James McMurdock is the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock in south Essex. He was elected in July 2024 as part of the Reform UK wave that delivered the party five seats in the House of Commons, defeating the Conservative incumbent in a constituency that had long been considered safe Conservative territory.
South Basildon and East Thurrock
The constituency covers a distinctive stretch of south Essex — combining parts of Basildon, the post-war new town built to rehouse east Londoners, with the industrial communities along the northern shore of the Thames estuary. It is a strongly Leave-voting, working-class constituency with high levels of private car ownership, strong views on immigration and law and order, and a history of drifting away from Labour towards the Conservatives before the 2024 election brought a Reform surge.
The 2024 Election
McMurdock's victory in July 2024 was part of the broader Reform UK breakthrough, in which the party targeted formerly safe Conservative seats in the East of England and the East Midlands. His win demonstrated that Reform UK's appeal stretched beyond the traditional northern Red Wall towns associated with Nigel Farage's rhetoric — into prosperous, suburban, and semi-rural Essex too.
Departure from Reform UK
Like Rupert Lowe, McMurdock left Reform UK in 2025 following internal disputes within the party. He now sits as an independent MP. His departure, alongside Lowe's, left Reform UK with fewer MPs than it had won at the 2024 election — illustrating the difficulties of managing a small parliamentary group of politicians who had come to Reform UK from very different backgrounds and with very different political styles.
Frequently Asked Questions
James McMurdock is the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock in Essex. He was elected in July 2024 as a Reform UK MP but subsequently left the party to sit as an independent MP.
McMurdock represents South Basildon and East Thurrock — a constituency in south Essex covering parts of Basildon new town and the industrial Thames estuary communities. It was previously a Conservative seat.
McMurdock left Reform UK in 2025 following internal tensions within the party's small parliamentary group. He now sits as an independent MP. The departures of both McMurdock and Rupert Lowe reduced Reform UK's parliamentary presence.
Yes. McMurdock was one of five Reform UK MPs elected at the July 2024 general election, defeating the Conservative incumbent in South Basildon and East Thurrock. He subsequently left the Reform UK parliamentary group to sit as an independent.
South Basildon and East Thurrock is a south Essex constituency with a mix of post-war new town and industrial Thames-side communities. Like many Essex seats, it has a strong working-class Eurosceptic identity and was part of the '2024 Essex wave' in which Reform UK outperformed expectations.
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