Saffron Walden (UK Parliament constituency)

Saffron Walden was a constituency in Essex, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1922 to 2024 by members of the Conservative Party.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. Subject to relatively minor boundary changes, it was reformed as North West Essex for the 2024 general election.

Constituency profile
The constituency was by far the largest and most rural in Essex and covered the entire north-west corner of the county, an area of almost 400 sqmi. It bordered Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire and also extended deep into the middle of Essex near Chelmsford.

Two medium-sized market towns, Saffron Walden and Great Dunmow, were in the constituency. Both of these have historic links and are busy and regionally visitor-drawing towns in the South East.

The largest single source of employment in the constituency is Stansted Airport, while there are also a host of small businesses, many of them high-tech, along and at the ends of the London–Cambridge corridor.

In statistics
The constituency consisted of Census Output Areas from two local government districts with similar characteristics. Uttlesford district formed the bulk and has a working population whose income is close to the national average and a much lower than average reliance upon social housing. At the end of 2012, the unemployment rate in the constituency stood at 1.6% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 2.4%. The borough contributing to the bulk of the seat has a very low 10.1% of its population without a car, 17.7% of the population without qualifications, and a high 31.9% had level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure, 71.6% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as of the 2011 census across the Uttlesford district.

History
Saffron Walden was one of eight single-member divisions of Essex (later classified as county constituencies) created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, replacing the three two member divisions of East, South and West Essex.

The boundaries were redrawn under the Representation of the People Act 1918, then remained virtually unchanged until changes brought in for the 2010 general election by the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.

This has been a Conservative safe seat based on election results since 1922, in which period the majorities have occasionally been marginal. However, the constituency returned a Conservative majority at the 2019 general election of over 27,000.

1885–1918

 * The Borough of Saffron Walden;
 * The Sessional Divisions of Freshwell, Hinckford North, and Walden:
 * Part of the Sessional Division of Hinckford South (Halstead Bench);
 * The part of the Borough of Sudbury in the county of Essex; and
 * The parish of Thaxted.

Formed from northern parts of the abolished West Division of Essex including the Municipal Borough of Saffron Walden, and northern parts of the abolished East Division.

1918–1950

 * The Borough of Saffron Walden;
 * The Urban District of Halstead; and
 * The Rural Districts of Belchamp, Bumpstead, Dunmow, Halstead, Saffron Walden, and Stansted.

''Gained northern parts of Epping, including Great Dunmow and Hatfield Broad Oak, and northern parts of Maldon, including Halstead. Other minor changes.''

1950–1974

 * The Borough of Saffron Walden;
 * The Urban District of Halstead;
 * The Rural Districts of Dunmow, Halstead, and Saffron Walden; and
 * The Rural District of Braintree parishes of Bardfield Saling and Great Bardfield.

Local authorities re-organised – only nominal changes to boundaries of constituency.

1974–1983

 * The Borough of Saffron Walden;
 * The Urban District of Halstead; and
 * The Rural Districts of Dunmow, Halstead, and Saffron Walden.

The two small parishes within the Rural District of Braintree were included in the new constituency of Braintree.

1983–1997

 * The District of Uttlesford; and
 * The District of Braintree wards of Bumpstead, Castle Hedingham, Colne Engaine and Greenstead Green, Earls Colne, Gosfield, Halstead St Andrews, Halstead Trinity, Sible Hedingham, Stour Valley Central, Stour Valley North, Stour Valley South, Upper Colne, and Yeldham.

Local authorities re-organised – no changes to boundaries of constituency.

1997–2010

 * The District of Uttlesford; and
 * The District of Braintree wards of Bumpstead, Castle Hedingham, Colne Engaine and Greenstead Green, Halstead St Andrews, Halstead Trinity, Sible Hedingham, Stour Valley Central, Stour Valley North, Stour Valley South, Upper Colne, and Yeldham.

Two small wards (Earls Colne and Gosfield) transferred to Braintree.

2010–2024

 * The District of Uttlesford; and
 * The Borough of Chelmsford wards of Boreham and The Leighs, Broomfield and The Walthams, Chelmsford Rural West, and Writtle.

''The 2010 redistribution resulted in a major change, with eastern areas in the District of Braintree, including Halstead, being transferred to Braintree. Extended southwards to incorporate northern and western rural areas of the Borough of Chelmsford, including Writtle, which were transferred from the abolished constituency of West Chelmsford.''

Members of Parliament
From the snap election in 2017 until its abolition in 2024, this safe Conservative seat was represented by Kemi Badenoch. It was held for many years by former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rab Butler and by former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Alan Haselhurst.

Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
 * Conservative: Rab Butler
 * Labour: Clara Rackham


 * The Liberal candidate, Arthur Musgrove Mathews withdrew at the last minute

Elections in the 1910s




Elections in the 1890s

 * Caused by Gardner's appointment as President of the Board of Agriculture