Southend West (UK Parliament constituency)


Southend West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Sir David Amess, a Conservative.

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.
Because four members of the Guinness family have held the seat it has been dubbed in political analyses in the media as "Guinness-on-Sea".
It is currently represented by David Amess, previously MP for Basildon.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1950–1955: The County Borough of Southend-on-Sea wards of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh, Milton, Prittlewell, St Clements, Victoria, and Westborough.
Formed primarily from western parts of the abolished Parliamentary Borough of Southend-on-Sea.
1955–1983: The County Borough of Southend-on-Sea wards of Blenheim, Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh, Prittlewell, St Clement's, Southbourne, and Westborough.
Realignment of boundary with Southend East.
1983–2010: The Borough of Southend-on-Sea wards of Belfairs, Blenheim, Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh, Prittlewell, and Westborough.
Marginal changes following the redistribution of wards in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea.
2010–present: The Borough of Southend-on-Sea wards of Belfairs, Blenheim Park, Chalkwell, Eastwood Park, Leigh, Prittlewell, St Laurence, Westborough, and West Leigh.
Further marginal changes were due to a redistribution of local authority wards.
The constituency comprises a small part of the West of Southend-on-Sea, and includes Leigh-on-Sea and Westcliff-on-Sea. It is bounded to the North and East by Rochford and Southend East, to the North by Rayleigh and Wickford, to the West by Castle Point, and to the South by the very end of the Thames estuary.

Constituency profile

Workless claimants were in November 2012 close to the national average of 3.8%, at 3.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.
Leigh-on-Sea has a number of Liberal Democrat councillors, and there is some Labour strength in Westborough and Blenheim, but the remaining areas are predominantly Conservative.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

had previously been standing for the National Health Action Party, before withdrawing their candidacy on 11 May 2017, citing death threats and concern for their health.

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s