Battleground Anglia: Epping Forest

The Conservatives won the Epping Forest constituency in Essex at the 2010 General Election with a majority of more than 15,000 votes. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Stretching from the edge of Greater London into the rural tranquility of Epping Forest, this constituency centres on the commuter towns of Loughton, Chigwell and Waltham Abbey, along with a scattering of rural towns and villages to the north.

Population is concentrated in areas where there are good transport links to London, and apart from the towns and larger villages the district lies entirely within the metropolitan green belt. The M11 and the M25 bisect the constituency and the Underground's Central Line extends to Epping.

Managerial, professional and associate professional and technical staff comprises approximately half of the working population.

  • Conservative majority in 2010: 15,131

  • Epping Forest is the 11th safest seat among the 69 seats in the Anglia region

  • Labour would need a swing of 20% to win in 2015 and the Lib Dems would need a 16% swing

Epping Forest has elected a Conservative MP at every election since 1955.

Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing has been the MP for Epping Forest since 1997.

Candidates in 2015

  • Gareth Barrett - Labour

  • Eleanor Laing - Conservative

  • Andrew Smith - UKIP

  • Mark Wadsworth - Young People's Party

  • Jon Whitehouse - Liberal Democrats

  • Anna Widdup - Green