Castle Point (UK Parliament constituency)

The seat is coterminous with the Castle Point local authority, taking its name from Hadleigh Castle and Canvey Point, and covering the Canvey Island at the seaside end of the Thames Estuary plus a segment of the adjoining mainland.

In 2001, Castle Point was characterised by skilled manual workers, commuters and the self-employed. Levels of home and car ownership in Hadleigh and Canvey were very high while social deprivation was relatively low.{{cite web |title=Local statistics - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/help/localstatistics |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018120902/https://www.ons.gov.uk/help/localstatistics |archive-date=2019-10-18 |access-date=2019-01-25 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}

Of all the constituencies of the UK, it has one of the lowest levels of graduates.{{Cite news |last=Kelly |first=Jon |date=June 27, 2016 |title=Was there a Brexit graduate gap? |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36624413 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206003931/https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36624413 |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |access-date=October 5, 2019 }}

This seat was created for the 1983 general election from the former seat of South East Essex. It comprised the District of Castle Point which was formed from the former Urban Districts of Canvey Island and Benfleet and includes Canvey Island, Hadleigh, South Benfleet, and Thundersley.

In all but one election, it has been won by a Conservative candidate, passing to Labour once, in the 1997 election. The former MP defeated in 1997, Bob Spink, regained the seat in 2001. He was re-elected in 2005 but subsequently resigned from the Conservative Party on 22 April 2008. Spink briefly joined UKIP,{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7360118.stm | work=BBC News | title=Ex-Tory MP Spink defects to UKIP | date=22 April 2008 | access-date=11 November 2010 | archive-date=15 February 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215163220/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7360118.stm | url-status=live }} but resigned the whip shortly afterwards and sat as an Independent MP.{{cite web|url=https://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/4179128.tory-ukip-now-im-just-an-inde-says-mp-bob/|title=Tory? UKIP? Now I'm just an inde says MP Bob|website=Echo|access-date=2019-01-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215223442/https://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/4179128.tory-ukip-now-im-just-an-inde-says-mp-bob/|archive-date=2018-12-15|url-status=dead}} In the 2010 election, Spink lost in Castle Point to the Conservative candidate, Rebecca Harris.

At the 2017 election Castle Point had the largest Conservative majority, at 42.2%, of any constituency to have elected a Labour MP in the 1997–2010 government. This was increased even further, to 60.1%, at the 2019 election. In 2024, the Conservative vote was more than halved with Reform UK taking over 30%, reducing the majority to just 8%.

Since its creation in 1983 until the 2024 general election, the Castle Point constituency was contiguous with the boundaries of the district council of the same name. The seat is one of only a very few that were unchanged by the boundary reviews which came into effect in 1997 and 2010, having seen population growth in line with the average seat (which is slightly larger), including development in the designated development plans of the Thames Gateway.

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was expanded slightly to meet the electorate size requirements, with the transfer in from South Basildon and East Thurrock of polling district DN of the Pitsea South East ward in the Borough of Basildon - equivalent to the civil parish of Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet.{{Cite web |title=The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1230/schedules/made |at=Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region}}

File:Castle Point Election Results.png

{{Election box begin | title=General election 2024: Castle Pointhttps://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n8183.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Rebecca Harris|votes=15,485|percentage=38.1|change=−38.4}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Reform UK|candidate=Keiron McGill|votes=12,234|percentage=30.1|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Mark Maguire|votes=9,455|percentage=23.3|change=+6.5}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Green Party of England and Wales|candidate=Bob Chapman|votes=2,118|percentage=5.2|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=James Willis|votes=1,341|percentage=3.3|change=−3.3}}

{{Election box majority|votes=3,251|percentage=8.0|change=−52.1}}

{{Election box turnout|votes=40,633|percentage=57.6|change=−6.2}}

{{Election box registered electors|reg. electors = 70,552}}

{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Conservative Party (UK)|swing=}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=General election 2019: Castle Point{{cite news |title=Castle Point Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622 |website=BBC News |access-date=18 November 2019 |archive-date=13 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213173505/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |date=28 January 2020 |title=Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis |publisher=House of Commons Library |location=London |access-date=19 January 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118043715/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2021}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Rebecca Harris

|votes = 33,971

|percentage = 76.7

|change = +9.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Katie Curtis

|votes = 7,337

|percentage = 16.6

|change = −8.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = John Howson

|votes = 2,969

|percentage = 6.7

|change = +4.4

}}

{{Election box majority||votes=26,634|percentage=60.1 |change=+17.9}}

{{Election box turnout||votes=44,277|percentage=63.6|change=−0.8}}

{{Election box hold with party link||winner=Conservative Party (UK)|swing=+9.0}}

{{Election box end}}

This was the largest Conservative vote share at the 2019 general election.

