Reigate (constituency)
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reigate (/ˈraɪɡeɪt/) is a constituency[a] in Surrey represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Rebecca Paul, of the Conservative Party.[b]
| Reigate | |
|---|---|
| Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundaries since 2024 | |
Boundary of Reigate in South East England | |
| County | Surrey |
| Electorate | 77,101 (2024)[1] |
| Major settlements | |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1885 |
| Member of Parliament | Rebecca Paul (Conservative) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Parts of East, Mid and West Surrey as county constituency also called S.E. Surrey[2] |
| 1832–1868 | |
| Seats | One |
| Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
| Replaced by | Mid Surrey |
| 1295–1832 | |
| Seats | Two |
| Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
Constituency profile
Electoral Calculus characterises the seat's electorate as "Kind Yuppies", with right-wing economic views but more liberal social attitudes. Incomes and house prices in the seat are well above UK averages.[3] The seat is predominantly in the London commuter belt with good rail services from Reigate, Redhill and Banstead to Central London, and several financial companies are based in the seat.[4]
Boundaries
Historic
1885–1918: The Borough of Reigate, its Sessional Division, and those of Dorking and Godstone except Effingham, Mickleham, Caterham, Warlingham, Chelsham and Farleigh[2]
1918–1950: The Borough of Reigate, the Urban District of Dorking, and the Rural Districts of Dorking and Reigate
1950–1974: The Borough of Reigate, and the Rural District of Godstone
- 1974: what had been the Rural District was ceded to the East Surrey seat; Banstead U.D. was taken from the Carshalton seat
1974–1983: The Borough of Reigate, and the Urban District of Banstead
- 1983: The northern heart of what had been Banstead U.D. (four wards) were ceded to the Epsom and Ewell seat
1983–1997: The Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Chipstead Hooley and Woodmansterne, Horley East, Horley West, Kingswood with Burgh Heath, Reigate Central, Reigate East, Reigate North, Reigate North Central, Reigate North East, Reigate South Central, Reigate South East, Reigate South West, Salfords and Sidlow, and Tadworth and Walton
1997–2010: The Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Banstead Village, Chipstead Hooley and Woodmansterne, Kingswood with Burgh Heath, Reigate Central, Reigate East, Reigate North, Reigate North Central, Reigate North East, Reigate South Central, Reigate South East, Reigate South West, Salfords and Sidlow, and Tadworth and Walton
2010–2024: The Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Banstead Village, Chipstead Hooley and Woodmansterne, Earlswood and Whitebushes, Kingswood with Burgh Heath, Meadvale and St John's, Merstham, Preston, Redhill East, Redhill West, Reigate Central, Reigate Hill, Salfords and Sidlow, South Park and Woodhatch, and Tadworth and Walton
Current
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is now composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of: Banstead Village; Chipstead, Kingswood & Woodmansterne; Earlswood & Whitebushes; Lower Kingswood, Tadworth & Walton; Meadvale & St. John's; Nork; Redhill East; Redhill West & Wray Common; Reigate; South Park & Woodhatch; Tattenham Corner & Preston.[5]
The seat gained those parts of Reigate and Banstead Borough previously in the Epsom and Ewell constituency – including the residential areas of Nork and Tattenham Corner, offset by the transfer of the Hooley, Merstham & Netherne ward to East Surrey.
The seat is in Surrey bordering Greater London and is centered on the town of Reigate from which it takes its name. The constituency comprises the bulk of the Reigate and Banstead Borough -excluding the town of Horley which is in the new Dorking and Horley seat, and the community of Merstham, which is now part of East Surrey.
History
This constituency was first created with the first election of Burgesses to Parliament in 1295, electing two members. It continued to elect two members until 1832 when its representation was reduced to one member by the Great Reform Act.
In 1868 the constituency was disenfranchised for corruption, but was revived in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 when the East Surrey constituency was abolished. Since 1918 the seat has been held by a candidate in the Conservative Party with the exception of four months during which the anti-EU MP in 1997 before the election of that year joined the Referendum Party (UK). The Liberal Democrats including their two predecessor parties amassed their largest share of the vote in 2010. The largest opposition party changed from Labour to the Liberal Democrats in 2005 and 2010, then UKIP in 2015 and back to Labour in the 2017 general election.
