A lot of London's population is drawn from the top and bottom of the social and income scale, and a large range of cultures, but there are areas that are resolutely ordinary places, inhabited mainly by skilled manual and lower middle class white people. One such is Hornchurch, north and east of the huge, threatened Ford motor production plant at Dagenham and home to many of its workers. Most of its wards are mixed and marginal. Hornchurch has long been a critical marginal, prone to large swings, and was duly a Labour gain on a 16% swing in 1997. John Cryer is the son of the late Bob Cryer MP and Ann Cryer, another new MP of 1997 (Keighley). He is well to the left of the 1997 intake and a participant in most of the major rebellions in this parliament, and also an assiduous worker on behalf of his constituency.

Like other Havering borough seats, party lines are blurred in local elections, and in 1998 Labour's 43-23% lead over the Tories should be seen in the context of a 32.6% vote for 'Resident' candidates. The Conservatives led by 41.5% to 31% in the Euro elections, and were ahead again in 2000. Robin Squire, a genial and very moderate Conservative, represented the constituency from 1979 to 1997 and will hope to regain the seat next time.

Parliamentary Statistics pre-Election 2001

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For Honchurch 2001 Election result - click here.