Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency)

Eastbourne
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Eastbourne in East Sussex
Location of East Sussex within England
County	East Sussex
Electorate	79,307 (December 2019)[1]
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.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Constituency profile[edit]

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.^[3]

History[edit]

Origin[edit]

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).

Boundaries[edit]

Map of present boundaries

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.

Proposed[edit]

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.^[4]

From safe seat to marginal seat[edit]

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%.^[5] In 2015, the seat was the 9th most marginal of the Conservative Party's 331 seats, by share of the vote.^[6]

By-elections[edit]

• 1925 Eastbourne by-election (Con, hold), following the resignation of the Conservative MP Sir George Ambrose Lloyd
• 1932 Eastbourne by-election (Con, hold), following the death of the Conservative MP Edward Marjoribanks
• 1935 Eastbourne by-election (Con, hold), following the death of the Conservative MP John Slater
• 1990 Eastbourne by-election (LD, gain), following the assassination of the Conservative MP Ian Gow by members of the Provisional IRA.

Election results by decade[edit]

Elections in the 2020s[edit]

Elections in the 2010s[edit]

Elections in the 2000s[edit]

Elections in the 1990s[edit]

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.

Elections in the 1980s[edit]

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

Election in the 1940s[edit]

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

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;

• Unionist: Rupert Gwynne
• Liberal:

Elections in the 1900s[edit]

Elections in the 1890s[edit]

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

See also[edit]

• List of parliamentary constituencies in East Sussex
• Boundary Commissions (United Kingdom)
• Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Sources[edit]

• Election result, 2005 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997–2001 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997–2001 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1983–1992 Archived 19 August 2000 at the Wayback Machine
• Election results, 1992–2005 Archived 29 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine (Guardian)
• Election results, 1950–2001 Archived 5 May 2004 at the Wayback Machine (Keele University)
• The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• Iain Dale, ed. (2003). The Times House of Commons 1929, 1931, 1935. Politico's (reprint). ISBN 1-84275-033-X.
• Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

50°46′41″N 0°17′10″E / 50.778°N 0.286°E / 50.778; 0.286