Saffron Walden | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Essex |
Electorate | 77,109 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1885 |
Member of Parliament | Kemi Badenoch (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | East Essex and West Essex |
Saffron Walden is a constituency[n 1] in Essex, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Kemi Badenoch, a Conservative.[n 2]
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be subject to relatively minor boundary changes but will be renamed North West Essex, to be first contested at the next general election.[2]
The constituency is by far the largest and most rural in Essex and covers the entire north-west corner of the county, an area of almost 400 square miles (1,000 km2).[3] It borders Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire and also extends deep into the middle of Essex near Chelmsford.
Two medium-sized market towns, Saffron Walden and Great Dunmow, are in the constituency. Both of these have historic links and are busy and regionally visitor-drawing[clarification needed] towns in the South East.
The largest single source of employment in the constituency is Stansted Airport, while there are also a host of small businesses, many of them high-tech, along and at the ends of the London-Cambridge corridor.
The constituency consists of Census Output Areas from two local government districts with similar characteristics. Uttlesford district forms the bulk and has a working population whose income is close to the national average and a much lower than average reliance upon social housing.[4] At the end of 2012, the unemployment rate in the constituency stood at 1.6% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 2.4%.[5] The borough contributing to the bulk of the seat has a very low 10.1% of its population without a car, 17.7% of the population without qualifications, and a high 31.9% had level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure, 71.6% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as of the 2011 census across the Uttlesford district.[6]
Saffron Walden was one of eight single-member divisions of Essex (later classified as county constituencies) created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, replacing the three two member divisions of East, South and West Essex.
The boundaries were redrawn under the Representation of the People Act 1918, then remained virtually unchanged until changes brought in for the 2010 general election by the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.
This has been a Conservative safe seat based on election results since 1922, in which period the majorities have occasionally been marginal. However, the constituency now has a Conservative majority of over 27,000.
Formed from northern parts of the abolished West Division of Essex including the Municipal Borough of Saffron Walden, and northern parts of the abolished East Division.
Gained northern parts of Epping, including Great Dunmow and Hatfield Broad Oak, and northern parts of Maldon, including Halstead. Other minor changes.
Local authorities re-organised – only nominal changes to boundaries of constituency.
The two small parishes within the Rural District of Braintree were included in the new constituency of Braintree.
Local authorities re-organised – no changes to boundaries of constituency.
Two small wards (Earls Colne and Gosfield) transferred to Braintree.
The 2010 redistribution resulted in a major change, with eastern areas in the District of Braintree, including Halstead, being transferred to Braintree. Extended southwards to incorporate northern and western rural areas of the Borough of Chelmsford, including Writtle, which were transferred from the abolished constituency of West Chelmsford.
Since the snap election in 2017, this safe Conservative seat has been represented by Kemi Badenoch. It was held for many years by former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rab Butler and by former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Alan Haselhurst.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Kemi Badenoch | 39,714 | 63.0 | +1.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mike Hibbs | 12,120 | 19.2 | +5.2 | |
Labour | Thomas Van De Bilt | 8,305 | 13.2 | -7.6 | |
Green | Coby Wing | 2,947 | 4.7 | New | |
Majority | 27,594 | 43.8 | +2.8 | ||
Turnout | 63,086 | 72.5 | -0.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Kemi Badenoch | 37,629 | 61.8 | +4.6 | |
Labour | Jane Berney | 12,663 | 20.8 | +9.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mike Hibbs | 8,528 | 14.0 | +3.4 | |
UKIP | Lorna Howe | 2,091 | 3.4 | -10.4 | |
Majority | 24,966 | 41.0 | -2.4 | ||
Turnout | 60,911 | 73.1 | +1.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 32,926 | 57.2 | +1.8 | |
UKIP | Peter Day | 7,935 | 13.8 | +9.6 | |
Labour | Jane Berney | 6,791 | 11.8 | +2.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mike Hibbs | 6,079 | 10.6 | −16.8 | |
Green | Karmel Stannard | 2,174 | 3.8 | +2.4 | |
R4U | Heather Asker | 1,658 | 2.9 | New | |
Majority | 24,991 | 43.4 | +15.4 | ||
Turnout | 57,563 | 71.4 | -0.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 30,155 | 55.4 | +4.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Peter Wilcock | 14,913 | 27.4 | −2.2 | |
Labour | Barbara Light | 5,288 | 9.7 | −4.5 | |
UKIP | Roger Lord | 2,288 | 4.2 | +1.5 | |
BNP | Chrissie Mitchell | 1,050 | 1.9 | New | |
Green | Reza Hossain | 735 | 1.4 | New | |
Majority | 15,242 | 28.0 | +3.5 | ||
Turnout | 54,429 | 71.6 | +2.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 27,263 | 51.4 | +2.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Elfreda Tealby-Watson | 14,255 | 26.9 | +2.0 | |
Labour | Swatantra Nandanwar | 8,755 | 16.5 | −6.1 | |
UKIP | Raymond Tyler | 1,412 | 2.7 | −0.8 | |
English Democrat | Raymond Brown | 860 | 1.6 | New | |
Veritas | Trevor Hackett | 475 | 0.9 | New | |
Majority | 13,008 | 24.5 | +0.5 | ||
Turnout | 53,020 | 68.3 | +3.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 24,485 | 48.9 | +3.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Elfreda Tealby-Watson | 12,481 | 24.9 | −1.9 | |
Labour | Tania Rogers | 11,305 | 22.6 | +1.1 | |
UKIP | Richard Glover | 1,769 | 3.5 | +2.3 | |
Majority | 12,004 | 24.0 | +5.5 | ||
Turnout | 50,040 | 65.2 | −11.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 25,871 | 45.3 | -11.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Melvin H. Caton | 15,298 | 26.8 | −1.8 | |
Labour | Malcolm J. Fincken | 12,275 | 21.5 | +7.2 | |
Referendum | Richard Glover | 2,308 | 4.0 | New | |
UKIP | Ian Evans | 658 | 1.2 | New | |
Independent | Barry Tyler | 486 | 0.9 | New | |
Natural Law | Christopher Edwards | 154 | 0.3 | −0.1 | |
Majority | 10,573 | 18.5 | −13.1 | ||
Turnout | 57,050 | 76.9 | −6.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −6.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 35,272 | 56.6 | −1.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mark Hayes | 17,848 | 28.6 | −0.4 | |
Labour | John Kotz | 8,933 | 14.3 | +2.8 | |
Natural Law | Michael D. Miller | 260 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 17,424 | 28.0 | −0.7 | ||
Turnout | 62,313 | 83.2 | +4.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 33,354 | 57.7 | −0.1 | |
Liberal | Mark Hayes | 16,752 | 29.0 | −0.3 | |
Labour | Robert Gifford | 6,674 | 11.5 | +0.1 | |
Green | George Hannah | 816 | 1.4 | New | |
All Party Anti-Common Market | Oliver Smedley | 217 | 0.4 | −1.1 | |
Majority | 16,602 | 28.7 | +0.1 | ||
Turnout | 57,813 | 79.0 | +2.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 30,869 | 57.8 | +5.0 | |
SDP | John Torode | 15,620 | 29.3 | New | |
Labour | Robert Trory | 6,078 | 11.4 | -8.5 | |
All Party Anti-Common Market | Oliver Smedley | 797 | 1.5 | New | |
Majority | 15,249 | 28.6 | -0.3 | ||
Turnout | 53,364 | 76.9 | -4.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 28,563 | 53.81 | ||
