# Rayleigh and Wickford (UK Parliament constituency)

Rayleigh and Wickford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 creation by Mark Francois, a Conservative.

## Constituency profile

This small-town studded portion of rural Essex reaches out almost as far as the North Sea beside Rochford and has income levels on average slightly above the national average, low unemployment, and little social housing.

## History

The seat was created for the 2010 general election following a review of the Parliamentary representation of Essex by the Boundary Commission for England. It was formed from the majority of the abolished constituency of Rayleigh, together with the town of Wickford, previously in the abolished constituency of Billericay.
Francois was previously Member of Parliament for Rayleigh.

## Boundaries
### 2010–2024

* The Borough of Basildon wards of Wickford Castledon, Wickford North, and Wickford Park
* The District of Rochford wards of Ashingdon and Canewdon, Downhall and Rawreth, Grange, Hawkwell North, Hawkwell South, Hawkwell West, Hockley Central, Hockley North, Hockley West, Hullbridge, Lodge, Rayleigh Central, Sweyne Park, Trinity, Wheatley and Whitehouse

### 2024–present

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
* The Borough of Basildon wards of: Wickford Castledon; Wickford North; Wickford Park.$^1$
* The District of Rochford wards of: Downhall & Rawreth; Hawkwell East; Hawkwell West; Hockley; Hockley & Ashingdon; Hullbridge; Lodge; Sweyne Park & Grange; Trinity; Wheatley.
Minor loss of sparsely populated area in the east of the constituency to the newly named Southend East and Rochford seat.
$^1$ Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2024, the contents in the Borough of Basildon now comprise the Wickford North and Wickford Park wards and the part of the Castledon & Crouch ward situated in the civil parish of Wickford.

## Members of Parliament

Rayleigh and Billericay prior to 2010
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 2010 | Mark Francois | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Rayleigh and Wickford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Francois | 17,756 | 37.0 | −35.9 |
| | Reform UK | Grant Randall | 12,135 | 25.3 | New |
| | Labour | James Hedges | 11,823 | 24.6 | +8.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stewart Mott | 4,068 | 8.5 | +0.8 |
| | Green | Christopher Taylor | 2,196 | 4.6 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,621 | 11.7 | −45.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,978 | 62.7 | −6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,576 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −30.6 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 38,652 | 72.9 |
| | Labour | 8,304 | 15.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 4,081 | 7.7 |
| | Green | 1,960 | 3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 52,997 | 69.3 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 76,422 |
General election 2019: Rayleigh and Wickford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Francois | 39,864 | 72.6 | +5.9 |
| | Labour | David Flack | 8,864 | 16.1 | −8.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ron Tindall | 4,171 | 7.6 | +4.8 |
| | Green | Paul Thorogood | 2,002 | 3.6 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 31,000 | 56.5 | +14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,901 | 69.5 | −0.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.0 | |
General election 2017: Rayleigh and Wickford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Francois | 36,914 | 66.7 | +12.0 |
| | Labour | Mark Daniels | 13,464 | 24.3 | +11.7 |
| | UKIP | Peter Smith | 2,326 | 4.2 | −18.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ron Tindall | 1,557 | 2.8 | −0.2 |
| | Green | Paul Hill | 1,062 | 1.9 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,450 | 42.4 | +10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,323 | 70.4 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
General election 2015: Rayleigh and Wickford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Francois | 29,088 | 54.7 | −3.1 |
| | UKIP | John Hayter | 11,858 | 22.3 | +18.1 |
| | Labour | David Hough | 6,705 | 12.6 | −1.9 |
| | Independent | Linda Kendall | 2,418 | 4.5 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Pitt | 1,622 | 3.0 | −12.1 |
| | Green | Sarah Yapp | 1,529 | 2.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,230 | 32.4 | −10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,220 | 68.3 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −10.6 | |
General election 2010: Rayleigh and Wickford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Francois* | 30,257 | 57.8 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Gaszczak | 7,919 | 15.1 | −0.3 |
| | Labour | Michael Le Surf | 7,577 | 14.5 | −12.0 |
| | English Democrat | John Hayter | 2,219 | 4.2 | New |
| | UKIP | Tino Callaghan | 2,211 | 4.2 | +0.1 |
| | BNP | Tony Evennett | 2,160 | 4.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,338 | 42.7 | +15.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,132 | 65.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +8.0 | |
    * Served as an MP in the 2005–2010 Parliament