Lewes (UK Parliament constituency)

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Lewes County constituency
Lewes shown within East Sussex, and East Sussex shown within England
Created:	1295
MP:	Norman Baker
Party:	Liberal Democrat
Type:	House of Commons
County:	East Sussex
EP constituency:	South East England

Lewes is a constituency located in East Sussex and centred on the town of Lewes. It is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a safe Conservative seat until 1997, but the Liberal Democrats have gained a strong foothold.

Contents 1 Boundaries 2 History 3 Members of Parliament 3.1 MPs 1295-1660 3.2 MPs 1660-1868 3.3 1868-present 4 Election results 5 Sources 6 See also

[edit] Boundaries

The constituency is centred around the town of Lewes, for which it is named after. However, the constituency also covers most of the Lewes district and parts of the Wealden district.

[edit] History

The constituency of Lewes has existed since Commoners were first summoned to Parliament in 1295. It is notable for the fact that between 1874 and 1997 it elected only Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs). This run was brought to an end by the election of the current MP, a Liberal Democrat.

[edit] Members of Parliament

[edit] MPs 1295-1660

• Constituency created (1295)

[edit] MPs 1660-1868

Election	1st Member		1st Party	2nd Member		2nd Party
1660		Nizel Rivers			John Stapley
1661		Thomas Woodcock
Feb 1679		William Morley			Richard Bridger
Aug 1679		Thomas Pelham
1695					Henry Pelham
Jan 1701					Thomas Trevor
Nov 1701					Henry Pelham
Jul 1702					Richard Payne
Nov 1702		Nicholas Pelham
1705		Thomas Pelham
May 1708					Peter Gott
Dec 1708					Samuel Gott
1710					Peter Gott
1712					John Morley Trevor
1719					Philip Yorke
1722					Henry Pelham
1726					Nicholas Pelham
1727					Thomas Pelham
1738					John Trevor
1741		Thomas Pelham
1743		John Shelley			Francis Poole
1747		Thomas Sergison
1763					William Plumer
1766		Charles Edward Bentinck
1768		Thomas Hampden			Thomas Hay
1774		Thomas Miller
1780		Henry Pelham			Thomas Kemp
1796		John Cressett-Pelham
1802		Henry Shelley			Lord Francis Osborne
1806					Thomas Kemp
1811					Thomas Read Kemp
1812		George Shiffner
1816					John Shelley
1826		Thomas Read Kemp	Liberal
1831					Charles Richard Blunt	Liberal
1837		Henry Fitzroy	Conservative
1840					Viscount Cantelupe	Conservative
1841		Summers Harford	Liberal		Howard Elphinstone	Liberal
1842		Henry Fitzroy	Peelite
1847					Robert Perfect	Liberal
1852					Henry Brand	Liberal
1860		John George Blencowe	Liberal
1865		Lord Pelham	Liberal
1868	Representation reduced to one

[edit] 1868-present

Election		Member	Party
	1868	Lord Pelham	Liberal
	1874	William Langham Christie	Conservative
	1885	Henry Aubrey-Fletcher	Conservative
	1910 by-election	William Campion	Conservative
	1924	Tufton Percy Hamilton Beamish	Conservative
	1931	John de Vere Loder	Conservative
	1936 by-election	Tufton Percy Hamilton Beamish	Conservative
	1945	Sir Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish	Conservative
	Feb 1974	Tim Rathbone	Conservative
	1997	Norman Baker	Liberal Democrat

[edit] Election results

General Election 2005: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Norman Baker	24,376	52.4	-3.9
	Conservative	Rory Love	15,902	34.2	-0.7
	Labour	Richard Black	4,169	9.0	+1.7
	Green	Susan Murray	1,071	2.3	+2.3
	UK Independence	John Petley	1,034	2.2	+0.8
Majority			8,474	18.2
Turnout			46,552	69.4	0.9
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing	-1.6

