In this article, we are going to explore the topic of Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency) in detail, since it is a topic that has generated great interest today. From its origins to its impact on today's society, Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency) has been the subject of debate and discussion in different areas. Over the years, Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency) has evolved and taken on different meanings depending on the context in which it is analyzed. That is why it is relevant to delve into its nature, its distinctive characteristics and the implications it has on daily life. Likewise, different perspectives and approaches will be addressed that will allow us to have a comprehensive vision of Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency), in order to understand its importance and relevance today.
Eastbourne | |
---|---|
Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | East Sussex |
Electorate | 79,307 (December 2019) |
Major settlements | Eastbourne |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1885 |
Member of Parliament | Caroline Ansell (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | East Sussex |
Eastbourne is a constituency for the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was created as one of nine in Sussex in 1885, since when it has reduced in geographic size reflecting the growth of its main settlement, Eastbourne.[n 1]
The seat was re-won in 2019 by Caroline Ansell, a Conservative and the constituencies first female MP, who ousted Liberal Democrat Stephen Lloyd; she earlier did so in 2015.[n 2] Since the seat's creation it has been won by candidates from either of these two political parties (and their early forebears, the Liberal Party and the Unionist Party). The seat has had four by-elections, lastly in 1990.
For 94 years of the 20th Century, the seat was represented by Conservative MPs. The seat in the 1930s saw three unopposed candidates: in 1932, March 1935 and November 1935. Eastbourne has been considered relative to others a very marginal seat, as well as a swing seat, since 1997 as its winner's majority has been at most 7.86% of the vote. A 8.9% majority Tory re-gain took place in 1992 and since 2010 the seat has changed hands (between the two parties mentioned) all four possible times.
The constituency contains urban and suburban developments, including the whole of the Eastbourne Borough Council administrative area, as well as the village of Willingdon on its outskirts, which forms a small part of the Wealden District Council administrative area.
Eastbourne itself is on the edge of the London Commuter Belt and is a coastal resort town. The Eastbourne seat has narrowed at every Boundary Commission Periodic Review, as the population of the core town has grown.
Chris Hanretty, the Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway, estimated that Eastbourne voted 57.6% to 42.4% in favour of leaving the European Union during the 2016 referendum.
This seat was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. This zone had been in the East Sussex constituency, which in turn had been created with two seats by the Reform Act 1832 as a division of the 13th century-founded Sussex parliamentary county which had two seats (returned two knights of the shire).
1885–1918: The Corporate Towns of Pevensey and Seaford, the Sessional Divisions of Hailsham and Uckfield (except the parishes of East Hoathly and Waldron), and part of the Sessional Division of Lewes.
1918–1950: The Borough of Eastbourne, the Rural District of Eastbourne, and in the Rural District of Hailsham the parishes of Arlington, Chalvington, Chiddingly, Hailsham, Hellingly, Laughton, and Ripe.
1950–1955: The Boroughs of Eastbourne and Bexhill, and in the Rural District of Hailsham the parishes of East Dean, Friston, Hooe, Jevington, Ninfield, Pevensey, Polegate, Wartling, Westham, and Willingdon.
1955–1974: The Borough of Eastbourne, and part of the Rural District of Hailsham.
1974–1983: The Borough of Eastbourne, and in the Rural District of Hailsham the parishes of East Dean, Friston, Jevington, Pevensey, Polegate, Westdean, Westham, and Willingdon.
1983–1997: The Borough of Eastbourne, and the District of Wealden wards of Polegate North, Polegate South, and Willingdon.
1997–2010: As prior, substituting East Dean for the Polegate wards.
2010–present: As prior, less East Dean.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be reduced to bring its electorate within the permitted range by transferring the parts within District of Wealden to the Lewes constituency. The boundaries will now be coterminous with those of the Borough of Eastbourne.
From 1910 until 1987 the seat returned Conservative Party candidates at every election. The large rural vote within the seat, until boundary changes in 1983, resulted in strong Conservative support – rural English voters tended to be richer and more right-wing (anti-socialist, pro-Empire before 1960s, pro-Established Church and pro-defence) compared to other voters.
