Castle Point
2010 Results:
Conservative: 19806 (43.99%)
Labour: 6609 (14.68%)
Liberal Democrat: 4232 (9.4%)
BNP: 2205 (4.9%)
Others: 12174 (27.04%)
Majority: 7632 (29.31%)
2005 Results:
Conservative: 22118 (48.3%)
Labour: 13917 (30.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 4719 (10.3%)
Other: 5048 (11%)
Majority: 8201 (17.9%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 17738 (44.6%)
Labour: 16753 (42.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 3116 (7.8%)
UKIP: 1273 (3.2%)
Other: 883 (2.2%)
Majority: 985 (2.5%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 19489 (40.1%)
Labour: 20605 (42.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 4477 (9.2%)
Referendum: 2700 (5.6%)
Other: 1301 (2.7%)
Majority: 1116 (2.3%)
No Boundary Changes:
Profile: Castle Point is a South Essex seat on the Thames estuary, consisting of Canvey Island and the nearby towns of South Benfleet, Thundersley amd Hadleigh. The area expanded rapidly after the second world war as people moved out of London and it is a solid slice of owner-occupied, middle class commuterland (it has the highest rate of owner-occupation of any seat in the country). Canvey Island is a seaside resort, attached to the mainland by bridge. To the west of the island there are oil and gas terminals, but this too is now largely residential.
The seat is normally rock solid Conservative and the Tories enjoyed a majority of over 30% in 1992. It fell to Labour in 1997 on a massive swing but they held it for only a single Parliament, with Bob Spink managing to retake it in 2001, one of very few Tory MPs defeated in the 1997 landslide who managed to regain the seat they lost.
Current MP: Rebecca Harris (Conservative) Former special advisor to Tim Yeo.
Rebecca Harris (Conservative) Former special advisor to Tim Yeo.
Julian Ware-Lane (Labour) IT consultant and former civil servant. Local football referee. Contested Rayleigh 2005.
Brendan D`Cruz (Liberal Democrat) Educated at Plymouth University. Head of business and computing department at the University of Wales.
Philip Howell (BNP) Butcher.
Bob Spink (Independent Save our Green Belt) born 1948, Worth valley. Educated at Holycroft Secondary Modern and the University of Manchester, with a doctorate from Cranfield University. Former engineer, management consultant and director of Bournemouth airport. Essex county councillor 1985-1992 for the Conservative party. Conservative MP for Castle Point 1992-1997 and from 2001. Spink has a reputuation as a plain spoken, Yorkshireman who had taken a consistently right wing, and often controversial line. He is a supporter of the death penalty and opposed to Britain`s membership of the European Union. In 2005 he was criticised by political opponents for publishing an advert on immigration in his local party saying “What bit of `send them back` don`t you understand Mr Blair?”. Spink faced discord with his own local party, surviving a deselection attempt in 2005, accussing a local councillor of being a conduit for an illegal donation in 2007 and clashing with the local Tory council in 2008, finally leading to his departure from the Conservative party in March 2008. For a period he was described as a UKIP MP, though it is unclear whether he ever formally joined the party.2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 86608
Male: 48.9%
Female: 51.1%
Under 18: 21.9%
Over 60: 22.9%
Born outside UK: 2.8%
White: 98.2%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.7%
Mixed: 0.6%
Other: 0.3%
Christian: 75.7%
Full time students: 1.6%
Graduates 16-74: 8.9%
No Qualifications 16-74: 33.2%
Owner-Occupied: 88.5%
Social Housing: 5.6% (Council: 4.3%, Housing Ass.: 1.3%)
Privately Rented: 4.4%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 3.4%
Interestingly, Canvey Island has returned a number of Ratepayers in recent local elections. This group has now become the major opposition force on Castlepoint council-with Labour being almost wiped out. I believe the council had 100% Tory representation for some time during the 1980s and it looked like it was getting back towards that before this Residents group emerged a couple of years ago.
Shaun is right. The Tories regained control of the council in 2003 with 37 seats to just 2 for Labour (who controlled the council).
