Since its creation in 1918, East Surrey has elected a Conservative MP at every general election. Before the 2024 general election, this Conservative victory took the form of an absolute majority (over 50% of the vote) at every general election, one of few seats that can make this claim, and is therefore regarded as a Conservativesafe seat. Its greatest share of the vote for any opposition candidate was 33.75% in February 1974.[n 2]
Latter version of this area in its earlier existence (1867–1885) in darkest green, the stark dark/light split shows the preceding simpler East–west division of the county, dark shades being the former (1832–1867) version of that two-member area.
1832–1868: The Hundreds of Brixton, Kingston, Reigate, Tandridge and Wallington.[4]
1868–1885: The Hundred of Tandridge, and so much of the Hundred of Wallington as included and lay to the east of the parishes of Croydon and Sanderstead, and so much of the Hundred of Brixton as included and lay to the east of the parishes of Streatham, Clapham and Lambeth.[5]
For period to 1918 see completely new single-member Wimbledon and Reigate seats, also termed N.E. and S.E. Divisions of Surrey.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Caterham, and Coulsdon and Purley, and the Rural District of Godstone.
1950–1974: The Urban Districts of Caterham and Warlingham, and Coulsdon and Purley.
1974–1983: The Urban District of Caterham and Warlingham, and the Rural District of Godstone.
1983–1997: The District of Tandridge. (Equivalent to the above)
1997–2010: The District of Tandridge, and the Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Horley East and Horley West.
2010–2024: As above plus Horley Central.
2024–present: The Borough of Reigate and Banstead ward of Hooley, Merstham & Netherne, and the District of Tandridge.[6]
Electorate reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferringHorley to the new constituency ofDorking and Horley. To partly compensate, the Reigate and Banstead ward of Hooley, Merstham & Netherne was transferred from theReigate constituency.
East Surrey is a constituency in the innerHome counties. Until 2024 it combined the town ofHorley with Surrey's District of Tandridge, which is made up ofCaterham and commuter settlements, farming and retirement homes. Horley is one of two towns adjoiningLondon Gatwick Airport and is part of Reigate and Banstead borough. The constituency area borders theLondon Borough of Croydon to the north, the county ofKent to the east, and the county ofWest Sussex to the south.
TheConservatives have prevented any opposition party achieving more than 33.75% of the vote since 1974, even at the1997 and2001 United Kingdom general elections when opposition was greatest nationally in Conservative safe seats.
Most local wards are won by the Conservatives with theLiberal Democrats often picking up seats somewhere in the dual-council[clarification needed] system, particularly in Whyteleafe or Caterham Valley. As is typical in seats of this kind, theLabour vote is typically very modest. The party finished in third place at each election between1959 and2015. In2017 the party's candidate polled second, in a poorer showing for the Liberal Democrats and the party's "Corbyn Surge". In the2019 election the Liberal Democrats retook second place and Labour fell to third. The area saw a majority vote in favour ofBrexit in the2016 EU Referendum. Conversely, the then MPSam Gyimah opposed Brexit, especiallyPrime MinisterBoris Johnson's Brexit deal, and later joined the Liberal Democrats afterbeing suspended from the Tories.
The 13th century-created, dual-memberconstituency for the county took in over a third of today'sGreater London and its population far exceeded the average for a county. It was recognised as needing or meriting four MPs, so division, under theReform Act 1832.
Often known as theEastern Division of Surrey orSurrey Eastern, its enfranchised adult male property owners elected two MPs bybloc vote (a voter has a vote for each current vacancy). Notable outer reaches, clockwise from north, were Southwark, Rotherhithe, Addington,Lingfield,Charlwood,Buckland, Surrey,Cheam,Kingston upon Thames andRichmond (see map, top right).
The area was split in two, doubling representation, under theSecond Reform Act, starting from the1868 general election; the area was stillunder-represented, as shown by the setting up of a net increase of 14 metropolitan seats in 1885.
In 1918 the constituency was re-established in dwarf form, taking rural and nascent very suburban parts of South East Surrey ("Reigate") and North East Surrey ("Wimbledon"), and for the first time electing only one MP. It covered from the south ofCroydon to theKent andWest Sussex borders. It was to remain centred on Lingfield,Oxted,Limpsfield,Godstone,Caterham andWoldingham.
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.
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;
^abCraig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977].British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 465–466.ISBN0-900178-26-4.