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2017: Castle Point{{cite news|title=Castle Point|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622|website=Election 2017|publisher=BBC News|access-date=11 June 2017|archive-date=13 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613140631/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf |title=Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis |edition=Second |date=29 January 2019 |orig-date=7 April 2018 |publisher=House of Commons Library |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112183438/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf |archive-date=12 November 2019}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Rebecca Harris

|votes = 30,076

|percentage = 67.3

|change = +16.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Joe Cooke

|votes = 11,204

|percentage = 25.1

|change = +11.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = David Kurten

|votes = 2,381

|percentage = 5.3

|change = −25.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Tom Holder

|votes = 1,049

|percentage = 2.3

|change = +0.5

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 18,872

|percentage = 42.2

|change = +22.5

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 44,710

|percentage = 64.4

|change = −2.3

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +2.6

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{See also|Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15#Castle Point}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2015: Castle Point{{cite web|title=Election Data 2015|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|archive-date=17 October 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622|title=Castle Point parliamentary constituency - Election 2017|via=www.bbc.co.uk|access-date=2019-01-25|archive-date=2019-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126003914/https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622|url-status=live}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Rebecca Harris

|votes = 23,112

|percentage = 50.9

|change = +6.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = Jamie Huntman {{cite web |url=http://www.ukipessex.org/?p=195 |title=Cllr Jamie Huntman |publisher=UKIP Essex |date=12 July 2014 |access-date=17 January 2015 |archive-date=18 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518074123/http://www.ukipessex.org/?p=195 |url-status=live }}

|votes = 14,178

|percentage = 31.2

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Joe Cooke {{cite web|url=http://electionresults.blogspot.com/2013/04/castle-point-2015.html|title=UK ELECTION RESULTS: CASTLE POINT 2015|access-date=2019-01-25|archive-date=2019-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126001116/http://electionresults.blogspot.com/2013/04/castle-point-2015.html|url-status=live}}

|votes = 6,283

|percentage = 13.8

|change = −0.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Green Party of England and Wales

|candidate = Dom Ellis{{cite web |url=http://eastern.greenparty.org.uk/candidates.html |title=Candidates |publisher=Eastern Green Party |access-date=14 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311225011/http://eastern.greenparty.org.uk/candidates.html |archive-date=2015-03-11 |url-status=dead }}

|votes = 1,076

|percentage = 2.4

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Sereena Davey {{cite web |url=http://www.libdems.org.uk/list_of_selected_candidates |title=List of selected candidates |publisher=Liberal Democrats |date=26 March 2015 |access-date=9 April 2015 |archive-date=9 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809130508/https://www.libdems.org.uk/list_of_selected_candidates |url-status=live }}

|votes = 801

|percentage = 1.8

|change = −7.6

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 8,934

|percentage = 19.7

|change = +2.7

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 45,450

|percentage = 66.7

|change = −0.2

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −24.3

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=General election 2010: Castle Point{{cite web|title=Election Data 2010|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt|archive-date=26 July 2013}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/documents/Electoral%20Services%2Felections%2Epdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927074049/http://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/documents/Electoral%20Services%2Felections.pdf |archive-date=2011-09-27 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/a93.stm | work=BBC News | title=BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Castle Point | access-date=2010-05-06 | archive-date=2017-09-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904223504/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/a93.stm | url-status=live }}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Rebecca Harris

|votes = 19,806

|percentage = 44.0

|change = −4.3

}}

{{Election box candidate|

|party = Independent Save Our Green Belt

|candidate = Bob Spink

|votes = 12,174

|percentage = 27.0

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Julian Ware-Lane

|votes = 6,609

|percentage = 14.7

|change = −15.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Brendan D'Cruz

|votes = 4,232

|percentage = 9.4

|change = −0.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = British National Party

|candidate = Philip Howell

|votes = 2,205

|percentage = 4.9

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 7,632

|percentage = 17.0

|change = −0.9

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 45,026

|percentage = 66.9

|change = +1.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −15.7

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2005: Castle Point{{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}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Bob Spink

