Harlow (UK Parliament constituency)

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Harlow
County constituency

Harlow shown within Essex, and Essex shown within England
Created: 1974
MP: Bill Rammell
Party: Labour
Type: House of Commons
County: Essex
EP constituency: East of England

Harlow is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

The Harlow Parliamentary constituency encompasses the 'new town' of Harlow along with several wards from the Epping Forest district.

[edit] History

Harlow is currently a marginal seat with a Labour majority of 97 votes. The Conservatives came close to regaining the seat in 2005 (they had previously held it from 1983-1997), and have argued that they might have won if not prevented by the almost 2,000 votes won by the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) candidate, as well as Robert Kilroy-Silk's breakaway Veritas party. Generally speaking, since the early 1980s voting in Harlow in general elections has closely shadowed the national results [see table below].

This was the last constituency to declare in the 2005 General Election. The second recount was suspended at 6:00am on May 6th due to staff being too tired to continue, and was resumed at 10:00am on May 7th.

The bold lines are general-election votes in Harlow, and the dotted lines reflect the national results.
The bold lines are general-election votes in Harlow, and the dotted lines reflect the national results.

[edit] Members of Parliament

[edit] Election results

[edit] Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Harlow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Rammell 16,453 41.4 -6.4
Conservative Robert Halfon 16,356 41.2 +6.4
Liberal Democrat Lorna Spenceley 5,002 12.6 -0.8
UK Independence John Felgate 981 2.5 -0.5
Veritas Anthony Bennett 941 2.4 +2.4
Majority 97 0.2
Turnout 39,733 62.6 +2.9
Labour hold Swing -6.4%
General Election 2001: Harlow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Rammell 19,169 47.8 -6.3
Conservative Robert Halfon 13,941 34.8 +2.7
Liberal Democrat Lorna Spenceley 5,381 13.4 +4.0
UK Independence Tony Bennett 1,223 3.0 +2.3
Socialist Alliance John Hobbs 401 1.0 N/A
Majority 5,228 13.0
Turnout 40,115 59.7 -14.6
Labour hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Harlow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Rammell 25,861 54.1 +12.3
Conservative Jerry Hayes 15,347 32.1 −14.9
Liberal Democrat Lorna Spenceley 4,523 9.5 −1.8
Referendum Party Mark Wells 1,422 3.0 N/A
UK Independence Gerard Batten 340 0.7 N/A
British National Party John Bowles 319 0.7 N/A
Majority 10,514 22.0
Turnout 47,812
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1992: Harlow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jerry Hayes 26,608 47.0 −0.2
Labour Bill Rammell 23,668 41.8 +5.2
Liberal Democrat Lorna Spenceley 6,375 11.3 −4.9
Majority 2,940 5.2
Turnout 56,651 82.6
Conservative hold Swing −2.7

[edit] Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Harlow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jerry Hayes 26,017 47.2 +6.1
Labour Stanley Newens 20,140 36.6 +2.3
Social Democrat M C Eden-Green 8,915 16.2 −8.0
Majority 5,877 10.7
Turnout 55,072 74.1 −2.4
Conservative hold Swing +1.9
General Election 1983: Harlow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jerry Hayes 21,924 41.1 +1.0
Labour Stanley Newens 18,250 34.2 −8.5
Liberal J Bastick 12,891 24.2 +8.6
Independent 256 0.5 N/A
Majority 3,674 6.9
Turnout 53,321 76.5 −2.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +4.8

[edit] Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Harlow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stanley Newens 22,698 42.7 −10.0
Conservative J Powley 21,306 40.1 +15.8
Liberal R Browne 8,289 15.7 −7.4
Majority 1,392 2.6
Turnout 53,133 78.7 +3.5
Labour hold Swing −12.9
General Election October 1974: Harlow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stanley Newens 24,961 52.7 +3.2
Conservative J E Smith 11,510 24.3 −0.7
Liberal B 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 B Goldstone 13,280 25.5 +25.5
Conservative J E Smith 13,016 25.0 -14.1
Majority 12,534 24.1
Turnout 52,110 83.9 +10.0
Labour hold Swing +1.2
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

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Constituencies in the East of England
Conservative

Billericay | Braintree | Brentwood and Ongar | Broxbourne | Bury St Edmunds | Castle Point | Central Suffolk and North Ipswich | Epping Forest | Harwich | Hemel Hempstead | Hertford and Stortford | Hertsmere | Hitchin and Harpenden | Huntingdon | Maldon and East Chelmsford | Mid Bedfordshire | Mid Norfolk | North Essex | North East Bedfordshire | North East Cambridgeshire | North East Hertfordshire | North West Cambridgeshire | North West Norfolk | Peterborough | Rayleigh | Rochford and Southend East | Saffron Walden | Southend West | South Cambridgeshire | South East Cambridgeshire | South Norfolk | South Suffolk | South West Bedfordshire | South West Hertfordshire | South West Norfolk | St Albans | Suffolk Coastal | Welwyn Hatfield | West Chelmsford | West Suffolk
Labour

Basildon | Bedford | Great Yarmouth | Harlow | Ipswich | Luton North | Luton South | Norwich North | Norwich South | Stevenage | Thurrock | Watford | Waveney
Liberal Democrat

Cambridge | Colchester | North Norfolk
East of England European constituency: Conservative (3) | UKIP (2) | Labour (1) | Liberal Democrats (1)
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