| 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) |
|---|
| Number of members | 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]
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 in the Rural District of Epping and Ongar the parishes of Magdalen Laver, Matching, Nazeing, North Weald Bassett, Roydon, and Sheering.[2]
1983–1997: The District of Harlow, and the District of Epping Forest wards of Nazeing, North Weald Bassett, Roydon, and Sheering.[3]
Minor loss to Brentwood and Ongar.
1997–2010: The District of Harlow, and the District of Epping Forest wards of Nazeing, Roydon, and Sheering.[4]
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.[5]
Marginal changes due to redistribution of local authority wards.
Constituency profile
The seat has been a bellwether since the result in 1983. Included are above county-average levels of social housing,[6] underemployment and unemployment as at the 2001 census and the associated 2000 Index of Multiple Deprivation;[7] 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%.[6]
Members of Parliament
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Harlow[9] | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| | Conservative | Robert Halfon | 27,510 | 63.5 | +9.4 |
| | Labour | Laura McAlpine | 13,447 | 31.0 | −7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charlotte Cane | 2,397 | 5.5 | +3.4 |
| Majority | 14,063 | 32.5 | +16.8 |
| Turnout | 43,354 | 63.7 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Swing | +8.4 | |
General election 2017: Harlow | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| | Conservative | Robert Halfon | 24,230 | 54.0 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | Phil Waite | 17,199 | 38.3 | +8.4 |
| | UKIP | Mark Gough | 1,787 | 4.0 | −12.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Seef | 970 | 2.2 | +0.1 |
| | 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[10][11] | 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 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Seeff | 904 | 2.0 | −11.6 |
| | TUSC | David Brown | 174 | 0.4 | N/A |
| | English Democrat | Eddy Butler | 115 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | 8,350 | 18.9 | +7.7 |
| Turnout | 44,251 | 65.1 | ±0.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Harlow[14] | 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 | N/A |
| Majority | 97 | 0.2 | -12.8 |
| Turnout | 39,733 | 62.6 | +2.9 |
| | Labour hold | Swing | −6.4 | |
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
General election October 1974: Harlow | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| | Labour | 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 | |
| Turnout | 47,340 | 75.2 | −8.7 |
| | Labour hold | Swing | +2.0 | |
General election February 1974: Harlow | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| | Labour | 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 | 24.1 | |
| Turnout | 52,110 | 83.9 | +10.0 |
| | Labour win (new seat) |
Preceded by Epping | UK Parliament constituency 1974– | Succeeded by Current Incumbent |
Graphical representation
February 1974 New 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
Notes and references
- 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 at least every five years.
- References
External links