Post by John Chanin on Aug 11, 2023 19:47:05 GMT
This seat was created in 1974, as Brentwood was removed from the oversized Billericay constituency, and Ongar was transferred from the abolished Chigwell seat. Only minor changes have occurred since, and none in the latest boundary changes. The pocket borough of Brentwood, which consists of the town, plus the immediate surrounding rural area, is not large enough to form a seat on its own. Ongar is part of Epping Forest District, and this eastern section of the district consists of the small town of Ongar itself, plus an extensive rural area where there is nothing larger than villages. Ongar used to be known as the furthest outpost of the London Underground system, but the shuttle from Epping was closed in 1994. It has subsequently been reopened as a “heritage railway”. Chipping Ongar at the centre is a charming old town with the remains of a castle, important in mediaeval times. The present settlement is dispersed with Marden Ash to the south, Shelley to the north, and High Ongar to the east. The larger villages to the north and west include Abridge, Stapleford Abbotts, North Weald, Moreton , and Fyfield as the constituency extends nearly to Harlow and Great Dunmow.
Brentwood is best seen as a piece of Surrey that has escaped across the river. It is a very well-off commuter town, with extensive (and expensive) housing. Brentwood proper is the older part of the town, while Hutton to the east is the more modern part with many private executive estates. The urban area also includes Warley to the south and Pilgrims Hatch to the north. The urban area accounts for two-thirds of the District and around half of the constituency. The rest of the District consists of some scrubby countryside between London and Billericay to the south, and the overgrown village of Ingatestone to the north-east. To the north-west it is a continuation of the sparsely settled rural Epping Forest section. Socially the constituency comes just outside the top 100 for owner-occupation and managerial and professional employees, and is almost wholly white. It is fairly homogeneous demographically despite the rural-urban split. Central Brentwood is more urban, with a younger population with more ethnic minorities, and more private renting. Shenfield with its station on the east coast mainline is particularly up market with over 60% in managerial jobs, and over 40% with degrees. The rural area is older and slightly down market.
Politically Brentwood is not solidly Conservative. Locally the Liberal Democrats have long had a stronghold in the western part of the town, and Labour hold the South Brentwood ward, where there is some council housing and demographic variety. Hutton is safely Conservative and the rural areas very much so, with the exception of the Shelley ward of Ongar which is noticeably down market with a lot of council housing. Following the 2023 council elections however, a couple of gains enabled the Liberal Democrats to take control of the council with the aid of the 2 Labour councillors. The rural Epping Forest wards are solidly Conservative, and ensure there is no challenge in the constituency as a whole. The present MP is Alex Burghart, a former SPAD who succeded Eric Pickles in 2017. Pickles was a prominent figure in the Conservative government from 2010, first elected in 1992, and as a bluff northerner and former Bradford Council leader rather a poor fit for this seat. Famously he generated a challenge from Martin Bell in 2001, after the Independent MP stood down from the Tatton seat he won at the height of the votes for money scandal, but was able to see him off without great difficulty. The seat remains very safely Conservative, even in 2024 conditions, although as elsewhere in south Essex Reform polled very well, just beating Labour for second place.
Census data: Owner-occupied 73% (106/575 in England & Wales), private rented 15% (429th), social rented 12% (431st).
: White 90%(298th), Black 2%(238th), South Asian 3%(270th), Mixed 3%(217th), Other 3%(284th)
: Managerial & professional 47% (107th), Routine & Semi-routine 18% (530th)
: Degree 33% (254th), Minimal qualifications 27% (338th)
: Students 5% (433rd), Over 65: 21% (219th)
Boundaries : The seat is unchanged
Brentwood is best seen as a piece of Surrey that has escaped across the river. It is a very well-off commuter town, with extensive (and expensive) housing. Brentwood proper is the older part of the town, while Hutton to the east is the more modern part with many private executive estates. The urban area also includes Warley to the south and Pilgrims Hatch to the north. The urban area accounts for two-thirds of the District and around half of the constituency. The rest of the District consists of some scrubby countryside between London and Billericay to the south, and the overgrown village of Ingatestone to the north-east. To the north-west it is a continuation of the sparsely settled rural Epping Forest section. Socially the constituency comes just outside the top 100 for owner-occupation and managerial and professional employees, and is almost wholly white. It is fairly homogeneous demographically despite the rural-urban split. Central Brentwood is more urban, with a younger population with more ethnic minorities, and more private renting. Shenfield with its station on the east coast mainline is particularly up market with over 60% in managerial jobs, and over 40% with degrees. The rural area is older and slightly down market.
Politically Brentwood is not solidly Conservative. Locally the Liberal Democrats have long had a stronghold in the western part of the town, and Labour hold the South Brentwood ward, where there is some council housing and demographic variety. Hutton is safely Conservative and the rural areas very much so, with the exception of the Shelley ward of Ongar which is noticeably down market with a lot of council housing. Following the 2023 council elections however, a couple of gains enabled the Liberal Democrats to take control of the council with the aid of the 2 Labour councillors. The rural Epping Forest wards are solidly Conservative, and ensure there is no challenge in the constituency as a whole. The present MP is Alex Burghart, a former SPAD who succeded Eric Pickles in 2017. Pickles was a prominent figure in the Conservative government from 2010, first elected in 1992, and as a bluff northerner and former Bradford Council leader rather a poor fit for this seat. Famously he generated a challenge from Martin Bell in 2001, after the Independent MP stood down from the Tatton seat he won at the height of the votes for money scandal, but was able to see him off without great difficulty. The seat remains very safely Conservative, even in 2024 conditions, although as elsewhere in south Essex Reform polled very well, just beating Labour for second place.
Census data: Owner-occupied 73% (106/575 in England & Wales), private rented 15% (429th), social rented 12% (431st).
: White 90%(298th), Black 2%(238th), South Asian 3%(270th), Mixed 3%(217th), Other 3%(284th)
: Managerial & professional 47% (107th), Routine & Semi-routine 18% (530th)
: Degree 33% (254th), Minimal qualifications 27% (338th)
: Students 5% (433rd), Over 65: 21% (219th)
Boundaries : The seat is unchanged
| 2017 | % | 2019 | % | 2024 | % | |
| Conservative | 34,811 | 65.8 | 36,308 | 68.6 | 17,731 | 36.7 |
| Labour | 10,809 | 20.4 | 7,243 | 13.7 | 11,082 | 22.9 |
| Liberal Democrat | 4,426 | 8.4 | 7,187 | 13.6 | 5,809 | 12.0 |
| UKIP/Reform | 1,845 | 3.5 | 11,751 | 24.3 | ||
| Green | 915 | 1.7 | 1,671 | 3.2 | 1,770 | 3.7 |
| Other | 104 | 0.2 | 532 | 1.0 | 189 | 0.4 |
| Majority | 24,002 | 45.4 | 29,065 | 54.9 | 5,980 | 12.4 |