West Chelmsford (UK Parliament constituency)

West Chelmsford
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of West Chelmsford in Essex for the 2005 general election
Outline map
Location of Essex within England
CountyEssex
Major settlementsChelmsford
1997–2010
SeatsOne
Created fromChelmsford
Replaced byChelmsford

West Chelmsford was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1997 to 2010 it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

History

This seat was created for the 1997 general election from parts of the abolished Chelmsford constituency, together with areas transferred from Braintree. It was abolished at the next redistribution which came into effect for the 2010 general election, when the Chelmsford seat was re-established.

It was a safe Conservative seat throughout its existence.

Boundaries

The Borough of Chelmsford wards of All Saints, Boreham, Broomfield, Pleshey and Great Waltham, Cathedral, Chignall, Good Easter, Mashbury, Highwood and Roxwell, Goat Hall, Great and Little Leighs and Little Waltham, Margaretting and Stock, Moulsham Lodge, Old Moulsham, Patching Hall, St. Andrews, Springfield North, Springfield South, The Lawns, Waterhouse Farm and Writtle.[1]

The seat took in northern and western parts of the abolished constituency of Chelmsford including by far the majority of the city itself. It also included rural areas extending as far north as Great Leighs, the Walthams and Good Easter, which had previously been part of the Braintree constituency.

At the 2010 general election, a newly re-created Chelmsford constituency (now a Borough Constituency) succeeded this seat. Rural wards from this constituency mainly joined the Saffron Walden constituency, with a small area around Margaretting becoming part of the Maldon constituency.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[2] Party
1997 Simon Burns Conservative
2010 Constituency abolished: see Chelmsford and Saffron Walden

Elections

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: West Chelmsford[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Burns 23,781 40.6
Liberal Democrats Martin Bracken 17,090 29.2
Labour Roy Chad 15,463 26.4
Referendum Terence Smith 1,536 2.6
Green George Rumens 411 0.7
UKIP Martin Levin 323 0.6
Majority 6,691 11.4
Turnout 58,577 76.8
Conservative win (new seat)

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: West Chelmsford[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Burns 20,446 42.5 +1.9
Labour Adrian Longden 14,185 29.5 +3.1
Liberal Democrats Stephen Robinson 11,197 23.3 ―5.9
Green Ms. Eleanor Burgess 837 1.7 +1.0
UKIP Ken Wedon 693 1.4 +0.8
Legalise Cannabis Herb Philbin 442 0.9 New
Majority 6,261 13.0 +1.6
Turnout 48,143 61.5 ―15.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2005: West Chelmsford[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Burns 22,946 44.9 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Stephen Robinson 13,326 26.1 +2.8
Labour Russell Kennedy 13,236 25.9 ―3.6
UKIP Ken Wedon 1,544 3.0 +1.6
Majority 9,620 18.8 +5.8
Turnout 51,052 61.9 +0.4
Conservative hold Swing ―0.2

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 3)
  3. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

51°46′N 0°26′E / 51.76°N 0.44°E / 51.76; 0.44


This article relating to a constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom or its predecessors is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.