The seat became a marginal, or swing seat, from the 1990 by-election onwards, being closely fought for between the two locally dominant parties. A Liberal Democrat gained the seat at the 2010 general election, in a vote which saw Eastbourne return the sixth-lowest Labour share of the vote of the 631 candidates who stood at the election, with only 4.8%. In 2015, the seat was the 9th most marginal of the Conservative Party's 331 seats, by share of the vote.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Caroline Ansell | ||||
Liberal Democrats | Josh Babarinde | ||||
Green | Mike Munson | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Caroline Ansell | 26,951 | 48.9 | +4.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Lloyd | 22,620 | 41.0 | -5.9 | |
Labour | Jake Lambert | 3,848 | 7.0 | -1.1 | |
Brexit Party | Stephen Gander | 1,530 | 2.8 | New | |
Independent | Ken Pollock | 185 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 4,331 | 7.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 55,134 | 69.5 | -3.4 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +5.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Lloyd | 26,924 | 46.9 | +8.7 | |
Conservative | Caroline Ansell | 25,315 | 44.1 | +4.5 | |
Labour | Jake Lambert | 4,671 | 8.1 | +0.3 | |
Green | Alex Hough | 510 | 0.9 | -1.7 | |
Majority | 1,609 | 2.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 57,420 | 72.9 | +5.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Caroline Ansell | 20,934 | 39.6 | -1.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Lloyd | 20,201 | 38.2 | -9.1 | |
UKIP | Nigel Jones | 6,139 | 11.6 | +9.1 | |
Labour | Jake Lambert | 4,143 | 7.8 | +3.0 | |
Green | Andrew Durling | 1,351 | 2.6 | New | |
Independent | Paul Howard | 139 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 733 | 1.4 | New | ||
Turnout | 52,907 | 67.6 | +0.6 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Lloyd | 24,658 | 47.3 | +5.6 | |
Conservative | Nigel Waterson | 21,223 | 40.7 | -2.3 | |
Labour | Dave Brinson | 2,497 | 4.8 | -6.0 | |
Independent | Stephen Shing | 1,327 | 2.5 | New | |
UKIP | Roger Needham | 1,305 | 2.5 | ±0.0 | |
BNP | Colin Poulter | 939 | 1.8 | New | |
Independent | Michael Baldry | 101 | 0.2 | New | |
Independent | Keith Gell | 74 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 3,435 | 6.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 52,124 | 67.0 | +3.8 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Waterson | 21,033 | 43.5 | −0.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Lloyd | 19,909 | 41.1 | +1.8 | |
Labour | Andrew Jones | 5,268 | 10.9 | −2.4 | |
UKIP | Andrew Meggs | 1,233 | 2.5 | +0.5 | |
Green | Clive Gross | 949 | 2.0 | New | |
Majority | 1,124 | 2.4 | -2.4 | ||
Turnout | 48,392 | 64.8 | +5.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -1.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Waterson | 19,738 | 44.1 | +2.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Chris Berry | 17,584 | 39.3 | +1.0 | |
Labour | Gillian Roles | 5,967 | 13.3 | +0.8 | |
UKIP | Barry Jones | 907 | 2.0 | New | |
Liberal | Theresia Williamson | 574 | 1.3 | −0.1 | |
Majority | 2,154 | 4.8 | +1.0 | ||
Turnout | 44,770 | 59.6 | −13.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Waterson | 22,183 | 42.1 | −10.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Chris Berry | 20,189 | 38.3 | −2.9 | |
Labour | David Lines | 6,576 | 12.5 | +7.8 | |
Referendum | Trevor Lowe | 2,724 | 5.2 | New | |
Liberal | Theresia Williamson | 741 | 1.4 | New | |
Natural Law | John Dawkins | 254 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 1,994 | 3.8 | -5.1 | ||
Turnout | 52,667 | 72.8 | -8.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -4.0 |
This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1992 and 1997 general elections and thus change in share of vote is based on a notional calculation.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Waterson | 31,792 | 51.6 | −8.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Bellotti | 26,311 | 42.7 | +13.0 | |
Labour | Ivan A. Gibbons | 2,834 | 4.6 | −4.2 | |
Green | David Aherne | 391 | 0.6 | −0.9 | |
Liberal | MT Williamson | 296 | 0.5 | −29.3 | |
Majority | 5,481 | 8.9 | −21.3 | ||
