The seat was re-won in 2019 by Caroline Ansell, a Conservative who ousted Liberal DemocratStephen 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.
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]
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
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
Results of all deposit-keeping candidates in their bid be the MP for Eastbourne (UK House of Commons), from and including the 1990 result
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]
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.
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;
^A borough constituency having first been the alternative form, a county constituency, for the sole modern purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer.
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). ISBN1-84275-033-X.
Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN0-900178-06-X.
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