Southend East (UK Parliament constituency)

Southend East was a parliamentary constituency in Essex. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Southend East
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Southend East, showing boundaries used from 1983 to 1997
CountyEssex
Major settlementsSouthend-on-Sea, Shoeburyness
1950–1997
SeatsOne
Created fromSouthend and South East Essex
Replaced byRochford and Southend East

History

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election under the Representation of the People Act 1948, when the Parliamentary Borough of Southend-on-Sea was split in two. It was abolished for the 1997 general election when it was replaced by Rochford and Southend East.

Southend East was a mostly safe Conservative seat throughout its existence, although their majority was only just over 500 votes in 1966, and at the by-election in 1980 when the Conservatives held the seat by only 430 votes. From this by-election until its abolition, Southend East was held by the Conservative Teddy Taylor.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1950–1955

  • The County Borough of Southend-on-Sea wards of All Saints, Pier, Shoebury, Southchurch, and Thorpe; and
  • The Rural District of Rochford.[1]

Formed primarily from eastern parts of the abolished Parliamentary Borough of Southend-on-Sea. The Rural District of Rochford and the former Urban District of Shoeburyness (which had been absorbed by the County Borough of Southend-on-Sea) had previously been part of the abolished South-Eastern Division of Essex.

1955–1983

  • The County Borough of Southend-on-Sea wards of All Saints, Milton, Pier, Shoebury, Southchurch, Temple Sutton, Thorpe and Victoria.[1]

Realignment of boundary with Southend West. The Rural District of Rochford was transferred back to the re-established constituency of South East Essex.

1983–1997

  • The Borough of Southend-on-Sea wards of Milton, St Luke's, Shoebury, Southchurch, Thorpe, and Victoria.[2]

Marginal changes following the redistribution of wards in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea.

The constituency included Southend town centre, and parts of the Borough of Southend to the east.

In 1997, Southend East was abolished and expanded to the north to include the town of Rochford once again, forming the new constituency of Rochford and Southend East.[3]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[4]PartyNotes
1950 Stephen McAdden Conservative Died December 1979
1980 by-election Teddy Taylor Conservative Subsequently, MP for Rochford and Southend East 1997–2005
1997 constituency abolished: see Rochford and Southend East

Elections

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Southend East [5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 20,395 47.1
Labour Rubeigh James Minney 18,230 42.2
Liberal John Greig Runciman 4,616 10.7
Majority 2,165 4.9
Turnout 43,241 82.5
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1951: Southend East [5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 24,088 55.3 +8.2
Labour Leslie Merrion 19,478 44.7 +2.5
Majority 4,610 10.6 +5.7
Turnout 43,566 80.6 −1.9
Conservative hold Swing +2.8
General election 1955: Southend East [5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 23,958 58.2 +2.9
Labour William Harold Clough 17,200 41.8 −2.9
Majority 6,758 16.4 +5.8
Turnout 41,158 74.0 −6.6
Conservative hold Swing +2.9
General election 1959: Southend East [5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 24,712 59.3 +1.1
Labour Eric James Trevett 16,987 40.7 −1.1
Majority 7,725 18.6 +2.2
Turnout 41,699 75.5 +1.5
Conservative hold Swing +1.0

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Southend East[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 19,775 46.6 −12.7
Labour Eric James Trevett 16,408 38.6 −2.1
Liberal David E Evans 6,296 14.8 New
Majority 3,367 8.0 −10.6
Turnout 42,479 76.2 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing −5.3
General election 1966: Southend East[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 19,125 45.3 −1.3
Labour Peter R Clyne 18,608 44.1 +5.5
Liberal Keith W Baynes 4,495 10.6 −4.2
Majority 517 1.2 −6.8
Turnout 42,228 76.9 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing −3.3

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Southend East[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 24,025 58.5 +13.2
Labour Peter R Clyne 17,065 41.5 −2.6
Majority 6,960 16.9 +15.7
Turnout 41,090 71.2 −5.7
Conservative hold Swing +5.3
General election February 1974: Southend East [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 19,600 44.3 −14.2
Labour Motel Burstin 14,648 33.1 −8.4
Liberal James Walter John Curry 9,979 22.6 New
Majority 4,952 11.2 −5.7
Turnout 44,227 77.8 +6.5
Conservative hold Swing −2.9
General election October 1974: Southend East [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 18,083 45.9 +1.6
Labour Susan Katharine Ward 13,480 34.2 +1.1
Liberal James Walter John Curry 7,856 19.9 −2.7
Majority 4,603 11.7 +0.5
Turnout 39,419 68.8 −9.0
Conservative hold Swing +0.2
General election 1979: Southend East [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McAdden 22,413 56.1 +10.2
Labour Anthony Nicholas Wright 11,639 29.1 −5.1
Liberal James Hugill 5,244 13.1 −6.8
National Front Patrick Edward Twomey 676 1.7 New
Majority 10,774 27.0 +15.3
Turnout 39,972 70.1 +1.3
Conservative hold Swing +7.6
1980 Southend East by-election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teddy Taylor 13,117 36.8 −19.3
Labour Colin George 12,687 35.6 +6.5
Liberal David E Evans 8,939 25.1 +12.0
New Britain Terence Robertson 532 1.5 New
Anti Common-Market Free Trade Oliver Smedley 207 0.6 New
Independent Liberal James Curry 132 0.4 New
Democratic Monarchist, Public Safety, White Resident Bill Boaks 23 0.0 New
Majority 430 1.2 −25.8
Turnout 35,637 62.5 −7.6
Conservative hold Swing −12.87

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1983: Southend East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teddy Taylor 21,743 55.8 −0.3
SDP Colin George 11,052 28.3 New
Labour Conor O'Brien 6,188 15.9 −13.2
Majority 10,691 27.5 +0.5
Turnout 38,983 67.6 −2.5
Conservative hold Swing −7.8
General election 1987: Southend East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teddy Taylor 23,573 58.0 +2.2
SDP Humphry Berkeley 9,906 24.2 −4.1
Labour David Scully 7,296 17.8 +1.9
Majority 13,847 33.8 +6.3
Turnout 40,955 69.3 +1.7
Conservative hold Swing +3.2

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1992: Southend East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teddy Taylor 24,591 58.8 +0.8
Labour Graham Bramley 11,480 27.4 +9.6
Liberal Democrats Jackie Horne 5,107 12.2 −12.0
Liberal Brian Lynch 673 1.6 New
Majority 13,111 31.4 −2.4
Turnout 41,851 73.8 +4.5
Conservative hold Swing

See also

Notes and references
  1. Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
  2. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  3. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, pp.12,139 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)
  5. British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, FWS Craig
  6. The Times House of Commons, 1950-70
  7. British Parliamentary Election Results, 1974-1983, FWS Craig
  8. Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1979-83 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
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