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Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°29′N 0°19′E / 51.48°N 0.32°E / 51.48; 0.32
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Thurrock
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Thurrock in the East of England
CountyEssex
Electorate73,347 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsGrays, Tilbury, South Ockendon and Chafford
Current constituency
Created1945
Member of ParliamentJen Craft (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromSouth East Essex

Thurrock is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Jen Craft of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Constituency profile

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This industrial Essex seat, east of London, includes the towns of Grays, Tilbury and Purfleet, and 18 miles of the north bank of the Thames.

Historically known for quarrying and heavy industry, it is now a retail destination thanks to the Lakeside Shopping Centre. Retail and distribution are big employers, while Tilbury Power Station has closed and Coryton oil refinery is being redeveloped as a business park. Tilbury is also London's major port, handling millions of tonnes of cargo a year and is a major cruise ship terminal.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 higher than the national average of 3.8%, at 4.8% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian. The regional average for the Eastern England region was considerably lower, at 3.2% of the population.[2]

History

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History of boundaries

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The seat was created from South East Essex as a result of the interim redistribution carried out for the 1945 general election. It remained unchanged until the redistribution following the reorganisation of local authorities under the Local Government Act 1972 (not coming into force until the 1983 general election), when it lost northern parts to the new constituency of Billericay. There was a small change for the 2010 general election, when East Tilbury was included in the new constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock.

History of results

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Thurrock was for 38 years from its creation in 1945 a large-majority Labour seat in parliamentary elections. The post-Falklands War election in 1983 gave a majority of less than 4% of the vote to a recently-split Labour Party (the breakaway faction, the SDP, came third). A Conservative gained Thurrock in 1987 with a small majority. In 1992, it was regained by a Labour candidate, Andrew MacKinlay. During his tenure as MP, MacKinlay was criticised for his questioning technique used on weapons expert Dr. David Kelly.

In the 2010 general election, a Conservative gained the seat, with Jackie Doyle-Price being elected as the MP on a majority of 92 votes, the third most marginal in that election.[3] The 2015 result gave the seat the 8th most marginal majority of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.[4] In that 2015 election fewer than 1,000 votes separated the top three parties: Conservative, Labour and UKIP. The seat has had bellwether outcome status since 1997.

In 2017, the seat was number 1 on UKIP's 2017 target list, the party only needing a 0.98% swing to win the seat from third place if the previous result were repeated. The constituency was also at number 7 on Labour's target list, with a 0.54% swing needed for their candidate to win the seat. In the event, the swing to Labour was around 0.2% and Doyle-Price held the seat by a mere 345 votes, making it the 26th-closest nationally (of 650 seats).[5] This was also the third consecutive occasion that Thurrock had been held or won very narrowly. At the 2019 general election, Doyle-Price's vote share increased by 19.1%, the largest increase in vote share achieved by any Conservative candidate in the United Kingdom at that election, and her majority rose to 11,482 votes.[6]

At the 2024 general election, the seat was gained by Labour's Jen Craft by a comfortable majority of over 17%, with the incumbent Conservative Doyle-Price placing third behind Reform UK.

Prominent frontbenchers

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Dr Oonagh McDonald was Opposition Spokesman on Defence from 1981 to 1983, and then Opposition Spokesman on Treasury and Economic Affairs from 1983 to 1987.

Boundaries and boundary changes

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Thurrock in Essex, showing boundaries used from 1945 to 1983.
Map
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

1945–1983

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  • The Urban District of Thurrock.[7]

The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944 set up Boundaries Commissions to carry out periodic reviews of the distribution of parliamentary constituencies. It also authorised an initial review to subdivide abnormally large constituencies in time for the 1945 election.[8] This was implemented by the Redistribution of Seats Order 1945 under which South East Essex was divided into two constituencies. As a consequence, the new Thurrock Division of Essex was formed, comprising the Urban District of Thurrock (created largely from amalgamating the Urban Districts of Grays Thurrock and Tilbury and the Rural District of Orsett).

1983–2010

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  • The Borough of Thurrock wards of Aveley, Belhus, Chadwell St Mary, East Tilbury, Grays Thurrock North, Grays Thurrock Town, Little Thurrock, Ockendon, Stifford, Tilbury, and West Thurrock.[9][10]

Northern areas transferred to the re-established constituency of Billericay.

2010–2024

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  • The Borough of Thurrock wards of Aveley and Uplands, Belhus, Chadwell St Mary, Chafford and North Stifford, Grays Riverside, Grays Thurrock, Little Thurrock Blackshots, Little Thurrock Rectory, Ockendon, South Chafford, Stifford Clays, Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park, Tilbury St Chads, West Thurrock, and South Stifford.[11]

Following a redistribution of local authority wards, East Tilbury was transferred to the new constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock.

