Saffron Walden (UK Parliament constituency)
Saffron Walden | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Saffron Walden in Essex. | |
Location of Essex within England. | |
County | Essex |
Electorate | 77,109 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow, Halstead |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1885 |
Member of parliament | Alan Haselhurst (Conservative) |
Number of members | One |
Created from | West Essex |
Overlaps | |
European Parliament constituency | East of England |
Saffron Walden is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1977 by Alan Haselhurst, a Conservative.[n 2]
Boundaries
New constituency boundaries which took effect at the 2010 general election removed the area around Halstead in Braintree district and replaced it with the northern wards of the Borough of Chelmsford.
Since these changes the seat has electoral wards:
- Boreham and the Leighs; Broomfield and The Walthams; Chelmsford Rural West; Writtle in the Borough of Chelmsford
- Ashdon; Barnston and High Easter; Birchanger; Broad Oak and the Halingburys; Clavering; Elsenham and Henham; Felsted; Great Dunmow North; Great Dunmow South; Hatfield Heath; Littlebury; Newport; Saffron Walden - Audley, Saffron Walden - Castle, Saffron Walden - Shire; Stansted North; Stansted South; Stebbing; Stort Valley; Takeley and the Canfields; Thaxted; The Chesterfords; The Eastons; The Rodings; The Sampfords; Wenden Lofts; Wimbish and Debden in the District of Uttlesford[2]
History
This constituency was created on slightly different, larger boundaries under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Aside from the towns much of the area is rural farmland and small villages.
This has been a Conservative safe seat based on election results since 1922, in which period the majorities have not been marginal.
Constituency profile
The constituency is by far the largest and most rural in Essex, and covers the entire north-west corner of the county - an area of almost 400 square miles (1,000 km2).[3] It borders Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, whilst also extending deep into the middle of Essex near Chelmsford.
Three medium-sized market towns, Saffron Walden, Dunmow and Halstead are in the constituency. All three have historic links, and are busy and regionally visitor-drawing towns in the South East.
The largest single source of employment in the constituency is Stansted Airport, while there are also a host of small businesses, many of them high-tech along and at the ends of the London-Cambridge corridor.
- In statistics
The constituency consists of Census Output Areas of two local government districts with similar characteristics, taking that forming the bulk (i.e. Uttlesford) shows: a working population whose income is close to the national average and much lower than average reliance upon social housing.[4] At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 1.6% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 2.4%.[5] The borough contributing to the bulk of the seat has a very low 10.1% of its population without a car, 17.7% of the population without qualifications and a high 31.9% had level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure 71.6% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as at the 2011 census across the Uttlesford district.[6]
Members of Parliament
![](../I/m/SaffronWalden1918.png)
Since a by-election in 1977, this safe Conservative seat has been represented by Sir Alan Haselhurst. It was also held for many years by former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rab Butler.
Election | Member[7] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 | Herbert Gardner | Liberal | |
1895 | Charles Gold | Liberal | |
1900 | Armine Wodehouse | Liberal | |
1901 by-election | Joseph Pease | Liberal | |
Jan 1910 | Douglas Proby | Conservative | |
Dec 1910 | Sir Cecil Beck | Liberal | |
1922 | Sir William Foot Mitchell | Conservative | |
1929 | Rab Butler | Conservative | |
1965 by-election | Sir Peter Kirk | Conservative | |
1977 by-election | Sir Alan Haselhurst | Conservative |
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
General Election 2015: Saffron Walden [8] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Residents for Uttlesford | Heather Asker | ||||
Labour | Jane Berney | ||||
UKIP | Peter Day[9] | ||||
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | ||||
