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6th May 2010 |
| Constituency:
Basildon South and Thurrock East |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Stephen Metcalfe |
Conservative |
19,624 |
Angela Smith |
Labour Co-operative |
13,852 |
Geoff Williams |
Liberal Democrat |
5,977 |
Kerry Smith |
UK Independence Party (United Kingdom Independence Party) |
2,639 |
Chris Roberts |
BNP (British National Party) |
2,518 |
None of the Above X* |
Independent |
125 |
Electorate:
44,735
Turnout:
62.03%
Majority:
5,772
Seat Status:
New Seat, Conservative Gain |
| Constituency:
Basildon and Billericay |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
John Baron |
Conservative |
21,982 |
Allan Davies |
Labour |
9,584 |
Mike Hibbs |
Liberal Democrat |
6,538 |
Irene Bateman |
BNP (British National Party) |
1,934 |
Alan Broad |
UK Independence Party (United Kingdom Independence Party) |
1,591 |
Electorate:
41,629
Turnout:
63.06%
Majority:
12,398
Seat Status:
New Seat, Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Conservative. The General Election of May 2010 produced the first
hung parliament in 36 years and only the second since the second world war. The Conservative
party won the most seats and formed a coalition government with the support of the Liberal
Democrat Party.
*The candidate None of the Above X was former undefeated IBF (International Boxing
Federation) World Light-Welterweight boxing champion Terry Marsh. Marsh, 52 and from Basildon,
stood as an Independent having changed his name by deed poll in order to use the term 'None of
the Above' on the ballot paper as under the Registration of Political Parties (Prohibited Words and
Expressions) (Amendment) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/147), "None of the above" is a prohibited
expression regarding registration as a party name. |
|
5th May 2005 |
| Constituency:
Basildon and East Thurrock |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Angela Smith |
Labour Co-operative |
18,720 |
Aaron Powell |
Conservative |
15,578 |
Martin Thompson |
Liberal Democrat |
4,473 |
Emma Colgate |
BNP (British National Party) |
2,055 |
Alix Blythe |
UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) |
1,143 |
Vikki Copping |
Green |
662 |
Kim Gandy |
English Democrats |
510 |
Electorate:
43,141
Turnout:
58.04%
Majority:
3,142
Seat Status:
Labour Hold |
| Constituency:
Billericay (including Pitsea and parts of Laindon) |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
John Baron |
Conservative |
25,487 |
Anneliese Dodds |
Labour |
14,281 |
Mike Hibbs |
Liberal Democrat |
6,471 |
Bryn Robinson |
BNP (British National Party) |
1,435 |
Seantino Callaghan |
UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) |
1,184 |
Electorate:
48,858
Turnout:
61.04%
Majority:
11,206
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Labour |
|
7th June 2001 |
| Constituency:
Basildon and East Thurrock |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Angela Smith |
Labour Co-operative |
21,551 |
Dominic Schofield |
Conservative |
13,813 |
Jane Smithard |
Liberal Democrat |
3,691 |
Frank Mallon |
UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) |
1,397 |
Richard Duane |
Socialist Alliance |
423 |
Electorate:
74,121
Turnout:
55.02%
Majority:
7,738
Seat Status:
Labour Hold |
| Constituency:
Billericay (including Pitsea and parts of Laindon) |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
John Baron |
Conservative |
21,608 |
Amanda Campbell |
Labour |
16,595 |
Frank Bellard |
Liberal Democrat |
6,323 |
Nick Yeomans |
UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) |
1,072 |
Electorate:
45,598
Turnout:
68.01%
Majority:
5,013
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Labour |
|
1st May 1997 |
| Constituency:
Basildon and East Thurrock |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Angela Smith |
Labour Co-operative |
29,646 |
John Baron |
Conservative |
16,366 |
Lindsay Granshaw |
Liberal Democrat |
4,608 |
Craig Robinson |
The Referendum Party |
2,462 |
Electorate:
73,714
Turnout:
72.01%
Majority:
13,280
Seat Status:
New Seat |
| Constituency:
Billericay (including Pitsea and parts of Laindon) |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Teresa Gorman |
Conservative |
22,033 |
Paul Richards |
Labour |
20,677 |
Geoff Williams |
Liberal Democrat |
8,763 |
Brian Hughes |
Independent (Loyal Conservative) |
3,377 |
John Buchanan |
ProLife Alliance |
570 |
Electorate:
55,420
Turnout:
72.63%
Majority:
1,356
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Labour |
|
9th April 1992 |
| Constituency:
Basildon |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
David Amess |
Conservative |
24,159 |
John Potter |
Labour |
22,679 |
Geoff Williams |
Liberal Democrat |
6,967 |
Electorate:
67,585
Turnout:
79.61%
Majority:
1,480
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Conservative |
