Arundel and South Downs
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 26594 (51.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 13765 (26.6%)
Labour: 8420 (16.2%)
Other: 3039 (5.9%)
Majority: 12829 (24.8%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 24752 (49.8%)
Labour: 8482 (17.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 13443 (27.1%)
UKIP: 2700 (5.4%)
Other: 313 (0.6%)
Majority: 11309 (22.8%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 23969 (52.2%)
Labour: 9488 (20.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 10265 (22.4%)
UKIP: 2167 (4.7%)
Majority: 13704 (29.9%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 27251 (53.1%)
Labour: 9376 (18.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 13216 (25.7%)
Other: 1494 (2.9%)
Majority: 14035 (27.3%)
Boundary changes: a number of minor changes to take account of ward boundary changes, the most notable being the loss of Burgess Hill Victoria ward to
Profile: Arundel and South Downs is a sprawling Sussex constituency making up much of the rural interior of West Sussex once the coastal towns of Bognor, Worthing and Hove have been carved out into their own constituencies. The seat contains parts of four different local authorities and is made up of picturesque rural villages with no industry of note. Arundel itself, and the castle of the same name, is the historic seat of the Dukes of Norfolk.
The seat was prominent during the 2005 election campaign when the then Conservative MP Howard Flight was secret recorded telling a meeting that the Conservative party would make larger cuts in spending than it had announced. He had the whip withdrawn and, despite threatened legal challenges, eventually stood down as the Conservative candidate.
Outgoing MP: Nick Herbert(Conservative) born 1963. Educated at Haileybury and Magdalene College, Oxford. Herbert was one of only two openly gay Conservative MPs returned in the 2005 election, he currently lives with his partner. Herbert is a former director of public affairs for the British Field Sports Society, chief executive of Business for Sterling and, until first elected in 2005, head of the free market think tank Reform. He backed David Davis in the 2005 leadership contest and, after David Cameron`s election as leader was appointed as spokesman on police reform. Shadow Secretary of state for agriculture since 2009 (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Nick Herbert(Conservative) born 1963. Educated at Haileybury and Magdalene College, Oxford. Herbert was one of only two openly gay Conservative MPs returned in the 2005 election, he currently lives with his partner. Herbert is a former director of public affairs for the British Field Sports Society, chief executive of Business for Sterling and, until first elected in 2005, head of the free market think tank Reform. He backed David Davis in the 2005 leadership contest and, after David Cameron`s election as leader was appointed as spokesman on police reform. Shadow Secretary of state for agriculture since 2009 (more information at They work for you)
Tim Lunnon (Labour)
Derek Deedman (Liberal Democrat)
Stuart Bower (UKIP)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 89503
Male: 47.9%
Female: 52.1%
Under 18: 21%
Over 60: 27.5%
Born outside UK: 5.8%
White: 98.6%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.3%
Mixed: 0.6%
Other: 0.3%
Christian: 77.6%
Full time students: 2.2%
Graduates 16-74: 22.7%
No Qualifications 16-74: 22.5%
Owner-Occupied: 78.9%
Social Housing: 10.5% (Council: 4.3%, Housing Ass.: 6.2%)
Privately Rented: 6.4%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 5.4%
Sussex’s parliamentary representation
before 1832 – 28 MP’s
1832 – 18 MP’s
1868 – 15 MP’s
1885 – 9 MP’s
1950 – 11 MP’s
1955 – 12 MP’s
1974 – 14 MP’s
1983 – 15 MP’s
1997 – 16 MP’s
C hold maj 19000
Con Hold
Maj 16900
Con maj 15,000
Yes, Arundel and the South Downs is what you get when you carve out anything from West Sussex which has the faintest chance of electing anything but a Tory. If theTories really, really cocked things up (think Canada 2000), Arundel and the South Downs might be the one they would be left holding. That makes it interesting in a way.
My money would be on Horsham, but it’s a close run thing.