Witham
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Witham in Essex
Outline map
Location of Essex within England
CountyEssex
Electorate67,451 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsHatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, Marks Tey, White Notley, Witham
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentDame Priti Patel (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromBraintree, Maldon and East Chelmsford, North Essex, Colchester

Witham is a parliamentary constituency in Essex represented by Dame Priti Patel in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 creation. She is a Conservative who was Home Secretary from 24 July 2019 until her resignation on 5 September 2022 following the announcement of the results of the Conservative Party leadership contest.[2]

Constituency profile

Witham is one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, although the town of Witham within it is the only area of real Labour strength in the region, being represented by one District Councillor alongside seven Conservative Councillors.

Witham itself is an industrial town, on the Great Eastern main line railway from London to Norwich, with some heavy industry and London commuter belt residential areas – the strength of the Labour vote here was just enough to turn the former Braintree seat red in 1997, and in 2001, on the previous boundaries.

However, the town is small, and the Witham seat extends to cover a huge part of rural central Essex, with affluent commuter villages and farming communities that show high levels of Conservative support.

History

The seat was created for the 2010 general election following a review of the Parliamentary representation of Essex by the Boundary Commission for England which resulted in radical alterations to existing constituencies to allow for an extra seat to be created due to increased population. As a consequence, the new seat of Witham was created which included parts of the constituencies of Braintree, Colchester, North Essex, and Maldon and East Chelmsford.

Boundaries

Current

The District of Braintree wards, which comprised approximately half the electorate, were transferred from the Braintree constituency; the District of Maldon wards from the abolished constituency of Maldon and Chelmsford East; and the Borough of Colchester wards from the abolished constituency of North Essex, except for Stanway ward which had been in the Colchester constituency.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be (as they existed on 1st December 2020):

  • The District of Braintree wards of: Coggeshall; Hatfield Peverel & Terling; Kelvedon & Feering; Silver End & Cressing;The Colnes; Witham Central; Witham North; Witham South; Witham West.
  • The City of Colchester wards of: Marks Tey & Layer; Stanway; Tiptree.
  • The District of Maldon wards of: Great Totham; Tollesbury; Tolleshunt D’arcy; Wickham Bishops and Woodham.[4]

Minor net gain from Braintree, primarily due to ward boundary changes.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[5] Party
2010 Priti Patel Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Witham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Priti Patel[6]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Witham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Priti Patel 32,876 66.6 +2.3
Labour Martin Edobor 8,794 17.8 –8.6
Liberal Democrats Sam North 4,584 9.3 +3.8
Green James Abbott 3,090 6.3 +2.6
Majority 24,082 48.8 +10.9
Turnout 49,344 70.1 –1.4
Conservative hold Swing +5.5
General election 2017: Witham[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Priti Patel 31,670 64.3 +6.8
Labour Phil Barlow 13,024 26.4 +10.6
Liberal Democrats Josephine Hayes 2,715 5.5 –0.6
Green James Abbott 1,832 3.7 –0.6
Majority 18,646 37.9 –3.6
Turnout 49,400 71.5 +1.2
Conservative hold Swing –1.9
General election 2015: Witham[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Priti Patel 27,123 57.5 +5.3
UKIP Garry Cockrill[10] 7,569 16.0 +9.5
Labour John Clarke 7,467 15.8 –2.7
Liberal Democrats Josephine Hayes 2,891 6.1 –13.7
Green James Abbott[11] 2,038 4.3 +1.3
CPA Doreen Scrimshaw[12] 80 0.2 New
Majority 19,554 41.5 +9.1
Turnout 47,168 70.3 +0.1
Conservative hold Swing +9.5
General election 2010: Witham[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Priti Patel 24,448 52.2 +2.5
Liberal Democrats Margaret Phelps 9,252 19.8 +4.6
Labour John Spademan 8,656 18.5 –13.9
UKIP David Hodges 3,060 6.5 New
Green James Abbott 1,419 3.0 New
Majority 15,196 32.4
Turnout 46,835 70.2 +6.6
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Priti Patel to step down as home secretary, ahead of new PM". BBC News. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  4. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  5. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)
  6. ↑ "Priti re-adopted for next General Election campaign". Witham Conservatives. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Witham Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  8. ↑ Daynes, Steve. "Parliamentary Election Results". www.braintree.gov.uk.
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Выставка Цветов Киев - Flower Expo Ukraine".
  11. ↑ "Witham and Braintree Green Party | News". Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "CPA Candidates for the General Election". Christian Peoples Alliance. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

51°48′N 0°39′E / 51.80°N 0.65°E / 51.80; 0.65

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