General Election 2001: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Norman Baker	25,588	56.3	+13.1
	Conservative	Simon Sinnatt	15,878	34.9	-5.6
	Labour	Paul Richards	3,317	7.3	-3.3
	UK Independence	John Harvey	650	1.4	+0.9
Majority			9,710	21.4
Turnout			45,433	68.5	-7.9
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

General Election 1997: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Norman Baker	21,250	43.2	+4.1
	Conservative	Tim Rathbone	19,950	40.6	-10.8
	Labour	Mark Patton	5,232	10.6	+2.4
	Referendum Party	Lucille Butler	2,481	5.0	N/A
	UK Independence	John Harvey	256	0.5	N/A
Majority			1,300	2.6
Turnout			49,169	76.4
	Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative		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: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Rathbone	33,042	54.6	-2.2
	Liberal Democrat	Norman Baker	20,867	34.5	+1.8
	Labour	Alison Chapman	5,758	9.5	+0.7
	Green	A. E. Beaumont	719	1.2	-0.5
	Natural Law	N. F. Clinch	87	0.2	N/A
Majority			12,175	20.1
Turnout			60,473	81.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1987: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Rathbone	32,016	56.8	-1.8
	SDP-Liberal Alliance (Liberal)	David Bellotti	18,396	32.7	+2.0
	Labour	R. P. Taylor	4,973	8.8	+0.3
	Green	A. G. P. Sherwood	970	1.7	-0.7
Majority			13,620	24.1
Turnout			56,355	77.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1983: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Rathbone	29,261	58.4
	SDP-Liberal Alliance (Liberal)	David Bellotti	15,357	30.7
	Labour	S. D. Sander	4,244	8.5
	Ecology	R. P. C. Mutter	1,221	2.4
Majority			13,904	27.7
Turnout			50,083	74.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1979: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Rathbone	33,992	58.42
	Liberal	G. Hook	12,279	21.10
	Labour	T. Forrester	11,152	19.17
	National Front	B. Webb	764	1.31
Majority			21,713	37.32
Turnout			58,187	76.32
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election October 1974: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Rathbone	27,588	51.87
	Liberal	G. Hook	13,741	25.84
	Labour	J. F. Little	11,857	22.29
Majority			13,847	26.04
Turnout			53,186	73.81
	Conservative hold		Swing

New constituency boundaries.

General Election February 1974: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Rathbone	30,423	52.94
	Liberal	M. Holt	16,166	28.13
	Labour	J. F. Little	10,875	18.92
Majority			14,257	24.81
Turnout			57,464	80.30
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1970: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish	33,592	58.34
	Labour	Q. Barry	14,904	25.88
	Liberal	M. Holt	9,083	15.77
Majority			18,688	32.46
Turnout			57,579	72.79
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1966: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish	27,529	53.44
	Labour	R. E. Manley	14,561	28.32
	Liberal	G. A. Dowden	9,328	18.14
Majority			12,968	25.22
Turnout			51,418	76.27
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1964: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish	26,818	55.30
	Labour	R. E. Fitch	12,757	26.30
	Liberal	G. A. Dowden	8,924	18.40
Majority			14,061	28.99
Turnout			48,499	76.43
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1959: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish	29,642	69.41
	Labour	W. Reay	13,065	30.59
Majority			16,577	38.82
Turnout			42,707	75.80
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1955: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish	24,938	66.80
	Labour	J. L. Eley	12,392	33.20
Majority			12,546	33.61
Turnout			37,330	74.83
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1951: Lewes
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tufton Victor Hamilton Beamish	34,345	66.78
	Labour	A. W. Briggs	17,082	33.22
Majority			17,263	33.57
Turnout			51,478	78.26
	Conservative hold		Swing

[edit] Sources

• Historical List of MPs
• Election result, 2005 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997 - 2001 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997 - 2001 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1983 - 1992 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1992 - 2005 (Guardian)
• Election results, 1951 - 2001 (Keele University)
• F. W. S. Craig. British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973. (ISBN 0-900178-07-8)

[edit] See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in East Sussex

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