Parliamentary constituencies in Essex

The county of Essex (which includes the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock) is divided into 18 parliamentary constituencies (sub-classified into six of borough type and twelve of county status, affecting the level of expenses permitted and status of returning officer).

The county saw the majority of its population and seats removed on the creation of the county of Greater London in 1965. Since then, the Conservatives have won a majority of the seats in the revised county. In the 2019 general election, all of Essex's seats were won by Conservative MPs by more than 50% of the vote. However, at the 2024 election, the Conservatives were reduced to ten seats, held on significantly reduced majorities. Labour won five seats, Reform UK two seats, and the Liberal Democrats one.

Constituencies

ConstituencyBC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.ElectorateMajorityMember of ParliamentNearest oppositionMapBasildon and Billericay BC76,87320 Richard Holden † Alex Harrison ‡Braintree CC77,7813,670 James Cleverly † Matthew Wright ‡Brentwood and Ongar CC75,3525,980 Alex Burghart † Paul Godfrey #Castle Point BC70,9673,251 Rebecca Harris † Keiron McGill #Chelmsford BC76,9724,753 Marie Goldman ¤ Vicky Ford †Clacton CC78,703 12,784 Nigel Farage # Count Binface §Colchester BC78,662 8,250 Pam Cox ‡ James Cracknell †Epping Forest CC72,2295,682 Neil Hudson † Rosalind Doré ‡Harlow CC74,6832,504 Chris Vince ‡ Hannah Ellis †Harwich and North Essex CC76,5791,162 Bernard Jenkin † Alex Diner ‡Maldon CC78,2816,906 John Whittingdale † Pamela Walford #North West Essex CC79,824 2,610 Kemi Badenoch † Issy Waite ‡Rayleigh and Wickford CC76,5765,621 Mark Francois † Grant Randall #South Basildon and East Thurrock CC72,31498 James McMurdockElected from Reform UK in 2024, McMurdock left the party in July 2025. Jack Ferguson ‡Southend East and Rochford CC70,2174,027 Bayo Alaba ‡ Gavin Haran †Southend West and Leigh BC75,1541,949 David Burton-Sampson ‡ Anna Firth †Thurrock BC73,4056,474 Jen Craft ‡ Sophie Preston-Hall #Witham CC79,0725,145 Priti Patel † Rumi Chowdhury ‡

2024 Boundary changes Former nameBoundaries 2010–2024Current nameBoundaries 2024-presentBasildon and Billericay BC Braintree CC Brentwood and Ongar CC Castle Point BC Chelmsford BC Clacton CC Colchester BC Epping Forest CC Harlow CC Harwich and North Essex CC Maldon CC Rayleigh and Wickford CC Rochford and Southend East CC Saffron Walden CC South Basildon and East Thurrock CC Southend West BC Thurrock BC Witham CCBasildon and Billericay BC Braintree CC Brentwood and Ongar CC Castle Point BC Chelmsford BC Clacton CC Colchester BC Epping Forest CC Harlow CC Harwich and North Essex CC Maldon CC North West Essex CC Rayleigh and Wickford CC South Basildon and East Thurrock CC Southend East and Rochford CC Southend West and Leigh BC Thurrock BC Witham CC

For the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which redrew the constituency map ahead of the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Boundary Commission for England retained the number of constituencies in Essex at eighteen, with minor boundary changes to reflect changes to electoral wards within the county and to bring the electorates within the statutory range. The commission opted to rename Southend West to Southend West and Leigh (although the town of Leigh-on-Sea had already been part of the Southend West constituency prior to the boundary changes), and rename Rochford and Southend East to Southend East and Rochford to acknowledge that Southend-on-Sea had achieved city status during the course of the review. In addition, Saffron Walden was renamed North West Essex. These changes came into effect from the 2024 general election.

