Hastings and Rye (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 50°54′36″N 0°39′25″E / 50.910°N 0.657°E / 50.910; 0.657

Hastings and Rye
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Hastings and Rye in East Sussex.
Outline map
Location of East Sussex within England.
County East Sussex
Electorate 76,422 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of parliament Amber Rudd (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from Hastings, Rye
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South East England
Amber Rudd - MP for Hastings and Rye

Hastings and Rye is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Amber Rudd, a Conservative.[n 2] Rudd was Home Secretary in Theresa May's Cabinet from 2016 until her resignation in April 2018.

Boundaries

1983–2010: The Borough of Hastings, and the District of Rother wards of Camber, Fairlight, Guestling and Pett, Rye, and Winchelsea.

2010–present: The Borough of Hastings, and the District of Rother wards of Brede Valley, Eastern Rother, Marsham, and Rye.

Constituency profile

As its name suggests, the main settlements in the constituency are the seaside resort of Hastings and smaller nearby tourist town of Rye. The constituency also includes the Cinque Port of Winchelsea and the villages of Fairlight, Winchelsea Beach, Three Oaks, Guestling, Icklesham, Playden, Iden, Rye Harbour, East Guldeford, Camber, and Pett.

The constituency is set in a relatively isolated part of the southeast from the railways perspective and so does not enjoy some of the more general affluence of this part of the country. In the 2000 index of multiple deprivation a majority of wards fell within the bottom half of rankings so it can arguably be considered a deprived area.[2] Hastings has some light industry, while Rye has a small port, which includes hire and repair activities for leisure vessels and fishing. Hastings is mostly Labour-voting, whereas Rye and the rest of the areas from Rother council are Conservative.

History

The constituency was created in 1983 by combining most of Hastings with a small part of Rye. The Conservative MP for Hastings since 1970, Kenneth Warren, won the new seat.[n 3]. Warren held Hastings and Rye until he chose to retire in 1992; during this period its large majorities suggest it was a Conservative safe seat, with the Liberal Party (now the Liberal Democrats) regularly coming second. Jacqui Lait won the seat on Warren's retirement, but in 1997 the Labour candidate Michael Foster narrowly defeated Lait, becoming the second-least expected (on swing) Labour MP in the landslide of that year and since 2001 setting a pattern that suggests the seat is a two-way Labour-Conservative marginal.[n 4] Foster held the seat, again with slim majorities over Conservatives, in 2001 and 2005, but lost it to Conservative Amber Rudd in 2010. Rudd was re-elected with an increased majority in 2015.

In the 2017 general election, the Green Party declined to contest the seat and instead called on its supporters to back the Labour candidate.[3] In the event, Rudd held on to the seat, but only by just over 300 votes, making the seat a very closely fought marginal between the two main parties again.

Elections

ElectionMember[4] Party Notes
1983 Kenneth Warren Conservative
1992 Jacqui Lait Conservative
1997 Michael Foster Labour
2010 Amber Rudd Conservative Home Secretary (2016-2018)
Minister for Women and Equalities (2018)

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2017: Hastings and Rye
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Amber Rudd 25,668 46.9 Increase2.3
Labour Peter Chowney 25,322 46.2 Increase11.1
Liberal Democrat Nick Perry 1,885 3.4 Increase0.3
UKIP Michael Phillips 1,479 2.7 Decrease10.6
Independent Nicholas Wilson 412 0.8 New
Majority 346 0.7 Decrease8.7
Turnout 52,881 69.9 Increase1.9
Conservative hold Swing Decrease4.4
General Election 2015: Hastings and Rye[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Amber Rudd 22,686 44.5 +3.4
Labour Sarah Owen 17,890 35.1 −2.0
UKIP Andrew Michael 6,786 13.3 +10.5
Green Jake Bowers 1,951 3.8 +3.8
Liberal Democrat Nick Perry 1,614 3.2 −12.5
Majority 4,796 9.4 +5.4
Turnout 50,927 68.0 +4.1
Conservative hold Swing +2.7
General Election 2010: Hastings and Rye[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Amber Rudd 20,468 41.1 +3.0
Labour Michael Foster 18,475 37.1 −3.5
Liberal Democrat Nick Perry 7,825 15.7 +0.6
UKIP Anthony Smith 1,397 2.8 +0.1
BNP Nick Prince 1,310 2.6 +2.6
English Democrat Rod Bridger 339 0.7 +0.7
Majority 1,993 4.0
Turnout 49,814 63.9 +4.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +3.3

