Basildon and Billericay

Basildon and Billericay is a constituency in Essex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Since the 2024 general election it has been represented by Richard Holden, a Conservative.

Constituency profile

The constituency is located in Essex and covers most of the Borough of Basildon local government district. It contains the town of Billericay, most of the town of Basildon and the rural areas that lie between them.
Basildon is a new town built after World War II to accommodate the London overspill, whilst Billericay is a historic market town. Residents of the constituency have a similar ethnic makeup and level of wealth compared to the rest of the country, but are less likely to be degree-educated. At the most recent borough council election in 2024, voters in Basildon elected mostly Labour Party councillors whilst Billericay and the rural areas of the constituency elected Conservatives. Voters in Basildon and Billericay voted strongly in favour of leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, with an estimated 67% supporting Brexit.

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 combined parts of the separate, now abolished, Basildon and Billericay constituencies.
It has been held throughout its existence by the Conservative Party and, until the 2024 general election, with large majorities.

The Borough of Basildon wards of Billericay East, Billericay West, Burstead, Crouch, Fryerns, Laindon Park, Lee Chapel North and St Martin's.
The seat merged about half of the previous constituency of Billericay with smaller parts of the former Basildon constituency – mostly around the centre of Basildon.
The Billericay constituency lost Wickford to the new Rayleigh and Wickford constituency, and Pitsea to the South Basildon and East Thurrock seat, which also included the remainder of the Basildon seat.

Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was expanded with the transfer in of the Vange ward from South Basildon and East Thurrock.
Following a local government boundary review in Basildon which came into effect in May 2024, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

The Borough of Basildon wards or part wards of: Billericay East; Billericay West; Burstead; Castledon & Crouch ; Fryerns; Laindon Park; Lee Chapel North; St Martin's; and small parts of Nethermayne and Pitsea South East.

The MP until the dissolution of parliament in May 2024 was the Conservative John Baron, who had held the seat since its creation, but announced in October 2023 that he would be stepping down. His party's choice of the national chairman as its candidate to succeed him was controversially made just 48 hours before the deadline from a shortlist of one, to the anger of the local association.