SOUTHEND West has stayed blue since 1950 and is highly likely to remain a Conservative seat in May this year.

David Amess has been an MP since 1983 – first in Basildon and then in 1997 moving to Southend West.

Sir David’s predecessor, Paul Channon, announced he would step down at the 1997 General Election and he moved into the seat while Labour’s Angela Smith triumphed in Basildon.

The traditionally safe seat of Southend West has seen a few challenges in recent years.

The Lib Dems were the closest in 2010 – eating away at the Conservative majority and upping their share of the vote from 23.7 per cent in 2005 to 29.4 per cent.

They have chosen seasoned campaigner Paul Collins to stand this year.

However, the Lib Dems’ image nationally has taken a battering during the five-year coalition, which potentially risks the progress the party made in Southend West five years ago.

FIVE KEY ISSUES

  • The area attracts affluent city workers, with several top-end new flats built for commuters
  • Fisherman are concerned about declining fish stocks in the Estuary and the future of the Leigh fishing industry
  • The area has good transport links with the A127 and A13 both accessible, but traffic bottlenecks are a concern for drivers
  • Southend Hospital has been under fire for its deteriorating finances and a failure to hit A&E times in 2014
  • An Echo investigation last year revealed there is only one GP per 1,843 patients in Leigh – far higher than the national and county average, and the highest in the borough

HISTORY

THE seat, created in 1950, has only ever had three MPs – all Conservative.

Sir Henry Channon was first elected to the seat and he held it until his death in 1958. In the subsequent by-election his son Paul, took the constituency, which he held before retiring in 1997.

Sir David Amess has retained the seat since that year, registering a healthy majority in 2010.

Despite the Tories and Independents holding more seats locally, the biggest challengers to Sir David have been the Lib Dems, who have consistently finished second since the Nineties.

THE CANDIDATES

Echo:

Echo: