Basildon and Billericay (UK Parliament constituency) explained

Basildon and Billericay
Parliament:uk
Year:2010
Type:Borough
Population:89,687 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate:76,993 (2023)[2]
Region:England
European:East of England
Elects Howmany:One

Basildon and Billericay is a constituency in Essex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Since the 2024 general election it has been represented by Richard Holden, a Conservative.

History

The seat was created for the 2010 general election following a review of the Parliamentary representation of Essex by the Boundary Commission for England. It combined parts of the separate, now abolished, Basildon and Billericay constituencies.

It has been held throughout its existence by the Conservative Party and, until the 2024 general election, with large majorities.

Boundaries

2010–2024

The Borough of Basildon wards of Billericay East, Billericay West, Burstead, Crouch, Fryerns, Laindon Park, Lee Chapel North and St Martin's.[3]

The seat merged about half of the previous constituency of Billericay with smaller parts of the former Basildon constituency – mostly around the centre of Basildon.

The Billericay constituency lost Wickford to the new Rayleigh and Wickford constituency, and Pitsea to the South Basildon and East Thurrock seat, which also included the remainder of the Basildon seat.

Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was expanded with the transfer in of the Vange wards from South Basildon and East Thurrock.[4]

Members of Parliament

The MP until the dissolution of parliament in May 2024 was the Conservative John Baron, who had held the seat since its creation, but announced in October 2023 that he would be stepping down.[5] His party's choice of the national chairman as its candidate to succeed him was controversially made just 48 hours before the deadline from a shortlist of one, to the anger of the local association.[6]

ElectionMemberParty
2010John BaronConservative
2024Richard HoldenConservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

2019 general election notional result[7]
PartyVote%
30,867 65.9
10,118 21.6
3,947 8.4
1,395 3.0
Others 526 1.1
Turnout46,85360.9
Electoratealign=right 76,993

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Usual Resident Population, 2011 . Neighbourhood Statistics . Office for National Statistics . 27 January 2015.
  2. Web site: The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern . Boundary Commission for England . 26 June 2024 . dmy .
  3. Web site: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007. www.legislation.gov.uk. 2019-09-11.
  4. Web site: The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023 . Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  5. Web site: 2023-10-25 . 'It's been an honour and privilege': Basildon MP set to step down after 23 years . 2024-06-09 . Echo . en.
  6. Web site: Maddox . David . Chaos as Tory chairman put on a shortlist of one to ensure he gets a seat . Independent . 9 June 2024.
  7. Web site: Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019 . 11 July 2024 . Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News . UK Parliament.