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Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (UK Parliament constituency)

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Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (contemp. RP [/ˈbɒɡnə ɹʷiːd͡ʒɪs ænd lɪtl̩hæmptn̩/, /-æmtn̩/]) is a constituency[n 1] in West Sussex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Alison Griffiths, a Conservative.[n 2]

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton in South East England
CountyWest Sussex
Population98,433 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate76,985 (2023)[2]
Major settlementsBognor Regis, Felpham and Littlehampton
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentAlison Griffiths (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromArundel

Boundaries

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Map of boundaries 2010–2024

The constituency is elongated along the south coast of England. It includes the towns of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

1997–2010: The District of Arun wards of Aldwick East, Aldwick West, Bersted, Felpham East, Felpham West, Hotham, Littlehampton Beach, Littlehampton Central, Littlehampton Ham, Littlehampton River, Littlehampton Wick, Marine, Middleton on Sea, Orchard, Pagham, and Pevensey.

2010–2024: The District of Arun wards of Aldwick East, Aldwick West, Beach, Bersted, Brookfield, Felpham East, Felpham West, Ham, Hotham, Marine, Middleton-on-Sea, Orchard, Pagham and Rose Green, Pevensey, River, Wick with Toddington, and Yapton.

2024–present: The District of Arun wards of: Aldwick East; Aldwick West; Beach; Brookfield; Courtwick with Toddington; Felpham East (most); Felpham West; Hotham; Marine; Middleton-on-Sea; Orchard; Pevensey; River; Rustington East; Rustington West; Yapton.[3]

The electorate was reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring Bersted and Pagham to Chichester. To partly compensate, Rustington was added from Worthing West.

Constituency profile

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The constituency has a diverse economy. Small-scale agriculture, manufacturing, and trades make up most of the local economy, supplemented by services and tourism.

The population of the constituency is a mixture of young families, supporting the constituency's sporting facilities, public services, golf courses and general domestic spending. People in retirement are also a notable demographic, who have moved to the coast from London and other British urban areas to live by the South Coast of England.

The proportion of social housing is lower than the UK average.[4]

History

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Political history

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The vote share and majority for the Conservative MP, Nick Gibb, who won the first six general elections in this seat, grew since 2001 to reach over 22,000 votes.

At the first three general elections, the Labour Party candidate was runner-up, notably denting Gibb's winning margin to 5,632 votes in 2001. In 2010, the Liberal Democrat candidate took second place, more than 4,000 votes ahead of Labour and 13,063 short of Gibb's total. Mirroring nationwide performance, the Lib Dem vote share fell in 2015, whilst the UKIP vote share rose in this constituency, becoming the runner-up, but 13,944 votes short of Gibb's tally.

In June 2016, an estimated 64.8% of local adults voting in the EU membership referendum voted to Leave the European Union. This was matched in two January 2018 votes in Parliament by MP Nick Gibb.[5]

In 2017, Labour's candidate of 2015 was reselected to stand and took second place.

The year 2017 saw an independent candidate, Paul Sanderson, the chaplain of The Littlehampton Academy come within 1% of retaining his political deposit and ahead of the UKIP and Green candidates.

Gibb was re-elected for a seventh time in 2019, with an increased majority of 22,503 votes and a vote share of 63.5%. He did not stand at the 2024 general election and his successor as the Conservative candidate, Alison Griffiths, was elected with a drastically reduced majority of 1,765, having suffered an adverse swing of 19.8%.

Contents and regional context

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The seat was created from the western, more populous part of the Arundel seat on its 1997 abolition. Before the latter's creation in 1974, Bognor Regis was part of the Chichester seat and Littlehampton part of the Arundel and Shoreham seat.

Notable representatives

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From its creation in 1997 until 2024, the seat was represented by Nick Gibb of the Conservative Party. Gibb had worked for the party for over ten years, and became an MP at his third attempt. After thirteen years in opposition, he joined David Cameron's coalition government after the 2010 general election, becoming Minister of State for School Standards, working under Education Secretary Michael Gove. He left the government in a 2012 reshuffle, being replaced by David Laws. He then returned to the same department, now run by Nicky Morgan, as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare, Education and School Reform in 2014. The following year, he again took up his previous post, which he then held under three Prime Ministers (Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson) and five Education Secretaries (Gove, Morgan, Justine Greening, Damian Hinds and Gavin Williamson). He was dismissed from this position in 2021.