|
11th June 1987 |
| Constituency:
Basildon |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
David Amess |
Conservative |
21,858 |
Julian Fulbrook |
Labour |
19,209 |
Ray Auvray |
Liberal |
9,139 |
Electorate:
67,985
Turnout:
73.8%
Majority:
2,649
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Conservative |
|
9th June 1983 |
| Constituency:
Basildon |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
David Amess |
Conservative |
17,516 |
Julian Fulbrook |
Labour |
16,137 |
(Miss) Sue Slipman |
SDP (Social Democratic Party) |
11,634 |
Electorate:
65,604
Turnout:
69.0%
Majority:
1,379
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Conservative |
|
3rd May 1979 |
| Constituency:
Basildon |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
(Keith) Harvey Proctor |
Conservative |
37,919 |
Eric Moonman |
Labour |
32,739 |
Ray Auvray |
Liberal |
9,280 |
George Sawyer |
National Front |
880 |
Electorate:
103,595
Turnout:
78.01%
Majority:
5,180
Seat Status:
Conservative gain from Labour
General Election Winners:
Conservative |
|
10th October 1974 |
| Constituency:
Basildon |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Eric Moonman |
Labour |
32,298 |
David Atkinson |
Conservative |
21,747 |
Edward Fortune |
Liberal |
12,816 |
Robert Chaplin |
Independent Labour |
599 |
Electorate:
91,416
Turnout:
73.79%
Majority:
10,551
Seat Status:
Labour Hold
General Election Winners:
Labour. Following the February 1974 General Election which resulted
in a hung parliament this election produced an overall majority for the Labour party of 4 seats
enabling them to form the next government. |
|
23rd February 1974 |
| Constituency:
Basildon |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Eric Moonman |
Labour |
33,499 |
Ronald Denney |
Conservative |
22,832 |
Edward Fortune |
Liberal |
17,794 |
Electorate:
90,357
Turnout:
82.4%
Majority:
11,000
Seat Status:
New Seat
General Election Winners:
Labour. The General Election of February 1974 produced the first hung
parliament since the second world war. The Labour party won the most seats and their leader,
Harold Wilson, became Prime Minister in a minority government when the Conservative leader,
Edward Heath, resigned as Prime Minister having been unable to form a coalition with the
Liberal Party. Later in the year Mr Wilson called another General Election to establish
a majority government. This was held on 10th October 1974. |
|
18th June 1970 |
| Constituency:
Billericay |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Robert McCrindle |
Conservative |
47,719 |
Eric Moonman |
Labour |
43,765 |
Electorate:
123,297
Turnout:
74.20%
Majority:
3,954
Seat Status:
Conservative gain from Labour
General Election Winners:
Conservative |
|
31st March 1966 |
| Constituency:
Billericay |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Eric Moonman |
Labour |
40.013 |
Edward Gardner |
Conservative |
38,371 |
Lionel Wernick |
Liberal |
7,587 |
Electorate:
102,198
Turnout:
84.12%
Majority:
1,642
Seat Status:
Labour gain from Conservative
General Election Winners:
Labour |
|
15th October 1964 |
| Constituency:
Billericay |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Edward Gardner |
Conservative |
35,347 |
Rita Smythe |
Labour |
33,755 |
Peter Sheldon-Williams |
Liberal |
10,706 |
Electorate:
96,762
Turnout:
82.48%
Majority:
1,592
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Labour |
|
8th October 1959 |
| Constituency:
Billericay |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Edward Gardner |
Conservative |
29,224 |
Rita Smythe |
Labour |
24,402 |
Peter Sheldon-Williams |
Liberal |
9,347 |
Electorate:
78,628
Turnout:
80.77%
Majority:
4,822
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Conservative |
|
26th May 1955 |
| Constituency:
Billericay |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Richard Body |
Conservative |
24,327 |
Brian Clapham |
Labour |
20,121 |
Electorate:
58,872
Turnout:
Majority:
4,206
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Conservative |
|
25th October 1951 |
| Constituency:
Billericay |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Bernard Braine |
Conservative |
26,936 |
Brian Clapham |
Labour |
20,613 |
Electorate:
61,652
Turnout:
77.12%
Majority:
6,323
Seat Status:
Conservative Hold
General Election Winners:
Conservative |
|
23rd February 1950 |
| Constituency:
Billericay |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Bernard Braine |
Conservative |
23,803 |
A. E. Oram |
Labour |
19,437 |
Sidney Hayden |
Liberal |
3,872 |
Electorate:
59,209
Turnout:
79.57%
Majority:
4,366
Seat Status:
New Seat
General Election Winners:
Labour |
|
5th July 1945 |
| Constituency:
South East Essex |
Candidate | Party |
Votes |
Raymond Jones Gunter |
Labour |
25,581 |
A. Jones |
Conservative |
21,990 |
Electorate:
72,292
Turnout:
65.80%
Majority:
3,591
Seat Status:
Labour Win.