Liberal | Andrew Phillips | 13,200 | 24.87 | ||
Labour | Ben Stoneham | 10,547 | 19.87 | ||
Independent | Oliver Smedley | 425 | 0.80 | New | |
National Front | R Bailey | 342 | 0.64 | New | |
Majority | 15,363 | 28.94 | |||
Turnout | 53,077 | 81.61 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 22,692 | 55.74 | +12.03 | |
Liberal | Andrew Phillips | 10,255 | 25.19 | -5.13 | |
Labour | Ben Stoneham | 5,948 | 14.61 | -11.36 | |
All Party Anti-Common Market | Oliver Smedley | 1,818 | 4.47 | New | |
Majority | 12,437 | 30.55 | |||
Turnout | 40,713 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Kirk | 21,291 | 43.71 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 14,770 | 30.32 | ||
Labour | H Green | 12,652 | 25.97 | ||
Majority | 6,521 | 13.39 | |||
Turnout | 48,713 | 78.07 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Kirk | 23,013 | 44.58 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 15,468 | 29.97 | ||
Labour | J Dowsett | 13,138 | 25.45 | ||
Majority | 7,545 | 14.61 | |||
Turnout | 51,619 | 83.40 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Kirk | 24,549 | 52.92 | ||
Labour | Ken Weetch | 14,885 | 32.08 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 6,959 | 15.00 | ||
Majority | 9,664 | 20.84 | |||
Turnout | 46,393 | 77.24 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Kirk | 20,441 | 47.42 | ||
Labour | Stephen Haseler | 17,176 | 39.85 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 5,487 | 12.73 | ||
Majority | 3,265 | 7.57 | |||
Turnout | 43,104 | 82.54 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Kirk | 18,851 | 48.5 | -0.8 | |
Labour | Michael D Cornish | 15,358 | 39.5 | +2.0 | |
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 4,626 | 11.9 | -1.4 | |
Majority | 3,493 | 9.0 | -2.8 | ||
Turnout | 38,835 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rab Butler | 20,610 | 49.3 | ||
Labour | Michael D Cornish | 15,655 | 37.5 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 6,189 | 13.3 | ||
Majority | 4,955 | 11.85 | |||
Turnout | 42,454 | 82.41 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rab Butler | 20,955 | 53.22 | ||
Labour | Hampden N Horne | 14,173 | 36.00 | ||
Liberal | David J Ridley | 4,245 | 10.78 | ||
Majority | 6,782 | 17.22 | |||
Turnout | 39,373 | 81.26 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rab Butler | 20,671 | 54.21 | ||
Labour | Hampden N Horne | 14,253 | 37.28 | ||
Liberal | Helen G Carson | 3,209 | 8.42 | ||
Majority | 6,418 | 16.83 | |||
Turnout | 38,133 | 79.57 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rab Butler | 20,564 | 51.95 | ||
Labour | Reginald Groves | 15,245 | 38.51 | ||
Liberal | Oliver Smedley | 3,774 | 9.53 | ||
Majority | 5,319 | 13.44 | |||
Turnout | 39,583 | 82.75 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rab Butler | 19,797 | 49.91 | ||
Labour | Sidney Stanley Wilson | 14,908 | 37.58 | ||
Liberal | Oliver Smedley | 4,963 | 12.51 | ||
Majority | 4,889 | 12.33 | |||
Turnout | 39,668 | 84.40 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rab Butler | 16,950 | 46.90 | ||
Labour | Sidney Stanley Wilson | 15,792 | 43.70 | ||
Liberal | George Adolphus Edinger | 3,395 | 9.39 | New | |
Majority | 1,158 | 3.20 | |||
Turnout | 36,137 | 74.64 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rab Butler | 19,669 | 67.13 | ||
Labour | Clara Rackham | 9,633 | 32.87 | ||
Majority | 10,036 | 34.26 | |||
Turnout | 29,302 | 68.55 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rab Butler | 22,501 | 77.67 | ||
Labour | Sidney Stanley Wilson | 6,468 | 22.33 | ||
Majority | 16,033 | 55.34 | |||
Turnout | 28,969 | 70.38 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Rab Butler | 13,561 | 44.5 | -7.1 | |
Labour | William Cash | 8,642 | 28.3 | +1.7 | |
Liberal | Arthur Musgrove Mathews | 8,307 | 27.2 | +5.4 | |
Majority | 4,919 | 16.2 | -8.8 | ||
Turnout | 30,510 | 75.8 | +2.7 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -4.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | William Foot Mitchell | 12,289 | 51.6 | +7.3 | |
