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Clacton (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°50′N 1°09′E / 51.83°N 1.15°E / 51.83; 1.15
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Clacton
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Clacton in the East of England
CountyEssex
Population85,359 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate75,959 (2023)[2]
Major settlementsClacton, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentNigel Farage (Reform UK)
SeatsOne
Created fromHarwich

Clacton is a constituency[n 1] in Essex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Nigel Farage of Reform UK. It is centred on the seaside town of Clacton, hence its name.

Constituency profile

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Clacton is almost completely coastal, comprising seaside resorts along the Tendring peninsula, including Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze. It shares an inland boundary with just one constituency – Harwich and North Essex.

Similar to other coastal seats, such as Christchurch in Dorset, Clacton's electorate comprises among the oldest in the country with a high proportion of retirees and not many non-white residents. The area has experienced a considerable influx of White British families from multicultural areas of East London such as Barking and Dagenham, leading to the town of Clacton becoming known as "Little Dagenham".[3]

The village of Jaywick was, in both the indices of deprivation 2010 and 2015, identified as the single most deprived LSOA in England, out of around 32,000, with unemployment estimated at almost 50%. Many homes are essentially beach huts and lack basic amenities. In 2018, Jaywick was visited by the United Nations special rapporteur for Poverty, Professor Philip Alston, as part of his examination into the causes of extreme poverty.[4] Jaywick was named the most deprived place in the UK for the third consecutive year in 2019.[5]

Electoral Calculus categorises the seat as being part of the "Strong Right" demographic, those who have fiscally conservative views on the economy but are also fairly nationalist and socially conservative, alongside strong support for Brexit. Clacton is also, in general, highly deprived, in terms of employment, income and education, when measured comparatively with the rest of the UK, with 64% of the constituency being impoverished, according to the site.[6] In addition to this, the latest government labour data has also revealed that economic inactivity in Clacton is at 46.8% – more than twice the 21.7% UK average.[7]

History

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Anciently under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rochester in Essex and part of the Petre estates,[8] the seat of Clacton was established for the 2010 general election following a review of parliamentary representation of Essex by the Boundary Commission for England.[9] It was formed out of the abolished Harwich constituency, excluding the town of Harwich itself and surrounding areas.

The constituency's Member of Parliament until 3 May 2017, was Douglas Carswell, who had previously sat for the Harwich constituency since gaining that seat for the Conservatives in 2005.[10][11]

On 28 August 2014, Carswell announced his defection to UKIP.[12] Although not required to seek re-election following a change of party allegiance, Carswell triggered a by-election, held on 9 October 2014, in which he stood as the UKIP candidate[13] and was elected as the party's first MP.[14] The then UKIP leader Nigel Farage declared that the result in Clacton had "shaken up British politics".[15] Carswell retained the seat for UKIP at the 2015 general election, seeing his majority cut by roughly three-quarters, with an 11% swing to the Conservatives. Carswell then became UKIP's sole MP in the House of Commons, as Mark Reckless, a fellow Conservative defector, lost his seat.[16]

On 25 March 2017, Carswell announced on his blog that he was quitting UKIP to sit as an independent MP,[17] saying that "I switched to UKIP because I desperately wanted us to leave the EU. Now we can be certain that that is going to happen, I have decided that I will be leaving UKIP".[18]

After Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap election on 19 April 2017, Carswell announced that he would not stand for re-election and endorsed the Conservative Party candidate Giles Watling.[19] Watling was elected at the 2017 general election; at that election, UKIP's share of the vote fell by 36.8%, one of its largest declines in the country, and the subsequent Conservative victory in Clacton marked the first time every constituency in Essex had returned a Conservative MP since 1987. In 2019, Giles Watling, won re-election on the back of a majority of 24,702, increasing his vote share by 11.1% from 2017.