General Election Winners:
Labour |
|
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| General Election Results 1945 - 2010 |
At the time of Basildon becoming a designated new town in
1949, the area fell within the South East Essex parliamentary constituency. The MP
representing the district was Ray Gunter, who won the seat in 1945 for Labour. The
constituency had been in existence since the 'Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885' and would
remain so until 1950. The following election in February 1950 saw the seat reorganised
as a result of boundary changes with Basildon becoming part of the new Billercay
constituency. Ray Gunter opted to switch seats to Doncaster in Yorkshire and the Conservative
party, representated by Bernard Braine (later Lord Braine of Wheatley), won with a comfortable
majority. Bernard Braine won for a second time in 1951 after successfully defending the seat
against the Labour opponent Brian Clapham.
For the next election in 1955 Bernard Braine opted to stand
in a re-established South East Essex seat, and the result, which was also the first declared
nationally, was another Conservative success with Richard Body (later Sir) declared the
winner. For 1959 Richard Body stood down but the seat remained Conservative when Edward Gardner took it in
the first of his two victories over his Labour opponent Rita Smythe. Another feature of the
1959 election was the declaration time which came in at 59 minutes. This stood as the record
until beaten in 1997 by Sunderland South in a new time of 46 minutes.
As mentioned
earlier, Edward Gardner (later Sir) won again in 1964 but lost to Eric Moonman in 1966 when the seat fell to
Labour for the first, and so far, only time. Robert McCrindle (later Sir) won the seat back
for the tories in 1970 but new boundary changes meant certain areas moving and the seat became
Basildon for the two 1974 elections. The first in February (which ended in a hung parliament)
saw Eric Moonman once again the victor, a position he retained in October with another very
substantial majority. The seat remained Basildon for the 1979 election and was taken by the
Conservative Party when Eric Moonman - now standing in his 5th election - lost by 5,180 votes
to Harvey Proctor.
Further boundary changes in 1983 saw Harvey Proctor leave Basildon to stand as the candidate in
a new Billericay constituency. The Basildon seat was now for the first and so far only time,
made up of those wards that came to make up the new town, along with Bowers Gifford.
The next
three elections in 1983, 1987 and 1992 were won by the Conservative candidate, David Amess,
who can claim to be the only MP to have solely represented the area of Basildon.
The next election, in 1997,
saw the constituency once again reorganised, as parts of Thurrock joined with the majority
of Basildon to form the Basildon and East Thurrock seat. After serving Basildon for almost 14
years, David Amess chose not to contest it, and instead moved to the Southend West
constituency. The election result that followed saw the Labour Co-operative candidate Angela
Smith duly elected and the Labour party returned to power for the first time since 1974. The
Billericay seat, established in 1983, also saw changes with Pitsea and parts of Laindon
now incorporated within its boundaries. Teresa Gorman, representing the Conservatives, won the
seat with a 1,356 majority over her Labour rival.
The General Elections of 2001 and 2005
were again won by Angela Smith although her majority was reduced on each occasion. The
Conservative's, now represented by John Baron, retained the Billericay seat.
The election of
May 2010 was won by Conservative, Stephen Metcalfe, who defeated Angela Smith in a reorganised
Basildon South and Thurrock East seat. The Billericay seat was also subject to boundary
changes which saw areas of Basildon once again reunited with Billericay where John Baron
retained his seat for the Conservative party in the new Basildon and Billericay constituency.
Since 1945 the seat has been a marginal one - the exceptions being 1950 and 1964 - with the
elected MPs party always forming the next government. Also in recent times - particularly
during the David Amess years - Basildon had become something of a barometer in deciding the
next government.
Text written 2001 with revisions 2002-2008,2010.
Copyright © 2001-2008,2010, B. Cox - Basildon History Online. All rights reserved.
Contact: E-Mail
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