Results history Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019

2024 The number votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Essex in the 2024 general election were as follows: PartyVotes%Change from 2019SeatsChange from 2019Conservative270,38232.9%31.6%108Labour235,89128.7%7.5%55Reform179,97721.9%New22Liberal Democrats78,2389.5%1.1%11Greens42,5825.2%2.9%0Others14,0541.7%0.3%0Total821,124100.018

2019 The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Essex in the 2019 general election were as follows: PartyVotes%Change from 2017SeatsChange from 2017Conservative577,11864.5%6.0%180Labour189,47121.2%7.8%00Liberal Democrats95,07810.6%4.8%00Greens20,4382.3%0.8%00Others12,5021.4%3.8%00Total894,607100.018

Percentage votes Election year1974 (Feb)1974 (Oct)197919831987199219972001200520102015201720192024Conservative40.340.952.551.954.153.940.342.846.049.250.358.564.532.9Labour32.935.228.917.818.923.536.434.728.918.618.429.021.228.7Reform - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21.9Liberal Democrat126.723.817.729.726.621.718.216.719.121.36.75.810.69.5Green Party - - - -*****1.03.01.52.35.2UKIP - - - - - -***4.120.54.6**Other -0.10.90.60.31.05.05.86.05.81.10.61.41.7 11974 & 1979 - Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP–Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats Election year1974 (Feb)1974 (Oct)197919831987199219972001200520102015201720192024Conservative1111121516151011131717181810Labour33210165300005Reform - - - - - - - - - - - - -2Liberal Democrat100000011110001UKIP - - - - - -00001000Total1414141616161717171818181818 11974 & 1979 - Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP–Liberal Alliance

Maps

1885-1910

1918-1945

1950-1970

1974-present

Historical representation by party A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

Key: bulk or all of areas marked † form part of present-day Greater London.

1852 to 1885

Constituency185253545718575759185960186567186870187478188083ColchesterMannersRebowPapillonRebowLearmonthCaustonHawkinsMillerKarslakeBrewerMackworth-PraedWillisHarwichPeacockeJ. BagshawJervis-White-JervisTylerWaddingtonWarburtonR. J. BagshawCampbellRowleyKelkMaldonDu CanePeacockeT. S. Western→EarleBentallSandfordCourtauldMillerBramley-MoorePeacockeNorth Essex /E Essex (1868)TyrellDu CaneRoundBeresfordT. B. WesternRuggles-BriseStruttSouth EssexBowyer-SmijthWingfield-BakerPerry-WatlingtonSelwin-IbbetsonWingfield-BakerBaringBramstonCecilJohnstonMakinsWest EssexCecilSelwin-Ibbetson

1885 to 1918

Constituency1885188688921892939495189597190001190608Jan 1910Dec 1910111217ChelmsfordBeadelUsborneRaschPretymanColchesterTrotterGrevilleNaylor-LeylandPearsonWorthington-EvansEppingSelwin-IbbetsonLockwoodColvinEssex South EastMakinsRaschTufnellWhiteheadKirkwoodGuinnessHarwichRoundLeverNewtonMaldonKitchingGrayDoddStruttT. BethellFlannerySaffron WaldenGardnerGoldWodehousePeaseProbyBeckRomford†WestlakeTheobaldMoney-WigramSinclairJ. BethellWalthamstow†BuxtonMakinsByrneWoodsMorganSimonWest Ham North†CookFultonGroveGrayMastermande ForestWest Ham South†LeicesterBanesHardie→BanesThorne

