Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency)


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. For the majority of its history, the constituency has been represented by Conservative MPs, but from the 1990s onwards became a marginal seat, or swing seat, and since 2024 has been represented by Josh Babarinde, a Liberal Democrat.

Constituency profile

The Eastbourne constituency is located in East Sussex. It covers the large town of Eastbourne and is coterminous with its borough. Eastbourne is a seaside resort town on England's south coast and is popular with tourists. The town is known for its Victorian architecture and was mostly developed in the late 19th century by William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire. The town has high levels of deprivation, particularly in the town centre and the northern suburbs, although the west of the town is wealthy. House prices are lower than the national average and considerably lower than the rest of South East England.
Compared to the country as a whole, residents of Eastbourne are generally older and have lower levels of education. They have low incomes and are less likely to work in professional occupations. White people made up 91% of the population at the 2021 census. At the local council level, most of the town is represented by Liberal Democrats with some Conservative councillors elected in the outer suburbs. An estimated 57% of voters in Eastbourne supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide rate of 52%.

History

Origin

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.

From safe seat to marginal seat

With the exception of the landslide Liberal victory in 1906, the seat returned Conservative Party candidates at every election from its creation in 1885 until 1987. The seat in the 1930s saw three unopposed candidates: in 1932, March 1935 and November 1935. 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 compared to other voters.
The seat was first won by the Liberal Democrats at the 1990 by-election. Although it was recaptured by the Conservatives at the subsequent general election in 1992 and held until 2010, it became a marginal, or swing seat, from 1990 onwards, being closely fought for between the two locally dominant parties. In the nine elections from 1990 to 2019, the winning majority was never more than 10%, and the seat has changed hands between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates at each of the five elections from 2010 to 2024 inclusive.

Recent results

A Liberal Democrat, Stephen Lloyd, regained the seat at the 2010 general election, beating incumbent Conservative MP Nigel Waterson who had won the previous four elections. The 2010 result 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 won by Caroline Ansell by just 773 votes, making it the 9th most marginal of the Conservative Party's 331 seats, by share of the vote. Ansell held the seat from 2015 to 2017 and again from 2019 to 2024, in both cases beating Lloyd, who held it from 2010 to 2015 and again from 2017 to 2019.
In 2024, the seat was once again recaptured for the Liberal Democrats by Josh Babarinde, this time with a healthy majority of 26.8%. This made 2024 the first election since the constituency's creation that a Conservative candidate was not within 10% of the winning vote.

Boundaries

Historic

1885–1918: The Corporate Towns of Pevensey and Seaford, the Sessional Divisions of Hailsham and Uckfield, 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.
2010–2024: As prior, less East Dean.

Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the boundaries of the constituency are now coterminous with the Borough of Eastbourne.
''In order to bring its electorate within the permitted range, the parts within the District of Wealden were transferred to the Lewes constituency.''

Members of Parliament

''East Sussex prior to 1885''

By-elections

Election results

Elections in the 1990s

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 1910s

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;