Chichester (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 50°50′11″N 0°46′45″W / 50.83652°N 0.77918°W / 50.83652; -0.77918

Chichester is a constituency^{[n 1]} in West Sussex, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Andrew Tyrie of the Conservative Party.^{[n 2]}

History

Chichester centres on the small medieval cathedral city by the South Downs National Park and is one of the oldest constituencies in the UK having been created when commoners were first called to the Model Parliament in 1295 as one of the original Parliamentary boroughs returning two members. The seat has sent one member since 1868, by the Reform Act 1867.

In its various forms, Chichester has been a Conservative stronghold since 1924.

Boundaries

1885-1918: The Municipal Borough of Chichester, the Sessional Divisions of Arundel and Chichester, and part of the Sessional Division of Steyning.

1918-1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Arundel and Chichester, the Urban Districts of Bognor and Littlehampton, and the Rural Districts of East Preston, Midhurst, Petworth, Westbourne, and Westhampnett.

1950-1974: The Municipal Borough of Chichester, the Urban District of Bognor Regis, and the Rural District of Chichester.

1974-1983: The Municipal Borough of Chichester, the Rural Districts of Midhurst and Petworth, and part of the Rural District of Chichester.

1983-1997: The District of Chichester.

1997-2010: All the wards of the District of Chichester except the Bury, Plaistow and Wisborough Green wards.

2010-present: The District of Chichester wards of Bosham, Boxgrove, Chichester East, Chichester North, Chichester South, Chichester West, Donnington, Easebourne, East Wittering, Fernhurst, Fishbourne, Funtington, Harting, Lavant, Midhurst, North Mundham, Plaistow, Rogate, Selsey North, Selsey South, Sidlesham, Southbourne, Stedham, Tangmere, West Wittering, and Westbourne.

The constituency is based in the western portion of West Sussex, centred on the city of Chichester and covers the majority of the Chichester district. Other towns in the constituency include Midhurst and Selsey.

Prior to the 1974 redistribution, Chichester was a much more compact constituency, taking in the eastern towns of Arundel and Bognor Regis at various times, but the greater growth in population of other seats nationally, including in Sussex settlements of Crawley, Horsham and Brighton meant that the constituency was expanded to the north to give it equal population.

Constituency profile

This large, predominantly rural constituency runs from the West Sussex border with Surrey, through the South Downs, to the seaside resorts of Selsey and The Witterings. The small cathedral city of Chichester and Georgian market town of Midhurst are the main population centres. There is a cluster of settlements near the Hampshire border with Havant, in the west. There are a few pockets of deprivation on the outskirts of Chichester. The seat has been Conservative since 1924 and their candidate's present 55.3% of the vote is close to the average polled since 1983. The closest election since 1983 has been the 1997 general election, where a Liberal Democrat gained 29% of the vote. In that period the best performance by a Labour candidate was in 2001, with 21.4% of the vote. In terms of the fourth party since 2001, the three general elections to 2010 saw an increase in support for the UK Independence Party to their highest level to date, 6.8%.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1660

• Constituency created 1295

MPs 1660–1868

MPs since 1868

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

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.

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939/40:

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: John Sewell Courtauld
• Labour: Mrs E A Weston
• British Union: Charles Edward Hudson

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

• endorsed by Coalition Government

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in West Sussex

Notes and references

Notes

References

Sources

• Election result, 2010 (BBC)
• Election result, 2005 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997 - 2001 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997 - 2001 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1983 - 1992 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1992 - 2010 (Guardian) (UKIP result for 2001 is incorrect)
• Iain Dale, ed. (2003). The Times House of Commons 1929, 1931, 1935. Politico's (reprint). ISBN 1-84275-033-X. 
• The Times House of Commons 1945. The Times. 1945. 
• The Times House of Commons 1950. The Times. 1950. 
• The Times House of Commons 1955. The Times. 1955. 

External links

• nomis Constituency Profile for Chichester — presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.