Witham (UK Parliament constituency)

Witham is a parliamentary constituency in Essex represented by Dame Priti Patel in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 creation. She is a Conservative who was Home Secretary from 24 July 2019 until her resignation on 5 September 2022 following the announcement of the results of the Conservative Party leadership contest.^[2]

Witham
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Boundary of Witham in the East of England
County	Essex
Electorate	75,064 (2023)[1]
Major settlements	Hatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, Marks Tey, White Notley, Witham
Current constituency
Created	2010
Member of Parliament	Priti Patel (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Braintree, Maldon and East Chelmsford, North Essex, Colchester

Constituency profile

Witham is one of the safest Conservative seats in the country. The town of Witham within it is the only area of real Labour strength in the region, being represented by one District Councillor alongside seven Conservative Councillors.

Witham itself is an industrial town, on the Great Eastern main line railway from London to Norwich, with some heavy industry and London commuter belt residential areas – the strength of the Labour vote here was just enough to turn the former Braintree seat red in 1997, and in 2001, on the previous boundaries.

However, the town is small, and the Witham seat extends to cover a huge part of rural central Essex, with affluent commuter villages and farming communities that show high levels of Conservative support.

History

The seat was created for the 2010 general election following a review of the Parliamentary representation of Essex by the Boundary Commission for England which resulted in radical alterations to existing constituencies to allow for an extra seat to be created due to increased population. As a consequence, the new seat of Witham was created which included parts of the constituencies of Braintree, Colchester, North Essex, and Maldon and East Chelmsford.

Boundaries

Map of boundaries 2010–2024

2010–2024

• The District of Braintree wards of Black Notley and Terling, Bradwell, Silver End and Rivenhall, Coggeshall and North Feering, Hatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, Witham Chipping Hill and Central, Witham North, Witham South, and Witham West
• The District of Maldon wards of Great Totham, Tollesbury, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, and Wickham Bishops and Woodham
• The Borough of Colchester wards of Birch and Winstree, Copford and West Stanway, Marks Tey, Stanway and Tiptree^[3]

The District of Braintree wards, which comprised approximately half the electorate, were transferred from the Braintree constituency; the District of Maldon wards from the abolished constituency of Maldon and Chelmsford East; and the Borough of Colchester wards from the abolished constituency of North Essex, except for Stanway ward which had been in the Colchester constituency.

Current

Further to 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 Braintree wards of: Coggeshall; Hatfield Peverel & Terling; Kelvedon & Feering; Silver End & Cressing; The Colnes; Witham Central; Witham North; Witham South; Witham West.

• The City of Colchester wards of: Marks Tey & Layer; Stanway; Tiptree.

• The District of Maldon wards of: Great Totham; Tollesbury; Tolleshunt D’arcy; Wickham Bishops and Woodham.^[4]

Minor net gain from Braintree, primarily due to ward boundary changes.

Members of Parliament

Braintree, Maldon & Chelmsford East and North Essex prior to 2010

Election		Member[5]	Party
	2010	Priti Patel	Conservative

Elections

Election results 2010–2024

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Witham^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Priti Patel	18,827	37.2	−29.5
	Labour	Rumi Chowdhury	13,682	27.0	+9.5
	Reform UK	Timothy Blaxill	9,870	19.5	N/A
	Green	James Abbott	3,539	7.0	+1.2
	Liberal Democrats	Ashley Thompson	3,439	6.8	−3.2
	Independent	Chelsey Jay	1,246	2.5	N/A
Majority			5,145	10.2	−38.6
Turnout			50,603	64.0	−5.4
Registered electors			79,072
	Conservative hold		Swing	−19.5

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[7]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	34,777	66.7
	Labour	9,108	17.5
	Liberal Democrats	5,214	10.0
	Green	3,006	5.8
Turnout		52,105	69.4
Electorate		75,064

General election 2019: Witham^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Priti Patel	32,876	66.6	+2.3
	Labour	Martin Edobor	8,794	17.8	−8.6
	Liberal Democrats	Sam North	4,584	9.3	+3.8
	Green	James Abbott	3,090	6.3	+2.6
Majority			24,082	48.8	+10.9
Turnout			49,344	70.1	−1.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.5

General election 2017: Witham^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Priti Patel	31,670	64.3	+6.8
	Labour	Phil Barlow	13,024	26.4	+10.6
	Liberal Democrats	Josephine Hayes	2,715	5.5	−0.6
	Green	James Abbott	1,832	3.7	−0.6
Majority			18,646	37.9	−3.6
Turnout			49,400	71.5	+1.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.9

General election 2015: Witham^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Priti Patel	27,123	57.5	+5.3
	UKIP	Garry Cockrill[11]	7,569	16.0	+9.5
	Labour	John Clarke	7,467	15.8	−2.7
	Liberal Democrats	Josephine Hayes	2,891	6.1	−13.7
	Green	James Abbott[12]	2,038	4.3	+1.3
	CPA	Doreen Scrimshaw[13]	80	0.2	N/A
Majority			19,554	41.5	+9.1
Turnout			47,168	70.3	+0.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+9.5

General election 2010: Witham^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Priti Patel	24,448	52.2	+2.5
	Liberal Democrats	Margaret Phelps	9,252	19.8	+4.6
	Labour	John Spademan	8,656	18.5	−13.9
	UKIP	David Hodges	3,060	6.5	N/A
	Green	James Abbott	1,419	3.0	N/A
Majority			15,196	32.4
Turnout			46,835	70.2	+6.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.1

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Essex
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region)