1974–1983: The London Borough of Barking wards of Chadwell Heath, Eastbrook, Fanshawe, Heath, River, Valence, and Village.
1983–2010: The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham wards of Alibon, Chadwell Heath, Eastbrook, Fanshawe, Heath, Marks Gate, River, Triptons, Valence, and Village.
Before 1945 this Dagenham constituency and surrounding area was part of the Romford constituency. The MP for the predecessor seat since 1935, Labour's John Parker, stood again on each occasion in this smaller successor area, representing it until 1983. Parker was the last serving MP to have been elected before the Second World War, and with 48 years in Parliament, remained the longest-serving Labour MP in history until Dennis Skinner served Bolsover for 49 years. Dagenham was held by Labour since its inception and election predictions always rated it as a safe seat. The constituency shared boundaries with the Dagenham electoral division for election of councillors to the Greater London Council at elections in 1973, 1977 and 1981.
The far-right British National Party (BNP) was active in this area periodically and its support led to some retained deposits by polling more than 5% of the vote on several occasions. Their candidate received nearly 10% of the vote in the 2005 general election and in the 2006 local elections returned 12 councillors to Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council.
Constituency profile
The constituency hosted shrinking skilled manual industry such as the Ford Motor Company works, which downscaled production in 2001, leading to replacement distribution and warehousing businesses as well as local regeneration under the Thames Gateway project from 2005 however higher than national unemployment immediately, including following the seat's abolition. (See the main successor seat, Dagenham and Rainham for statistics.) The largest-polling opposition candidate was Conservative since 1979, with the Liberal Party a greater or equal opponent in elections before that, vying for second place with that party.
^Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1945". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^ a b c d e fBritish parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
^Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1950". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^Stevenson, Graham. "Bridges George Senior". Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
^Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1951". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1955". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1959". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1966". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
