# Chingford (UK Parliament constituency)

Chingford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Chingford in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system.

## History

Historically having Chingford as part of Epping in South-West Essex, the constituency existed from February 1974 until it was abolished for the 1997 general election. It was held by the Conservative Party throughout this period. Both of its former Members of Parliament are well known, being Norman Tebbit and Iain Duncan Smith.

## Boundaries

1974–1983: The London Borough of Waltham Forest wards of Chapel End, Chingford Central, Chingford North West, Chingford South, and Hale End.
1983–1997: The London Borough of Waltham Forest wards of Chapel End, Chingford Green, Endlebury, Hale End, Hatch Lane, Larkswood, and Valley.
The seat was created out of the old Epping and Walthamstow East constituencies, and no part of it was ever in the post-1965 administrative county of Essex. It was replaced in 1997 by the new Chingford and Woodford Green constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| Feb 1974 | Norman Tebbit | Conservative |
| 1992 | Iain Duncan Smith | Conservative |
| 1997 | constituency abolished: see Chingford and Woodford Green & Walthamstow | constituency abolished: see Chingford and Woodford Green & Walthamstow |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1970s

General election February 1974: Chingford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Tebbit | 19,921 | 43.1 | |
| | Labour | M.A. Gerrard | 14,238 | 30.8 | |
| | Liberal | D.A. Nicholson | 12,060 | 26.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,683 | 12.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,219 | 81.8 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election October 1974: Chingford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Tebbit | 19,022 | 45.5 | +2.4 |
| | Labour | Paul F. Tinnion | 14,377 | 34.4 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal | D.A. Nicholson | 8,438 | 20.2 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,645 | 11.1 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,837 | 73.4 | −8.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.6 | |
General election 1979: Chingford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Tebbit | 24,640 | 56.1 | +10.6 |
| | Labour | Neil Gerrard | 12,257 | 27.9 | −6.5 |
| | Liberal | D.A. Nicholson | 5,225 | 11.9 | −8.3 |
| | National Front | D. South | 1,157 | 2.6 | New |
| | Ecology | Stephen Lambert | 649 | 1.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,383 | 28.2 | +17.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,928 | 78.4 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +8.6 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Chingford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Tebbit | 22,541 | 55.1 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal | Richard Hoskins | 10,127 | 24.8 | +12.9 |
| | Labour | William Shepherd | 7,239 | 17.7 | −10.2 |
| | Ecology | John Morgan | 479 | 1.2 | −0.3 |
| | National Front | Brent A. Cheetham | 380 | 0.9 | −1.7 |
| | Independent | J.C. Neighbour | 104 | 0.2 | New |
| | Independent | S.J.A. Barklem | 34 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,414 | 30.3 | +2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,904 | 72.7 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1987: Chingford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Tebbit | 27,110 | 62.2 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal | John Williams | 9,155 | 21.0 | −3.8 |
| | Labour | Margaret Cosin | 6,650 | 15.3 | −2.4 |
| | Green | Elizabeth Newton | 634 | 1.5 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,955 | 41.2 | +10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,549 | 76.7 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.5 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Chingford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Iain Duncan Smith | 25,730 | 59.2 | −3.0 |
| | Labour | Peter J. Dawe | 10,792 | 24.8 | +9.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon G. Banks | 5,705 | 13.1 | −7.9 |
| | Liberal | David W. Green | 602 | 1.4 | New |
| | Green | John M. Baguley | 575 | 1.3 | −0.2 |
| | Independent | Christine M. Johns | 41 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,938 | 34.4 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,445 | 78.3 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −6.3 | |