Ahead of the 2024 general election, it was announced that Nigel Farage, who had taken over as leader of Reform UK mid-campaign, would contest the Clacton constituency.[20] A YouGov poll published on 19 June 2024 (using the MRP technique) predicted that Farage would defeat Watling.[21] Farage won the seat with 46.2% of the vote.[22] The swing from the Conservative Party to the Reform Party of 45.1% is the largest swing for any seat at a UK general election. For more detail see Clacton in the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

Boundaries

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2010–2024

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Map
Map of boundaries 2010–2024

The District of Tendring wards of Alton Park, Beaumont and Thorpe, Bockings Elm, Burrsville, Frinton, Golf Green, Hamford, Haven, Holland and Kirby, Homelands, Little Clacton and Weeley, Pier, Rush Green, St Bartholomews, St James, St Johns, St Marys, St Osyth and Point Clear, St Pauls and Walton.[23]

The new seat consisted essentially of the former Harwich constituency, minus the town of Harwich itself and a few nearby villages, plus St Osyth and Weeley, transferred from the abolished North Essex constituency.

Current

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Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The District of Tendring wards of: Bluehouse; Burrsville; Cann Hall; Coppins; Eastcliff; Frinton; Homelands; Kirby Cross; Kirby-le-Soken & Hamford; Little Clacton; Pier; St. Bartholomew's; St. James; St. John's; St Osyth; St. Paul's; The Bentleys & Frating; The Oakleys & Wix; Thorpe, Beaumont & Great Holland; Walton; Weeley & Tendring; West Clacton & Jaywick Sands.[24]

The revised contents are expanded slightly by the addition of some inland rural areas and villages, transferred from Harwich and North Essex.

Members of Parliament

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Harwich prior to 2010

Election Member Party
2010 Douglas Carswell Conservative
2014 by-election UKIP
2017 Independent
2017 Giles Watling Conservative
2024 Nigel Farage Reform UK

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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Main article: Clacton in the 2024 United Kingdom general election
See also: 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies § Notional 2019 general election results
General election 2024: Clacton[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform UK Nigel Farage 21,225 46.2 N/A
Conservative Giles Watling 12,820 27.9 −44.0
Labour Jovan Owusu-Nepaul 7,448 16.2 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Matthew Bensilum 2,016 4.4 −1.8
Green Natasha Osben 1,935 4.2 +1.3
Independent Tony Mack 317 0.7 N/A
UKIP Andrew Pemberton 116 0.3 N/A
Climate Craig Jamieson 48 0.1 N/A
Heritage Tasos Papanastasiou 33 0.1 N/A
Majority 8,405 18.3
Turnout 45,958 58.0
Reform UK gain from Conservative Swing 45.1


Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Clacton[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Giles Watling 31,438 72.3 +11.1
Labour Kevin Bonavia 6,736 15.5 –9.9
Liberal Democrats Callum Robertson 2,541 5.8 +3.8
Green Chris Southall 1,225 2.8 +1.2
Independent Andy Morgan 1,099 2.5 N/A
Independent Colin Bennett 243 0.6 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Just-John Sexton 224 0.5 N/A
Majority 24,702 56.8 +21.0
Turnout 43,506 61.3 –2.4
Conservative hold Swing +10.5
General election 2017: Clacton[26][27][28][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Giles Watling 27,031 61.2 +24.5
Labour Natasha Osben 11,203 25.4 +11.0
UKIP Paul Oakley 3,357 7.6 –36.8
Liberal Democrats David Grace 887 2.0 +0.2
Green Chris Southall 719 1.6 –1.1
Independent Caroline Shearer 449 1.0 N/A
English Democrat Robin Tilbrook 289 0.7 N/A
Independent Nick Martin 210 0.5 N/A
Majority 15,828 35.8 N/A
Turnout 44,145 63.7 – 0.4
Conservative gain from UKIP Swing +30.7
General election 2015: Clacton[30][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UKIP Douglas Carswell 19,642 44.4 N/A
Conservative Giles Watling 16,205 36.7 –16.3
Labour Tim Young 6,364 14.4 –10.6
Green Chris Southall 1,184 2.7 +1.5
Liberal Democrats David Grace 812 1.8 –11.1
Majority 3,437 7.7 N/A
Turnout 44,207 64.1 –0.1
UKIP gain from Conservative Swing +50.7
By-election 2014: Clacton[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UKIP Douglas Carswell 21,113 59.7 N/A
Conservative Giles Watling 8,709 24.6 –28.4
Labour Tim Young[32] 3,957 11.2 –13.8
Green Chris Southall 688 1.9 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Andy Graham 483 1.3 –11.6
Independent Bruce Sizer 205 0.6 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Alan "Howling Laud" Hope[33] 127 0.4 N/A
Independent Charlotte Rose 56 0.2 N/A
Majority 12,404 35.1 N/A
Turnout 35,338 51.2 –13.0
UKIP gain from Conservative Swing +44.1
General election 2010: Clacton[34][35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Douglas Carswell 22,867 53.0
Labour Ivan Henderson 10,799 25.0
Liberal Democrats Michael Green 5,577 12.9
BNP Jim Taylor 1,975 4.6
Tendring First Terry Allen 1,078 2.5
Green Chris Southall 535 1.2
Independent Chris Humphrey 292 0.7
Majority 12,068 28.0
Turnout 43,123 64.2
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).

