Mid Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°01′59″N 0°06′54″W / 51.033°N 0.115°W / 51.033; -0.115

Mid Sussex
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Mid Sussex in West Sussex.

Outline map

Location of West Sussex within England.
County West Sussex
Electorate 77,044 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill
Current constituency
Created 1974 (1974)
Member of parliament Nicholas Soames (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from East Grinstead and Lewes
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South East England

Mid Sussex is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Nicholas Soames, a Conservative.[n 2]

Constituency profile

The constituency is in the north east of West Sussex bordering East Sussex, containing relatively small villages and the towns of East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, all of which have green buffers preventing them from being contiguous and rail connections to Brighton, London Gatwick Airport and the City of London. The motorway network is also close by, the M23 providing access to this, west of the main towns.

Income levels are on average considerably higher than the national average[2] and levels of rented[3] and social housing[2] are below the national average, particularly levels seen in cities.

Boundaries

1974-1983: The Urban Districts of Burgess Hill and Cuckfield, and the Rural District of Cuckfield.

1983-1997: The District of Mid Sussex wards of Ardingly, Bolney, Burgess Hill Chanctonbury, Burgess Hill Franklands, Burgess Hill North, Burgess Hill St Andrews, Burgess Hill Town, Burgess Hill West, Clayton, Cuckfield, East Grinstead East, East Grinstead North, East Grinstead South, East Grinstead West, Haywards Heath Ashenground, Haywards Heath Bentswood, Haywards Heath Franklands, Haywards Heath Harlands, Haywards Heath Heath, Horsted Keynes, Hurstpierpoint, Keymer, Lindfield Rural, Lindfield Urban, and West Hoathly.

1997-2010: The District of Mid Sussex wards of Ardingley, Burgess Hill Chanctonbury, Burgess Hill Franklands, Burgess Hill North, Burgess Hill St Andrews, Burgess Hill Town, Burgess Hill West, Cuckfield, East Grinstead East, East Grinstead North, East Grinstead South, East Grinstead West, Haywards Heath Ashenground, Haywards Heath Bentswood, Haywards Heath Franklands, Haywards Heath Harlands, Haywards Heath Heath, Horsted Keynes, Lindfield Rural, Lindfield Urban, and West Hoathly.

2010-present: The District of Mid Sussex wards of Ashurst Wood, Bolney, Burgess Hill Dunstall, Burgess Hill Franklands, Burgess Hill Leylands, Burgess Hill Meeds, Burgess Hill St Andrews, Burgess Hill Victoria, Cuckfield, East Grinstead Ashplats, East Grinstead Baldwins, East Grinstead Herontye, East Grinstead Imberhorne, East Grinstead Town, Haywards Heath Ashenground, Haywards Heath Bentswood, Haywards Heath Franklands, Haywards Heath Heath, Haywards Heath Lucastes, High Weald, and Lindfield.

History

The constituency was created in 1974 from parts of the seats of Lewes and East Grinstead, and has undergone significant boundary changes at every periodical review that it has been around for. Prior to 1983, the local government district had actually been a part of East Sussex, but as a result of delayed implementation of the Local Government Act 1972, it was almost wholly moved into West Sussex.

At the 1983 general election, it gained some of the wards previously contained in East Grinstead, and at the 1997 election, it gained many of the semi-rural wards with smaller communities between East Grinstead and Crawley.

From its creation in 1983 to the present, it has been a safe Conservative seat, with the primary opposition until the 2015 election being the Liberal Democrats and their predecessors the Liberal party. In 2015, however, the severe fall in Lib Dem support saw Labour's candidate come second in the seat for the first time in its history, although much further behind the Conservatives than the Lib Dem candidates of elections past have tended to be.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[4] Party
Feb 1974 Tim Renton Conservative
1997 Sir Nicholas Soames Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Mid Sussex[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Soames 32,268 56.1 +5.4
Labour Greg Mountain 7,982 13.9 +7.3
UKIP Toby Brothers 6,898 12.0 +9.5
Liberal Democrat Daisy Cooper[7] 6,604 11.5 −26.0
Green Miranda Diboll[8] 2,453 4.3 +3.1
Independent Beki Adam[9] 958 1.7 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Baron Von Thunderclap 329 0.6 +0.1
Majority 24,286 42.2
Turnout 57,492 72.3
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 2010: Mid Sussex[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Soames 28,329 50.7 +2.5
Liberal Democrat Serena Tierney 20,927 37.5 +1.8
Labour David Boot 3,689 6.6 −6.2
UKIP Marc Montgomery 1,423 2.5 −0.7
Green Paul Brown 645 1.2 +1.2
BNP Stuart Minihane 583 1.0 +1.0
Monster Raving Loony Baron von Thunderclap 259 0.5 +0.5
Majority 7, 402 13.3
Turnout 55,855 72.4 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing +0.3