Liberal Democrat | Mike Hibbs | ||||
Green | Karmel Stannard | ||||
General Election 2010: Saffron Walden[10] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 30,155 | 55.4 | +4.6 | |
Liberal Democrat | Peter Wilcock | 14,913 | 27.4 | -2.2 | |
Labour | Barbara Light | 5,288 | 9.7 | -4.5 | |
UKIP | Roger Lord | 2,288 | 4.2 | +1.5 | |
BNP | Chrissie Mitchell | 1,050 | 1.9 | +1.9 | |
Green | Reza Hossain | 735 | 1.4 | +1.4 | |
Majority | 15,242 | 28.0 | |||
Turnout | 54,429 | 71.6 | +2.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.4 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
General Election 2005: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 27,263 | 51.4 | +2.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | Elfreda Tealby-Watson | 14,255 | 26.9 | +2.0 | |
Labour | Swatantra Nandanwar | 8,755 | 16.5 | −6.1 | |
UKIP | Raymond Tyler | 1,412 | 2.7 | −0.8 | |
English Democrats | Raymond Brown | 860 | 1.6 | N/A | |
Veritas | Trevor Hackett | 475 | 0.9 | N/A | |
Majority | 13,008 | 24.5 | |||
Turnout | 53,020 | 68.3 | +3.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |||
General Election 2001: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 24,485 | 48.9 | +3.6 | |
Liberal Democrat | Elfreda Tealby-Watson | 12,481 | 24.9 | -1.9 | |
Labour | Tania Rogers | 11,305 | 22.6 | +1.1 | |
UKIP | Richard Glover | 1,769 | 3.5 | +2.4 | |
Majority | 12,004 | 24.0 | |||
Turnout | 50,040 | 65.2 | -11.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |||
Elections in the 1990s
General Election 1997: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 25,871 | 45.3 | -11.3 | |
Liberal Democrat | Melvin Caton | 15,298 | 26.8 | +1.8 | |
Labour | Michael Fincken | 12,275 | 21.5 | -7.2 | |
Referendum Party | Richard Glover | 2,308 | 4.0 | ||
UKIP | I Evans | 658 | 1.2 | ||
Independent | Barry Tyler | 486 | 0.9 | ||
Natural Law | Christopher Edwards | 154 | 0.3 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 10,573 | 18.5 | -13.1 | ||
Turnout | 57,050 | 76.9 | -6.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -6.6 | |||
General Election 1992: Saffron Walden[11] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 35,272 | 56.6 | −1.1 | |
Liberal Democrat | Mark P. Hayes | 17,848 | 28.6 | −0.3 | |
Labour | John Kotz | 8,933 | 14.3 | +2.8 | |
Natural Law | Michael D. Miller | 260 | 0.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 17,424 | 28.0 | −0.8 | ||
Turnout | 62,313 | 83.2 | +4.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.4 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
General Election 1987: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 33,354 | 57.69 | ||
Liberal | Mark P. Hayes | 16,752 | 28.98 | ||
Labour | R Gifford | 6,674 | 11.54 | ||
Green | GB Hannah | 816 | 1.41 | ||
All Party Anti-Common Market | W Oliver Smedley | 217 | 0.38 | ||
Majority | 16,602 | 28.72 | |||
Turnout | 79.00 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1983: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 30,869 | 57.85 | ||
Social Democratic | J Torode | 15,620 | 29.27 | ||
Labour | RP Trory | 6,078 | 11.39 | ||
All Party Anti-Common Market | W Oliver Smedley | 797 | 1.49 | ||
Majority | 15,249 | 28.58 | |||
Turnout | 76.91 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1970s
General Election 1979: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 28,563 | 53.81 | ||
Liberal | Andrew Phillips | 13,200 | 24.87 | ||
Labour | Ben Stoneham | 10,547 | 19.87 | ||
Independent | W Oliver Smedley | 425 | 0.80 | ||
National Front | R Bailey | 342 | 0.64 | ||
Majority | 15,363 | 28.94 | |||
Turnout | 81.61 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Saffron Walden by-election, 1977 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Alan Haselhurst | 22,692 | 55.74 | +12.03 | |
Liberal | Andrew Phillips | 10,255 | 25.19 | -5.13 | |
Labour | Ben Stoneham | 5,948 | 14.61 | -11.36 | |
All Party Anti-Common Market | W Oliver Smedley | 1,818 | 4.47 | N/A | |
Majority | 12,437 | ||||
Turnout | 40,713 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election October 1974: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Peter Michael Kirk | 21,291 | 43.71 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 14,770 | 30.32 | ||
Labour | H Green | 12,652 | 25.97 | ||
Majority | 6,521 | 13.39 | |||
