Epping Forest (UK Parliament constituency)

Epping Forest is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Eleanor Laing, a Conservative.[n 2]

Epping Forest
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Epping Forest in Essex
Location of Essex within England
CountyEssex
Electorate72,212 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsEpping, Waltham Abbey, Loughton, Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill
Current constituency
Created1974 (1974)
Member of ParliamentEleanor Laing (Conservative)
Number of membersOne
Created fromEpping
Chigwell
Eleanor Laing, who has represented the constituency since 1997.

History

The seat was created for the February 1974 general election, primarily from part of the abolished constituency of Chigwell, together with parts of the abolished constituency of Epping.

When Epping Forest was first created, it was more favourable to the Conservatives than the old Epping seat, as it lost the new town of Harlow (inside the old Epping Rural District) and gained the more Conservative Chigwell Urban District. During the Thatcher period the Labour Party's vote was crushed. Even though the Liberals managed to move into second place, their vote did little more than follow national trends and as soon as 1987 their votes dropped away as well.

Two former candidates in the Epping Forest constituency have also stood for election as Mayor of London: Steve Norris (Conservative; MP 1988–97) and Julian Leppert (British National Party).

Constituency profile

The constituency includes the London commuter belt towns of Loughton, Epping and Chigwell (which are served by the Central line) and Waltham Abbey, as well as extensive areas of Metropolitan Green Belt including the majority of Epping Forest itself.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Chigwell, Epping, and Waltham Holy Cross, and in the Rural District of Epping and Ongar the parishes of Epping Upland, Theydon Bois, and Theydon Garnon.[2]

The majority of the new constituency, comprising the Urban District of Chigwell (incorporating Buckhurst Hill and Loughton), had previously been part of the abolished constituency of Chigwell. Remaining parts had previously been in the abolished constituency of Epping.

1983–1997: The District of Epping Forest wards of Broadway, Buckhurst Hill East, Buckhurst Hill West, Chigwell Row, Chigwell Village, Debden Green, Epping Hemnall, Epping Lindsey, Grange Hill, High Beach, Loughton Forest, Loughton Roding, Loughton St John's, Loughton St Mary's, Paternoster, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey East, and Waltham Abbey West.[3]

Minor loss to Brentwood and Ongar.

1997–2010: The District of Epping Forest wards of Broadway, Buckhurst Hill East, Buckhurst Hill West, Chigwell Row, Chigwell Village, Debden Green, Epping Hemnall, Epping Lindsey, Grange Hill, High Beach, Loughton Forest, Loughton Roding, Loughton St John's, Loughton St Mary's, North Weald Bassett, Paternoster, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey East, and Waltham Abbey West.[4]

North Weald Bassett transferred from Harlow.

2010–present: The District of Epping Forest wards of Broadley Common, Epping Upland and Nazeing, Buckhurst Hill East, Buckhurst Hill West, Chigwell Row, Chigwell Village, Epping Hemnall, Epping Lindsey and Thornwood Common, Grange Hill, Loughton Alderton, Loughton Broadway, Loughton Fairmead, Loughton Forest, Loughton Roding, Loughton St John’s, Loughton St Mary’s, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey High Beach, Waltham Abbey Honey Lane, Waltham Abbey North East, Waltham Abbey Paternoster, and Waltham Abbey South West.[5]

North Weald Bassett ward now transferred to Brentwood and Ongar. Other marginal changes due to redistribution of local authority wards.

The constituency comprises Loughton, Epping, Waltham Abbey, Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, Theydon Bois, part of North Weald, small intermediate villages and almost the whole of the ancient Forest itself, except those parts which were transferred to Greater London in 1965.

Members of Parliament

The constituency was created in 1974 from the seats of Epping and Chigwell — both of these (then one constituency, Epping) were represented by Winston Churchill throughout his tenure as Prime Minister during World War II. The Conservative Party has won in Epping Forest in every election since the creation of the constituency, and the present MP is the Conservative Dame Eleanor Laing, who has been a Deputy Speaker of the House since October 2013 and Chairman of Ways and Means since 2020.

