Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency)
Thurrock | |
---|---|
Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Essex |
Electorate | 73,347 (2023)[1] |
Major settlements | Grays, Tilbury, South Ockendon and Chafford |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1945 |
Member of Parliament | Jen Craft (Labour) |
Seats | One |
Created from | South East Essex |
Thurrock is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Jen Craft of the Labour Party.[n 2]
Constituency profile
[edit]This industrial Essex seat, east of London, includes the towns of Grays, Tilbury and Purfleet, and 18 miles of the north bank of the Thames.
Historically known for quarrying and heavy industry, it is now a retail destination thanks to the Lakeside Shopping Centre. Retail and distribution are big employers, while Tilbury Power Station has closed and Coryton oil refinery is being redeveloped as a business park. Tilbury is also London's major port, handling millions of tonnes of cargo a year and is a major cruise ship terminal.
Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 higher than the national average of 3.8%, at 4.8% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian. The regional average for the Eastern England region was considerably lower, at 3.2% of the population.[2]
History
[edit]History of boundaries
[edit]The seat was created from South East Essex as a result of the interim redistribution carried out for the 1945 general election. It remained unchanged until the redistribution following the reorganisation of local authorities under the Local Government Act 1972 (not coming into force until the 1983 general election), when it lost northern parts to the new constituency of Billericay. There was a small change for the 2010 general election, when East Tilbury was included in the new constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock.
History of results
[edit]Thurrock was for 38 years from its creation in 1945 a large-majority Labour seat in parliamentary elections. The post-Falklands War election in 1983 gave a majority of less than 4% of the vote to a recently-split Labour Party (the breakaway faction, the SDP, came third). A Conservative gained Thurrock in 1987 with a small majority. In 1992, it was regained by a Labour candidate, Andrew MacKinlay. During his tenure as MP, MacKinlay was criticised for his questioning technique used on weapons expert Dr. David Kelly.
In the 2010 general election, a Conservative gained the seat, with Jackie Doyle-Price being elected as the MP on a majority of 92 votes, the third most marginal in that election.[3] The 2015 result gave the seat the 8th most marginal majority of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.[4] In that 2015 election fewer than 1,000 votes separated the top three parties: Conservative, Labour and UKIP. The seat has had bellwether outcome status since 1997.
In 2017, the seat was number 1 on UKIP's 2017 target list, the party only needing a 0.98% swing to win the seat from third place if the previous result were repeated. The constituency was also at number 7 on Labour's target list, with a 0.54% swing needed for their candidate to win the seat. In the event, the swing to Labour was around 0.2% and Doyle-Price held the seat by a mere 345 votes, making it the 26th-closest nationally (of 650 seats).[5] This was also the third consecutive occasion that Thurrock had been held or won very narrowly. At the 2019 general election, Doyle-Price's vote share increased by 19.1%, the largest increase in vote share achieved by any Conservative candidate in the United Kingdom at that election, and her majority rose to 11,482 votes.[6]
At the 2024 general election, the seat was gained by Labour's Jen Craft by a comfortable majority of over 17%, with the incumbent Conservative Doyle-Price placing third behind Reform UK.
Prominent frontbenchers
[edit]Dr Oonagh McDonald was Opposition Spokesman on Defence from 1981 to 1983, and then Opposition Spokesman on Treasury and Economic Affairs from 1983 to 1987.
Boundaries and boundary changes
[edit]1945–1983
[edit]- The Urban District of Thurrock.[7]
The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944 set up Boundaries Commissions to carry out periodic reviews of the distribution of parliamentary constituencies. It also authorised an initial review to subdivide abnormally large constituencies in time for the 1945 election.[8] This was implemented by the Redistribution of Seats Order 1945 under which South East Essex was divided into two constituencies. As a consequence, the new Thurrock Division of Essex was formed, comprising the Urban District of Thurrock (created largely from amalgamating the Urban Districts of Grays Thurrock and Tilbury and the Rural District of Orsett).
1983–2010
[edit]- The Borough of Thurrock wards of Aveley, Belhus, Chadwell St Mary, East Tilbury, Grays Thurrock North, Grays Thurrock Town, Little Thurrock, Ockendon, Stifford, Tilbury, and West Thurrock.[9][10]
Northern areas transferred to the re-established constituency of Billericay.
2010–2024
[edit]- The Borough of Thurrock wards of Aveley and Uplands, Belhus, Chadwell St Mary, Chafford and North Stifford, Grays Riverside, Grays Thurrock, Little Thurrock Blackshots, Little Thurrock Rectory, Ockendon, South Chafford, Stifford Clays, Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park, Tilbury St Chads, West Thurrock, and South Stifford.[11]
Following a redistribution of local authority wards, East Tilbury was transferred to the new constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock.