Turnout | 78.07 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election February 1974: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Peter Michael Kirk | 23,013 | 44.58 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 15,468 | 29.97 | ||
Labour | J Dowsett | 13,138 | 25.45 | ||
Majority | 7,545 | 14.62 | |||
Turnout | 83.40 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1970: Saffron Walden | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Peter Michael Kirk | 24,549 | 52.92 | ||
Labour | Kenneth Thomas Weetch | 14,885 | 32.08 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 6,959 | 15.00 | ||
Majority | 9,664 | 20.83 | |||
Turnout | 77.24 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
General Election 1966: Saffron Walden Electorate 52,221 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Peter Michael Kirk | 20,441 | 47.42 | ||
Labour | Stephen Michael Alan Haseler | 17,176 | 39.85 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 5,487 | 12.73 | ||
Majority | 3,265 | 7.57 | |||
Turnout | 82.54 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Saffron Walden by-election, 1965 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Peter Michael Kirk | 18,851 | 48.5 | -0.8 | |
Labour | Michael D Cornish | 15,358 | 39.5 | +2.0 | |
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 4,626 | 11.9 | -1.4 | |
Majority | 3,493 | ||||
Turnout | |||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1964: Saffron Walden
Electorate 50,724 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Rt Hon. Richard Austen Butler | 20,610 | 49.3 | ||
Labour | Michael D Cornish | 15,655 | 37.5 | ||
Liberal | Frank P D Moore | 6,189 | 13.3 | ||
Majority | 4,955 | 11.85 | – | ||
Turnout | 82.41 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
General Election 1959: Saffron Walden
Electorate 48,454 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Rt Hon. Richard Austen Butler | 20,955 | 53.22 | ||
Labour | Rev. Hampden N Horne | 14,173 | 36.00 | ||
Liberal | David J Ridley | 4,245 | 10.78 | ||
Majority | 6,782 | 17.23 | |||
Turnout | 81.26 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1955: Saffron Walden
Electorate 47,922 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Rt Hon. Richard Austen Butler | 20,671 | 54.21 | ||
Labour | Rev. Hampden N Horne | 14,253 | 37.28 | ||
Liberal | Helen G Carson | 3,209 | 8.42 | ||
Majority | 6,418 | 16.83 | |||
Turnout | 79.57 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1951: Saffron Walden
Electorate 47,836 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Rt Hon. Richard Austen Butler | 20,564 | 51.95 | ||
Labour | Reginald Groves | 15,245 | 38.51 | ||
Liberal | W Oliver Smedley | 3,774 | 9.53 | ||
Majority | 5,319 | 13.44 | |||
Turnout | 82.75 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1950: Saffron Walden
Electorate 46,998 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Rt Hon. Richard Austen Butler | 19,797 | 49.91 | ||
Labour | Sidney Stanley Wilson | 14,908 | 37.58 | ||
Liberal | W Oliver Smedley | 4,963 | 12.51 | ||
Majority | 4,889 | 12.32 | |||
Turnout | 84.40 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Election in the 1940s
General Election 1945: Saffron Walden
Electorate 48,417 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Rt Hon. Richard Austen Butler | 16,950 | 46.90 | ||
Labour | Sidney Stanley Wilson | 15,792 | 43.70 | ||
Liberal | George Adolphus Edinger | 3,395 | 9.39 | ||
Majority | 1,158 | 3.20 | |||
Turnout | 74.64 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1939/40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Richard Austin Butler
- Labour: Clara Rackham[12]
General Election 1935: Saffron Walden
Electorate | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Rt Hon. Richard Austen Butler | 19,669 | 67.13 | ||
Labour | Clara Rackham | 9,633 | 32.87 | ||
Majority | 10,036 | 34.25 | |||
Turnout | 68.55 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1931: Saffron Walden
Electorate 41,659 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Rt Hon. Richard Austen Butler | 22,501 | 77.67 | ||
Labour | Sidney Stanley Wilson | 6,468 | 22.33 | ||
Majority | 16,033 | 55.35 | |||
Turnout | 70.38 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
- The Liberal candidate, Arthur Musgrove Mathews withdrew at the last minute
Elections in the 1920s
General Election 1929: Saffron Walden[13]
Electorate 40,253 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Unionist | Richard Austin Butler | 13,561 | 44.5 | ||