Members of Parliament

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Arundel prior to 1997

Election Member[6] Party
1997 Nick Gibb Conservative
2024 Alison Griffiths Conservative

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Bognor Regis and Littlehampton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alison Griffiths 15,678 32.8 –29.4
Labour Clare Walsh 13,913 29.1 +10.1
Reform UK Sandra Daniells 10,262 21.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Henry Jones 5,081 10.6 –2.7
Green Carol Birch 2,185 4.6 +1.3
Heritage David Kurten 708 1.5 N/A
Majority 1,765 3.7 –39.5
Turnout 47,827 61.7 –6.5
Registered electors 77,565
Conservative hold Swing  19.8

Elections in the 2010s

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2019 notional result[8]
Party Vote %
Conservative 32,645 62.2
Labour 9,963 19.0
Liberal Democrats 6,978 13.3
Green 1,711 3.3
Others 1,213 2.3
Turnout 52,510 68.2
Electorate 76,985
General election 2019: Bognor Regis and Littlehampton [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Gibb 32,521 63.5 +4.5
Labour Alan Butcher 10,018 19.6 −5.3
Liberal Democrats Francis Oppler 5,645 11.0 +4.5
Green Carol Birch 1,826 3.6 +1.7
UKIP David Kurten 846 1.7 −1.9
Independent Andrew Elston 367 0.7 New
Majority 22,503 43.9 +9.8
Turnout 51,223 66.1 −1.6
Conservative hold Swing +4.9
General election 2017: Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Gibb 30,276 59.0 +7.7
Labour Alan Butcher 12,782 24.9 +11.1
Liberal Democrats Francis Oppler 3,352 6.5 −2.5
Independent Paul Sanderson 2,088 4.1 New
UKIP Patrick Lowe 1,861 3.6 −18.1
Green Andrew Bishop 993 1.9 −2.2
Majority 17,494 34.1 +4.5
Turnout 51,352 67.7 +3.2
Conservative hold Swing -1.75
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
General election 2015: Bognor Regis and Littlehampton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Gibb 24,185 51.3 −0.1
UKIP Graham Jones 10,241 21.7 +15.2
Labour Alan Butcher 6,508 13.8 −0.2
Liberal Democrats Francis Oppler 4,240 9.0 −14.5
Green Simon McDougall 1,942 4.1 New
Majority 13,944 29.6 +1.7
Turnout 47,116 64.5 −1.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Bognor Regis and Littlehampton[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Gibb 24,087 51.4 +6.8
Liberal Democrats Simon McDougall 11,024 23.5 +1.6
Labour Michael Jones 6,580 14.0 −11.4
UKIP Douglas Denny 3,036 6.5 −1.5
BNP Andrew Moffat 1,890 4.0 New
Independent Melissa Briggs 235 0.5 New
Majority 13,063 27.9 +8.7
Turnout 46,852 66.2 +3.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Bognor Regis and Littlehampton[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Gibb 18,183 44.6 −0.6
Labour George O'Neill 10,361 25.4 −5.3
Liberal Democrats Simon McDougall 8,927 21.9 +4.3
UKIP Adrian Lithgow 3,276 8.0 +3.4
Majority 7,822 19.2 +4.7
Turnout 40,747 62.1 +3.9
Conservative hold Swing +2.3
General election 2001: Bognor Regis and Littlehampton[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Gibb 17,602 45.2 +1.0
Labour George O’Neill 11,959 30.7 +2.2
Liberal Democrats Pamela Peskett 6,846 17.6 −6.4
UKIP George Stride 1,779 4.6 +1.3
Green Lilius Cheyne 782 2.0 New
Majority 5,643 14.5 −1.2
Turnout 38,968 58.2 −11.4
Conservative hold Swing −0.6

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Bognor Regis and Littlehampton[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Gibb 20,537 44.2 −12.6
Labour Roger A. Nash 13,216 28.5 +15.0
Liberal Democrats James M.M. Walsh 11,153 24.0 −2.7
UKIP George Stride 1,537 3.3 New
Majority 7,321 15.7
Turnout 46,443 69.6
Conservative hold Swing −13.8

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ 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

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  1. ^ "Bognor Regis and Littlehampton: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  4. ^ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  5. ^ 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 14 February 2022.
  6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
  7. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated, Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations". Arun District Council. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  9. ^ http://www.arun.gov.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n14617.pdf&ver=14967 [dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ Arun District Council Archived August 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

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50°48′N 0°36′W / 50.8°N 0.6°W / 50.8; -0.6

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