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Harwich and North Essex
Harwich and North Essex
County constituency; for the House of Commons
	Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
	Location within the East of England
County	Essex
Electorate	74,838 (2023)
Major settlements	Harwich, Wivenhoe, Manningtree, Brightlingsea
Current constituency
Created	2010
Member of Parliament	Bernard Jenkin (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Harwich, North Essex

Harwich and North Essex /ˈhærɪtʃ ... ˈɛsɪks/ is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Bernard Jenkin of the Conservative Party since its creation in 2010.^{[n 2]}

Constituency profile

The constituency maintains a strong maritime connection, containing the eponymous port and town of Harwich which offers regular ferry services to the Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland). Deprivation in terms of low income and unemployment exists in the Dovercourt, Parkeston and station neighbourhoods of Harwich itself and south of Brightlingsea whereas the other villages and towns (down to localised Output Areas of a few hundred homes) fall above the national average on the same measures.^[2]

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. It was formed from the majority of the abolished constituency of North Essex, together with the town of Harwich and surrounding areas, previously part of the abolished Harwich constituency, with the remainder of the Harwich seat creating the new seat of Clacton.

Jenkin was previously Member of Parliament for North Essex.

Boundaries

Map of boundaries 2010–2024

2010–2024: The District of Tendring wards of Alresford, Ardleigh and Little Bromley, Bradfield, Wrabness and Wix, Brightlingsea, Great and Little Oakley, Great Bentley, Harwich and Kingsway, Lawford, Manningtree, Mistley, Little Bentley and Tendring, Ramsey and Parkeston, and Thorrington, Frating, Elmstead and Great Bromley, and the Borough of Colchester wards of Dedham and Langham, East Donyland, Fordham and Stour, Great Tey, Pyefleet, West Bergholt and Eight Ash Green, West Mersea, Wivenhoe Cross, and Wivenhoe Quay.^[3]

2024–present: The District of Tendring wards of Alresford & Elmstead, Ardleigh & Little Bromley, Brightlingsea, Dovercourt All Saints, Dovercourt Bay, Dovercourt Tollgate, Dovercourt Vines & Parkeston, Harwich & Kingsway, Lawford, Manningtree & Mistley, and Stour Valley, and the City of Colchester wards of Lexden & Braiswick (part); Mersea & Pyefleet, Old Heath & The Hythe, Rural North, and Wivenhoe.^[4]

Minor changes – Old Heath and The Hythe areas to the south east of Colchester city centre added from Colchester, offset by the transfer of some rural areas in the east to Clacton.

Members of Parliament

Harwich and North Essex prior to 2010

Election		Member^[5]	Party
	2010	Sir Bernard Jenkin	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Harwich and North Essex^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bernard Jenkin	16,522	34.4	–24.2
	Labour	Alex Diner	15,360	32.0	+6.1
	Reform UK	Mark Cole	9,806	20.4	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Natalie Sommers	3,561	7.4	–3.3
	Green	Andrew Canessa	2,794	5.8	+2.2
Majority			1,162	2.4	–30.3
Turnout			48,043	63.0	–9.6
Registered electors			76,579
	Conservative hold		Swing	–15.2

Elections in the 2010s

2019 general election notional result^[7]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	31,668	58.6
	Labour	14,017	25.9
	Liberal Democrats	5,801	10.7
	Green	1,924	3.6
	Others	674	1.3

Turnout		54,084	72.3
Electorate		74,838

General election 2019: Harwich and North Essex^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bernard Jenkin	31,830	61.3	+2.8
	Labour	Stephen Rice	11,648	22.4	−8.0
	Liberal Democrats	Mike Beckett	5,866	11.3	+5.9
	Green	Peter Banks	1,945	3.7	+1.7
	Independent	Richard Browning-Smith	411	0.8	New
	Independent	Tony Francis	263	0.5	New
Majority			20,182	38.9	+10.8
Turnout			51,963	70.1	−1.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.4

General election 2017: Harwich and North Essex
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bernard Jenkin^[9]	29,921	58.5	+7.5
	Labour	Rosalind Scott^[10]	15,565	30.4	+10.7
	Liberal Democrats	Dominic Graham^[11]	2,787	5.4	−2.0
	UKIP	Aaron Hammond^[10]	1,685	3.3	−14.2
	Green	Blake Roberts^[10]^[12]	1,042	2.0	−2.4
	CPA	Stephen Todd^[13]	141	0.3	New
Majority			14,356	28.1	−3.2
Turnout			51,141	71.7	+1.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.6

General election 2015: Harwich and North Essex^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bernard Jenkin	24,722	51.0	+4.1
	Labour	Edward Browne^[15]	9,548	19.7	−0.2
	UKIP	Mark Hughes^[15]	8,464	17.5	+12.3
	Liberal Democrats	Dominic Graham^[15]	3,576	7.4	−16.2
	Green	Christopher Flossman	2,122	4.4	+2.5
Majority			15,174	31.3	+8.0
Turnout			48,432	69.9	+0.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2010: Harwich and North Essex^[16]^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bernard Jenkin*	23,001	46.9	+4.3
	Liberal Democrats	James Raven	11,554	23.6	+4.3
	Labour	Darren Barrenger	9,774	19.9	−10.9
	UKIP	Simon Anselmi	2,572	5.2	+1.5
	BNP	Stephen Robey	1,065	2.2	New
	Green	Chris Fox	909	1.9	−1.8
	Independent	Peter Bates	170	0.3	New
Majority			11,447	23.3
Turnout			49,000	69.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	0.0

* Served as an MP in the 2005–2010 Parliament

Notes

^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election every five years.