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Mid Sussex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Soames 23,765 48.0 +1.8
Liberal Democrat Serena Tierney 17,875 36.1 +5.0
Labour Robert Fromant 6,280 12.7 −6.3
UKIP Harold Piggott 1,574 3.2 +0.7
Majority 5,890 11.9
Turnout 49,494 68.6 3.7
Conservative hold Swing −1.6
General Election 2001: Mid Sussex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Soames 21,150 46.2 +2.7
Liberal Democrat Lesley Wilkins 14,252 31.1 +0.5
Labour Paul Mitchell 8,693 19.0 +0.3
UKIP Petrina Holdsworth 1,126 2.5 +1.3
Monster Raving Loony Baron Von Thunderclap Berry 601 1.3 N/A
Majority 6,898 15.1
Turnout 45,822 64.9 −12.7
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Mid Sussex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Soames 23,231 43.5 −15.5
Liberal Democrat Margaret Collins 16,377 30.6 +2.4
Labour Mervyn Hamilton 9,969 18.6 +8.0
Referendum Tam Large 3,146 5.9 N/A
UKIP J.V. Barnett 606 1.1 N/A
Independent Ernest Tudway 134 0.3 N/A
Majority 6,854 12.8
Turnout 53,463 77.6
Conservative hold Swing

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 1992: Mid Sussex[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Renton 39,524 59.0 −2.1
Liberal Democrat Margaret Collins 18,996 28.4 −3.1
Labour L C Gregory 6,951 10.4 +3.0
Green H G Stevens 772 1.1 N/A
Monster Raving Loony P B Berry 392 0.6 N/A
Independent P D Hodkin 246 0.4 N/A
Natural Law Dr A M A Hankey 89 0.1 N/A
Majority 20,528 30.6 +1.0
Turnout 66,970 82.9
Conservative hold Swing +5.7

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Mid Sussex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Renton 37,781 61.1 -0.3
Liberal N S E Westbrook 19,489 31.5 -0.8
Labour R S E Hughes 4,573 7.4 +1.4
Majority 18,292 29.6
Turnout 61,843 77.2 +2.5
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Mid Sussex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Renton 35,310 61.4
Liberal J M Campbell 18,566 32.3
Labour P A Hawkes 3,470 6.0
Independent J Bray 196 0.3
Majority 16,744 29.1
Turnout 57,542 74.7
Conservative hold Swing

This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1979 and 1983 general elections and thus calculation of the change in share of vote is not possible.

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Mid Sussex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Renton 32,548 61.2
Liberal J M Campbell 11,705 22.0
Labour Des Turner 8,260 15.5
Independent Conservative S M H Haslett 697 1.3
Majority 20,843 39.2
Turnout 53,210 78.0
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Mid Sussex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Renton 25,126 53.9
Liberal Robert Alexander Symes-Schutzman 13,129 28.1
Labour M R Fraser 8,404 18.0
Majority 11,997 25.7
Turnout 46,659 76.4
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Mid Sussex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Renton 27,317 54.1
Liberal Robert Alexander Symes-Schutzman 15,162 30.0
Labour M R Fraser 7,993 15.8
Majority 12,155 24.1
Turnout 50,472 83.3
Conservative hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. 1 2 2001 Census
  3. ↑ 2011 census interactive maps
  4. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 6)
  5. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  6. ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000817
  7. ↑ "Daisy Cooper PPC page". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  8. ↑ http://midsussex.greenparty.org.uk/2013-08-08/local-party-elects-prospective-parliamentary-candidates-for-horsham-and-mid-sussex.html
  9. ↑ "Mid Sussex". YourNextMP. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 Dec 2010.

Sources

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