Lewes
2010 Results:
Conservative: 18401 (36.74%)
Labour: 2508 (5.01%)
Liberal Democrat: 26048 (52%)
BNP: 594 (1.19%)
UKIP: 1728 (3.45%)
Green: 729 (1.46%)
Independent: 80 (0.16%)
Majority: 7647 (15.26%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Liberal Democrat: 26140 (51.6%)
Conservative: 17212 (34%)
Labour: 4943 (9.8%)
Other: 2359 (4.7%)
Majority: 8928 (17.6%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 15902 (34.2%)
Labour: 4169 (9%)
Liberal Democrat: 24376 (52.4%)
Green: 1071 (2.3%)
UKIP: 1034 (2.2%)
Majority: 8474 (18.2%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 15878 (34.9%)
Labour: 3317 (7.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 25588 (56.3%)
UKIP: 650 (1.4%)
Majority: 9710 (21.4%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 19950 (40.6%)
Labour: 5232 (10.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 21250 (43.2%)
Referendum: 2481 (5%)
Other: 256 (0.5%)
Majority: 1300 (2.6%)
Boundary changes: minor. Loses part of Chiddingly and East Hoathly to Wealden and part of Willingdon to Eastbourne. Gains part of East Dean from Eastbourne.
Profile: A large, sprawling rural seat covering much of the countryside to the North of Brighton, the South Downs and the valley of the river Ouse. Lewes itself is the small picturesque county town of East Sussex, best known for its extensive and sometimes controversial Guy Fawkes Night celebrations, where effigies of Pope Paul V and contemporary figures, such as Osama bin Laden, are burnt. At the southern end of the constituency is the more Labour inclined ferry port of Newhaven and the seaside resort of Seaford.
The seat returned Conservative MPs for over a century until it was won by Norman Baker in 1997. Since then it has become a safe Liberal Democrat stronghold.
Current MP: Norman Baker(Liberal Democrat) born 1957, Aberdeen. Educated at Royal Liberty School and Royal Holloway College. Former English teacher. Former Lewes District councillor and East Sussex County Councillor. Leader of Lewes Council from 1991-1997. Contested Lewes 1992. First elected as MP for Lewes in 1997. A trenchant backbench inquisitor and campaigning MP, Baker stood down as Lib Dem Environment Spokesman in 2006 to concentrate on campaigning for a full investigation into the death of Dr David Kelly. He returned as Lib Dem shadow transport secretary in 2007 (more information at They work for you)
Jason Sugarman (Conservative) born 1969. Educated at Brighton College and Durham University. Barrister specialising in criminal law. Lewes District councillor from 1995-2003. Contested Dudley South in 2001.Hratche Koundarjian (Labour) Born London. Educated at Sussex University. Works in public affairs.Norman Baker(Liberal Democrat) born 1957, Aberdeen. Educated at Royal Liberty School and Royal Holloway College. Former English teacher. Former Lewes District councillor and East Sussex County Councillor. Leader of Lewes Council from 1991-1997. Contested Lewes 1992. First elected as MP for Lewes in 1997. A trenchant backbench inquisitor and campaigning MP, Baker stood down as Lib Dem Environment Spokesman in 2006 to concentrate on campaigning for a full investigation into the death of Dr David Kelly. He returned as Lib Dem shadow transport secretary in 2007 (more information at They work for you)
Susan Murray (Green) Peter Charlton (UKIP)David Lloyd (BNP)Ondrej Soucek (Independent)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 83249
Male: 47.4%
Female: 52.6%
Under 18: 20.6%
Over 60: 30%
Born outside UK: 5.5%
White: 98.2%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.5%
Mixed: 0.6%
Other: 0.5%
Christian: 72.4%
Full time students: 2.6%
Graduates 16-74: 22.4%
No Qualifications 16-74: 25.4%
Owner-Occupied: 78%
Social Housing: 11% (Council: 8.3%, Housing Ass.: 2.7%)
Privately Rented: 7.6%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 5.3%
Horrible thought.
Ed Miliband as Prime Minister with a 144 majority
and fat Balls licking his lips, collapsing the swings.
I think you must be right Pete – you nearly always are – IIRC Labour were close here in 1979 behind the Libs.
I do, however, welcome a greater presence of the 2 major parties in respective weak seats, as I’ve argued in the past.
In the national democratic interest.
‘I still think Baker would have a good chance in the Lewes & Brighton East constituency. There are 12,000 Labour voters and nearly 2,000 Green voters for him to appeal to in order to beat the Tories.’
It’s a 3-way marginal then.
are then any other examples in the latest review where the comission havre carved up an essentially safe seat for one party and created two new seats that notionally belong to another
Can’t see too many Lib Dems squeezing many Labour votes, although he is oine of the few MPs who might be able to do so
Yate & Thornbury has also been carved up into two notionally Conservative seats
‘Yate & Thornbury has also been carved up into two notionally Conservative seats’
Which like Lewes, is one of the Lib Dems safer seats as things currently stands
With some Conservatives already saying they will oppose it – like Philip Davies who unlike many of today’s carrer-focussed MPs is somebody you can take for their word – with the Lib Dems seemingly getting a raw deal, and with Labour (who lose out) likely to oppose it, is there not a chance that the bill might not even get past Parliament
Possibly, but some MP’s who face losing their seats could be persuaded to vote in favour with them going to the Lords in return. I think depending on the revised boundary changes that the final vote will be very close either being carried in single figures or that the vote is tied wth the Speaker casting the deciding vote.
In that case, what’s happening to Buckingham?
“I think depending on the revised boundary changes that the final vote will be very close either being carried in single figures or that the vote is tied wth the Speaker casting the deciding vote.”
Isn’t it the convention that the Speaker’s casting vote is always in favour of the status quo – which in this case would presumably be against the new boundaries?
Bercow scuppering the boundary changes would give Tories even more reason to love him.
Fresh from her eviction from the big brother house, Mrs Speaker got into yet more trouble over the weekend as a result of her taking unauthorised pictures in parliament.
Pudsey is also an interesting example. Anthony Wells gives one half of it to the Liberals and the other half is clearly part of a safe Labour seat
I would imagine that Norman Baker will be as safe as houses here at the next election. If the Tory vote falls as well as the Lib Dem vote, then a 7.65% swing may not be achievable. Therefore I think he’ll end up holding this with a majority of 3-5,000 votes.
Tory Cllr Donna Edmunds has defected to UKIP here.
Webpage:
ht tp://cmispublic.lewes.gov.uk/Public/Member.aspx?personID=117
What have been the boundary changes to this constituency since 1918? Didn’t some parts of Lewes district move to the Brighton and Hove seats in 1997?
Brighton Kemptown annexed East Saltdean and Peacehaven from Lewes in 1997 IIRC.