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Hastings and Rye (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 50°55′N 0°42′E / 50.92°N 0.7°E / 50.92; 0.7
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Hastings and Rye
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Hastings and Rye in South East England
CountyEast Sussex
Electorate75,581 (2023)[1]
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentHelena Dollimore (Labour Co-op)
SeatsOne
Created from

Hastings and Rye is a constituency[n 1] in East Sussex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Helena Dollimore of the Labour and Co-operative Party. From 2010 until 2019, it was represented by Amber Rudd, who served as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Minister for Women and Equalities, Secretary of State for the Home Department and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under the governments of David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Since 2001 (inclusive) election campaigns have resulted in a minimum of 35.1% of votes at each election consistently for the same two parties' choice for candidate, the next-placed party's having fluctuated between 3.3% and 15.7% of the vote—such third-placed figures attained higher percentages in 1992 and 1997.

The result in 2017 was the 24th-closest nationally (of 650 seats), whereby 174 voters would have been capable of changing the outcome by their choice of candidate, the margin of votes being 346.[2]

Boundaries

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  • 1983–2010: The Borough of Hastings, the District of Rother wards of Camber, Fairlight, Guestling and Pett, Rye, Winchelsea
  • 2010–2024: The Borough of Hastings, the District of Rother wards of Brede Valley, Eastern Rother, Marsham, Rye
  • 2024–present: The Borough of Hastings, the District of Rother wards of: Eastern Rother; Rye & Winchelsea; Southern Rother.[3]

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, changes from the 2024 general election described as following:

Minor changes to bring the electorate within the permitted range and align to new ward boundaries in the District of Rother.

Constituency profile

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Map
Map of 2010–2024 boundaries

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.[4] 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.

Property prices in the villages are however rising and are in affluent areas, unlike residential estates in the towns. Three Oaks does enjoy a nearby train station for its residents, which has services allowing connecting services to London.

History

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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 2]. Warren held Hastings and Rye until he chose to retire in 1992; during this period its large majorities suggested 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[citation needed] and since 2001 setting a pattern that suggests the seat is a two-way Labour-Conservative marginal. 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.[5] Rudd held the seat with a slim majority of 346.

Members of Parliament

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Hastings prior to 1983

Election Member[6] Party
1983 Kenneth Warren Conservative
1992 Jacqui Lait Conservative
1997 Michael Foster Labour
2010 Amber Rudd Conservative
September 2019 Independent
2019 Sally-Ann Hart Conservative
2024 Helena Dollimore Labour Co-op

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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2024 general election: Hastings and Rye
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Helena Dollimore[7][8] 19,134 41.6 −0.8
Conservative Sally-Ann Hart[9] 10,481 22.8 −26.3
Reform UK Lucian Fernando[10] 7,401 16.1 N/A
Green Becca Horn[11] 5,761 12.5 +12.4
Liberal Democrats Guy Harris[12] 2,586 5.6 −1.8
Workers Party Philip Colley[13] 362 0.8 N/A
Communist Nicholas Davies[14] 136 0.3 N/A
Independent Paul Crosland[15] 129 0.3 −0.8
Majority 8,653 18.8 N/A
Turnout 45,990 60.6 −8.9
Registered electors 75,939
Labour Co-op gain from Conservative Swing Increase12.8

Elections in the 2010s

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2019 notional result[16]
Party Vote %
Conservative 25,804 49.1
Labour 22,272 42.4
Liberal Democrats 3,892 7.4
Others 565 1.1
Green 33 0.1
Turnout 52,566 69.5
Electorate 75,581
2019 general election: Hastings and Rye [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sally-Ann Hart 26,896 49.6 +2.7
Labour Peter Chowney 22,853 42.1 −4.1
Liberal Democrats Nick Perry 3,960 7.3 +3.9
Independent Paul Crosland 565 1.0 N/A
Majority 4,043 7.5 +6.8
Turnout 54,274 67.4 −4.2
Conservative hold Swing +3.4
2017 general election: Hastings and Rye
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Amber Rudd 25,668 46.9 +2.4
Labour Peter Chowney 25,322 46.2 +11.1
Liberal Democrats Nick Perry 1,885 3.4 +0.2
UKIP Michael Phillips 1,479 2.7 −10.6
Independent Nicholas Wilson 412 0.8 N/A
Majority 346 0.7 −8.7
Turnout 54,766 71.6 +3.6
Conservative hold Swing -4.4
2015 general election: Hastings and Rye[18][19]
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 Democrats 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
2010 general election: Hastings and Rye[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Amber Rudd 20,468 41.1 +3.0
Labour Michael Foster 18,475 37.1 −3.5
Liberal Democrats 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 N/A
Turnout 49,814 63.9 +4.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +3.3

Elections in the 2000s

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2005 general election: Hastings and Rye[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Foster 18,107 42.1 −5.0
Conservative Mark Coote 16,081 37.4 +0.8
Liberal Democrats 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 −5.8
Turnout 43,004 59.1 +0.7
Labour hold Swing -2.9
2001 general election: Hastings and Rye[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Foster 19,402 47.1 +12.7
Conservative Mark Coote 15,094 36.6 +7.4
Liberal Democrats Graem Peters 4,266 10.3 −17.7
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 +5.3
Turnout 41,218 58.4 −11.3
Labour hold Swing +2.6

Elections in the 1990s

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1997 general election: Hastings and Rye[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Foster 16,867 34.4 +18.7
Conservative Jacqui Lait 14,307 29.2 −18.4
Liberal Democrats Monroe Palmer 13,717 28.0 −7.2
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 N/A
Turnout 49,069 69.7 −5.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +18.5
1992 general election: Hastings and Rye[25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jacqui Lait 25,573 47.6 −2.5
Liberal Democrats 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 −1.7
Turnout 53,778 74.9 +3.1
Conservative hold Swing −0.9

Elections in the 1980s

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1987 general election: Hastings and Rye[27]
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 −12.7
Turnout 52,240 71.8 +2.9
Conservative hold Swing −4.4
1983 general election: Hastings and Rye[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Warren 25,626 53.3 N/A
Liberal David Amies 14,646 30.5 N/A
Labour Nigel 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

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Notes

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  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ The Conservative MP for the abolished seat of Rye (since 1955) Bryant Godman Irvine retired

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ^ "GE2017: Marginal seats and turnout". House of Commons Library. UK Parliament. 23 June 2017.
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  4. ^ "Local statistics". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  5. ^ Khan, Shebab (2 July 2017). "Election 2017: Labour say they have 'every chance of winning' Home Secretary Amber Rudd's seat". The Independent. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022.
  6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 2)
  7. ^ "Hastings parliamentary candidate fires off letter to Southern Water on the day of the flooding". Sussex World. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  8. ^ "2024 General Election candidates". Co-operative Party. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Hastings MP re-selected as Tory candidate just weeks after she was deselected". Sussex World. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Hastings and Rye Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Becca Horn selected as Greens' parliamentary candidate". Hastings Online Times. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  12. ^ "The Guy for Hastings and Rye". Rye News. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  13. ^ "General election 2024". Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Communists Party announces first Candidates for 4 July General Election".
  15. ^ "Hastings and Rye". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  17. ^ Jane Hartnell - Acting Returning Officer (14 November 2019). "Election of a Member of Parliament - Hastings and Rye Constituency" (PDF). Hastings Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. ^ "08 May 2015 Parliamentary Election – Results". Hastings Borough Council. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ^ "06 May 2010 Parliamentary Election - Results". Hastings District Council. 16 June 2010. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011.
  22. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  27. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

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50°55′N 0°42′E / 50.92°N 0.7°E / 50.92; 0.7

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