ElectionMember[6] Party
Feb 1974 Sir John Biggs-Davison Conservative
1988 by-election Steve Norris Conservative
1997 Eleanor Laing Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Epping Forest[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Eleanor Laing 32,364 64.4 +2.4
Labour Vicky te Velde 10,191 20.3 -5.7
Liberal Democrats Jon Whitehouse 5,387 10.7 +5.0
Green Steven Neville 1,975 3.9 +1.5
Young People's Thomas Hall 181 0.4 +0.2
SDP Jon Newham 170 0.3 N/A
Majority 22,173 44.1 +8.1
Turnout 50,268 67.7 -0.2
Conservative hold Swing +4.1
General election 2017: Epping Forest
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Eleanor Laing 31,462 62.0 +7.2
Labour Liam Preston 13,219 26.0 +9.9
Liberal Democrats Jon Whitehouse 2,884 5.7 -1.3
UKIP Patrick O'Flynn 1,871 3.7 -14.7
Green Simon Heap 1,233 2.4 -1.2
Young People's Thomas Hall 110 0.2 0.0
Majority 18,243 36.0 -0.5
Turnout 50,779 67.9 +0.8
Conservative hold Swing -0.9
General election 2015: Epping Forest[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Eleanor Laing[10] 27,027 54.8 +0.8
UKIP Andrew Smith[10] 9,049 18.3 +14.3
Labour Gareth Barrett 7,962 16.1 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Jon Whitehouse[11] 3,448 7.0 −14.5
Green Anna Widdup 1,782 3.6 +2.2
Young People's Mark Wadsworth 80 0.2 N/A
Majority 17,978 36.5 +4.0
Turnout 49,348 67.1 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Epping Forest[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Eleanor Laing 25,148 54.0 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Ann Haigh 10,017 21.5 +3.4
Labour Katie Curtis 6,641 14.3 −7.2
BNP Patricia Richardson 1,982 4.3 +0.2
UKIP Andrew Smith 1,852 4.0 +1.7
Green Simon Pepper 659 1.4 N/A
English Democrat Kim Sawyer 285 0.6 −0.9
Majority 15,131 32.5 +1.2
Turnout 46,584 64.5 +2.8
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Epping Forest[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Eleanor Laing 23,783 53.0 +3.9
Labour Bambos Charalambous 9,425 21.0 −8.3
Liberal Democrats Michael Heavens 8,279 18.5 −0.1
BNP Julian Leppert 1,728 3.9 N/A
UKIP Andrew Smith 1,014 2.2 −0.7
English Democrat Robin Tilbrook 631 1.4 N/A
Majority 14,358 32.0 +12.2
Turnout 44,860 61.6 +3.2
Conservative hold Swing +6.1
General election 2001: Epping Forest[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Eleanor Laing 20,833 49.1 +3.6
Labour Christopher Naylor 12,407 29.3 −6.3
Liberal Democrats Michael Heavens 7,884 18.6 +5.2
UKIP Andrew Smith 1,290 3.0 N/A
Majority 8,426 19.8 +9.9
Turnout 42,414 58.4 −14.5
Conservative hold Swing +5.0

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Epping Forest[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Eleanor Laing 24,117 45.5 −14.0
Labour Stephen Murray 18,865 35.6 +12.6
Liberal Democrats Stephen Robinson 7,074 13.3 −3.7
BNP Paul Henderson 743 1.4 N/A
Majority 5,252 9.9 -26.2
Turnout 53,750
Conservative hold Swing −13.3
General election 1992: Epping Forest[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Steve Norris 32,407 59.5 −1.4
Labour Stephen Murray 12,219 22.4 +4.0
Liberal Democrats Beryl Austen 9,265 17.0 −2.4
Epping Forest Residents Association Andrew O'Brien 552 1.0 N/A
Majority 20,188 37.1 −4.5
Turnout 54,443 80.5 +4.2
Conservative hold Swing −2.7

