# South Colchester and Maldon (UK Parliament constituency)

South Colchester and Maldon was a parliamentary constituency in Essex represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

## History

This seat was created for the 1983 general election from parts of the abolished Colchester constituency and parts of the Maldon constituency. It was abolished at the next redistribution which came into effect for the 1997 general election, when Colchester was re-established as a borough constituency and new county constituencies of Maldon and East Chelmsford and North Essex were created.
It was a safe Conservative seat throughout its existence.

## Boundaries

* The Borough of Colchester wards of Berechurch, Birch-Messing, East Donyland, Harbour, New Town, Prettygate, Pyefleet, Shrub End, Tiptree, West Mersea, and Winstree; and
* The District of Maldon.
The constituency was formed from the bulk of the abolished Maldon constituency (the District of Maldon) and southern parts of the Borough of Colchester (including parts of the town of Colchester) which were previously part of the abolished county constituency of Colchester.
The seat was abolished in 1997, with the parts of the town being included in the re-established constituency of Colchester and remaining areas of the Borough of Colchester being included in the new constituency of North Essex, a seat surrounding Colchester. The District of Maldon formed the basis of the new constituency of Maldon and East Chelmsford.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | John Wakeham | Conservative |
| 1992 | John Whittingdale | Conservative |
| 1997 | constituency abolished: see Maldon and East Chelmsford, North Essex and Colchester | constituency abolished: see Maldon and East Chelmsford, North Essex and Colchester |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: South Colchester and Maldon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wakeham | 31,296 | 53.6 | −1.4 |
| | SDP | John William Stevens | 19,131 | 32.8 | +17.4 |
| | Labour | Hilary Barnard | 7,932 | 13.6 | −16.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,165 | 20.8 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,359 | 73.3 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1987: South Colchester and Maldon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Wakeham | 34,894 | 54.9 | +1.3 |
| | SDP | John William Stevens | 19,411 | 30.6 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | Sally Bigwood | 9,229 | 14.5 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,483 | 24.4 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,534 | 76.2 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.8 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: South Colchester and Maldon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Whittingdale | 37,548 | 54.8 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | I L Thorn | 15,727 | 23.0 | −7.6 |
| | Labour | C A Pearson | 14,158 | 20.7 | +6.2 |
| | Green | M Patterson | 1,028 | 1.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,821 | 31.9 | +7.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 68,461 | 79.2 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.8 | |

### 1979 Prediction for Colchester South and Maldon boundaries

General election 1979: South Colchester and Maldon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Wakeham | 33,163 | 55.0 |
| | Labour | | 17,863 | 29.6 |
| | Liberal | | 9,262 | 15.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,300 | 25.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,287 | 77.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |