Epsom and Ewell (constituency)

Epsom and Ewell is a suburban constituency located in Surrey. It covers the towns of Epsom, Ewell and Leatherhead and the village of Ashtead. The constituency lies on the outskirts of Greater London within the protected Metropolitan Green Belt and forms part of London's urban area. Much of the area was developed in the interwar period and houses many London commuters. Epsom is known for the Derby, a prestigious annual horse race which takes place at the town's racecourse. The area is highly affluent, with most of the constituency falling within the 10% least-deprived areas in England,^[2] and house prices are considerably higher than the national average.^[3] Epsom, Ewell and Ashtead were all ranked in the top ten best places to live in England and Wales in 2025 according to Garrington, with Epsom in second place.^[4]

In general, residents of the constituency are well-educated, have high levels of household income and are more likely to work in professional occupations compared to the rest of the country.^[3] White people made up 82% of the population at the 2021 census with Asians forming the largest ethnic minority group at 10%.^[5] At the local council level, Epsom and Ewell are mostly represented by a local residents' association, whilst Leatherhead elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. An estimated 52% of voters in the constituency supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide rate of 48%.^[3]

The seat has existed since the February 1974 general election, forming the centre of the previous Epsom constituency. Epsom had been held by a Conservative since its creation in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and the new seat continued to elect Conservative MPs with sizable majorities.

Chris Grayling was first elected in 2001; he went on to serve in the cabinets of the Cameron and May governments from 2010 to 2019. Grayling stood down for the 2024 general election, when Helen Maguire took the seat for the Liberal Democrats for the first time on a swing of 18%.

In Westminster elections, it was, until 2024, one of the strongest Conservative areas in the country. Locally, however, the majority area council (Epsom and Ewell Borough Council) is controlled by the local Residents' Association. Conservatives regularly run the two slightly included neighbouring councils and until recently the party rarely contested the main borough's elections. One ward in Epsom, Court, is quite strongly Labour, and several Residents Association councillors have sided against Conservative-run Reigate and Banstead council, which is also electorally diverse.

In 1987, Barbara Follett, later Member of Parliament for Stevenage, unsuccessfully stood for the Labour Party in the constituency.

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Surrey
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)