Elections in the 1980s
1988 Epping Forest by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Steven Norris 13,183 39.5 −21.5
SLD Andrew J. Thompson 8,679 26.0 +6.6
Labour Stephen Murray 6,261 18.7 +0.4
SDP (1988) Michael Pettman 4,077 12.2 −7.2
Green Andrew M. Simms 672 2.0 +0.7
National Front Tina Wingfield 286 0.6 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch 208 0.6 N/A
Rainbow Alliance – Change the World Jackie Moore 33 0.1 N/A
Vote no Belsen for South Africans Brian G. Goodier 16 0.0 N/A
Majority 4,504 13.5
Turnout 33,415 49.1 −27.2
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1987: Epping Forest[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Biggs-Davison 31,536 60.9 +4.4
Liberal Anthony Humphris 10,023 19.4 −5.4
Labour Stephen Murray 9,499 18.4 +1.3
Green Richard Denhard 695 1.3 N/A
Majority 21,513 41.6 +9.9
Turnout 51,753 76.3 +4.3
Conservative hold Swing +4.9
General election 1983: Epping Forest[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Biggs-Davison 27,373 56.5 −1.2
SDP Michael Pettman 11,995 24.8 +12.0
Labour Hilary Bryan 8,289 17.1 −10.3
Ecology Robert Boenke 452 0.9 N/A
BNP Sydney Smith 330 0.7 N/A
Majority 15,378 31.7
Turnout 48,439 72.0
Conservative hold Swing −6.6

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: Epping Forest
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Biggs-Davison 29,447 57.7 +10.0
Labour William David Shepherd 13,994 27.4 −5.9
Liberal David Monro Kitching 6,528 12.8 −6.3
National Front Brian Clive Wilkins 1,110 2.2 N/A
Majority 15,453 30.3 +15.9
Turnout 51,079 76.6 +3.3
Conservative hold Swing +8.0
General election October 1974: Epping Forest
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Biggs-Davison 22,392 47.7 +0.9
Labour Stanley James Palfreman 15,618 33.3 +2.2
Liberal Derek Frederick John Wood 8,952 19.1 −3.0
Majority 6,774 14.4
Turnout 46,962 73.3
Conservative hold Swing −0.7
General election February 1974: Epping Forest
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Biggs-Davison 24,290 46.8 −7.5
Labour William James Sheaff 16,123 31.1 −14.7
Liberal Derek Frederick John Wood 11,478 22.1 +22.1
Majority 8,167 15.7
Turnout 51,891 81.8 +8.7
Conservative hold Swing +3.6

Notional results (before 1974)
Notional General Election 1970: Epping Forest
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Biggs-Davison 35,010 54.3 +9.2
Labour 29,506 45.7 +4.3
Majority 5,504 8.5
Turnout 64,516 73.1
Conservative hold Swing +2.5
Notional General Election 1966: Epping Forest
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative 21,834 44.1
Labour 20,504 41.4
Liberal 7,202 14.5
Majority 1,330 2.7
Turnout 82.5
Conservative hold Swing

Graphical representation
February 1974
31.1% 22.1% 46.8%
Labour Liberal Conservative
October 1974
33.3% 19.1% 47.7%
Labour Liberal Conservative
1979
27.4% 12.8% 57.7%
Labour Liberal Conservative
1983
17.1% 24.8% 56.5%
Labour SDP Conservative
1987
18.4% 19.4% 60.9%
Labour Liberal Conservative
1988 by-election
18.7% 12.2% 26.0% 39.5%
Labour SDP Social and Liberal Democrats Conservative
1992
22.4% 17.0% 59.5%
Labour Lib Dems Conservative
1997
35.6% 13.3% 45.5%
Labour Lib Dems Conservative
2001
29.3% 18.6% 49.1% 3.0%
Labour Lib Dems Conservative UKIP
2005
21.0% 18.5% 53.0% 3.9%
Labour Lib Dems Conservative BNP
2010
14.3% 21.5% 54.0% 4.0% 4.3%
Lab Lib Dems Conservative UKIP BNP
2015
3.6% 16.1% 7.0% 54.8% 18.3%
Grn Labour Lib Dems Conservative UKIP
2017
26.0% 5.7% 62.0% 3.7%
Labour Lib Dems Conservative UKIP
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See also

Notes and references
Notes
  1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
  1. "Electorate Figures". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  3. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  6. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
  7. "Epping Forest Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  8. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. "Epping Forest parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  10. "UK ELECTION RESULTS: EPPING FOREST 2015".
  11. "Ex-mayor selected for election by Lib Dems". Epping Forest Guardian.
  12. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. "BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | Epping Forest". news.bbc.co.uk.
  14. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  19. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
Preceded by
Epping (part)		 UK Parliament constituency
Epping, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Loughton
1974 – present		 Current boundaries
Preceded by
Chigwell (part)

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