Bexhill and Battle (UK Parliament constituency)

Bexhill and Battle
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Bexhill and Battle in East Sussex
Location of East Sussex within England
County	East Sussex
Population	100,727 (2011 census)^[1]
Electorate	81,963 (December 2019)^[2]
Major settlements	Battle, Bexhill
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Huw Merriman (Conservative Party)
Seats	One
Created from	Eastbourne and Rye^[3]

Bexhill and Battle (/ˈbɛkshɪl/) is a constituency^[n 1] in East Sussex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Huw Merriman of the Conservative Party.^[n 2]

Constituency profile

The constituency is predominantly rural, like Wealden to the west. The main towns are the shingle-beach resort of Bexhill-on-Sea and the historic town of Battle. Electoral Calculus describes the seat as "Strong Right" characterised by retired, socially conservative voters who strongly supported Brexit.^[4]

Notable representatives

The seat's first MP, Charles Wardle, served as a junior Home Office minister in the government of John Major; Wardle had the Conservative whip removed shortly before the 2001 general election. The seat was held by Gregory Barker from 2001 until 2015; Barker was a junior minister at the Department for Energy and Climate Change between the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition after the 2010 general election and the major government reshuffle of July 2014, when he resigned and announced his intention to retire from Parliament at the next general election.^[5]

Political history

At the 2015 general election, Huw Merriman was elected, and was re-elected in the 2017 general election. The closest it came to a non-Conservative victory was in 2001, when Barker, in the first of his three successful campaigns, was returned by a margin of 10,503 votes.

In June 2016, an estimated 57.7% of local adults voting in the EU membership referendum chose to leave the European Union instead of to remain. This was matched in two January 2018 votes in Parliament by its MP.^[6]

Boundaries

Map of current boundaries

1983–2010: The District of Rother wards of Ashburnham, Battle, Beckley and Peasmarsh, Bodiam and Ewhurst, Brede and Udimore, Burwash, Catsfield and Crowhurst, Central, Collington, Etchingham and Hurst Green, Northiam, Old Town, Sackville, St Mark's, St Michael's, St Stephen's, Salehurst, Sedlescombe and Whatlington, Sidley, Ticehurst, and Westfield, and the District of Wealden wards of Herstmonceux, Ninfield, and Pevensey and Westham.

2010–present: The District of Rother wards of Battle Town, Central, Collington, Crowhurst, Darwell, Ewhurst and Sedlescombe, Kewhurst, Old Town, Rother Levels, Sackville, St Mark's, St Michael's, St Stephen's, Salehurst, Sidley, and Ticehurst and Etchingham, and the District of Wealden wards of Cross In Hand/Five Ashes, Heathfield East, Heathfield North and Central, Herstmonceux, Ninfield and Hooe with Wartling, and Pevensey and Westham.

The seat almost matches the district of Rother in East Sussex.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

The District of Rother wards of: Bexhill Central; Bexhill Collington; Bexhill Kewhurst; Bexhill Old Town & Worsham; Bexhill Pebsham & St. Michaels; Bexhill Sackville; Bexhill St. Marks; Bexhill St. Stephens; Bexhill Sidley; Brede & Udimore; Burwash & the Weald; Catsfield & Crowhurst; Hurst Green & Ticehurst; North Battle, Netherfield & Whatlington; Northern Rother; Robertsbridge; Sedlescombe & Westfield; South Battle & Telham.
The District of Wealden wards of: Herstmonceux & Pevensey Levels; Pevensey Bay.^[7]

To bring the electorate within the permitted range, western areas, including the town of Heathfield, will be transferred to Wealden (to be renamed Sussex Weald). Other minor changes.

Members of Parliament

Election	Member^[8]
1983	Charles Wardle	Conservative
2001	Charles Wardle	Independent
2001	Gregory Barker	Conservative
2015	Huw Merriman	Conservative
2017	Huw Merriman	Conservative
2019	Huw Merriman	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Bexhill and Battle
Party		Candidate
	Liberal Democrats	Becky Jones^[9]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Bexhill & Battle^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Huw Merriman	37,590	63.6	+1.6
	Labour	Christine Bayliss	11,531	19.5	−5.2
	Liberal Democrats	Martin Saunders	7,280	12.3	+4.8
	Green	Jonathan Kent	2,692	4.6	+2.2
Majority			26,059	44.1	+6.8
Turnout			59,093	72.1	−1.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.4

General election 2017: Bexhill & Battle
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Huw Merriman	36,854	62.0	+7.2
	Labour	Christine Bayliss	14,689	24.7	+10.6
	Liberal Democrats	Joel Kemp	4,485	7.5	−0.1
	UKIP	Geoffrey Bastin	2,006	3.4	−15.0
	Green	Jonathan Kent	1,438	2.4	−2.7
Majority			22,165	37.3	+0.9
Turnout			59,472	73.1	+3.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.7

General election 2015: Bexhill and Battle^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Huw Merriman^[12]	30,245	54.8	+3.2
	UKIP	Geoffrey Bastin ^[13]	10,170	18.4	New
	Labour	Michelle Thew ^[13]	7,797	14.1	+2.1
	Liberal Democrats	Rachel Sadler ^[13]	4,199	7.6	−20.4
	Green	Jonathan Kent	2,807	5.1	New
Majority			20,075	36.4	+12.8
Turnout			55,218	70.1	+1.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 2005 and 2010 general elections and thus change in share of vote is based on a notional calculation.