Turnout | 61,624 | 80.9 | +5.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −10.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | David Bellotti | 23,415 | 50.8 | +21.1 | |
Conservative | Richard Hickmet | 18,865 | 41.0 | -18.9 | |
Labour | Charlotte Atkins | 2,308 | 5.0 | -3.8 | |
Green | David Aherne | 553 | 1.2 | -0.4 | |
Liberal | Theresia Williamson | 526 | 1.1 | New | |
Corrective Party | Lady Whiplash | 216 | 0.5 | New | |
National Front | John McAuley | 154 | 0.3 | New | |
Ironside Party | Eric Page | 35 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 4,550 | 9.8 | New | ||
Turnout | 46,072 | 60.7 | -14.9 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +20.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Gow | 33,587 | 59.9 | +0.8 | |
Liberal | Peter Driver | 16,664 | 29.7 | -4.1 | |
Labour | Ash Patel | 4,928 | 8.8 | +1.7 | |
Green | Ruth Addison | 867 | 1.6 | New | |
Majority | 16,923 | 30.2 | +4.9 | ||
Turnout | 56,046 | 75.6 | +2.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Gow | 31,501 | 59.1 | -3.9 | |
Liberal | Peter Driver | 18,015 | 33.8 | +15.0 | |
Labour | Charles Clark | 3,790 | 7.1 | -10.1 | |
Majority | 13,486 | 25.3 | -19.0 | ||
Turnout | 53,306 | 73.0 | -3.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -9.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Gow | 37,168 | 63.1 | +8.4 | |
Liberal | David Bellotti | 11,084 | 18.8 | -7.1 | |
Labour | Len Caine | 10,166 | 17.2 | -2.3 | |
National Front | C Mitchell | 533 | 0.9 | New | |
Majority | 26,084 | 44.3 | +15.5 | ||
Turnout | 58,951 | 76.7 | +2.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +7.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Gow | 30,442 | 54.7 | +3.6 | |
Liberal | Gurth Hoyer-Millar | 14,417 | 25.9 | -13.2 | |
Labour | Len Caine | 10,830 | 19.5 | +9.9 | |
Majority | 16,025 | 28.8 | |||
Turnout | 55,689 | 74.55 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | +8.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Gow | 31,462 | 51.3 | ||
Liberal | Stephen Terrell | 23,987 | 39.1 | ||
Labour | David Dawson | 5,874 | 9.6 | ||
Majority | 7,475 | 12.19 | |||
Turnout | 61,323 | 82.60 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | 30,296 | 48.8 | ||
Liberal | Stephen Terrell | 23,308 | 37.6 | ||
Labour | Cyril George Abley | 8,475 | 13.7 | ||
Majority | 6,988 | 11.2 | |||
Turnout | 62,079 | 73.67 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | - |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | 26,039 | 46.26 | ||
Liberal | Stephen Terrell | 16,746 | 29.75 | ||
Labour | John Harold High | 12,620 | 22.42 | ||
Independent | Vernon Hubert Petty | 883 | 1.57 | New | |
Majority | 9,293 | 16.51 | |||
Turnout | 56,288 | 77.24 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | 26,410 | 49.01 | ||
Liberal | Stephen Terrell | 15,441 | 28.66 | ||
Labour Co-op | Joan E. M. Baker | 12,034 | 22.33 | ||
Majority | 10,969 | 20.35 | |||
Turnout | 53,885 | 76.70 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | 27,874 | 57.28 | ||
Labour | Anthony Albert Dumont | 11,837 | 24.32 | ||
Liberal | Ronald Gardner-Thorpe | 8,955 | 18.40 | New | |
Majority | 16,037 | 32.96 | |||
Turnout | 48,666 | 77.28 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | 29,779 | 65.68 | ||
Labour | John A. Lewis | 15,561 | 34.32 | ||
Majority | 14,218 | 31.36 | |||
Turnout | 45,340 | 75.81 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | 39,278 | 67.15 | ||
Labour | Christopher Attlee | 19,217 | 32.85 | ||
Majority | 20,061 | 34.30 | |||
Turnout | 58,495 | 81.93 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | 35,425 | 59.54 | ||
Labour | Reginald Groves | 18,304 | 30.77 | ||
Liberal | Cecil Herbert Louis Douglas-Bate | 5,766 | 9.69 | ||
Majority | 17,121 | 28.77 | |||
Turnout | 59,495 | 85.08 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | 18,173 | 53.24 | N/A | |
Labour | Duncan Newman Smith | 12,637 | 37.02 | New | |
Liberal | John Stafford Gowland | 2,797 | 8.19 | New | |
Independent National | Reg Hipwell | 524 | 1.54 | New | |
Majority | 5,536 | 16.22 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 34,131 | 77.35 | N/A | ||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Taylor | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Slater | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Marjoribanks | 31,240 | 85.31 | ||