Labour | William Cash | 6,340 | 26.6 | -2.7 | |
Liberal | Arthur Musgrove Mathews | 5,195 | 21.8 | -4.4 | |
Majority | 5,949 | 25.0 | +10.0 | ||
Turnout | 23,824 | 73.1 | +5.4 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | William Foot Mitchell | 9,652 | 44.3 | +0.7 | |
Labour | William Cash | 6,398 | 29.3 | -0.8 | |
Liberal | Robert McNair Wilson | 5,752 | 26.4 | +13.8 | |
Majority | 3,254 | 15.0 | +1.5 | ||
Turnout | 21,802 | 67.7 | -3.4 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -0.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | William Foot Mitchell | 9,844 | 43.6 | New | |
Labour | William Cash | 6,797 | 30.1 | +0.2 | |
National Liberal | William Dawson Harbinson | 3,097 | 13.7 | N/A | |
Liberal | Robert McNair Wilson | 2,853 | 12.6 | -57.5 | |
Majority | 3,047 | 13.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 22.591 | 71.1 | |||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Liberal | Cecil Beck | 10,628 | 70.1 | +19.9 |
Labour | Jimmy Mallon | 4,531 | 29.9 | New | |
Majority | 6,097 | 40.2 | +39.8 | ||
Turnout | 15,159 | 47.8 | −40.4 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Cecil Beck | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Cecil Beck | 4,071 | 50.2 | +1.8 | |
Conservative | Douglas Proby | 4,031 | 49.8 | −1.8 | |
Majority | 40 | 0.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,102 | 88.2 | −2.1 | ||
Registered electors | 9,187 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Douglas Proby | 4,283 | 51.6 | +10.5 | |
Liberal | Jack Pease | 4,011 | 48.4 | −10.5 | |
Majority | 272 | 3.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,294 | 90.3 | +9.0 | ||
Registered electors | 9,187 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jack Pease | 4,203 | 58.9 | +8.0 | |
Conservative | Walter Barttelot | 2,935 | 41.1 | −8.0 | |
Majority | 1,268 | 17.8 | +16.0 | ||
Turnout | 7,138 | 81.3 | +6.7 | ||
Registered electors | 8,779 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +8.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jack Pease | 3,994 | 55.5 | +4.6 | |
Conservative | Charles Wing Gray | 3,202 | 44.5 | −4.6 | |
Majority | 792 | 11.0 | +9.2 | ||
Turnout | 7,196 | 84.2 | +7.6 | ||
Registered electors | 8,550 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +4.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Armine Wodehouse | 3,247 | 50.9 | -2.1 | |
Conservative | Charles Wing Gray | 3,137 | 49.1 | +2.1 | |
Majority | 110 | 1.8 | -4.2 | ||
Turnout | 6,384 | 74.6 | −6.0 | ||
Registered electors | 8,556 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −2.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Charles Gold | 3,806 | 53.0 | −10.0 | |
Conservative | Charles Wing Gray | 3,381 | 47.0 | +10.0 | |
Majority | 425 | 6.0 | −20.0 | ||
Turnout | 7,187 | 80.6 | +0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 8,920 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −10.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Herbert Gardner | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Herbert Gardner | 4,564 | 63.0 | +8.0 | |
Conservative | Philip Vernon Smith[23] | 2,683 | 37.0 | −8.0 | |
Majority | 1,881 | 26.0 | +16.0 | ||
Turnout | 7,247 | 79.7 | +0.4 | ||
Registered electors | 9,098 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +8.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Herbert Gardner | 4,059 | 55.0 | −6.3 | |
Conservative | George William Brewis[24] | 3,319 | 45.0 | +6.3 | |
Majority | 740 | 10.0 | −12.6 | ||
Turnout | 7,378 | 79.3 | −4.1 | ||
Registered electors | 9,306 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −6.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Herbert Gardner | 4,755 | 61.3 | ||
Conservative | Charles Hedley Strutt | 3,006 | 38.7 | ||
Majority | 1,749 | 22.6 | |||
Turnout | 7,761 | 83.4 | |||
Registered electors | 9,306 | ||||
Liberal win (new seat) |