Con held for 5 consecutive elections.
MP News Approval i
+22
Priti Patel
Conservative and Unionist PartyThe Rt Hon Priti Patel is the Conservative MP for Witham, and has been an MP continually since 6 May 2010. She currently undertakes the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Witham has been predominantly positive for Priti across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Sir James Cleverly says A120 dualling cannot be ignored as he backs petition” — The Gazette
“MP Priti Patel calls for government commitment to upgrade A12 and A120” — Braintree and Witham Times
Critical coverage
“Would Epstein victims have been denied help in UK system?” — openDemocracy
Represented by Con since 2024. Covers Witham, Colchester and Tiptree. Population 115,495. Recorded crime is 39% below the national average.
Easter egg thief jailed for stealing more than £3,100 of items and ignoring shop ban
Essex Echo · 3 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£31,300
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£44,200
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
4,825
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
48
38 primary, 5 secondary, 5 other
Total Income Tax▼
£442m
from 54,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£3,280
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£8,220
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
42.8
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
62.9%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
1 city, 4 towns, 14 villages, rural areas — 101,857 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
28 councillors across 16 wards · Last elections: May 2024
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coggeshall | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Dennis John Abram | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Tom Walsh | May 2023 | |
| Great Totham | The Maldon District Independent Group | Jade Claire Hughes | May 2023 |
| The Maldon District Independent Group | Richard Henry Siddall | May 2023 | |
| Hatfield Peverel Terling | Conservative and Unionist Party | Charley Dervish | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | James William Coleridge | May 2023 | |
| Kelvedon Feering | Green Party of England and Wales | Camilla Jane Finch | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Paul Thorogood | May 2023 | |
| Marks Tey Layer | Conservative and Unionist Party | Kevin Paul Bentley | May 2024 |
| Silver End Cressing | Green Party of England and Wales | Bob Wright | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | James Abbott | May 2023 | |
| Stanway | Conservative and Unionist Party | Jeremy Hagon | May 2024 |
| The Colnes | Conservative and Unionist Party | Gabrielle Ann Spray | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | George Courtauld | May 2023 | |
| Tiptree | Conservative and Unionist Party | Roger Joseph Mannion | May 2024 |
| Tollesbury | The Maldon District Independent Group | Emma Louise Stephens | May 2023 |
| Tolleshunt Darcy | Conservative and Unionist Party | Clive Peter Morley | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Maddie Thompson | May 2023 | |
| Wickham Bishops Woodham | Conservative and Unionist Party | Mark Durham | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Simon John Neville Morgan | May 2023 | |
| Witham Central | Conservative and Unionist Party | Sindhu Rajeev | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Toby Williams | May 2023 | |
| Witham North | Conservative and Unionist Party | Billy Taylor | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Ethan Williams | May 2023 | |
| Witham South | Labour Party | Jacqueline Suzanne Marie Martin | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Paul Alan Thomas Heath | May 2023 | |
| Witham West | Conservative and Unionist Party | Jon Hayes | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Ronald Philip Ramage | May 2023 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 18,827 | 37.2% |
| Lab | 13,682 | 27.0% | |
| Ref | 9,870 | 19.5% | |
| Green | 3,539 | 7.0% | |
| LD | 3,439 | 6.8% | |
| Ind | 1,246 | 2.5% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2024 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 32,876 | 66.6% |
| Lab | 8,794 | 17.8% | |
| LD | 4,584 | 9.3% | |
| Green | 3,090 | 6.3% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2024 GEWon 2019 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 31,670 | 64.3% |
| Lab | 13,024 | 26.4% | |
| LD | 2,715 | 5.5% | |
| Green | 1,832 | 3.7% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2024 GEWon 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 27,123 | 57.5% |
| Ind | 7,569 | 16.1% | |
| Lab | 7,467 | 15.8% | |
| LD | 2,891 | 6.1% | |
| Green | 2,038 | 4.3% | |
| Ind | 80 | 0.2% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2024 GEWon 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 24,448 | 52.2% |
| LD | 9,252 | 19.8% | |
| Lab | 8,656 | 18.5% | |
| Ind | 3,060 | 6.5% | |
| Green | 1,419 | 3.0% |
Priti Patel appeared in 2 national articles across 3 topics (12 Apr 2026 – 15 Apr 2026)
Mixed (+0.20)Ranked #64 of 286 MPs mentioned in national coverage
She is portrayed positively as having opposed the deal and vindicated by its collapse, though the tone is partisan attack rather than substantive policy contribution.
Patel is mentioned only as a target of derogatory comments and plays no active role in the story.
18 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
Two six-year-old twins from Witham completed a mile-long swim at Witham Leisure Centre, demonstrating impressive endurance and determination. The achievement highlights the local facility's community engagement and youth activity programs.
Firefighters from Maldon and Witham stations responded to a shed fire in Heybridge caused by an electrical appliance fault. The incident highlights fire safety risks from faulty electrical equipment and serves as a public safety reminder for homeowners.