Current
[edit]Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was reduced to meet the electorate size requirements, with the transfer to South Basildon and East Thurrock of the Chadwell St Mary ward.[12]
Members of Parliament
[edit]South East Essex prior to 1945
Elections
[edit]Elections in the 2020s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jen Craft | 16,050 | 42.7 | +9.8 | |
Reform UK | Sophie Preston-Hall | 9,576 | 25.5 | N/A | |
Conservative | Jackie Doyle-Price | 8,009 | 21.3 | −38.6 | |
Green | Eugene McCarthy | 1,632 | 4.4 | +2.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Michael Bukola | 1,157 | 3.1 | ±0.0 | |
Workers Party | Yousaff Khan | 691 | 1.8 | N/A | |
Independent | Raj Nimal | 443 | 1.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,474 | 17.2 | |||
Turnout | 37,675 | 51.8 | −8.7 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Elections in the 2010s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jackie Doyle-Price | 27,795 | 58.6 | +19.1 | |
Labour | John Kent | 16,313 | 34.4 | −4.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Stewart Stone | 1,510 | 3.2 | +1.6 | |
Independent | James Woollard | 1,042 | 2.2 | N/A | |
Green | Ben Harvey | 807 | 1.7 | N/A | |
Majority | 11,482 | 24.2 | +23.5 | ||
Turnout | 47,467 | 59.6 | −4.8 | ||
Registered electors | 79,655 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +11.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jackie Doyle-Price | 19,880 | 39.5 | +5.8 | |
Labour | John Kent | 19,535 | 38.8 | +6.2 | |
UKIP | Tim Aker | 10,112 | 20.1 | −11.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Kevin McNamara | 798 | 1.6 | +0.3 | |
Majority | 345 | 0.7 | −0.4 | ||
Turnout | 50,325 | 64.4 | +0.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jackie Doyle-Price | 16,692 | 33.7 | −3.1 | |
Labour | Polly Billington[20] | 16,156 | 32.6 | −4.0 | |
UKIP | Tim Aker[21] | 15,718 | 31.7 | +24.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Rhodri Jamieson-Ball | 644 | 1.3 | −9.4 | |
CISTA | Jamie Barnes | 244 | 0.5 | N/A | |
Independent | Daniel Munyambu | 79 | 0.2 | N/A | |
All People's Party | Aba Kristilolu | 31 | 0.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 536 | 1.1 | +0.9 | ||
Turnout | 49,564 | 63.9 | +4.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jackie Doyle-Price | 16,869 | 36.8 | +3.6 | |
Labour | Carl Morris | 16,777 | 36.6 | −9.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Carys Davis | 4,901 | 10.7 | −0.4 | |
BNP | Emma Colgate | 3,618 | 7.9 | +2.1 | |
UKIP | Clive Broad | 3,390 | 7.4 | +4.0 | |
CPA | Arinola Araba | 267 | 0.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 92 | 0.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 45,822 | 59.1 | +4.2 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +6.6 |
Elections in the 2000s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrew MacKinlay | 20,636 | 47.2 | −9.3 | |
Conservative | Garry Hague | 14,261 | 32.6 | +2.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Earnshaw Palmer | 4,770 | 10.9 | +0.6 | |
BNP | Nick Geri | 2,526 | 5.8 | N/A | |
UKIP | Carol Jackson | 1,499 | 3.4 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 6,375 | 14.6 | −11.9 | ||
Turnout | 43,692 | 54.9 | +5.9 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −6.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrew MacKinlay | 21,121 | 56.5 | −6.8 | |
Conservative | Mike Penning | 11,124 | 29.8 | +3.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | John Lathan | 3,846 | 10.3 | +2.2 | |
UKIP | Christopher Sheppard | 1,271 | 3.4 | +1.6 | |
Majority | 9,997 | 26.7 | −9.8 | ||
Turnout | 37,362 | 49.0 | −16.6 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1990s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrew MacKinlay | 29,896 | 63.3 | +17.4 | |
Conservative | Andrew Rosindell | 12,640 | 26.8 | −16.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Joe White | 3,843 | 8.1 | −1.4 | |
UKIP | Peter Compobassi | 833 | 1.8 | N/A | |
Majority | 17,256 | 36.5 | +34.3 | ||
Turnout | 47,212 | 65.6 | −12.5 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +17.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrew MacKinlay | 24,791 | 45.9 | +4.9 | |
Conservative | Tim Janman | 23,619 | 43.7 | +1.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Alan J. Banton | 5,145 | 9.5 | −7.0 | |
Pensioners' Party | Charles Rogers | 391 | 0.7 | N/A | |
Anti-Federalist League | Peter Compobassi | 117 | 0.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,172 | 2.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 54,063 | 78.1 | +6.6 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.8 |
Elections in the 1980s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tim Janman | 20,527 | 42.5 | +7.1 | |
Labour | Oonagh McDonald | 19,837 | 41.0 | +1.8 | |
SDP | Donald Benson | 7,970 | 16.5 | −5.2 | |
Majority | 690 | 1.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 48,334 | 71.5 | +3.8 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Oonagh McDonald | 17,600 | 39.2 | −9.3 | |
Conservative | Julie Tallon | 15,878 | 35.4 | −3.8 | |
SDP | Donald Benson | 9,761 | 21.7 | N/A | |
Independent | M Bibby | 1,200 | 2.7 | N/A | |
BNP | R Sinclair | 252 | 0.6 | N/A | |
Communist | J Paul | 199 | 0.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,722 | 3.8 | −5.5 | ||
Turnout | 44,891 | 67.7 | −7.4 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -3.2 |
Elections in the 1970s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Oonagh McDonald | 33,449 | 48.55 | ||
