Parliamentary constituencies in East Sussex

The ceremonial county of East Sussex, (which includes the unitary authority of Brighton & Hove) is divided into 9 parliamentary constituencies - 4 borough constituencies and 5 county constituencies, one of which crosses the county border with West Sussex.

Constituencies

Further information: 2024 United Kingdom general election

  Conservative †   Labour ‡   Liberal Democrat ¤   Green ♣

Constituency[nb 1]	Electorate	Majority[nb 2]	Member of Parliament		Nearest opposition		Electoral wards[1]	Map
Bexhill and Battle CC	72,209	2,657		Kieran Mullan †		Christine Bayliss ‡	Rother District Council: Bexhill Central, Bexhill Collington, Bexhill Kewhurst, Bexhill Old Town and Worsham, Bexhill Pebsham and St. Michaels, Bexhill Sackville, Bexhill St. Marks, Bexhill St. Stephens, Bexhill Sidley, Brede and Udimore, Burwash and the Weald, Catsfield and Crowhurst, Hurst Green and Ticehurst, North Battle, Netherfield and Whatlington, Northern Rother, Robertsbridge, Sedlescombe and Westfield, South Battle and Telham. Wealden District Council: Herstmonceux and Pevensey Levels, Pevensey Bay.
Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven BC	68,784	9,609		Chris Ward ‡		Khobi Vallais †	Brighton and Hove City Council: East Brighton, Hanover and Elm Grove (polling district PHEA and polling district PHEF to the east of Queen's Park Road), Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Queen's Park, Rottingdean Coastal, Woodingdean. Lewes District Council: East Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven East, Peacehaven North, Peacehaven West.
Brighton Pavilion BC	74,786	14,290		Siân Berry ♣		Tom Gray ‡	Brighton and Hove City Council: Hanover and Elm Grove (polling districts PHEB, PHEC, PHED and PHEE, and polling district PHEF to the west of Queen’s Park Road), Hollingdean and Stanmer, Patcham, Preston Park, Regency, St Peter's and North Laine, Withdean.
East Grinstead and Uckfield CC (part)	75,385	8,480		Mims Davies †		Benedict Dempsey ¤	Lewes District Council: Chailey, Barcombe and Hamsey, Newick, Wivelsfield. Mid Sussex District Council: Ardingly and Balcombe, Ashurst Wood, Copthorne and Worth, Crawley Down and Turners Hill, East Grinstead Ashplats, East Grinstead Baldwins, East Grinstead Herontye, East Grinstead Imberhorne, East Grinstead Town, High Weald. Wealden District Council: Buxted, Danehill and Fletching, Forest Row, Maresfield, Uckfield East, Uckfield New Town, Uckfield North, Uckfield Ridgewood and Little Horsted.
Eastbourne BC	72,592	12,204		Josh Babarinde ¤		Caroline Ansell †	Eastbourne Borough Council: Devonshire, Hampden Park, Langney, Meads, Old Town, Ratton, St Anthony's, Sovereign, Upperton.
Hastings and Rye CC	75,939	8,653		Helena Dollimore ‡		Sally-Ann Hart †	Hastings Borough Council: Ashdown, Baird, Braybrooke, Castle, Central St Leonards, Conquest, Gensing, Hollington, Maze Hill, Old Hastings, Ore, Silverhill, St Helens, Tressell, West St Leonards, Wishing Tree. Rother District Council: Eastern Rother, Rye and Winchelsea, Southern Rother.
Hove and Portslade BC	74,063	19,881		Peter Kyle ‡		Sophie Broadbent ♣	Brighton and Hove City Council: Brunswick and Adelaide, Central Hove, Goldsmid, Hangleton and Knoll, North Portslade, South Portslade, Westbourne, Wish.
Lewes CC	76,166	12,624		James MacCleary ¤		Maria Caulfield †	Lewes District Council: Ditchling and Westmeston, Kingston, Lewes Bridge, Lewes Castle, Lewes Priory, Newhaven North, Newhaven South, Ouse Valley and Ringmer, Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington and St. John, Seaford Central, Seaford East, Seaford North, Seaford South, Seaford West. Wealden District Council: Arlington, Lower Willingdon, Polegate Central, Polegate North, Polegate South and Willingdon Watermill, South Downs, Stone Cross, Upper Willingdon.
Sussex Weald CC	72,897	6,842		Nus Ghani †		Danielle Newson ¤	Wealden District Council: Chiddingly, East Hoathly and Waldron, Crowborough Central, Crowborough Jarvis Brook, Crowborough North, Crowborough St. Johns, Crowborough South East, Crowborough South West, Framfield and Cross-in-Hand, Frant and Wadhurst, Hadlow Down and Rotherfield, Hailsham Central, Hailsham East, Hailsham North, Hailsham North West, Hailsham South, Hailsham West, Hartfield, Heathfield North, Heathfield South, Hellingly, Horam and Punnetts Town, Mayfield and Five Ashes, Withyham.

