Billericay (UK Parliament constituency)

The seat was first created as a county constituency for the 1950 general election under the Representation of the People Act 1948, as a successor to the abolished seat of South East Essex. The First Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies brought in for the 1955 general election resulted in major boundary changes and it was abolished by the Second Review for the February 1974 general election.

It was re-established for the 1983 general election, with further major changes for the 1997 general election, and abolished once again for the 2010 general election.

Under both versions, the seat returned Conservative MPs at every election except 1966.

File:Billericay1955Constituency.svg

File:Billericay1983Constituency.svg

1950–1955

• The Urban Districts of Billericay, Benfleet, Canvey Island, and Rayleigh.{{Cite book|title=Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;|last=Craig, Fred W. S.|date=1972|publisher=Political Reference Publications|isbn=0900178094|location=Chichester|oclc=539011}}

Formed from the abolished South-Eastern Division of Essex, excluding the Rural District of Rochford.

1955–1974

• The Urban Districts of Billericay and Brentwood.

Benfleet, Canvey Island and Rayleigh (together with Rochford) now formed the re-established constituency of South East Essex. Billericay was combined with Brentwood, which had previously been included in Romford.

On abolition, the Urban District of Billericay, which had been reconstituted as the Urban District of Basildon, formed the new constituency of Basildon.  The Urban District of Brentwood formed the basis for the new constituency of Brentwood and Ongar.

1983–1997

• The District of Basildon wards of Billericay East, Billericay West, Burstead, Laindon, Wickford North, and Wickford South; and
• The Borough of Thurrock wards of Corringham and Fobbing, Orsett, Stanford-le-Hope, and The Homesteads.{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1983/417/contents/made/data.htm|title=The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983|website=www.legislation.gov.uk|access-date=2019-09-07}}

Re-established as a County Constituency, formed from northern parts of the constituency of Basildon, including Billericay and Wickford, together with northern parts of the constituency of Thurrock.

1997–2010

• The District of Basildon wards of Billericay East, Billericay West, Burstead, Laindon, Pitsea East, Pitsea West, Wickford North, and Wickford South.{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/1626/made/data.htm|title=The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995|website=www.legislation.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-09-07}}

Major realignment of boundaries with Basildon: Pitsea was transferred from Basildon in exchange for the northern part of the Borough of Thurrock.

The seat was abolished once again for the 2010 general election. The majority, comprising Billericay, Burstead and Laindon, was included in the new constituency of Basildon and Billericay; Pitsea was included in the new constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock; and Wickford was included in the new constituency of Rayleigh and Wickford.

Billericay has elected somewhat colourful characters to Westminster, namely Harvey Proctor, the right-wing MP who resigned after homosexual sex charges, and Teresa Gorman, the Maastricht rebel who stood down after accusing the Commons Standards and Privileges committee of sexism over questions surrounding her registered business dealings.

{{Election box begin|

|title=General election 1950: Billericay

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Bernard Braine

|votes = 23,803

|percentage = 50.5

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Co-operative

|candidate = Albert Oram

|votes = 19,437

|percentage = 41.3

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Sidney Hayden

|votes = 3,872

|percentage = 8.2

|change =

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 4,366

|percentage = 9.2

|change =

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 47,112

|percentage = 79.6

|change =

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 59,209

}}

{{Election box new seat win|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1951: Billericay

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Bernard Braine

|votes = 26,936

|percentage = 56.7

|change = +6.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Co-operative

|candidate = Brian Clapham

|votes = 20,613

|percentage = 43.3

|change = +2.0

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 6,323

|percentage = 13.4

|change = +4.2

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 47,549

|percentage = 77.1

|change = +2.5

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 61,652

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +2.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1955: Billericay

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Richard Body

|votes = 24,327

|percentage = 54.7

|change = −2.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Co-operative

|candidate = Brian Clapham

|votes = 20,121

|percentage = 45.3

|change = +2.0

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 4,206

|percentage = 9.4

|change = −4.0

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 44,448

|percentage = 75.5

|change = −1.6

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 58,872

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −1.9

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1959: Billericay

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Edward Gardner

|votes = 29,224

|percentage = 46.4

|change = −7.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Co-operative

|candidate = Rita Smythe

|votes = 24,402

|percentage = 38.8

|change = −6.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Peter Sheldon-Williams

|votes = 9,347

|percentage = 14.8

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 4,822

|percentage = 7.6

|change = −1.8

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 45,626

|percentage = 80.4

|change = +4.9

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 78,328

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −0.4

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1964: Billericay

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Edward Gardner

|votes = 35,347

|percentage = 44.3

|change = −2.1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Co-operative

|candidate = Rita Smythe

|votes = 33,755

|percentage = 42.3

|change = +3.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Peter Sheldon-Williams

|votes = 10,706

|percentage = 13.4

|change = −1.4

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 1,592

|percentage = 2.0

|change = −5.6

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 79,512

|percentage = 82.5

|change = +2.0

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 96,762

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +2.8

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1966: Billericay

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Eric Moonman

|votes = 40,013

|percentage = 46.5

|change = +4.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Edward Gardner

|votes = 38,371

|percentage = 44.6

|change = +0.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Lionel Wernick

|votes = 7,587

|percentage = 8.8

|change = −4.6

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 1,642

|percentage = 1.9

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 85,971

|percentage = 84.1

|change = +1.6

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 102,198

}}

{{Election box gain with party link|

|winner = Labour Party (UK)

|loser = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +2.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1970: Billericay

