1885–1918: The Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower, and part of the Sessional Division of Becontree. 1918–1945: The Urban Districts of Barking and Romford, and the Rural District of Romford. 1945–1950: The Borough of Romford. 1950–1955: The Borough of Romford, and the Urban District of Brentwood. 1955–1974: The Borough of Romford. 1974–1983: The London Borough of Havering wards of Bedfords, Central, Collier Row, Gidea Park, Heath Park, Mawney, and Oldchurch. 1983–1997: The London Borough of Havering wards of Brooklands, Chase Cross, Collier Row, Gidea Park, Heath Park, Mawney, Oldchurch, Rise Park, and St Edward's. 1997–2010: The London Borough of Havering wards of Ardleigh Green, Brooklands, Chase Cross, Collier Row, Gidea Park, Heath Park, Mawney, Oldchurch, Rise Park, and St Edward's. 2010–present: The London Borough of Havering wards of Brooklands, Havering Park, Hylands, Mawneys, Pettits, Romford Town, and Squirrel's Heath. ;Changes at the 2010 boundary review Parliament accepted the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which slightly altered this constituency for the 2010 general election: Hylands ward and part of Romford Town ward was transferred into the area from the former constituency of Hornchurch, and the shared part of Emerson Park was transferred from Romford to help form the new Hornchurch and Upminster constituency.
Constituency profile
The constituency covers Romford, Gidea Park and Collier Row in the London Borough of Havering, east London. Although the constituency includes the middle-income Romford Garden Suburb area, ex-council housing forms a substantial part of the constituency, largely bought under the Right to Buy and the borough has a high level of households with vehicle ownership.
History
This seat was created in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Although Romford has been highly marginal in terms of majorities obtained through much of the 20th century, its boundaries have changed, and it has largely been a Conservative seat in recent years; although taken by Labour in the 1997 landslide, it was one of the few Conservative gains in 2001. The 2015 result made the seat the 157th safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.
