Although we cannot currently know the Election outcome for Sussex MP’s in Parliament it will be interesting to consider what success some previous MPs may achieve in July.  

The Hove MP location was established as a voting event back in 1950 and this year it has now become the Hove and Portslade General election. It was led by Conservatives from the beginning of 1950 until to 1997 when the Labour MP Ivor Caplin and then Labour MP Celia Barlow held the seat until 2010 when the Conservative MP Mike Weatherley led until to 2015. Peter Kyle has now raised more than 17,000 of votes. Peter is standing in the July election and is competing against several other candidates from different Political Parties. Carline Deal for the Conservatives, Michael Wang for Liberal Democrats, Sophie Broadbent for the Green Party, Martin Hess as Reform UK and Tanushka Marah as an Independent.

The East Sussex now has five and a half of MP’s this year.

Eastbourne was formed as a voting ward in 1885 led by the Conservatives until to 1906 when a Liberal MP succeeded. This was followed by a successful Conservative candidate until to 1990 when Liberal Democrat won again. The Conservative, Nigel Waterson, led in 1992 until 2010 when Stephen Lloyd from the Liberal Democrats won. In 2015 Caroline Ansell won Stephen’s seat until 2017. Following the General Election in 2017 Stephen gained the seat but in 2019 Caroline won back. This General Election sees Caroline compete with a Liberal Democrat Josh Babarinde who was born in Eastbourne He says

“I’m passionate about Eastbourne and the people who live here, that’s why I am standing in the next General Election so that I can represent you and make sure your voices are heard and our town gets the representation that it has been lacking.”

Hastings and Rye was established in 1983 led by Conservatives until 1997 when Michael Foster won the seat which he kept until 2010. Amber Rudd ran for the Conservatives in 2010 and held the seat until 2019. Sally-Ann Hart took over and will run this year. The difference between votes awarded to Labour and Conservative was only a few thousand from Conservative to Labour, 346 in 2017 and 4,043 in 2019. It will be interesting to see how Sally-Ann will fare against Helena Dollimore the current Labour candidate. Helena was born in East Sussex and spent her lockdown as a volunteer vaccinator in Hastings supporting the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Helena has a professional background in international development. Her work at Save the Children took her from refugee camps in Bangladesh to war zones like Yemen, where she stood up for the world’s most vulnerable children. Now she is using that experience to stand up for Hastings and Rye, campaigning on issues like long Ambulance waits and ending the dumping of sewage in our sea. If elected as the Labour MP for Hastings and Rye, Helena would fight for every resident of Hastings and Rye at Westminster to deliver a fairer, greener future for all”. 

West Sussex has eight and a half MP’s this year.

Chichester began as a Conservative since 1868 although there was a Liberal MP during 1923. Some changes in voting over time which are reflected in the 2019 General Election with the Conservative gained a total of 35,402 compared with Liberal Democrats at 13,912, Labour at 9,069, Green at 2,527, Libertarian at 224 and Patria at 109. Gillian Keegan has been the Conservative MP since 2017 and the candidate for 2024. The Liberal Democrat candidate this year is Jess Brown-Fuller who says

“I’ve lived in the area since the 90s, following my Mum’s career. When we arrived in West Sussex we knew we’d found our home, so much so that I continued my education at the University of Chichester and have had my family here.”

Horsham was publicly established with MP’s from on 1945 and it has been led by Conservative MPs, Jeremy Quin has been the MP since 2015. This year Labour candidate, James Field, claims

“I’ve devoted my career to education in West Sussex, serving as a Headteacher in Horsham for many happy years”.

The Liberal Democrat candidate is John Milne who states

“I’ve lived with my family in Horsham District for 10 years. No doubt about it, moving here was one of my best decisions!”. 

Arundel and South Downs was first created in 1997 from the Conservatives which have had with the Andrew Griffith since 2019. The Liberal Candidate this year is Richard Allen who says

“The time has come for meaningful change. For action instead of failed promises. Whether it is the NHS, the environment, transport, today’s Conservative Government cannot be trusted. I will stand up for local services, not shadowy think tanks and vested interests. Together we can ensure a fair deal for all.”

Worthing West began for this MP in 1997 and the Conservative member Peter Bottomley has been the only MP during that time, he is the most senior MP in the House of Parliament. Dr Becca Cooper is the Labour and she sates

“I’m delighted to be representing Worthing West in the General Election. As the first and current Labour Leader of Worthing Borough Council, I am honoured to work alongside a dedicated group of passionate and proactive local councillors, making our wonderful town the fairest, greenest coastal town in the UK.”