Boundary changes

2010

Under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the Boundary Commission for England decided to retain the existing 8 constituencies in East Sussex, with minor changes to realign constituency boundaries with those of current local government wards, and to reduce the electoral disparity between constituencies.

Name	Boundaries 1997-2010	Boundaries 2010–2024
Bexhill and Battle CC Brighton, Kemptown BC Brighton, Pavilion BC Eastbourne BC Hastings and Rye CC Hove BC Lewes CC Wealden CC	Parliamentary constituencies in East Sussex	Proposed Revision

2024

See 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for further details.

Former name	Boundaries 2010–2024	Current name	Boundaries 2024–present
Bexhill and Battle CC Brighton, Kemptown BC Brighton, Pavilion BC Eastbourne BC Hastings and Rye CC Hove BC Lewes CC Wealden CC	Parliamentary constituencies in East Sussex	Bexhill and Battle CC Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven BC Brighton Pavilion BC East Grinstead and Uckfield CC Eastbourne BC Hastings and Rye CC Hove and Portslade BC Lewes CC Sussex Weald CC

For the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which redrew the constituency map ahead of the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Boundary Commission for England opted to combine East Sussex with West Sussex as a sub-region of the South East Region, resulting in the creation of a new cross-county boundary constituency named East Grinstead and Uckfield. The resultant changes to existing constituencies entailed the abolition of Wealden and the creation of the new constituency of Sussex Weald. Brighton Kemptown was renamed Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, and, although its boundaries were unchanged, it was proposed that Hove be renamed Hove and Portslade.[2][3][4]

The following constituencies were proposed:

Containing electoral wards from Brighton and Hove

• Brighton Kemptown (part)
• Brighton Pavilion
• Hove and Portslade

Containing electoral wards from Eastbourne

• Eastbourne

Containing electoral wards from Hastings

• Hastings and Rye (part)

Containing electoral wards from Lewes

• Brighton Kemptown (part)
• East Grinstead and Uckfield (part)^1
• Lewes (part)

Containing electoral wards from Rother

• Bexhill and Battle (part)
• Hastings and Rye (part)

Containing electoral wards from Wealden

• Bexhill and Battle (part)
• East Grinstead and Uckfield (part)^1
• Lewes (part)
• Sussex Weald

^1 Also contains part of Mid Sussex District in West Sussex

Results history

Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019[5]

2024

The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising East Sussex in the 2019 general election were as follows:[nb 3]

Party	Votes	%	Change from 2019	Seats	Change from 2019
Labour	106,732	27.6%	0.3%	3	1
Conservative	88,069	22.8%	21.4%	2	3
Liberal Democrats	75,211	19.5%	2.6%	2	2
Greens	60,012	15.5%	5.4%	1	0
Reform	44,040	11.4%	10.3	0	0
Others	12,536	3.2%	2.8%	0	0
Total	386,600	100.0		8

Percentage votes

Election year	1983	1987	1992	1997	2001	2005	2010	2015	2017	2019	2024
Labour	13.6	15.2	17.5	29.2	30.2	25.4	20.1	22.9	32.2	27.3	27.6
Conservative	58.4	57.8	52.8	39.4	39.6	39.8	40.9	42.3	44.3	44.2	22.8
Liberal Democrat^1	27.2	26.3	27.5	24.0	24.0	26.3	28.0	12.9	14.1	16.9	19.5
Green Party	-	*	*	*	*	*	5.7	10.1	7.8	10.1	15.5
Reform	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.1	11.4
UKIP	-	-	-	*	*	*	2.8	11.6	1.3	*	*
Other	0.9	0.7	2.1	7.4	6.2	8.6	2.4	0.3	0.3	0.4	3.2

^11983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats

Election year	1983	1987	1992	1997	2001	2005	2010	2015	2017	2019	2024
Conservative	8	8	8	3	3	3	5	6	4	5	3
Labour	0	0	0	4	4	4	0	1	2	2	3
Liberal Democrat^1	0	0	0	1	1	1	2	0	1	0	2
Greens	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1
Total	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	9

^11983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

Maps

1885-1910

• 
  1885
• 
  1886
• 
  1892
• 
  1895
• 
  1900
• 
  1906
• 
  Jan 1910
• 
  Dec 1910

1918-1945

• 
  1918
• 
  1922
• 
  1923
• 
  1924
• 
  1929
• 
  1931
• 
  1935
• 
  1945

1950-1979

• 
  1950
• 
  1951
• 
  1955
• 
  1959
• 
  1964
• 
  1966
• 
  1970
• 
  Feb 1974
• 
  Oct 1974
• 
  1979

1983-present

• 
  1983
• 
  1987
• 
  1992
• 
  1997
• 
  2001
• 
  2005
• 
  2010
• 
  2015
• 
  2017
• 
  2019
• 
  2024

Historic representation by party

A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

The Local Government Act 1972 moved the District of Mid Sussex into West Sussex from East Sussex. This change was put into effect in the Parliamentary constituency boundaries for the 1983 boundary changes.

1885 to 1918

  Conservative   Liberal

Constituency	1885	1886	86	89	1892	93	1895	1900	03	05	1906	08	Jan 1910	10	Dec 1910	11	14
Brighton (Two members)	Smith		Robertson	Loder						Villiers			Tryon
	Marriott					Vernon-Wentworth					Ridsdale		Rice			Gordon	Thomas-Stanford
East Grinstead	Gregory	Gathorne-Hardy					Goschen				Corbett		Cautley
Eastbourne	Field							Hogg			Beaumont		Gwynne
Hastings	Brassey	Noble					Lucas-Shadwell	Freeman-Thomas			H. du Cros	A. du Cros
Lewes	Aubrey-Fletcher													Campion
Rye	Brookfield								Hutchinson		Courthope

1918 to 1950

  Conservative

Constituency	1918	21	1922	1923	24	1924	25	1929	1931	32	35	1935	36	37	40	41	44	1945
Brighton (Two members)	Tryon														Erskine	Marlowe
	Thomas-Stanford		Rawson														Teeling
East Grinstead	Cautley												Clarke
Eastbourne	Gwynne					Lloyd	Hall	Marjoribanks		Slater	Taylor
Hastings	Lyon	Percy												Hely-Hutchinson				Cooper-Key
Lewes	Campion				T. P. Beamish				Loder				T. P. Beamish					T. V. Beamish
Rye	Courthope																	Cuthbert

1950 to 1983

  Conservative   Labour

Constituency	1950	1951	1955	1959	1964	65	1966	69	1970	73	Feb 1974	Oct 1974	1979
Brighton Kemptown	Johnson			James	Hobden				Bowden
Brighton Pavilion	Teeling							Amery
East Grinstead	Clarke		Emmet			Johnson Smith
Eastbourne	Taylor										Gow
Hastings	Cooper-Key								Warren
Hove	Marlowe					Maddan				Sainsbury
Lewes	Beamish										Rathbone
Rye			Irvine
Sussex Mid											Renton

1983 to present

  Conservative   Green   Independent   Labour   Liberal Democrats

Constituency	1983	1987	90	1992	1997	01	2001	2005	2010	2015	2017	18	19	2019	24	2024
Bexhill and Battle	Wardle					→	Barker			Merriman						Mullan
Brighton Kemptown / BK & Peacehaven ('24)	Bowden				Turner				Kirby		Russell-Moyle				→	Ward
Brighton Pavilion	Amery			Spencer	Lepper				Lucas							Berry
Eastbourne	Gow		Bellotti	Waterson					Lloyd	Ansell	Lloyd	→		Ansell		Babarinde
Hastings and Rye	Warren			Lait	Foster				Rudd				→	Hart		Dollimore
Hove / Hove and Portslade ('24)	Sainsbury				Caplin			Barlow	Weatherley	Kyle
Lewes	Rathbone				Baker					Caulfield						MacCleary
Wealden / Sussex Weald ('24)	Johnson Smith						Hendry			Ghani
East Grinstead and Uckfield^1																Davies

^1partly in West Sussex

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East (region)

Notes

1. BC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.
2. The majority is the number of votes the winning candidate receives more than their nearest rival.
3. Vote shares exclude the cross-county constituency of Mid Sussex, which has a predominantly West Sussex electorate

References

1. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2023/1230, retrieved 15 July 2024
2. Donnelly, Luke (8 June 2021). "How Sussex's constituency map is set to change forever". sussexlive. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
3. "The Sussex border changes planned that would affect where you live". The Argus. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
4. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report | Boundary Commission for England". paras 968-989. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
5. Watson, Christopher; Uberoi, Elise; Loft, Philip (17 April 2020). "General election results from 1918 to 2019". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)