Labour | William Cash | 8,642 | 28.3 | ||
Liberal | Arthur Musgrove Mathews | 8,307 | 27.2 | ||
Majority | 4,919 | 16.2 | |||
Turnout | 75.8 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1924: Saffron Walden[14]
Electorate 32,590 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Unionist | William Foot Mitchell | 12,289 | 51.6 | ||
Labour | William Cash | 6,340 | 26.6 | ||
Liberal | Arthur Musgrove Mathews | 5,195 | 21.8 | ||
Majority | 5,949 | 25.0 | |||
Turnout | 73.1 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1923: Saffron Walden[15]
Electorate 32,212 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Unionist | William Foot Mitchell | 9,652 | 44.3 | ||
Labour | William Cash | 6,398 | 29.3 | ||
Liberal | Dr Robert McNair Wilson | 5,752 | 26.4 | ||
Majority | 3,254 | 150 | |||
Turnout | 67.7 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1922 : Saffron Walden[16]
Electorate 31,774 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Unionist | William Foot Mitchell | 9,844 | 43.6 | ||
Labour | William Cash | 6,797 | 30.1 | ||
National Liberal | W D Harbinson | 3,097 | 13.7 | ||
Liberal | Dr Robert McNair Wilson | 2,853 | 12.6 | ||
Majority | 3,047 | 13.5 | |||
Turnout | 71.1 | ||||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1910s
![](../I/m/1921_Sir_Cecil_Beck.jpg)
General Election 1918
Electorate 31,682 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | 10,628 | 70.1 | |||
Labour | James Joseph Mallon | 4,531 | 29.9 | ||
Majority | 6,097 | 40.2 | |||
Turnout | 47.8 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
- Beck was endorsed by the Coalition Government.
General Election December 1910 Saffron Walden[17]
Electorate 9,187 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | Arthur Cecil Tyrrell Beck | 4,071 | 50.2 | +1.8 | |
Conservative | Douglas James Proby | 4,031 | 49.8 | -1.8 | |
Majority | 40 | 0.4 | 3.6 | ||
Turnout | 88.2 | -2.1 | |||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.8 | |||
General Election January 1910 Saffron Walden[17]
Electorate 9,187 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Douglas James Proby | 4,283 | 51.6 | ||
Liberal | Rt Hon. Joseph Albert Pease | 4,011 | 48.4 | ||
Majority | 272 | 3.2 | |||
Turnout | 90.3 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1900s
![](../I/m/1910_Jack_Pease.jpg)
General Election 1906 Saffron Walden[17]
Electorate 8,779 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | Joseph Albert Pease | 4,203 | 58.9 | +3.4 | |
Conservative | Sir Walter Balfour Barttelot | 2,935 | 41.1 | -3.4 | |
Majority | 1,268 | 17.8 | +6.8 | ||
Turnout | 81.3 | -2.9 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | +3.4 | |||
Saffron Walden by-election, 1901[18]
Electorate | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | Joseph Albert Pease | 3,994 | 55.5 | ||
Conservative | Charles Wing Gray | 3,202 | 44.5 | ||
Majority | 792 | 11.0 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
General Election 1900 Saffron Walden[17]
Electorate 8,556 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | Armine Wodehouse | 3,247 | 50.9 | -2.1 | |
Conservative | Charles Wing Gray | 3,137 | 49.1 | +2.1 | |
Majority | 110 | 1.8 | -4.2 | ||
Turnout | 74.6 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
See also
Notes and references
- Notes
- References
- ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ↑ 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
- ↑ Grid reference Finder measurement tools
- ↑ 2001 Census
- ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
- ↑ 2011 census interactive maps
- ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 1)
- ↑ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/Saffronwalden/
- ↑ "Peter Day PPC page". UK Independence Party. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- ↑ UK Polling Report: Saffron & Walden
- ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
- ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
- ↑ The Times, 3 June 1901 p7
Preceded by Essex Western |
UK Parliament constituency 1885– |
Succeeded by Current incumbent |
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Leeds South |
Constituency represented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer 1951–1955 |
Succeeded by Bromley |
Preceded by Woodford |
Constituency represented by the Father of the House 1964–1965 |
Succeeded by Thirsk and Malton |