General election 2010: Bexhill and Battle^[14]^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gregory Barker	28,147	51.6	−2.6
	Liberal Democrats	Mary Varrall	15,267	28.0	+5.3
	Labour	James Royston	6,524	12.0	−5.9
	Trust	Stuart Wheeler	2,699	4.9	New
	BNP	Neil Jackson	1,950	3.6	New
Majority			12,880	23.6	−7.9
Turnout			54,587	68.9	+2.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.0

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Bexhill and Battle^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gregory Barker	24,629	52.6	+4.5
	Liberal Democrats	Mary Varrall	11,180	23.9	−0.8
	Labour	Michael Jones	8,457	18.1	−1.3
	UKIP	Anthony Smith	2,568	5.5	-2.3
Majority			13,449	28.7	+5.3
Turnout			46,834	67.2	+2.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.7

General election 2001: Bexhill and Battle^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gregory Barker	21,555	48.1	0.0
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Hardy	11,052	24.7	−0.8
	Labour	Anne Moore-Williams	8,702	19.4	+1.3
	UKIP	Nigel Farage	3,474	7.8	+6.2
Majority			10,503	23.4	+0.8
Turnout			44,783	64.9	−9.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.4

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Bexhill and Battle^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Wardle	23,570	48.1	−12.2
	Liberal Democrats	Kathryn M. Field	12,470	25.5	−3.4
	Labour	Robert D. Beckwith	8,866	18.1	+8.7
	Referendum	Vanessa Thompson	3,302	6.7	New
	UKIP	John Pankhurst	786	1.6	New
Majority			11,100	22.6	-8.8
Turnout			48,994	74.5	-4.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.4

General election 1992: Bexhill and Battle^[19]^[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Wardle	31,380	60.3	−6.2
	Liberal Democrats	Susan M. Prochak	15,023	28.9	+3.1
	Labour	Frank W. Taylor	4,883	9.4	+1.7
	Green	Jonathan L. Prus	594	1.1	New
	Independent	Mary F. Smith	190	0.4	New
Majority			16,357	31.4	−9.3
Turnout			52,070	79.1	+1.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.6

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Bexhill and Battle^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Wardle	33,570	66.5	−0.8
	SDP	Robert Kiernan	13,051	25.8	+2.3
	Labour	Derek Watts	3,903	7.7	−0.3
Majority			20,519	40.7	-3.1
Turnout			50,524	77.4	+4.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.6

General election 1983: Bexhill and Battle^[22]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Charles Wardle	30,329	67.3
	Liberal	Paul Smith	10,583	23.5
	Labour	Ian Pearson	3,587	8.0
	Ecology	Anne Rix	538	1.2
Majority			19,746	43.8
Turnout			45,037	72.9
	Conservative win (new seat)

Notes

^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
^ 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

^ "Bexhill and Battle: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
^ "Election history of Bexhill and Battle". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
^ "'Bexhill and Battle', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Lewes
^ "As it happened: PM reshuffles cabinet". 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
^ TheyWorkForYou (17 January 2018). "European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — Reject Third Reading — Membership of the European Union: Recent Votes". TheyWorkForYou. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
^ "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
^ "Bexhill & Battle Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ "Cllr Huw Merriman is selected for Bexhill and Battle". Conservative Home. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "BEXHILL & BATTLE 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ "BBC News – Election 2010 – Constituency – Bexhill & Battle". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

Election result, 2005 (BBC)
Election results, 1997 – 2001 (BBC)
Election results, 1997 – 2001 Archived 2020-01-21 at the Wayback Machine (Election Demon)
Election results, 1983 – 1992 (Election Demon) (Result is incorrect for 1992)
Election results, 1992 – 2005 (Guardian)

v t e Constituencies in South East England (84)
Conservative (73)	Aldershot Arundel and South Downs Ashford Aylesbury Banbury Basingstoke Beaconsfield Bexhill and Battle Bognor Regis and Littlehampton Bracknell Buckingham Chatham and Aylesford Chichester Crawley Dartford Dover East Hampshire East Surrey Eastbourne Eastleigh East Worthing and Shoreham Epsom and Ewell Esher and Walton Fareham Faversham and Mid Kent Folkestone and Hythe Gillingham and Rainham Gosport Gravesham Guildford Hastings and Rye Havant Henley Horsham Isle of Wight Lewes Maidenhead Maidstone and The Weald Meon Valley Mid Sussex Milton Keynes North Milton Keynes South Mole Valley Newbury New Forest East New Forest West North East Hampshire North Thanet North West Hampshire Portsmouth North Reading West Reigate Rochester and Strood Romsey and Southampton North Runnymede and Weybridge Sevenoaks Sittingbourne and Sheppey Southampton Itchen South Thanet South West Surrey Spelthorne Surrey Heath Tonbridge and Malling Tunbridge Wells Wantage Wealden Winchester Windsor Witney Woking Wokingham Worthing West Wycombe
Labour (8)	Brighton Kemptown Canterbury Hove Oxford East Portsmouth South Reading East Slough Southampton Test
Liberal Democrats (2)	Chesham and Amersham Oxford West and Abingdon
Green (1)	Brighton Pavilion
East Midlands East of England London North East England North West England Northern Ireland Scotland South East England South West England Wales West Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber

50°53′10″N 0°28′12″E / 50.886°N 0.470°E / 50.886; 0.470

This page was last edited on 25 February 2024, at 07:21

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