Labour | A.J. Marshall | 5,379 | 14.69 | ||
Majority | 25,861 | 70.62 | |||
Turnout | 36,619 | 71.86 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Edward Marjoribanks | 18,157 | 49.9 | -8.5 | |
Labour | Richard S Chatfield | 8,204 | 22.5 | +5.6 | |
Liberal | Clive Stuart Saxon Burt | 7,812 | 21.4 | -3.3 | |
Ind. Unionist | P E Hurst | 2,277 | 6.2 | New | |
Majority | 9,953 | 27.4 | -6.3 | ||
Turnout | 36,450 | 74.5 | +13.7 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -7.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Reginald Hall | 12,741 | 58.4 | -9.5 | |
Liberal | Harcourt Johnstone | 5,386 | 24.7 | +8.6 | |
Labour | Thomas Williams | 3,696 | 16.9 | +0.9 | |
Majority | 7,355 | 33.7 | -18.1 | ||
Turnout | 21,823 | 60.7 | -14.9 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -9.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | George Lloyd | 17,533 | 67.9 | +14.1 | |
Liberal | Joseph James Davies | 4,168 | 16.1 | -30.1 | |
Labour | D J Davis | 4,138 | 16.0 | New | |
Majority | 13,365 | 51.8 | +44.2 | ||
Turnout | 25,839 | 77.6 | +0.6 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +22.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Rupert Gwynne | 13,276 | 53.8 | -6.7 | |
Liberal | Thomas Wiles | 11,396 | 46.2 | +6.7 | |
Majority | 1,880 | 7.6 | -13.4 | ||
Turnout | 24,672 | 77.0 | -0.2 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -6.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Rupert Gwynne | 14,601 | 60.5 | -3.1 | |
Liberal | Edward Duke | 9,550 | 39.5 | +29.1 | |
Majority | 5,051 | 21.0 | -16.6 | ||
Turnout | 24,151 | 77.2 | |||
Unionist hold | Swing | -16.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Rupert Gwynne | 11,357 | 63.6 | +5.3 |
Labour | Thomas Burleigh Hasdell | 4,641 | 26.0 | New | |
Liberal | Alfred John Callaghan | 1,852 | 10.4 | −31.3 | |
Majority | 6,716 | 37.6 | +21.0 | ||
Turnout | 17,850 | 59.8 | −23.4 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +18.3 | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rupert Gwynne | 6,873 | 58.3 | −0.7 | |
Liberal | Hector Morison | 4,920 | 41.7 | +0.7 | |
Majority | 1,953 | 16.6 | −1.4 | ||
Turnout | 11,793 | 83.2 | −7.1 | ||
Registered electors | 14,172 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rupert Gwynne | 7,553 | 59.0 | +11.8 | |
Liberal | Hector Morison | 5,249 | 41.0 | −11.8 | |
Majority | 2,304 | 18.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 12,802 | 90.3 | +3.3 | ||
Registered electors | 14,172 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +11.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Hubert Beaumont | 5,933 | 52.8 | +6.6 | |
Conservative | Lindsay Hogg | 5,303 | 47.2 | -6.6 | |
Majority | 630 | 5.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 11,236 | 87.0 | +5.2 | ||
Registered electors | 12,913 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lindsay Hogg | 4,948 | 53.8 | +3.4 | |
Liberal | Thomas Seymour Brand | 4,254 | 46.2 | −3.4 | |
Majority | 694 | 7.6 | +6.8 | ||
Turnout | 9,202 | 81.8 | +4.0 | ||
Registered electors | 11,248 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Field | 4,139 | 50.4 | −2.0 | |
Liberal | Thomas Seymour Brand | 4,079 | 49.6 | +2.0 | |
Majority | 60 | 0.8 | −4.0 | ||
Turnout | 8,218 | 77.8 | +0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 10,563 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Field | 4,037 | 52.4 | −7.7 | |
Liberal | Thomas Seymour Brand | 3,674 | 47.6 | +7.7 | |
Majority | 363 | 4.8 | −15.4 | ||
Turnout | 7,711 | 76.9 | +3.3 | ||
Registered electors | 10,029 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −7.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Field | 3,760 | 60.1 | +9.6 | |
Liberal | James Clifton Brown | 2,501 | 39.9 | −9.6 | |
Majority | 1,259 | 20.2 | +19.2 | ||
Turnout | 6,261 | 73.6 | −9.4 | ||
Registered electors | 8,504 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +9.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Field | 3,561 | 50.5 | ||
Liberal | George Ambrose Wallis | 3,497 | 49.5 | ||
Majority | 64 | 1.0 | |||
Turnout | 7,058 | 83.0 | |||
Registered electors | 8,504 | ||||
Conservative win (new seat) |
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