Hornchurch (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Hornchurch was a special area in the United Kingdom that elected one person to represent its people in the House of Commons. The House of Commons is part of the UK's Parliament, where laws are made. The person elected was called a Member of Parliament (MP). People voted using a system called "first past the post," which means the candidate with the most votes wins.

The Hornchurch area was a "borough constituency," meaning it was mainly a town or city area. It was created in 1945 and stopped being a separate area for elections in 2010. After 2010, parts of Hornchurch became new election areas, like Hornchurch and Upminster and Dagenham and Rainham.

What Area Did Hornchurch Cover?

The area that Hornchurch covered for elections changed a few times over the years. When it was first created in 1945, it included the Hornchurch Urban District. This district had grown in the 1930s to include nearby places like Cranham, Rainham, and Upminster. In 1965, this whole area became part of the London Borough of Havering in Greater London.

In 1974, the boundaries changed. Some parts, like Cranham and Upminster, moved to a new election area called Upminster. Later, in 1983, the boundaries were updated again to match new local areas. A new housing area called the Airfield Estate was built on land that used to be RAF Hornchurch, and this was included.

When Hornchurch was abolished in 2010, its parts were split up. Areas like Elm Park and Rainham joined with Dagenham to form the new Dagenham and Rainham constituency. Other parts joined with Upminster to create Hornchurch and Upminster.

Hornchurch: A Look at the Area

Hornchurch in Essex, showing boundaries used from 1945 to 1950.

The southern part of the Hornchurch area had some industrial places, including a section of the large Ford Dagenham car plant. There were also ideas to build big entertainment centers or even a casino on the nearby Rainham Marshes, but these plans didn't happen.

Hornchurch itself is mostly a suburban area, meaning it has many homes and is part of a larger town. Because of this mix of industrial areas with working-class voters and residential areas, the election results in Hornchurch were often very close. It was known as a "marginal seat," meaning either the Labour Party or the Conservative Party could win it.

Who Represented Hornchurch?

Over the years, several people were elected as MPs for Hornchurch. The table below shows who represented the area and which political party they belonged to.

One interesting election happened in 1979 when Robin Squire from the Conservative Party won. It was a surprise because Hornchurch was usually a Labour Party stronghold. Robin Squire won by a very small number of votes. During his time as an MP, he sometimes disagreed with his own party's government policies. He later held important jobs in the government until 1997.

In 1997, John Cryer from the Labour Party won the seat from Robin Squire with a much larger number of votes. John Cryer was re-elected in 2001.

The last MP for Hornchurch was James Brokenshire from the Conservative Party, who won in 2005. When the Hornchurch constituency was abolished in 2010, he became the MP for the new Hornchurch and Upminster area.

How Were Elections Held?

Elections in Hornchurch followed the same rules as other parts of the UK. People would vote for their chosen candidate, and the candidate with the most votes would become the MP. The results below show how many votes each candidate received in some of the elections.

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 2000s

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in London