ROCHFORD and Southend East, created in 1997, has remained Tory ever since.

It looks likely sitting MP James Duddridge will retain his seat this May.

He posted a healthy majority of more than 10,000 votes in 2010, with Labour in second place, but that is likely to be eroded in 2015 with his party facing five years of scrutiny of being in the Coalition.

However, he is likely to retain the seat, more to do with the self-implosion of his rivals more than anything he has done to steady the ship.

The boundary of the Rochford and Southend East constituency was changed in 2010 and it covers Rochford, the seafront and eastern part of Southend including Thorpe Bay and Shoebury.

Statistics show 61 per cent of constituents are in work and the largest proportion of the population – 35 per cent – is aged between 35 and 54.

The overwhelming majority of people living in the constituency are White British, 81 per cent, and just over half of the residents are Christian.

In 2010, Mr Duddridge stood against Labour’s Kevin Bonavia, Graham Longley for the Liberal Democrats, Andrew Vaughan of the Green party, James Moyies for UKIP, Geoff Strobridge for the BNP and independent Anthony Chytry.

This May, Ian Gilbert, now deputy leader of Southend Council, will pose a challenge, but James Duddridge looks to have steadied the ship.

FIVE KEY ISSUES

  • The uproar about plans for a sea wall in Shoebury saw no Conservatives win a seat in the local elections there last year
  • A large proportion of the seafront (Marine Parade, Eastern Esplanade, Victoria Road) plus areas in Rochford and Shoebury are prone to flooding
  • Plans to build 2,785 homes by 2025, formulated by Rochford Council, have come under fire from local residents and are subject to a legal challenge
  • The constituency holds some of the most deprived wards in Southend, including Kursaal and Victoria
  • The ward is host to the Greater Anglia line. The franchise is up for Government review in 2016

HISTORY

ROCHFORD and Southend East was created in 1997 and despite Labour coming to power that year it remained Conservative.

It does contain traditional Labour heartlands such as the Kursaal and Victoria wards in Southend, but sitting MP James Duddridge increased his majority five years ago.

Before that, the seat was taken by fellow Conservative Sir Teddy Taylor. A redrawn constituency in 1997 included Rochford.

The closest the Tories have come to being usurped in Southend East and Rochford was in the 1997 election, but the party’s candidate, Nigel Smith, was still some 4,000 votes from taking the seat.

THE CANDIDATES

Echo: JAMES DUDDRIDGE - Conservative 

Born in Bristol, James was educated up in Yorkshire before coming down to Essex to study Government at the University of Essex.

During his uni stint, he was the chairman of the university’s Conservative association, and in 1991 Tory MP Bernard Jenkin appointed him a researcher. He graduated in 1993.

After leaving university, he forged a retail and banking career with Barclays until 2005, with the bank posting him to Africa in the mid nineties, before he was seconded to Botswana in 2001.

He was also director and consultant at YouGov from 2000 until 2005.

Entering national politics, he stood as the Conservative candidate in Rother Valley, finishing second but some 14,000 votes behind Labour.

He was chosen by the Tories as their candidate for Southend East and Rochford after Sir Teddy Taylor retired, and he has retained the seat since.

He married his wife Katy in May 2004 in St Albans and they live in Southend with their two sons, Tom and Henry, and daughter Mary.

Echo: FLOYD WATERWORTH - Ukip

FLOYD Waterworth is a local man, Essex born and bred, and has been working in the Rochford and Southend areas for the past 40 years.

He is a surveyor, and before that he was a reporter on the local paper and later a feature writer. He has since contributed articles and written advertising material for most of the national papers.

He has a special interest in planning issues and small business and is a member of the Federation of Small Businesses.

He has long campaigned for a better deal for farms and businesses in the rural areas, arguing that more needs to be done to help those who are working to preserve the countryside.

Floyd is keen on sport, especially cricket and football and supports the local team, Southend United. His hobbies include swimming, gardening, photography and writing.

Echo: IAN GILBERT - Labour

I MOVED to Southend in 2001, after graduating from Birmingham University.

I was offered employment in an IT and data analysis role for a company based in Southend, and I’ve stayed at that company ever since.

Whilst I’ve had an interest in politics since college, I’ve always worked in the private sector.

I was delighted to be chosen by local party members as a council candidate for the ward of Victoria on Southend Borough Council in 2008, which hasn’t left a lot of time for activities outside of work and politics.

I have been a keen chess player, and have helped with the running of the Southend Easter Chess Tournament, one of the biggest in the country, for a number of years.

I’m an avid follower of the England cricket team, and a relaxing day watching a test match is my ideal form of recreation.

Echo: SIMON CROSS - Green

I AM Simon Cross. I worked in the leisure industry almost from leaving school in bingo, bars and greyhound racing but then decided to take another tack and went to university to get a degree in information systems for business.

I have worked a lot of the past 25 years in ethical pharmaceutical sales.

Outside work, I was born and brought up in Sheffield as one of four kids.

Since leaving school I have been an activist and campaigner in many forms, including Meersbrook Park Action Group, supporting the miners at Orgreave and working as a volunteer for three years with Side by Side who put on performances written and performed by asylum seekers and refugees.

I was also honorary secretary of Osteoporosis 2000.

I moved to Southend to live with Sue, my fiancee, and her son, Edward.

Having loved music for my whole life, I moved from Sheffield, a city synonymous with music and was pleasantly surprised by the fantastic music and arts community here. 

I have lived for the past five years in Kursaal.

I love it here and feel I would love to spend my time representing a fairer deal for my friends and neighbours.