Brighton Kemptown (UK Parliament constituency)

Brighton, Kemptown
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Brighton, Kemptown in East Sussex.

Location of East Sussex within England.
County East Sussex
Electorate 66,557 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1950 (1950)
Member of Parliament Simon Kirby (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from Brighton
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South East England

Brighton, Kemptown is a parliamentary constituency covering the Kemptown district in the city of Brighton and Hove. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first-past-the-post system of election.

It is currently a marginal seat between the Labour Party and the Conservatives.

Contents

Boundaries

As of the 2010 general election, Brighton Kemptown constituency consists of the Brighton city wards of East Brighton, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Queen's Park, Rottingdean Coastal, and Woodingdean, and the Lewes district wards of East Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven East, Peacehaven North, and Peacehaven West.

Constituency profile

The constituency takes in the eastern part of Brighton and the semi-rural suburbs and villages stretching out to the east of the seat. At its western end it includes Queen's Park, the centre of Brighton's vibrant gay community, then Kemptown, the council estates of Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb and then, beyond the racecourse, more affluent and genteel coastal villages like Woodingdean, Saltdean and the town of Peacehaven.

History

The constituency was created in 1950 when the former two-seat constituency of Brighton was split between two new single-member seats. It underwent boundary changes in 1955 and 1983, although not in 1974. Labour gained the seat in 1964 with a majority of just 7 (making it the most marginal seat in the country at the time), and increased its majority in 1966, but lost the seat in 1970 and did not gain it again until 1997. Dennis Hobden, the victor in 1964, was not only the constituency's first Labour MP but also the first Labour MP to be elected in Sussex.

Boundary changes in 1997 moved the town of Peacehaven, a semi-rural area, into the constituency. This was thought to favour the Conservatives, but instead Labour gained the seat in their landslide victory, and held it until 2010 when the Conservatives regained it. The Greens do not do as well here as in the neighbouring Brighton Pavilion constituency, where they gained their first MP in 2010.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[2] Party
1950 Howard Johnson Conservative
1959 David James Conservative
1964 Dennis Hobden Labour
1970 Andrew Bowden Conservative
1997 Des Turner Labour
2010 Simon Kirby Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Kirby 16,217 38.0 +5.0
Labour Co-op Simon Burgess 14,889 34.9 -5.0
Liberal Democrat Juliet Williams 7,691 18.0 +1.5
Green Ben Duncan 2,330 5.5 -1.5
UKIP James Chamberlain-Webber 1,384 3.2 +1.3
Trade Unionist & Socialist Dave S. Hill 194 0.5
Majority 1,328 3.1
Turnout 42,705 64.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Des Turner 15,858 39.9 -7.9
Conservative Judith Symes 13,121 33.0 -2.3
Liberal Democrat Marina Pepper 6,560 16.5 +6.1
Green Simon Williams 2,800 7.0 +3.7
UKIP James Chamberlain-Webber 758 1.9 +0.5
Peace Caroline O'Reilly 172 0.4 +0.4
Socialist Labour John McLeod 163 0.4 -0.5
Independent Elaine Cooke 127 0.3 +0.3
Socialist Alternative Phil Clarke 113 0.3 +0.3
Independent Gene Dobbs 47 0.1 +0.1
Majority 2,737 6.9
Turnout 39,719 60.2 2.6
Labour hold Swing -2.8
General Election 2001: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Des Turner 18,745 47.8 +1.3
Conservative Geoffrey Theobald 13,823 35.3 -3.6
Liberal Democrat Janet Marshall 4,064 10.4 +0.7
Green Barney Miller 1,290 3.3 N/A
UKIP James Chamberlain-Webber 543 1.4 N/A
Socialist Labour John McLeod 364 0.9 +0.2
Free Party Dave Dobbs 227 0.6 N/A
ProLife Alliance Elaine Cooke 147 0.4 N/A
Majority 4,922 12.6
Turnout 39,203 57.6 -13.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Des Turner 21,479 46.6 +14.0
Conservative Andrew Bowden 17,945 38.9 -13.9
Liberal Democrat Clive Gray 4,478 9.7 -4.2
Referendum Party David Inman 1,526 3.3 N/A
Socialist Labour Hannah Williams 316 0.7 N/A
Natural Law Jeremy Bowler 172 0.4
Monster Raving Loony Lorrie Newman 123 0.3 N/A
Rainbow Dream Ticket Richard Darlow 93 0.2 N/A
Majority 3,534 7.7
Turnout 46,132 70.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing 14.0%
General Election 1992: Brighton Kemptown[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bowden 21,129 48.1 −5.4
Labour Mrs GO Haynes 18,073 41.2 +8.3
Liberal Democrat PD Scott 4,461 10.2 −3.4
Natural Law Miss EJ Overall 230 0.5 N/A
Majority 3,056 7.0 −13.7
Turnout 43,893 76.1 +1.7
Conservative hold Swing −6.8

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bowden 24,031 53.5
Labour Steve Bassam 14,771 32.9
Liberal Chris Berry 6,080 13.6
Majority 9,260 20.6
Turnout 44,882 74.5
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bowden 22,265 51.1
Labour R. Fitch 12,887 29.6
Social Democrat D. T. Burke 8,098 18.6
National Front Ted Budden 290 0.7
Majority 9,378 21.5
Turnout 43,540 71.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bowden 25,512 53.6
Labour Quintin Barry 17,504 36.8
Liberal S. Osbourne 8,098 8.8
National Front Valerie Tyndall 404 0.8
Majority 8,008 16.8
Turnout 47,599 74.2
Conservative hold Swing
General Election, October 1974: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bowden 21,725 45.9
Labour Dennis Hobden 19,060 40.3
Liberal S. Osbourne 6,214 13.1
English National Robert Beaumont 155 0.3
Marxist-Leninist (England) J. Buckle 125 0.3
Independent Brian Ralfe 47 0.1
Majority 2,665 5.6
Turnout 47,326 72.3
Conservative hold Swing
General Election, February 1974: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bowden 23,504 46.0
Labour Dennis Hobden 19,484 38.1
Liberal D. Hall 7,954 15.6
Marxist-Leninist (England) J. Buckle 170 0.3
Majority 4,020 7.9
Turnout 51,112 78.8
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1970: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bowden 24,208 49.3
Labour Dennis Hobden 21,105 42.9
Liberal O. C. Moxon 3,833 7.8
Majority 3,103 6.3
Turnout 49,146 75.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dennis Hobden 24,936 50.8
Conservative Andrew Bowden 24,105 49.2
Majority 831 1.7
Turnout 49,041 80.1
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dennis Hobden 22,308 50.0
Conservative David James 22,301 50.0
Majority 7 0.0
Turnout 44,609 72.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David James 25,411 56.4
Labour Lewis Cohen 19,665 43.6
Majority 5,746 12.8
Turnout 45,076 73.8
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Howard Johnson 23,142 56.4
Labour Lewis Cohen 17,885 43.6
Majority 5,257 12.8
Turnout 41,027 70.0
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1951: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Howard Johnson 25,923 55.6
Labour Lewis Cohen 20,726 44.4
Majority 5,197 11.1
Turnout 46,649 77.1
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1950: Brighton, Kemptown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Howard Johnson 22,431 48.8 N/A
Labour J. T. Huddart 19,430 42.3 N/A
Liberal R. M. Buckley 4,073 8.9 N/A
Majority 3,001 6.5 N/A
Turnout 78.0 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/electoral-figures/electoral-figures.htm. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "K" (part 1)
  3. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 

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