Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)

Constituency profile

The Colchester constituency is located in Essex and contains most of the city of Colchester. The city is historic and was known as Camulodunum in Roman times, during which it served as the capital of Roman Britain and was an important military centre. The city continues to be associated with the military today as the site of Colchester Garrison, home of the Parachute Regiment. Wealth in the city is divided; the eastern suburb of Greenstead has high levels of deprivation whilst northern and western suburbs like Lexden and Myland are affluent.

Compared to the rest of the country, residents of Colchester are generally younger and have average levels of wealth and education. White people make up 84% of the population, similar to the nationwide figure, with Asians being the largest ethnic minority group at 7%. At the local council level, the southern half of the city is represented by Labour Party councillors whilst the northern suburbs elected Liberal Democrats. An estimated 52% of voters in Colchester favoured leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, identical to the nationwide figure.

History

The Parliamentary Borough of Colchester had sent two members to the Parliament of England since the Model Parliament of 1295 until 1707, then to the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. In 1885, it was one of 36 English boroughs and three Irish boroughs to have its representation reduced to one under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Under the Representation of the People Act 1918, the Parliamentary Borough was abolished and replaced with a Division of the County of Essex (later a County Constituency).

The revised constituency remained virtually unchanged until it was briefly abolished for the 1983 general election following the Third Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies, but re-established for the 1997 general election as a Borough Constituency by the Fourth Review.

In 1997, the vote was split three ways with the Liberal Democrat candidate Bob Russell winning with a small majority. Russell increased his votes and percentage share in next three elections. In the 2010 election this was the only non-Conservative seat in Essex. Russell was defeated in the 2015 general election by Conservative Will Quince, by an 11.5% majority. In the 2017 election Quince was re-elected by a slightly decreased margin by percentage (10.6%), with Labour moving into 2nd place after a substantial increase in their vote. In the 2019 election, Quince increased his majority to 9,423 or 17.6% in percentage terms. The seat lost the ward of Old Heath and The Hythe in the 2023 Boundary Commission review but despite this, Colchester was won by Labour for the first time since 1945 in the 2024 general election with Pam Cox as the new MP. The Liberal Democrats came fourth, narrowly behind Reform UK.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1918–1950

• The Borough of Colchester; and
• The Rural District of Lexden and Winstree except the detached part of the parish of Inworth which was wholly surrounded by the parishes of Great Braxted and Kelvedon.

The area comprising the Rural District of Lexden and Winstree had largely been part of the Harwich Division.

1950–1983

• The Borough of Colchester;
• The Urban District of West Mersea; and
• The Rural District of Lexden and Winstree.

No changes (the Urban District of West Mersea had been formed as a separate local authority in 1926).

For the 1983 general election, the constituency was abolished, with the northern parts (comprising the majority) forming the bulk of the new constituency of North Colchester. Southern areas were included in the new constituency of South Colchester and Maldon.

1997–2010

• The Borough of Colchester wards of Berechurch, Castle, Harbour, Lexden, Mile End, New Town, Prettygate, St Andrew's, St Anne's, St John's, St Mary's, Shrub End, and Stanway.

Re-established as a Borough Constituency from parts of the abolished constituencies of South Colchester and Maldon (Berechurch, Harbour, New Town, Prettygate and Shrub End wards) and North Colchester (remaining wards).

2010–2024

• The Borough of Colchester wards of Berechurch, Castle, Christ Church, Harbour, Highwoods, Lexden, Mile End, New Town, Prettygate, St Andrew's, St Anne's, St John's, and Shrub End.

Local authority wards redistributed. Minor reduction in electorate, with Stanway ward being included in the new constituency of Witham.

Current

Further to the 2023 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 City of Colchester wards of: Castle; Greenstead; Highwoods; Lexden & Braiswick (polling districts AQ, AS and AT); Mile End; New Town & Christ Church; Prettygate; St. Anne’s & St. John’s; Shrub End.

The revised contents closely correspond to the previous boundaries, with the exception of the Old Heath and The Hythe areas to the south east of the city centre, which are now included in Harwich and North Essex.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

MPs 1640–1885

Notes

MPs 1885–1983

MPs since 1997

Colchester North and South Colchester & Maldon prior to 1997

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

|reg. electors = 78,662

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

|

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939/40:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: Oswald Lewis
• Labour: Charles Delacourt-Smith

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

|reg. electors = 41,947 |reg. electors = 32,009 |reg. electors = 31,058

|reg. electors = 29,779

Election results 1885–1918

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 4,241 |reg. electors = 4,241

Trotter's death a caused a by-election.

|reg. electors = 4,417

Elections in the 1890s

|reg. electors = 5,000

|reg. electors = 5,257 |reg. electors = 5,257

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 5,663 |reg. electors = 6,426

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914/15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Unionist: Laming Worthington-Evans
• Liberal: Arthur Horne Goldfinch
• Labour: Robert Morley |reg. electors = 30,372

Election results 1832–1885

Elections in the 1830s

|reg. electors = 1,099

|reg. electors = 1,152

|reg. electors = 1,175

Elections in the 1840s

|reg. electors = 1,176

|reg. electors = 1,258

Elections in the 1850s

Smyth's resignation caused a by-election.

|reg. electors = 1,250

Manners was appointed First Commissioner of Works, requiring a by-election.

|reg. electors = 1,258

Manners resigned to contest the 1852 by-election in North Leicestershire, causing a by-election.

|reg. electors = 1,282

|reg. electors = 1,282

|reg. electors = 1,257

Elections in the 1860s

|reg. electors = 1,405

Miller resigned, causing a by-election.

|reg. electors = 1,405

|reg. electors = 3,183

Elections in the 1870s

Rebow's death caused a by-election.

|reg. electors = 3,145

|reg. electors = 3,183

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 3,713

Elections before 1832

|reg. electors =

|reg. electors =

• Caused by Spottiswoode being unseated on petition

|reg. electors =

Notes

References

Sources

• Robert Beatson, "A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament" (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) A Chronological Register of Both Houses of the British Parliament, from the Union in 1708, to the Third Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in 1807
• D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
• Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) titles A-Z
• F W S Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
• Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig - Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
• Victoria County History of Essex online at www.british-history.ac.uk

References

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