Harlow (UK Parliament constituency)

Harlow
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Harlow in Essex
Location of Essex within England
County	Essex
Electorate	67,700 (December 2010) [1]
Major settlements	Harlow, Roydon
Current constituency
Created	1974 (1974)
Member of Parliament	Robert Halfon (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Epping

Harlow is a constituency ^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Robert Halfon, a Conservative. ^{[n 2]}

Constituency profile

The seat has been a bellwether since the result in 1983. Included are above county-average levels of social housing, ^[2] underemployment and unemployment as at the 2001 census and the associated 2000 Index of Multiple Deprivation; ^[3] however, the new town has brought growth sustained in part by more commuting, with an increasingly-used and separate Mill station in the London Commuter Belt, and has seen a 9.2% increase in the number of apartments to 2011, which brings the proportion of the housing market made up by flats and apartments to 23.8%. ^[2]

History

This seat was created for the February 1974 general election from the abolished seat of Epping, and has been subject only to minor changes since.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1974–1983

• The Urban District of Harlow; and
• The Rural District of Epping and Ongar parishes of Magdalen Laver, Matching, Nazeing, North Weald Bassett, Roydon, and Sheering. ^[4]

1983–1997

• The District of Harlow; and
• The District of Epping Forest wards of Nazeing, North Weald Bassett, Roydon, and Sheering. ^[5]

Minor loss to Brentwood and Ongar.

1997–2010

• The District of Harlow; and

• The District of Epping Forest wards of Nazeing, Roydon, and Sheering. ^[6]

North Weald Bassett transferred to Epping Forest.

2010–present

• The District of Harlow; and
• The District of Epping Forest wards of Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village, Lower Nazeing, Lower Sheering, and Roydon. ^[7]

Marginal changes due to redistribution of local authority wards.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be expanded northwards to meet the electorate size requirements, with the transfer in from Saffron Walden of the two District of Uttlesford wards of Broad Oak & the Hallingburys, and Hatfield Heath. ^[8]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member [9]	Party
	Feb 1974	Stan Newens	Labour Co-operative
	1983	Jerry Hayes	Conservative
	1997	Bill Rammell	Labour
	2010	Robert Halfon	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Harlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Yasmin Gregory [10]
	Labour	Chris Vince [11]
	Reform UK	Malcolm Featherstone [12]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Harlow ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Halfon	27,510	63.5	+9.5
	Labour	Laura McAlpine	13,447	31.0	−7.3
	Liberal Democrats	Charlotte Cane	2,397	5.5	+3.3
Majority			14,063	32.5	+16.8
Turnout			43,354	63.7	−2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	+8.4

General election 2017: Harlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Halfon	24,230	54.0	+5.1
	Labour	Phil Waite	17,199	38.3	+8.3
	UKIP	Mark Gough	1,787	4.0	−12.3
	Liberal Democrats	Geoffrey Seef	970	2.2	+0.2
	Green	Hannah Clare	660	1.5	−0.7
Majority			7,031	15.7	−3.2
Turnout			44,846	66.2	+1.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.6

See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Harlow

General election 2015: Harlow ^{[14] [15]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Halfon	21,623	48.9	+4.0
	Labour	Suzy Stride	13,273	30.0	−3.7
	UKIP	Sam Stopplecamp	7,208	16.3	+12.7
	Green	Murray Sackwild	954	2.2	New
	Liberal Democrats	Geoffrey Seeff	904	2.0	−11.7
	TUSC	David Brown	174	0.4	New
	English Democrat	Eddy Butler	115	0.3	New
Majority			8,350	18.9	+7.7
Turnout			44,251	65.1	±0.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.9

General election 2010: Harlow ^{[16] [17]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Halfon	19,691	44.9	+4.1
	Labour	Bill Rammell	14,766	33.7	−7.7
	Liberal Democrats	David White	5,990	13.7	+0.7
	BNP	Eddy Butler	1,739	4.0	New
	UKIP	John Croft	1,591	3.6	+1.1
	Christian	Oluyemi Adeeko	101	0.2	New
Majority			4,925	11.2	N/A
Turnout			43,878	65.1	+2.7
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+5.9

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Harlow ^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Bill Rammell	16,453	41.4	−6.4
	Conservative	Robert Halfon	16,356	41.2	+6.4
	Liberal Democrats	Lorna Spenceley	5,002	12.6	−0.8
	UKIP	John Felgate	981	2.5	−0.5
	Veritas	Anthony Bennett	941	2.4	New
Majority			97	0.2	-12.8
Turnout			39,733	62.6	+2.9
	Labour hold		Swing	−6.4

General election 2001: Harlow ^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Bill Rammell	19,169	47.8	−6.3
	Conservative	Robert Halfon	13,941	34.8	+2.7
	Liberal Democrats	Lorna Spenceley	5,381	13.4	+3.9
	UKIP	Tony Bennett	1,223	3.0	+2.3
	Socialist Alliance	John Hobbs	401	1.0	New
Majority			5,228	13.0	-9.0
Turnout			40,115	59.7	−14.6
	Labour hold		Swing	−4.5

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Harlow ^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Bill Rammell	25,861	54.1	+12.3
	Conservative	Jerry Hayes	15,347	32.1	−14.9
	Liberal Democrats	Lorna Spenceley	4,523	9.5	−1.8
	Referendum	Mark Wells	1,422	3.0	New
	UKIP	Gerard Batten	340	0.7	New
	BNP	John Bowles	319	0.7	New
Majority			10,514	22.0	N/A
Turnout			47,812	74.3	-8.3
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+13.6

General election 1992: Harlow ^{[21] [22]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jerry Hayes	26,608	47.0	−0.2
	Labour	Bill Rammell	23,668	41.8	+5.2
	Liberal Democrats	Lorna Spenceley	6,375	11.3	−4.9
Majority			2,940	5.2	-5.5
Turnout			56,651	82.6	+8.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Harlow ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jerry Hayes	26,017	47.2	+6.1
	Labour Co-op	Stanley Newens	20,140	36.6	+2.4
	SDP (Alliance)	Monica Eden-Green	8,915	16.2	−8.0
Majority			5,877	10.7	+3.8
Turnout			55,072	74.1	−2.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.9

General election 1983: Harlow ^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jerry Hayes	21,924	41.1	+1.0
	Labour Co-op	Stanley Newens	18,250	34.2	−8.5
	Liberal (Alliance)	John Bastick	12,891	24.2	+8.6
	Independent	John Ward	256	0.5	New
Majority			3,674	6.9	N/A
Turnout			53,321	76.5	−2.2
	Conservative gain from Labour Co-op		Swing	+4.8

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Harlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Stanley Newens	22,698	42.7	−10.0
	Conservative	John Powley	21,306	40.1	+15.8
	Liberal	Robert Woodthorpe Browne	8,289	15.7	−7.4
Majority			1,392	2.6	-25.8
Turnout			53,133	78.7	+3.5
	Labour Co-op hold		Swing	−12.9

General election October 1974: Harlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Stanley Newens	24,961	52.7	+3.2
	Conservative	James Emerton Smith	11,510	24.3	−0.7
	Liberal	Basil Goldstone	10,869	23.0	−2.5
Majority			13,451	28.4	+4.4
Turnout			47,340	75.2	−8.7
	Labour Co-op hold		Swing	+2.0

General election February 1974: Harlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Stanley Newens	25,814	49.5	−11.4
	Liberal	Basil Goldstone	13,280	25.5	+25.5
	Conservative	James Emerton Smith	13,016	25.0	−14.1
Majority			12,534	24.0	+2.2
Turnout			52,110	83.9	+10.0
	Labour Co-op win (new seat)

General election 1970 (Notional): Harlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour		29,453	60.9
	Conservative		18,880	39.1
Majority			10,573	21.8
Turnout			48,333	72.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Preceded by Epping	UK Parliament constituency 1974–	Succeeded by Current Incumbent

Graphical representation

February 1974New Seat

49.5%	25.5%	25.0%
Labour	Liberal	Conservative

October 1974

52.7%	23.0%	24.3%
Labour	Liberal	Conservative

1979

42.7%	15.7%	40.1%
Labour	Liberal	Conservative

1983

34.2%	24.2%		41.1%
Labour	Liberal		Conservative

1987

36.6%	16.2%	47.2%
Labour	SDP	Conservative

1992

41.8%	11.3%	47.0%
Labour	Lib Dems	Conservative

1997

54.1%	9.5%	32.1%	3.0%
Labour	Lib Dems	Conservative	Ref

2001

	47.8%	13.4%	34.8%	3.0%
	Labour	Lib Dems	Conservative	UKIP

2005

41.4%	12.6%	41.2%
Labour	Lib Dems	Conservative

2010

33.7%	13.7%		44.9%	3.6%	4.0%
Labour	Lib Dems		Conservative	UKIP	BNP

2015

		30.0%		48.9%	16.3%
		Labour		Conservative	UKIP

2017

	38.4%		54.0%	4.0%
	Labour		Conservative	UKIP

2019

31.0%	5.5%	63.5%
Labour	LD	Conservative

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Essex

Notes

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

1. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
2. 2011 census interactive maps 31.2% of property is socially rented, higher than the other districts in Essex Archived 29 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
3. "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk.
4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
6. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
7. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
8. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
9. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 1)
10. "Green Party select Yasmin Gregory to fight General Election in Harlow". Your Harlow. 29 January 2024.
11. "Chris Vince selected as Labour's Parliamentary candidate for Harlow". Your Harlow. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
12. "Find My PPC (East of England)" (PDF). Reform UK . Retrieved 21 December 2023.
13. "General election results". Harlow Council. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
14. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
15. "Harlow Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
16. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
17. Statement of Persons Nominated Harlow Council
18. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
19. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
20. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
21. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
22. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
23. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
24. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

External links

• BBC News coverage

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