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Robert McCrindle

|votes = 47,719

|percentage = 52.2

|change = +7.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Eric Moonman

|votes = 43,765

|percentage = 47.8

|change = +1.3

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 3,954

|percentage = 4.4

|change = New

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 91,784

|percentage = 74.2

|change = −9.9

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 123,297

}}

{{Election box gain with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|loser = Labour Party (UK)

|swing = +3.2

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1983: Billericay{{cite web|title=Election Data 1983|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1983.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054231/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1983.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Harvey Proctor

|votes = 29,635

|percentage = 53.7

|change = −3.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Patrick Bonner

|votes = 15,020

|percentage = 27.2

|change = +16.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Christopher Sewell

|votes = 10,528

|percentage = 19.1

|change = −11.3

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 14,615

|percentage = 26.5

|change = −0.1

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 55,183

|percentage = 73.8

|change =

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 74,779

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −9.8

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1987: Billericay{{cite web|title=Election Data 1987|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1987.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054243/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1987.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Teresa Gorman

|votes = 33,741

|percentage = 54.9

|change = +1.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Social Democratic Party (UK)

|candidate = Michael Birch

|votes = 15,755

|percentage = 25.6

|change = −1.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Richard Howitt

|votes = 11,942

|percentage = 19.4

|change = +0.4

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 17,986

|percentage = 29.3

|change = +2.8

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 61,438

|percentage = 77.2

|change = +3.5

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 79,535

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +1.4

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1992: Billericay{{cite web|title=Election Data 1992|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054418/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm|title=Politics Resources|date=9 April 1992|work=Election 1992|publisher=Politics Resources|access-date=6 Dec 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724020412/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm|archive-date=24 July 2011|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Teresa Gorman

|votes = 37,406

|percentage = 56.5

|change = +1.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Francis Bellard

|votes = 14,912

|percentage = 22.5

|change = −3.1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Alison Miller

|votes = 13,880

|percentage = 21.0

|change = +1.5

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 22,494

|percentage = 34.0

|change = +4.7

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 66,198

|percentage = 82.3

|change = +5.1

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 80,388

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +2.3

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1997: Billericay{{cite web|title=Election Data 1997|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054424/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Teresa Gorman

|votes = 22,033

|percentage = 39.8

|change = −17.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Paul Richards

|votes = 20,677

|percentage = 37.3

|change = +17.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Geoff Williams

|votes = 8,763

|percentage = 15.8

|change = −6.5

}}

{{Election box candidate |

|party = Loyal Conservative

|candidate = Brian Hughes

|votes = 3,377

|percentage = 6.1

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = ProLife Alliance

|candidate = John Buchanan

|votes = 570

|percentage = 1.0

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 1,356

|percentage = 2.4

|change = −32.9

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 55,420

|percentage = 72.4

|change = −8.3

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 76,550

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −17.6

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2001: Billericay{{cite web|title=Election Data 2001|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054450/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = John Baron

|votes = 21,608

|percentage = 47.4

|change = +7.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Amanda Campbell

|votes = 16,595

|percentage = 36.4

|change = −0.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Francis Bellard

|votes = 6,323

|percentage = 13.9

|change = −1.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = Nicholas Yeomans

|votes = 1,072

|percentage = 2.4

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 5,013

|percentage = 11.0

|change = +8.5

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 45,598

|percentage = 58.1

|change = −14.3

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 78,528

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +4.3

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2005: Billericay{{cite web|title=Election Data 2005|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054249/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = John Baron

|votes = 25,487

|percentage = 52.2

|change = +4.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Anneliese Dodds

|votes = 14,281

|percentage = 29.2

|change = −7.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Mike Hibbs

|votes = 6,471

|percentage = 13.2

|change = −0.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = British National Party

|candidate = Bryn Robinson

|votes = 1,435

|percentage = 2.9

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = Seantino Callaghan

|votes = 1,184

|percentage = 2.4

|change = +0.1

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 11,206

|percentage = 23.0

|change = +11.9

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 48,858

|percentage = 61.4

|change = +3.4

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

| reg. electors = 79,537

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +6.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Essex
• Billericay
• Laindon

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/12918.html Billericay UK Parliament constituency] (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK

{{Constituencies in the East of England}}

Category:Parliamentary constituencies in Essex (historic)

Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1950

Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1974

Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1983

Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 2010

Category:Politics of the Borough of Basildon

Category:Billericay