Comments on: Witham

By: John Chanin

John Chanin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:05:04 +0000

The Boundary Commission have largely recreated the pre -2010 position in North Essex. This makes sense and is unlikely to be significantly changed following consultation.

Surely Hazelhurst will be prevailed upon to retire allowing Brooks Newmark to move to the “NW Essex” seat (however it eventually ends up being named). The Conservatives will not want to lose Priti Patel, so she is sure to be given a seat, and this is the obvious way to do it. Jenkin and Whittingdale aren’t going to retire.

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:27:17 +0000

Yes Adam that’s correct. 1987 & 2010 are the only 2 occasions Thurrock has been won by the Conservatives since its creation.

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:51:25 +0000

A clear sweep might be too much to hope for. Thurrock would change hands on any pro-Labour swing,

Just out of interest, was the last time the Conservatives had a clear sweep of Essex seats when they held Thurrock in the 1987-92 parliament?

By: Tim Jones

Tim Jones — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:20:06 +0000

‘Alan Haselhurst might retire in Saffron Walden ‘

If he did that would leave Essex with more right wing Tory MPs than any other country – which is quite fitting

If they persuaded Democrat-supporting Simon Burns to stand down and defeated Bob Russell in Colchester they’d do the clean sweep

By: Pete Whitehead

Pete Whitehead — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:09:46 +0000

I’m not so sure it is true. the relatively undersized seats are further south in Essex, in Castle Point and Southend. I think Witham could survive in modified form (perhaps gaining the town of Maldon) and Wickford & Rayleigh looks a better candidate for abolition to me

By: Andy JS

Andy JS — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:46:21 +0000

Probably true. Bad luck for Priti Patel. Maybe Alan Haselhurst might retire in Saffron Walden then either Priti Patel or Brooks Newmark could move there.

By: Stephen Botfield

Stephen Botfield — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:22:48 +0000

Front page article in this weeks “Braintree & Witham Times” says that due to the boundary changes Witham is a one term Constituency and Priti Patel has denied a rumour that she is going to stand in the Isle Of Wight at the next GE.

By: Tim Jones

Tim Jones — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:47:47 +0000

I got the wrong end of the stick Andy as Joe spoke it the past tense when describing Witham’s removal from the Brainteee seat – making me think it had been removed from the Braintree seat in 1983-97 and then went back in it in 1997-2010

I didn’t realise how little of the electorate of this seat actually resided in Witham itself

By: Andy JS

Andy JS — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:00:16 +0000

Tim – I did mention above that Witham was in Braintree from 1983 to 2010 (according to the Almanac of British Politics).

By: Pete Whitehead

Pete Whitehead — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:14:30 +0000

“‘I guess it was partly the removal of Witham itself that made Braintree a safe Tory seat.’
Just as putting it back in – as I assume they did in 97 – meant that Labour could take it”

What are you talking about Tim? Witham was never removed before 1997 and put back in then. Joe is referring to the Braintree seat which came into being in 2010 being safely Tory following the removal of Witham. From the creation of the Braintree seat in 1974 until 2010 Witham was always included.
Both towns have traditional Labour strength of course and contributed to the marginal status of the pre-1974 Maldon seat. A seat containing both towns was always likely to be competitive for Labour (though this was masked in their dire years in the 1980s) but now booth towns are overwhelmed by other areas where Labour are weak