Current

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Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was reduced to meet the electorate size requirements, with the transfer to South Basildon and East Thurrock of the Chadwell St Mary ward.[12]

Members of Parliament

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South East Essex prior to 1945

Election Member[13] Party
1945 Leslie Solley Labour
1949 Labour Independent Group
1950 Hugh Delargy Labour
1976 by-election Oonagh McDonald Labour
1987 Tim Janman Conservative
1992 Andrew MacKinlay Labour
2010 Jackie Doyle-Price Conservative
2024 Jen Craft Labour

Elections

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Thurrock election results

Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Thurrock [14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jen Craft 16,050 42.7 +9.8
Reform UK Sophie Preston-Hall 9,576 25.5 N/A
Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price 8,009 21.3 −38.6
Green Eugene McCarthy 1,632 4.4 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Michael Bukola 1,157 3.1 ±0.0
Workers Party Yousaff Khan 691 1.8 N/A
Independent Raj Nimal 443 1.2 N/A
Majority 6,474 17.2
Turnout 37,675 51.8 −8.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Thurrock[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price 27,795 58.6 +19.1
Labour John Kent 16,313 34.4 −4.4
Liberal Democrats Stewart Stone 1,510 3.2 +1.6
Independent James Woollard 1,042 2.2 N/A
Green Ben Harvey 807 1.7 N/A
Majority 11,482 24.2 +23.5
Turnout 47,467 59.6 −4.8
Registered electors 79,655
Conservative hold Swing +11.8
General election 2017: Thurrock[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price 19,880 39.5 +5.8
Labour John Kent 19,535 38.8 +6.2
UKIP Tim Aker 10,112 20.1 −11.6
Liberal Democrats Kevin McNamara 798 1.6 +0.3
Majority 345 0.7 −0.4
Turnout 50,325 64.4 +0.5
Conservative hold Swing −0.2
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Thurrock
General election 2015: Thurrock[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price 16,692 33.7 −3.1
Labour Polly Billington[20] 16,156 32.6 −4.0
UKIP Tim Aker[21] 15,718 31.7 +24.3
Liberal Democrats Rhodri Jamieson-Ball 644 1.3 −9.4
CISTA Jamie Barnes 244 0.5 N/A
Independent Daniel Munyambu 79 0.2 N/A
All People's Party Aba Kristilolu 31 0.1 N/A
Majority 536 1.1 +0.9
Turnout 49,564 63.9 +4.8
Conservative hold Swing +0.4
General election 2010: Thurrock[22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price 16,869 36.8 +3.6
Labour Carl Morris 16,777 36.6 −9.6
Liberal Democrats Carys Davis 4,901 10.7 −0.4
BNP Emma Colgate 3,618 7.9 +2.1
UKIP Clive Broad 3,390 7.4 +4.0
CPA Arinola Araba 267 0.6 N/A
Majority 92 0.2 N/A
Turnout 45,822 59.1 +4.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.6

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Thurrock[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew MacKinlay 20,636 47.2 −9.3
Conservative Garry Hague 14,261 32.6 +2.8
Liberal Democrats Earnshaw Palmer 4,770 10.9 +0.6
BNP Nick Geri 2,526 5.8 N/A
UKIP Carol Jackson 1,499 3.4 0.0
Majority 6,375 14.6 −11.9
Turnout 43,692 54.9 +5.9
Labour hold Swing −6.1
General election 2001: Thurrock[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew MacKinlay 21,121 56.5 −6.8
Conservative Mike Penning 11,124 29.8 +3.0
Liberal Democrats John Lathan 3,846 10.3 +2.2
UKIP Christopher Sheppard 1,271 3.4 +1.6
Majority 9,997 26.7 −9.8
Turnout 37,362 49.0 −16.6
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Thurrock[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew MacKinlay 29,896 63.3 +17.4
Conservative Andrew Rosindell 12,640 26.8 −16.9
Liberal Democrats Joe White 3,843 8.1 −1.4
UKIP Peter Compobassi 833 1.8 N/A
Majority 17,256 36.5 +34.3
Turnout 47,212 65.6 −12.5
Labour hold Swing +17.2
General election 1992: Thurrock[27][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew MacKinlay 24,791 45.9 +4.9
Conservative Tim Janman 23,619 43.7 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Alan J. Banton 5,145 9.5 −7.0
Pensioners' Party Charles Rogers 391 0.7 N/A
Anti-Federalist League Peter Compobassi 117 0.2 N/A
Majority 1,172 2.2 N/A
Turnout 54,063 78.1 +6.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +1.8

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: Thurrock[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Janman 20,527 42.5 +7.1
Labour Oonagh McDonald 19,837 41.0 +1.8
SDP Donald Benson 7,970 16.5 −5.2
Majority 690 1.5 N/A
Turnout 48,334 71.5 +3.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1983: Thurrock[30][31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Oonagh McDonald 17,600 39.2 −9.3
Conservative Julie Tallon 15,878 35.4 −3.8
SDP Donald Benson 9,761 21.7 N/A
Independent M Bibby 1,200 2.7 N/A
BNP R Sinclair 252 0.6 N/A
Communist J Paul 199 0.4 N/A
Majority 1,722 3.8 −5.5
Turnout 44,891 67.7 −7.4
Labour hold Swing -3.2

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1979: Thurrock[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Oonagh McDonald 33,449 48.55
Conservative Tony Baldry 27,030 39.24
Liberal M Crowson 6,445 9.36
National Front E Burdett 1,358 1.97 N/A
Independent B Chattaway 365 0.53 N/A
Workers Revolutionary M Daly 242 0.35 N/A
Majority 6,419 9.31
Turnout 68,884 75.11
Labour hold Swing
1976 by-election: Thurrock
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Oonagh McDonald 22,191 45.27 −10.30
Conservative Percy Lomax 17,352 35.39 +10.95
Liberal Anthony Charlton 5,977 12.19 −7.80
National Front John Roberts 3,255 6.64 N/A
English National Frank Hansford-Miller 187 0.38 N/A
World Grid Sunshine Room Party Peter Bishop 72 0.15 N/A
Majority 4,839 9.88
Turnout 49,034
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Thurrock
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 34,066 55.57
Conservative P Lomax 14,986 24.44
Liberal A Charlton 12,255 19.99
Majority 19,080 31.13
Turnout 61,307 68.54
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Thurrock
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 36,217 52.15
Conservative Graham Bright 17,699 25.48
Liberal Kaye Fleetwood 15,534 22.37
Majority 18,518 26.67
Turnout 69,450 78.41
Labour hold Swing
General election 1970: Thurrock Electorate 84,337
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 30,874 55.75
Conservative Graham Bright 19,486 35.18
Liberal Kaye Fleetwood 5,024 9.07
Majority 11,388 20.57
Turnout 55,384 65.67
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

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General election 1966: Thurrock Electorate 72,502
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 31,998 60.67
Conservative Cedric J Hodgson 14,094 26.72
Liberal James C Moran 6,648 12.61
Majority 17,904 33.95
Turnout 52,740 72.74
Labour hold Swing
General election 1964: Thurrock Electorate 71,519
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 30,372 57.22
Conservative Robert McCrindle 14,615 27.53
Liberal A Noel H Blackburn 8,094 15.25 N/A
Majority 15,757 29.69
Turnout 53,081 74.22
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1959: Thurrock Electorate 67,054
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 32,270 61.52
Conservative William E McNamara 20,188 38.48
Majority 12,082 23.04
Turnout 52,458 78.23
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Thurrock Electorate 63,030
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 31,375 66.16
Conservative Gerald A Petty 16,046 33.84
Majority 15,329 32.32
Turnout 47,421 75.24
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Thurrock Electorate 53,157
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 28,851 65.55
Conservative Godfrey Lagden 15,166 34.45
Majority 13,685 31.10
Turnout 44,017 82.81
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: Thurrock Electorate 50,962
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Delargy 22,893 52.68
Conservative Airey Neave 13,306 30.62
Labour Independent Group Leslie Solley 4,250 9.78 N/A
Liberal William Harold Henry Siddons 3,010 6.93 N/A
Majority 9,587 22.06
Turnout 43,459 85.28
Labour hold Swing

Election in the 1940s

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General election 1945: Thurrock
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Leslie Solley 23,171 70.0
Conservative Thomas Adam 9,909 30.0
Majority 13,262 40.0
Turnout 33,080 76.9
Labour win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  2. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  3. ^ The 2010 marginality of the result placed the seat immediately behind the majorities of Dan Byles (Con), 54 votes and Michelle Gildernew (SF), 2 votes
  4. ^ "Conservative Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  5. ^ Library, House of Commons (23 June 2017). "GE2017: Marginal seats and turnout". Commons Library.
  6. ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2019. Glasgow: Times Books. 2020. pp. 53 & 360. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1.
  7. ^ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
  8. ^ Gay, Oonagh (28 July 2010). "The Rules for the Redistribution of Seats- history and reform". House of CommonsLibrary.
  9. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  10. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  11. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  12. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  13. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
  14. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). Thurrock Council. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Full General Election results for Essex - every constituency result". ITV X. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Thurrock Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  17. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED, NOTICE OF POLL AND SITUATION OF POLLING STATIONS Election of a Member of Parliament for Thurrock" (PDF). Thurrock Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  18. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Thurrock". bbc.co.uk.
  20. ^ "The Labour Party". labour.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
  21. ^ "Tim Aker announced as UKIP candidate for Thurrock". Your Thurrock. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  22. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  23. ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Thurrock". BBC News.
  24. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  29. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  30. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  31. ^ "UK General Election results: June 1983 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. 12 October 2022.
  32. ^ "UK General Election results: May 1979 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. 12 October 2022.
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51°29′N 0°19′E / 51.48°N 0.32°E / 51.48; 0.32

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