Castle Point
2005 Results:
Conservative: 22118 (48.3%)
Labour: 13917 (30.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 4719 (10.3%)
Other: 5048 (11%)
Majority: 8201 (17.9%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 17738 (44.6%)
Labour: 16753 (42.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 3116 (7.8%)
UKIP: 1273 (3.2%)
Other: 883 (2.2%)
Majority: 985 (2.5%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 19489 (40.1%)
Labour: 20605 (42.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 4477 (9.2%)
Referendum: 2700 (5.6%)
Other: 1301 (2.7%)
Majority: 1116 (2.3%)
No Boundary Changes:
Profile: Castle Point is a South Essex seat on the Thames estuary, consisting of Canvey Island and the nearby towns of South Benfleet, Thundersley amd Hadleigh. The area expanded rapidly after the second world war as people moved out of London and it is a solid slice of owner-occupied, middle class commuterland (it has the highest rate of owner-occupation of any seat in the country). Canvey Island is a seaside resort, attached to the mainland by bridge. To the west of the island there are oil and gas terminals, but this too is now largely residential.
The seat is normally rock solid Conservative and the Tories enjoyed a majority of over 30% in 1992. It fell to Labour in 1997 on a massive swing but they held it for only a single Parliament, with Bob Spink managing to retake it in 2001, one of very few Tory MPs defeated in the 1997 landslide who managed to regain the seat they lost.
Current MP: Bob Spink(UKIP) born 1948, Worth valley. Educated at Holycroft Secondary Modern and the University of Manchester, with a doctorate from Cranfield University. Former engineer, management consultant and director of Bournemouth airport. Essex county councillor 1985-1992 for the Conservative party. Conservative MP for Castle Point 1992-1997 and from 2001. Spink has a reputuation as a plain spoken, Yorkshireman who had taken a consistently right wing, and often controversial line. He is a supporter of the death penalty and opposed to Britain`s membership of the European Union. In 2005 he was criticised by political opponents for publishing an advert on immigration in his local party saying “What bit of `send them back` don`t you understand Mr Blair?”. Spink faced discord with his own local party, surviving a deselection attempt in 2005, accussing a local councillor of being a conduit for an illegal donation in 2007 and clashing with the local Tory council in 2008, finally leading to his departure from the Conservative party in March 2008 (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Rebecca Harris (Conservative) Former special advisor to Tim Yeo.
Julian Ware-Lane (Labour) IT consultant and former civil servant. Local football referee. Contested Rayleigh 2005.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 86608
Male: 48.9%
Female: 51.1%
Under 18: 21.9%
Over 60: 22.9%
Born outside UK: 2.8%
White: 98.2%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.7%
Mixed: 0.6%
Other: 0.3%
Christian: 75.7%
Full time students: 1.6%
Graduates 16-74: 8.9%
No Qualifications 16-74: 33.2%
Owner-Occupied: 88.5%
Social Housing: 5.6% (Council: 4.3%, Housing Ass.: 1.3%)
Privately Rented: 4.4%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 3.4%
Bob Spink has been extremely supportive of the local community. As an independent, he can exert pressure in whatever fashion he deems appropriate without the attempted pressure, or hindrence, of adhering to party politics. Furthermore, he has offered this support to all constituents, regardless of political affiliation. Consequently, we support him in a reciprocal action.
Parliamentary representation of Canvey Island: Essex South East 1885-1950, Billericay 1950-55, Essex South East 1955-83, and Castle Point since?
Yes Harry I believe that is correct. I hadnt in fact realised that Billericay included this area from 1950 to 1955, but it makes sense because Brentwood was in Romford in that period and Billericay would have had to take voters from elsewhere. Its a measure of the growth in this area that the area covered by yhe 1950-55 vintage Billericay seat now has the best part of four constituencies (Basildon & Billericay, Basildon South & Thurrock East (though the Thurrock part wasnt included), Rayleigh & Wickford and Castle Point)
Essex South East (which included Castle Point) was one of many late declarations in 1979.
It flashed up around 2.15pm at the beginning of the comings and goings between Downing Street and the Palace,
11 seats before the overall majority was reached.
On Harry’s point, which Pete appears to confirm, it perhaps is a clue why (Sir) Bernard Braine represented Billericay. So it did have some link to what he represented since.
I remember when he died a few years ago, they read out this list of several seats in Essex (on the South East news) that he’d represented.