A 47-year-old Witham resident was banned from driving for 12 months after being caught drug driving with cocaine in his possession. The man was stopped by police for not wearing a seatbelt, tested positive for cocaine, and admitted to drug driving and possession.
Plans have been submitted for up to 25 new homes on grazing land north of North Road in Tollesbury, with 12 proposed as affordable housing. The development includes public space, a children's play area, and aims to provide landscape-led growth with retention of hedgerows and trees.
A UK court has overturned a ban preventing Chagossians from living on outer islands of the Chagos archipelago, ruling a 2004 law unlawful. The decision comes as the UK prepares to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing back a military base, with Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel (Witham MP) criticising the government's handling of Chagossian interests.
A UK Supreme Court ruling has determined that Chagossians have a right of abode in the British Indian Ocean Territory, striking down a provision that stripped them of this right. The decision constrains the government's ability to evict Chagossians attempting to resettle the islands, though the court also found their current occupation illegal and stated they need proper permits.
A court has quashed eviction notices against Chagos islanders who returned to their ancestral homeland, ruling that previous legislation denying them rights of abode was unlawful. The judgment is framed as a blow to Prime Minister Starmer's controversial deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, with shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel criticising the agreement as a 'complete betrayal.'
Poplar Food Hall in Marks Tey, a local food business spanning 3,000 square feet, is celebrating its fifth anniversary. The hall offers homemade baked goods, fresh produce, and speciality items including vegan and gluten-free products, and has built a loyal customer base through local sourcing and customer service.
Paycocke's House & Garden in Coggeshall, Essex has been recognised among the UK's top 30 cherry blossom destinations. The National Trust property is hosting its annual Festival of Blossom with free activities and mindful experiences for visitors.
Southview School in Witham is successfully supporting students with physical and neurological disabilities into work experience placements in the community, marking a significant expansion from in-school opportunities. The school's new conference facility helps students develop life skills, and several have already secured placements at local businesses including the Mercury Theatre and charity shops.
Woodend Farm School in Witham, a specialist SEND school opened in 2023, has dramatically reduced challenging behaviour incidents by 73% through a curriculum redesign that disguises learning within play-based activities tailored to children with autism, ADHD, and PDA. The school's innovative approach, inspired by Welsh curriculum principles, has enabled previously out-of-education children to access learning and make progress while maintaining greater autonomy.
The article reports on concerns that the UK government's deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius could result in the removal of marine protections, potentially allowing EU fishing vessels to exploit currently protected waters. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel criticises the deal as contrary to British national interests and harmful to environmental conservation.
The article reports on EU fishing ambitions in the Indian Ocean following the UK's Chagos Islands agreement, with concerns about European trawler operators gaining new fishing permits. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel has criticized the deal as contradicting British national interests.
The Government has shelved plans to dual the A120 between Braintree and the A12, a project that had been delayed since 2017. Witham MP Priti Patel strongly criticised the decision, arguing it will worsen road safety and congestion, and accused Labour of betraying Essex by cancelling both this scheme and the A12 widening project.
A parliamentary sketch by Quentin Letts describing heated opposition from Essex Conservative MPs, including Priti Patel (Witham MP), to the government's local government reorganisation proposals that would merge councils across Essex and other shires. Patel is briefly mentioned as having 'bellowed condemnation' of the plans alongside other local MPs.
Sir James Cleverly, MP for Braintree, backs a petition for the A120 to be dualled between Marks Tey and Braintree, citing decades of constituent complaints about congestion, safety hazards, and 27 deaths in 26 years on the route. Priti Patel, MP for Witham, is noted as joining the campaign alongside other MPs and Essex County Council leadership.
The article examines how the 2022 Nationality and Borders Act, introduced by former Conservative home secretary Priti Patel, has raised evidence thresholds for modern slavery victims seeking support through the National Referral Mechanism, potentially blocking trafficking survivors from receiving help. Experts warn that requiring documentary evidence rather than accepting personal testimony makes it nearly impossible for many victims to access essential support services.
The article reports on fuel price increases in Colchester, with petrol up 9p per litre and diesel up 22p per litre over two weeks, attributing the rise to Middle East conflict. It provides detailed price comparisons across local filling stations.
Witham MP Priti Patel has written to the transport secretary demanding government commitment to fund upgrades to the A12 and A120 roads in the upcoming Road Investment Strategy 2026-2031. She criticises the Labour government for scrapping the A12 widening scheme and failing to provide details on road funding plans.
Priti Patel condemns a recent arson attack on a Jewish volunteer ambulance service and calls for a major antisemitism crackdown, stating that antisemitism levels across the country have reached unacceptable heights. She insists authorities have sufficient powers to address the issue and criticizes hate marches that have intimidated Jewish communities.
Witham Town Football Club secured a 3-0 victory over Concord Rangers at home, with striker Sam Bantick scoring twice in the final minutes. The win extends Witham's unbeaten run to six matches and demonstrates the team's recent strong form under manager Kevin Hunter.
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