South Basildon and East Thurrock
2010 Results:
Conservative: 19624 (43.87%)
Labour: 13852 (30.96%)
Liberal Democrat: 5977 (13.36%)
BNP: 2518 (5.63%)
UKIP: 2639 (5.9%)
Independent: 125 (0.28%)
Majority: 5772 (12.91%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 18113 (41.9%)
Conservative: 16645 (38.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 4926 (11.4%)
Other: 3506 (8.1%)
Majority: 1467 (3.4%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 15578 (36.1%)
Labour: 18720 (43.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 4473 (10.4%)
BNP: 2055 (4.8%)
Green: 662 (1.5%)
UKIP: 1143 (2.6%)
Other: 510 (1.2%)
Majority: 3142 (7.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 13813 (33.8%)
Labour: 21551 (52.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 3691 (9%)
UKIP: 1397 (3.4%)
Other: 423 (1%)
Majority: 7738 (18.9%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 16366 (30.8%)
Labour: 29646 (55.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 4608 (8.7%)
Referendum: 2462 (4.6%)
Majority: 13280 (25%)
Boundary changes: the creation of an extra seat in Essex has major knock-on effects throughout the county. The old Basildon seat loses a third of its electorate to the new Basildon and Billericay seat, including the centre of Basildon itself. The remainder of the old seat is joined by Pitsea from the old Billericay seat and East Tilbury from Thurrock. The seat was provisionally to be called East Thurrock and Pitsea, but was renamed in the revised stage.
Profile: The seat now excludes the centre of Basildon, taking in the southern suburbs like Kingswood and Vange and the town of Pitsea to the East that forms a conurbation with Basildon. Basildon is the quintessential “Essex man” town, a 1950s newtown regarded as the home of “white van man” who supported the Conservatives through the 1980s and switched to Labour in 97. The constituency also includes Langdon Country Park and more rural farmland in Orsett ward, the largely working-class commuter town of Stanford and an expanse of industrial marshland along the North of the Thames. The former Shell Haven oil refinery site is currently in the process of massive redevelopment, with Shell and P&O planning a major business park and deep sea container port.
Basildon is something of a bellwether seat, being won by the party that went on to form the government since it was created in 1992. The old Basildon seat was an iconic victory for the Conservatives in 1992, with David Amess`s successful holding of the seat heralding their ultimate victory. Amess himself moved to Southend West following the 1997 boundary changes.
Current MP: Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative) Epping Forest councillor. Contested Ilford South 2005.






2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 96412
Male: 48.5%
Female: 51.5%
Under 18: 24.7%
Over 60: 17.2%
Born outside UK: 4%
White: 96.7%
Black: 0.6%
Asian: 1.2%
Mixed: 0.9%
Other: 0.5%
Christian: 74.1%
Muslim: 0.6%
Full time students: 1.7%
Graduates 16-74: 9.5%
No Qualifications 16-74: 34%
Owner-Occupied: 71.5%
Social Housing: 21.7% (Council: 16.4%, Housing Ass.: 5.3%)
Privately Rented: 5%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 3.4%