Conservative | Tony Baldry | 27,030 | 39.24 | ||
Liberal | M Crowson | 6,445 | 9.36 | ||
National Front | E Burdett | 1,358 | 1.97 | N/A | |
Independent | B Chattaway | 365 | 0.53 | N/A | |
Workers Revolutionary | M Daly | 242 | 0.35 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,419 | 9.31 | |||
Turnout | 68,884 | 75.11 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Oonagh McDonald | 22,191 | 45.27 | −10.30 | |
Conservative | Percy Lomax | 17,352 | 35.39 | +10.95 | |
Liberal | Anthony Charlton | 5,977 | 12.19 | −7.80 | |
National Front | John Roberts | 3,255 | 6.64 | N/A | |
English National | Frank Hansford-Miller | 187 | 0.38 | N/A | |
World Grid Sunshine Room Party | Peter Bishop | 72 | 0.15 | N/A | |
Majority | 4,839 | 9.88 | |||
Turnout | 49,034 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 34,066 | 55.57 | ||
Conservative | P Lomax | 14,986 | 24.44 | ||
Liberal | A Charlton | 12,255 | 19.99 | ||
Majority | 19,080 | 31.13 | |||
Turnout | 61,307 | 68.54 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 36,217 | 52.15 | ||
Conservative | Graham Bright | 17,699 | 25.48 | ||
Liberal | Kaye Fleetwood | 15,534 | 22.37 | ||
Majority | 18,518 | 26.67 | |||
Turnout | 69,450 | 78.41 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 30,874 | 55.75 | ||
Conservative | Graham Bright | 19,486 | 35.18 | ||
Liberal | Kaye Fleetwood | 5,024 | 9.07 | ||
Majority | 11,388 | 20.57 | |||
Turnout | 55,384 | 65.67 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 31,998 | 60.67 | ||
Conservative | Cedric J Hodgson | 14,094 | 26.72 | ||
Liberal | James C Moran | 6,648 | 12.61 | ||
Majority | 17,904 | 33.95 | |||
Turnout | 52,740 | 72.74 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 30,372 | 57.22 | ||
Conservative | Robert McCrindle | 14,615 | 27.53 | ||
Liberal | A Noel H Blackburn | 8,094 | 15.25 | N/A | |
Majority | 15,757 | 29.69 | |||
Turnout | 53,081 | 74.22 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 32,270 | 61.52 | ||
Conservative | William E McNamara | 20,188 | 38.48 | ||
Majority | 12,082 | 23.04 | |||
Turnout | 52,458 | 78.23 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 31,375 | 66.16 | ||
Conservative | Gerald A Petty | 16,046 | 33.84 | ||
Majority | 15,329 | 32.32 | |||
Turnout | 47,421 | 75.24 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 28,851 | 65.55 | ||
Conservative | Godfrey Lagden | 15,166 | 34.45 | ||
Majority | 13,685 | 31.10 | |||
Turnout | 44,017 | 82.81 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Delargy | 22,893 | 52.68 | ||
Conservative | Airey Neave | 13,306 | 30.62 | ||
Labour Independent Group | Leslie Solley | 4,250 | 9.78 | N/A | |
Liberal | William Harold Henry Siddons | 3,010 | 6.93 | N/A | |
Majority | 9,587 | 22.06 | |||
Turnout | 43,459 | 85.28 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Election in the 1940s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Leslie Solley | 23,171 | 70.0 | ||
Conservative | Thomas Adam | 9,909 | 30.0 | ||
Majority | 13,262 | 40.0 | |||
Turnout | 33,080 | 76.9 | |||
Labour win (new seat) |
See also
[edit]- List of parliamentary constituencies in Essex
- List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region)
Notes
[edit]- ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
[edit]- ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
- ^ The 2010 marginality of the result placed the seat immediately behind the majorities of Dan Byles (Con), 54 votes and Michelle Gildernew (SF), 2 votes
- ^ "Conservative Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ Library, House of Commons (23 June 2017). "GE2017: Marginal seats and turnout". Commons Library.
- ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2019. Glasgow: Times Books. 2020. pp. 53 & 360. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1.
- ^ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
- ^ Gay, Oonagh (28 July 2010). "The Rules for the Redistribution of Seats- history and reform". House of CommonsLibrary.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
- ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). Thurrock Council. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Full General Election results for Essex - every constituency result". ITV X. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Thurrock Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED, NOTICE OF POLL AND SITUATION OF POLLING STATIONS Election of a Member of Parliament for Thurrock" (PDF). Thurrock Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Thurrock". bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "The Labour Party". labour.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
- ^ "Tim Aker announced as UKIP candidate for Thurrock". Your Thurrock. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Thurrock". BBC News.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". 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 1997". 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.
- ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "UK General Election results: June 1983 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. 12 October 2022.
- ^ "UK General Election results: May 1979 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. 12 October 2022.
External links
[edit]- Thurrock UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
- Thurrock UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
- Thurrock UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK