BBC Profile:
Conservative Michael Clark ended an 18-year parliamentary career when he stood down as MP for Rayleigh in 2001, and Mark Francois took over the reins, elected with a majority of 8,290. In 2005 he increased his majority to 14,726.

It was not uncommon for local Labour candidates to be beaten into third place by the SDP/Liberal Alliance in the early 1980s, but from a low of just 10% of the vote, Labour gradually regained voters during the late 1980s and 1990s. In 1997 it doubled its share of the vote and leapfrogged the Liberal Democrats.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has been particularly successful in the constituency. While UKIPs proportion of the vote remains small, it is more than double the party's national support.

The Billericay seat which used to represent Wickford was Conservative since its reconstitution in 1983. Billericay MP John Baron had a very comfortable majority of 11,206 in the 2005 general election.

This new Essex constituency is based on most of the former Rayleigh seat, with the exception of South Woodham, Rettendon and Runwell, which now form part of the new Maldon seat. Wickford has been added from the former Billericay seat, and is one of the main centres of population, along with Rayleigh and Hockley. It is covered by Rochford and Basildon district councils, and borders the outskirts of Southend and Basildon to the south. At the election, the seat will undergo minor boundary changes. To find out what might have happened had

[More...]

BBC Profile:
Conservative Michael Clark ended an 18-year parliamentary career when he stood down as MP for Rayleigh in 2001, and Mark Francois took over the reins, elected with a majority of 8,290. In 2005 he increased his majority to 14,726.

It was not uncommon for local Labour candidates to be beaten into third place by the SDP/Liberal Alliance in the early 1980s, but from a low of just 10% of the vote, Labour gradually regained voters during the late 1980s and 1990s. In 1997 it doubled its share of the vote and leapfrogged the Liberal Democrats.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has been particularly successful in the constituency. While UKIPs proportion of the vote remains small, it is more than double the party's national support.

The Billericay seat which used to represent Wickford was Conservative since its reconstitution in 1983. Billericay MP John Baron had a very comfortable majority of 11,206 in the 2005 general election.

This new Essex constituency is based on most of the former Rayleigh seat, with the exception of South Woodham, Rettendon and Runwell, which now form part of the new Maldon seat. Wickford has been added from the former Billericay seat, and is one of the main centres of population, along with Rayleigh and Hockley. It is covered by Rochford and Basildon district councils, and borders the outskirts of Southend and Basildon to the south. At the election, the seat will undergo minor boundary changes. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

Before the Second World War the constituency was largely rural, known for its attractive villages and picturesque riverside views. Rapid population growth since has led to much of the land being developed, although there are still many quiet, attractive riverside areas along the Crouch.

Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
C 25,556 (53.87%)
Lab 12,573 (26.50%)
LD 7,336 (15.46%)
UKIP 1,972 (4.16%)

[Less...]