The seat was previously held by Conservative MP Will Quince who announced in June 2023 that he would not be standing for re-election.[2]
Constituency profile
Once the basis for one or two semi-rural seats, the modern-day Colchester constituency is a compact, urban core, containing the town centre and surrounding neighbourhoods.
The present Colchester constituency most closely resembles the old seat of Colchester North, which was held by the Conservative Bernard Jenkin from 1992 to 1997.
The seat has one of Britain's largest residential military populations.
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 in the 2024 United Kingdom 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.[5]
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.[6]
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
Map of boundaries 2010-2024
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.[7]
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.[8]
Local authority wards redistributed. Minor reduction in electorate, with Stanway ward being included in the new constituency of Witham.
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.[9]
The revised contents closely correspond to the existing constituency, 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
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)
^Webster and Rebow were re-elected in 1714, but on petition the result was reversed and Gore declared to have been duly elected instead, following a dispute over whether foreigners could be made freemen of the borough and thereby acquire voting rights
^Webster was re-elected in 1710, but on petition the result was reversed and Gore and Corsellis declared to have been duly elected instead, following a further dispute over foreign freemen's voting rights
^At the election of 1741, Olmius and Martin were returned as elected, but on petition their election was declared void and their opponents, Savill and Gray, declared elected in their place
^At the election of 1754, Gray was re- elected, but on petition his election was declared void and his opponent, Rebow, declared elected in his place
^ abOn petition, Potter's election was declared void on the grounds of defective qualification and his opponent, Affleck, declared duly elected
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;
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;
^A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
^As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
^"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.
^"Statement on the next General Election". 9 June 2023.
^"Colchester | History of Parliament Online". www.histparl.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
^ abFraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.
^Craig, F. W. S. (1972). Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstu"History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
^Cavill. The English Parliaments of Henry VII 1485-1504.
^ abcdefghijklm"History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
^ abcdefghij"History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
^ abcdLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 5)
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrsStooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 106–108. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
^"Reference: D/B 5 Pb1/1". Essex Record Office. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
^"Neighbouring Counties". Norfolk News. 7 August 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 21 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^Gardeners Chronicle & New Horticulturist, Volume 7. Haymarket Publishing. 1847. p. 233. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
^"Election Intelligence". Morning Post. 16 March 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"The Coming Election". The Essex County Standard. 25 March 1857. p. 5. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
^"The Dissolution". Essex Standard. 18 March 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Pam Cox is Labour's Parliamentary choice for Colchester". Colchester Gazette. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
^"James Cracknell: Olympic rowing champion chosen as Tory candidate for Colchester at next general election". Sky News. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
^"Colchester constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
^"Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
^"Introducing Your Green Parliamentary Candidates". Colchester Green Party. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
^"Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
^"Colchester Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
^"Colchester parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
^"Last night we selected our two candidates for the General Election. Mark Goacher will be standing in the Colchester constituency and Blake Roberts in Harwich and North Essex!". Colchester & District Green Party Facebook page. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
^Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
^ abcDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
^ abDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
^'GOLDFINCH, Sir Arthur Horne', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 29 Nov 2016
^ abcdefghijklmnopqCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^"Representation of Colchester". Morning Advertiser. 8 February 1850. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Colchester Election". Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette. 14 February 1850. p. 4. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"From our Private Correspondent". Dublin Evening Mail. 11 February 1850. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Colchester". Chelsmford Chronicle. 9 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Colchester". Bury Free Press. 14 February 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Colchester Election". Essex Standard. 27 February 1857. p. 5. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Election Intelligence". Bucks Herald. 28 February 1857. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Essex". Bury and Norwich Post. 21 February 1888. p. 8. Retrieved 25 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ abcFisher, David R. "Colchester". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
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
External links
Colchester UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
Colchester UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
Colchester UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK