −5.6 | ||
Turnout | 79,512 | 82.48 | +2.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.83 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Eric Moonman | 40,013 | 46.54 | +4.2 | |
Conservative | Edward Lucas Gardner | 38,371 | 44.63 | +0.3 | |
Liberal | Lionel Wernick | 7,587 | 8.8 | −4.6 | |
Majority | 1,642 | 1.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 85,971 | 84.1 | +1.6 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.1 |
Elections in the 1970s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert McCrindle | 47,719 | 52.2 | +7.6 | |
Labour | Eric Moonman | 43,765 | 47.8 | +1.3 | |
Majority | 3,954 | 4.4 | New | ||
Turnout | 91,784 | 74.2 | −9.9 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.2 |
Elections in the 1980s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harvey Proctor | 29,635 | 53.7 | ||
Liberal | Patrick Bonner | 15,020 | 27.2 | ||
Labour | Christopher Sewell | 10,528 | 19.1 | ||
Majority | 14,615 | 26.5 | |||
Turnout | 55,183 | 73.8 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Teresa Gorman | 33,741 | 54.9 | +1.2 | |
SDP | Michael Birch | 15,755 | 25.6 | −1.6 | |
Labour | Richard Howitt | 11,942 | 19.4 | +0.3 | |
Majority | 17,986 | 29.3 | +2.8 | ||
Turnout | 61,438 | 77.2 | +3.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 |
Elections in the 1990s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Teresa Gorman | 37,406 | 56.5 | +1.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Francis Bellard | 14,912 | 22.5 | −3.1 | |
Labour | Alison Miller | 13,880 | 21.0 | +1.6 | |
Majority | 22,494 | 34.0 | +4.7 | ||
Turnout | 66,198 | 82.5 | +5.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Teresa Gorman | 22,033 | 39.8 | −17.9 | |
Labour | Paul Richards | 20,677 | 37.3 | +17.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Geoff Williams | 8,763 | 15.8 | −6.5 | |
Loyal Conservative | Brian Hughes | 3,377 | 6.1 | New | |
ProLife Alliance | John Buchanan | 570 | 1.0 | New | |
Majority | 1,356 | 2.4 | −31.6 | ||
Turnout | 55,420 | 72.6 | −9.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | − 17.5 |
Elections in the 2000s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Baron | 21,608 | 47.4 | +7.6 | |
Labour | Amanda Campbell | 16,595 | 36.4 | −0.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Francis Bellard | 6,323 | 13.9 | −1.9 | |
UKIP | Nicholas Yeomans | 1,072 | 2.4 | New | |
Majority | 5,013 | 11.0 | +8.6 | ||
Turnout | 45,598 | 58.1 | −14.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Baron | 25,487 | 52.2 | +4.8 | |
Labour | Anneliese Dodds | 14,281 | 29.2 | −7.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mike Hibbs | 6,471 | 13.2 | −0.7 | |
BNP | Bryn Robinson | 1,435 | 2.9 | New | |
UKIP | Seantino Callaghan | 1,184 | 2.4 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 11,206 | 23.0 | +12.0 | ||
Turnout | 48,858 | 61.4 | +3.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.0 |
See also
editNotes and references
edit- ^ "'Billericay', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ a b Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
External links
edit- Billericay UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK