List of parliamentary constituencies in Essex

The county of Essex (which includes the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock) is divided into 18 parliamentary constituencies (sub-classified into six of borough type and twelve of county status, affecting the level of expenses permitted and status of returning officer).

The county saw the majority of its population and seats removed on the creation of the county of Greater London in 1965. Since then, the Conservatives have won a majority of the seats in the revised county. In the 2019 general election, all of Essex's seats were won by Conservative MPs by more than 50% of the vote. However, at the 2024 election, the Conservatives were reduced to ten seats, held on significantly reduced majorities. Labour won five seats, Reform UK two seats, and the Liberal Democrats one.

2024 Boundary changes
Following the abandonment of the Sixth Periodic Review (the 2018 review), the Boundary Commission for England formally launched the 2023 Review on 5 January 2021. Initial proposals were published on 8 June 2021 and, following two periods of public consultation, revised proposals were published on 8 November 2022. The final proposals were published on 28 June 2023.

The commission proposed retaining the number of constituencies in Essex at eighteen, with minor boundary changes to reflect changes to electoral wards within the county and to bring the electorates within the statutory range. It was proposed that Southend West be renamed Southend West and Leigh, and Rochford and Southend East renamed Southend East and Rochford to acknowledge that Southend-on-Sea had achieved city status during the course of the review. In addition, Saffron Walden was abolished and replaced with North West Essex. These changes came into effect from the 2024 general election.

Results history
Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019

2024
The number votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Essex in the 2024 general election were as follows:

2019
The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Essex in the 2019 general election were as follows:

Percentage votes
11974 & 1979 - Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats
11974 & 1979 - Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

Historical representation by party
A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

Key: bulk or all of areas marked † form part of present-day Greater London.