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Hastings and Rye[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Michael Foster 18,107 42.1 −5.0
Conservative Mark Coote 16,081 37.4 +0.8
Liberal Democrat Richard Stevens 6,479 15.1 +4.8
UKIP Terry Grant 1,098 2.6 +0.4
Green Sally Phillips 1,032 2.4 +0.7
Monster Raving Loony Viscount Clarkey of Rochdale Canal Ord-Clarke 207 0.5 0.0
Majority 2,026 4.7
Turnout 43,004 59.1 +0.8
Labour hold Swing -2.9
General Election 2001: Hastings and Rye[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Michael Foster 19,402 47.1 +12.7
Conservative Mark Coote 15,094 36.6 +7.5
Liberal Democrat Graem Peters 4,266 10.3 −17.6
UKIP Alan Coomber 911 2.2 +1.2
Green Sally Phillips 721 1.7 N/A
Independent Gillian Bargery 486 1.2 N/A
Monster Raving Loony John Ord-Clarke 198 0.5 +0.2
Rock 'n' Roll Loony Brett McLean 140 0.3 N/A
Majority 4,308 10.5
Turnout 41,218 58.4 -11.3
Labour hold Swing +2.6

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Hastings and Rye[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Michael Foster 16,867 34.4 +18.6
Conservative Jacqui Lait 14,307 29.2 -18.4
Liberal Democrat Monroe Palmer 13,717 28.0 −7.3
Referendum Christopher J.M. McGovern 2,511 5.1 N/A
Liberal Jane M.E. Amstad 1,046 2.1 N/A
UKIP W.N. Andrews 472 1.0 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Derek Tiverton 149 0.3 0.0
Majority 2,560 5.2
Turnout 49,069 69.7 −5.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +18.5
General Election 1992: Hastings and Rye[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jacqui Lait 25,573 47.6 −2.5
Liberal Democrat Monroe Palmer 18,939 35.2 −0.8
Labour Richard D. Stevens 8,458 15.7 +2.6
Green Sally Philips 640 1.2 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Lord of Howell Derek Tiverton 168 0.3 −0.1
Majority 6,634 12.4
Turnout 53,778 74.9 +3.1
Conservative hold Swing −0.9

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Hastings and Rye[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Kenneth Warren 26,163 50.1 −3.2
Liberal David Amies 18,816 36.0 +5.5
Labour Joy Hurcombe 6,825 13.1 −2.1
Monster Raving Loony Lord of Howell Derek Tiverton 242 0.4 N/A
Independent Stanley Davies 194 0.4 N/A
Majority 7,347 14.1
Turnout 52,240 71.8 +2.9
Conservative hold Swing −4.4
General Election 1983: Hastings and Rye[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Kenneth Warren 25,626 53.3 N/A
Liberal David Amies 14,646 30.5 N/A
Labour N. Knowles 7,304 15.2 N/A
Independent G.L. McNally 503 1.0 N/A
Majority 10,980 22.8 N/A
Turnout 48,079 68.9 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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.
  3. ↑ The Conservative MP for the abolished seat of Rye (since 1955) Bryant Godman Irvine retired
  4. ↑ Since 2001 Liberal Democrat candidates' greatest share of the vote has been 15.7%. In other words, in the latest three elections they have achieved a relatively distant third place.

References

  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Local statistics". Office for National Statistics.
  3. ↑ Labour say they have 'every chance of winning' Home Secretary Amber Rudd's seat
  4. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 2)
  5. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "08 May 2015 Parliamentary Election – Results". council web site. Hastings Borough Council. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  7. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Official announcements from Hastings council". Archived from the original on 2011-06-10.
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

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