References

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  1. ^ "Clacton: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  3. ^ Easton, Mark (20 February 2013). "Why have the white British left London?". BBC News.
  4. ^ "Jaywick: UN poverty expert visits deprived village". BBC News. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  5. ^ "England's most deprived areas named as Jaywick and Blackpool". BBC News. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  6. ^ "The Electoral Calculus' profile of Clacton". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Labour market data". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  8. ^ www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk
  9. ^ "2007 No.1681 REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE, ENGLAND REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". legislation.gov.uk. 13 June 2007.
  10. ^ "Parliamentary Career for Mr Douglas Carswell". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Result: Harwich". BBC News. 2005. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Tory MP Douglas Carswell defects to UKIP and forces by-election". BBC News. 28 August 2014.
  13. ^ "Clacton by-election candidates". BBC News. 2 September 2014.
  14. ^ "UKIP gains first elected MP with Clacton win". BBC News. 10 October 2014. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  15. ^ "UKIP gains first elected MP with Clacton win". BBC News. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  16. ^ "Nigel Farage resigns as UKIP leader as the party vote rises". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  17. ^ "Job done – thank UKIP!". talkcarswell.com. 25 March 2017. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  18. ^ "Douglas Carswell quitting UKIP to become independent MP for Clacton". BBC News. 25 March 2017.
  19. ^ "Douglas Carswell will not stand in general election". BBC News. 20 April 2017 – via bbc.co.uk.
  20. ^ "Farage enters election race as Reform UK candidate". BBC News. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  21. ^ "YouGov MRP projection". YouGov. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Nigel Farage wins Clacton as Reform UK takes four seats". BBC News. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  23. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  24. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  25. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated, Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations" (PDF). Tendring District Council. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  26. ^ a b c "Clacton Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  27. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated – Clacton Constituency" (PDF). Tendring District Council. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  28. ^ "Knife death mother in MP election bid for Clacton". BBC News. 21 April 2017 – via bbc.com.
  29. ^ "Norfolk North and Penistone & Stocksbridge choose their candidates. Latest selection news. – Conservative Home". 2 May 2017.
  30. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  31. ^ Lodge, Will (16 September 2014). "Clacton: Carswell strolls to victory for UKIP at Clacton by-election". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  32. ^ "Poll: Is Clacton a town that's going nowhere?". Archived from the original on 10 September 2014.
  33. ^ "Clacton on sea by election". 11 September 2014.
  34. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  35. ^ "Clacton". BBC News. 7 May 2010.
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51°50′N 1°09′E / 51.83°N 1.15°E / 51.83; 1.15

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