Barking (UK Parliament constituency)

Barking is a constituency in Greater London represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Nesil Caliskan of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

The constituency is located in the east of Greater London within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is entirely urban and includes the town of Barking, the western part of Dagenham and the residential area of Becontree.

Economic activity in the area was historically dominated by fishing and shipbuilding. Becontree is the largest council estate in the country and, upon its completion in the 1930s, was said to be the largest in the world. Average household income in the constituency is similar to the rest of the country, but considerably lower than the rest of London. Residents are generally younger, more deprived and less likely to own a house than the national average. The constituency is ethnically diverse; 42% of residents are White, 28% are Asian and 22% are Black.

In the most recent borough council election in 2022, every seat in the constituency was won by the Labour Party. Unlike most of London, Barking constituency is estimated to have voted in favour of leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, with the option receiving around 60% of the vote. During the run-up to the 2010 election, filmmaker Laura Fairrie had access to the British National Party and Labour Party campaigns, and later produced a documentary The Battle for Barking, which premiered on More 4 on 30 November 2010.

In 2015, the UKIP vote increased to almost 23%; this was predicted as they came the runners up in every ward in the 2014 Barking and Dagenham Council election, they came within 200 votes of winning 4 seats on the council.

In 2017, the UKIP vote collapsed, and Labour and the Conservatives both increased their share of the vote, although Labour's increase of 10.1% saw them claim 67.8% of the vote overall (their largest share in Barking at any election since the 1994 by-election and the greatest at a general election since 1970), increasing their majority from 35.5% to 45.3%. Despite a swing away from Labour in the 2019 election, its majority was still a healthy 34.7%.

Following Margaret Hodge's retirement as an MP, Labour's vote at the 2024 general election fell by 16.5%; however its majority only fell by 4.4% as the Conservative vote collapsed to 11.8%. Both Reform UK (14.2%) and the Green Party (13.7%) overtook the Conservatives, relegating them to fourth place. The Workers Party candidate took 9.8% of the vote.

Boundaries

{| class="wikitable"

!Dates

!Areas

!Maps

!Boundary changes

|1945–1974

|The Municipal Borough of Barking.

|frameless

|Formerly part of the constituency of Romford.

|1974–1983

|The London Borough of Barking wards of Abbey, Cambell, Gascoigne, Longbridge, and Manor.

|Minor changes following creation of London Borough of Barking.

|1983–1997

|The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham wards of Abbey, Cambell, Eastbury, Gascoigne, Goresbrook, Longbridge, Manor, Parsloes, and Thames.

|Minor changes following changes to ward boundaries and names.

|1997–2010

|The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham wards of Abbey, Becontree, Cambell, Eastbury, Gascoigne, Goresbrook, Longbridge, Manor, Parsloes, and Thames.

|frameless

|Minor changes following changes to ward boundaries and names.

|2010–2024

|The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (2010) wards of Abbey, Alibon, Becontree, Eastbury, Gascoigne, Goresbrook, Longbridge, Mayesbrook, Parsloes, Thames, and Valence. Note that the ward boundaries and some ward names changed in 2022.

|frameless

|Following their review of parliamentary representation the Boundary Commission for England recommended that the wards of Alibon, Parsloes and Valence be transferred from the old Dagenham constituency to Barking, and that following a review of ward boundaries a small part of River ward be transferred from Barking to help form the new Dagenham and Rainham constituency. These boundaries were first contested for the 2010 general election.

|2024–present

|The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham wards of Abbey; Alibon (majority); Barking Riverside; Becontree; Eastbury; Gascoigne; Goresbrook (most); Longbridge; Mayesbrook; Northbury; Parsloes (most); Thames View; Valence (part).

|frameless

|Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the Valence ward (as it existed on 1 December 2020) was moved to Dagenham and Rainham in order to bring the electorate within the permitted range.