Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency)

Eastbourne
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Boundary of Eastbourne in South East England
County	East Sussex
Electorate	73,322 (2023)[1]
Major settlements	Eastbourne
Current constituency
Created	1885
Member of Parliament	Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrats)
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 has been represented since 2024 by Josh Babarinde, a Liberal Democrat.

The constituency contains urban and suburban developments, with its boundaries since 2024 matching those of Eastbourne Borough Council.^[2] 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, having previously included neighbouring towns such as Willingdon, East Dean, and Polegate.

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]

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).

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 (anti-socialist, pro-Empire before 1960s, pro-Established Church and pro-defence) 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.

A Liberal Democrat, Stephen Lloyd, regained 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%.^[4] In 2015, the seat was won by Caroline Ansell, making it the 9th most marginal of the Conservative Party's 331 seats, by share of the vote.^[5] Ansell held the seat from 2015 to 2017 and again from 2019 to 2024, in both cases beating the Lloyd, who held it from 2010 to 2015 and again from 2017 to 2019.^{[n 2]}

In 2024, the seat was once again recaptured for the Liberal Democrats by Josh Babarinde, this time with a healthy majority of 26.8%.

Map of boundaries 2010–2024

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.

2010–2024: As prior, less East Dean.

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.^[2]

In order to bring its electorate within the permitted range, the parts within the District of Wealden were transferred to the Lewes constituency.

East Sussex prior to 1885

• 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.

General election 2024: Eastbourne^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Josh Babarinde	23,742	52.1	+9.2
	Conservative	Caroline Ansell	11,538	25.3	−21.8
	Reform UK	Mark Ashdown	6,061	13.3	+10.6
	Labour	Paul Richards	2,689	5.9	−1.0
	Green	Mike Munson	1,424	3.1	N/A
	UKIP	Ian Garbutt	154	0.3	N/A
Majority			12,204	26.8	N/A
Turnout			45,608	62.8	−7.1
Registered electors			72,592
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	15.5

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.

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:

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

• 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.

• Eastbourne UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Eastbourne UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Eastbourne UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

50°47′N 0°16′E / 50.78°N 0.27°E / 50.78; 0.27