|votes = 22,118

|percentage = 48.3

|change = +3.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Luke Akehurst

|votes = 13,917

|percentage = 30.4

|change = −11.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = James Sandbach

|votes = 4,719

|percentage = 10.3

|change = +2.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = Neil Hamper

|votes = 3,431

|percentage = 7.5

|change = +4.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Green Party of England and Wales

|candidate = Irene Willis

|votes = 1,617

|percentage = 3.5

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 8,201

|percentage = 17.9

|change = +15.4

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 45,802

|percentage = 65.9

|change = +7.5

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +7.7

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2001: Castle Point{{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}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Bob Spink

|votes = 17,738

|percentage = 44.6

|change = +4.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Christine Butler

|votes = 16,753

|percentage = 42.1

|change = −0.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Billy Boulton

|votes = 3,116

|percentage = 7.8

|change = −1.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = Ronald Hurrell

|votes = 1,273

|percentage = 3.2

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Independent politician

|candidate = Douglas Roberts

|votes = 663

|percentage = 1.7

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate|

|party = Truth Party

|candidate = Nik Searle

|votes = 223

|percentage = 0.6

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 985

|percentage = 2.5

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 39,766

|percentage = 58.4

|change = −13.7

}}

{{Election box gain with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|loser = Labour Party (UK)

|swing = +2.4

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1997: Castle Point{{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}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Christine Butler

|votes = 20,605

|percentage = 42.4

|change = +18.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Bob Spink

|votes = 19,462

|percentage = 40.1

|change = −15.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Michael Baker

|votes = 4,477

|percentage = 9.2

|change = −10.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Referendum Party

|candidate = Hugh Maulkin

|votes = 2,700

|percentage = 5.6

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Independent politician

|candidate = Linda Kendall

|votes = 1,301

|percentage = 2.7

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 1,143

|percentage = 2.3

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 48,545

|percentage = 72.1

|change = −8.3

}}

{{Election box gain with party link|

|winner = Labour Party (UK)

|loser = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +17.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1992: Castle Point{{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}}{{cite web|url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/i05.htm|title=UK General Election results April 1992|date=9 April 1992|work=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources|publisher=Politics Resources|access-date=2010-12-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811135733/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/i05.htm|archive-date=11 August 2011|url-status=dead}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Bob Spink

|votes = 29,629

|percentage = 55.6

|change = −4.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = David Flack

|votes = 12,799

|percentage = 24.0

|change = +5.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Allan Petchey

|votes = 10,208

|percentage = 19.2

|change = −1.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Green Party of England and Wales

|candidate = Irene Willis

|votes = 643

|percentage = 1.2

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 16,830

|percentage = 31.6

|change = −7.2

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 53,279

|percentage = 80.4

|change = +5.9

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −4.7

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1987: Castle Point{{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}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Bernard Braine

|votes = 29,681

|percentage = 59.9

|change = +1.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Social Democratic Party (UK)

|candidate = Anne Bastow

|votes = 10,433

|percentage = 21.1

|change = −3.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = William Deal

|votes = 9,422

|percentage = 19.0

|change = +2.3

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 19,248

|percentage = 38.8

|change = +5.1

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 49,536

|percentage = 74.5

|change = +3.2

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +2.6

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=General election 1983: Castle Point{{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}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Bernard Braine

|votes = 26,730

|percentage = 58.5

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Social Democratic Party (UK)

|candidate = Anne Bastow

|votes = 11,313

|percentage = 24.8

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Lynne Cunningham

|votes =7,621

|percentage = 16.7

|change =

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 15,417

|percentage = 33.7

|change =

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 45,664

|percentage = 71.3

|change =

}}

{{Election box new seat win|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

}}

{{Election box end}}

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Essex

{{Reflist|group=n}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/wpca/1929379933/report.aspx nomis Constituency Profile for Castle Point] — presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.
• [https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/12990.html Castle Point UK Parliament constituency] (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• [https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/65914.html Castle Point UK Parliament constituency] (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• [https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/168426.html Castle Point UK Parliament constituency] (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|uk}}

{{s-bef|before=Cardiff South and Penarth}}

{{s-ttl|title=Constituency represented by the father of the House|years=1987–1992}}

{{s-aft|after=Old Bexley and Sidcup}}

{{s-end}}

{{Constituencies in the East of England}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|51.54|0.57|type:adm2nd_dim:12000_region:GB-ESS|display=title}}

Category:Parliamentary constituencies in Essex

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