1918 to 1945

Constituency19181819202119221923192424262728192931193134193537404245ChelmsfordPretymanRobinsonCurtis-BennettHoward-BuryHendersonMacnamaraMillingtonColchesterWorthington-EvansLewisEast Ham North†BethellCrookLawrenceCrookLawrenceMayhewEast Ham South†EdwardsBarnesCampbell-JnBarnesEppingColvinLyleChurchill→Essex South EastHilderHoffmanLookerOldfieldRaikesHarwichNewtonHillaryRicePybus→HolmesIlford†GriggsWiseHamiltonHutchinsonLeyton East†Malone→→AlexanderChurchAlexanderBrockwayMillsLeyton West†WrightsonNewbouldCasselsSorensenSugdenSorensenMaldonFlanneryRuggles-BriseCrittallRuggles-BriseDribergPlaistow†ThorneSaffron WaldenBeck→→MitchellButlerSouthendR. GuinnessG. GuinnessH. ChannonRomford†MartinRhysMuggeridgeHutchisonParkerSilvertown†Jones→HollinsStratford†LyleGrovesUpton†WildMargessonGardnerHoltGardnerChotznerGardnerWalthamstow East†JohnsonGreenwood→WallaceBeauchampWalthamstow West†JessonMcEnteeCrawfurdMcEntee

1945 to 1974

Constituency1945464919501951541955565759195961196419666768691970Leyton East†BechervaiseSilvertown†ComynsStratford†NichollsSouth East EssexGunterBraineBarking†HastingsDribergChelmsfordMillington→AshtonSt John-StevasColchesterSmithAlportBuckDagenham†ParkerEast Ham North†DainesPrenticeEast Ham South†BarnesOramEppingManningDaviesFinlayNewensTebbitHarwichHolmesRidsdale→Hornchurch†BingLagdenLee WilliamsSquireIlford North†RidealghHutchinsonIremongerIlford South†RangerCooperShawThorneLeyton West / Leyton (1950)†SorensenMaldonDribergHarrisonRomford†MacphersonLockwoodLedgerLeonardSaffron WaldenButlerSouthend / Southend W (1950)H. ChannonP. ChannonThurrockSolley→DelargyWalthamstow E†WallaceHarveyRobinsonMcNair-WilsonWalthamstow W†McEnteeAttleeRedheadSilvesterDeakinsWest Ham S†Elwyn JonesWest Ham N†LewisWoodford / W & Wanstead (1964)†ChurchillJenkinBillericayBraineBodyGardnerMoonmanMcCrindleSouthend EastMcAddenChigwellBiggs-Davison

1974 to 2010

ConstituencyFeb 74Oct 747677197980198319878819921997200120050808BasildonMoonmanProctorAmessSmithBraintreeNewtonHurstNewmarkBrentwood and OngarMcCrindlePicklesChelmsford / West Chelmsford (1997)St John-StevasBurnsColchester (1974−1983, 1997−) / Colc. N (1983−1997)BuckJenkinRussellEpping ForestBiggs-DavisonNorrisLaingHarlowNewensHayesRammellHarwichRidsdaleSproatHendersonCarswellMaldon / S Colchester & Maldon (1983)/ Maldon & E Chelmsford (1997)WakehamWhittingdaleSouthend East / Rochford & S'end E (1997)McAddenTaylorDuddridgeSaffron WaldenKirkHaselhurstSouth East Essex / Castle Point (1983)BraineSpinkButlerSpink→→Southend WestChannonAmessThurrockDelargyMcDonaldJanmanMacKinlayBillericayProctorGormanBaronRochford / Rayleigh (1997)ClarkFrancoisNorth EssexJenkin

2010 to present

Constituency2010142015172017201922202425Basildon & BillericayBaron HoldenBraintreeNewmarkCleverlyBrentwood and OngarPicklesBurghartCastle PointHarrisChelmsfordBurnsFord GoldmanClactonCarswell→→Watling FarageColchesterRussellQuince CoxEpping ForestLaing HudsonHarlowHalfon VinceHarwich & North EssexJenkinMaldonWhittingdaleRayleigh & WickfordFrancoisRochford & Southend East / S.E. & R. (2024)Duddridge AlabaSaffron Walden / NW Essex (2024)HaselhurstBadenochSouth Basildon & East ThurrockMetcalfe McMurdock →Southend West / Southend W & Leigh (2024)AmessFirth Burton-SampsonThurrockDoyle-Price CraftWithamPatel

See also Parliamentary constituencies in the East of England History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Essex Historical list of parliamentary constituencies in Essex List of former parliamentary constituencies in Essex

Notes

References