Until and including 2003 Castle Point was always one of the all out election 4 year councils, but from 2004 when there was quite a major re-warding in many parts of the country, it seems to be one of the councils which rotates, and this residents group has emerged 2004 onwards.
Going back, yes the Tories won every single ward in May 1979 (same day as General), and in May 1987.
Interestingly, in May 1983 Labour had a handful of seats, as they did in May 1991.
Labour had a 34-5 landslide in 1995, and a 24-15 win in 1999.
bob spink is the kind of man the tories need- he talks what we all think but are too scared to say ourselves. Yes, on the whole we do want lots more immigrants deported than are currently, we don’t look highly on black urban culture and we don’t agree with positive discrimination.
People like Arjun (who I assume is from India or Nepal or some other god forsaken place) don’t mind defending extreme coloured clerics, but will cry ‘racist!’ when anyone even hints at problems with immigration.
Oh Harry, what have you done? I agree wholeheartedly with your statement but you have given Arjun a chance to get back in and accuse you of racism too!
Go Bon Spink! He is what you call TRUE TORY MP! He is what the essex man wants! He would have my vote any day!
I think that kind of Tory also appeals in areas well beyond Essex. I wish the current leadership could see that
This is a slightly weird area; for Labour to do quite well in May 1983 is surprising. Also, I thought a Labour gain in 1997 was impossible, despite the council gains of 1995.
Yes, one thing to note is Labour did not do spectacularly badly in the May 1983 Local elections.
They polled 34.5% of the national projected vote to around 40.5% for the Tories,
so actually – compared to 1979 – it was a modest fall of both main parties to the Alliance, with little net swing between either of them.
Labour had a terrible General Election campaign.
Further to my point about May 1983 Local Elections.
Compared to May 1979 Locals, there was a modest swing to Labour in the North, and a modest swing to the Tories in Midlands/South.
The Alliance did well – but not incredibly well – 22%.
For some reason, all three parties gained some seats compared
to May 1979 – I think this may have been a net figure caused by
the departure of some Independents.
But as we know, Labour had an awful campaign in June
and this reduced their likely vote from about 32-33% to 28%.
Castle Point was a little noticed patch where the Tories did badly in May 2007. The Independents group is getting quite large, and could – next year or the 2010 – threaten their control of the council.
But this is almost certainly a safe Tory seat (over Labour) in General Elections now.
If your MP is a Man who has views that are not the ones for a proper UK – VOTE AGAINST HIM
All I can see is an argument between a couple of strong people.
Why cannot the Libs or Labour not stand next time and get rid of him using the double vote against idea?
My guess is all i read is petty politics and no concern for your constituency in general.
Oops, probaby said the truth – who was second then – you two???
Quite DISLIKE totally the views of your MP – but as you cannot be bothered to actually campaign against negative viewstogether then he will win.
Looks like Carry on Tories – thanks you lot…….
“The Independents group is getting quite large, and could – next year or the 2010 – threaten their control of the council”
I dont think so. They are Canvey Island Independents and already have most of the seats on Canvey Island (there are 17 in total there – 15 are CIIs) – the Conservtives seem safe in the wards in Benfleet and Hadleigh and cannot lose control without losing seats there.
Unless the Independent group break out of Canvey Island where they already have a monopoly, the Tories are not really under threat. However, it doesn’t leave much room for the Tories to survive a slight dip in their fortunes elsewhere in the borough. I wonder why they stupidly moved to annual elections instead of sticking with the four year term? If they had, the Independents would probably not be that big now.
But notice how Labour (who were once controlling the council) have been totally wiped off the map here.
It was re-warded, but I don’t know why it switched to rotated elections after 2003. Although Castle Point is not particularly affluent, it has a very very low financial hardship index, and is near the top for owner occupation.
Meanwhile, I believe that Broadland has switched the other way to four year terms, whilst others have moved to half council elections every two years. This I can sort of understand, but if you have just taken over control of the borough as the Tories did in 2003, why would you shorten your term of office by moving to an annual rota?