In 1974, the seat saw major boundary changes which removed some of Eastern Surrey which was in the seat into the radically redesigned East Surrey seat and added the Banstead area to the seat.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1295–1660
MPs 1660–1832
| Year | First member[10] | First party | Second member[10] | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1660 | John Hele | Edward Thurland | ||||
| 1661 | Roger James | |||||
| 1673 | Sir John Werden | |||||
| February 1679 | Deane Goodwin | |||||
| October 1679 | Ralph Freeman | |||||
| 1680 | Deane Goodwin | |||||
| 1681 | Ralph Freeman | |||||
| 1685 | Sir John Werden | Sir John Parsons | ||||
| January 1689 | Roger James | |||||
| March 1689 | Thomas Vincent | |||||
| 1690 | Sir John Parsons | John Parsons | ||||
| 1698 | Stephen Hervey | Edward Thurland | ||||
| 1701 | Sir John Parsons | |||||
| 1707 | James Cocks | Whig | ||||
| 1710 | John Ward | |||||
| 1713 | James Cocks | Whig | ||||
| 1717 | William Jordan | |||||
| 1720 | Thomas Jordan | |||||
| 1722 | Sir Joseph Jekyll | Whig | ||||
| 1739 | John Hervey | |||||
| 1741 | Philip Yorke | Whig | ||||
| June 1747 | Charles Cocks[11] | |||||
| December 1747 | Charles Yorke | Whig | ||||
| 1768 | John Yorke | |||||
| 1784 | William Bellingham | Edward Leeds | ||||
| 1787 | Reginald Pole-Carew | |||||
| 1789 | The Lord Hood | |||||
| 1790 | John Somers Cocks | Joseph Sydney Yorke | Tory | |||
| February 1806 | Philip James Cocks | |||||
| November 1806 | Edward Charles Cocks | Tory[12] | Viscount Royston | Tory[12] | ||
| 1808 | James Cocks | Tory[12] | ||||
| 1812 | John Somers-Cocks | Tory[12] | ||||
| 1818 | Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke | Tory[12] | James Somers Cocks | Tory[12] | ||
| 1823 | James Cocks | Tory[12] | ||||
| April 1831 | Joseph Yorke | Tory[12] | ||||
| July 1831 | Charles Yorke | Tory[12] | ||||
MPs 1832–1868
- Representation reduced to one (1832)
| Election | Member[10] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | John Somers-Cocks | Tory[12] | |
| 1834 | Conservative[12] | ||
| 1841 by-election | Charles Somers-Cocks | Conservative[12] | |
| 1847 | Thomas Somers-Cocks | Conservative | |
| 1857 | William Hackblock[c] | Independent Whig[14][15] | |
| February 1858 by-election | Henry Rawlinson | Conservative[16][17][18][19] | |
| October 1858 by-election | William Monson | Whig[20][21] | |
| 1859 | Liberal | ||
| 1863 by-election | Granville William Gresham Leveson-Gower | Liberal | |
| 1868 | Constituency disenfranchised for corruption | ||
MPs since 1885
- Constituency revived (1885)
| Year | Member[10] | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Trevor Lawrence | Conservative | Member for Mid Surrey (1875–1885) | |
| 1892 | Henry Cubitt | Conservative | ||
| 1906 | Harry Brodie | Liberal | ||
| 1910 | Richard Rawson | Conservative | ||
| 1917 | National | |||
| 1918 | George Cockerill | Unionist | ||
| 1931 | Gordon Touche | Conservative | Contested Dorking following redistribution | |
| Constituency split, majority renamed Dorking, minority merged with part of East Surrey | ||||
| 1950 | John Vaughan-Morgan | Conservative | ||
| 1970 | Geoffrey Howe | Conservative | Member for Bebington (1964–1966) Contested East Surrey following redistribution | |
| 1974 | George Gardiner | Conservative | ||
| 1996 | Referendum | |||
| 1997 | Crispin Blunt | Conservative | ||
| 2023 | Independent | |||
| 2024 | Rebecca Paul | Conservative | ||
Elections

Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Rebecca Paul | 18,822 | 35.4 | −20.4 | |
| Labour | Stuart Brady | 15,635 | 29.4 | +12.5 | |
| Reform | Joseph Fox | 7,240 | 13.6 | New | |
| Liberal Democrats | Mark Johnston | 6,773 | 12.7 | −7.2 | |
| Green | Jonathan Essex | 4,691 | 8.8 | +3.0 | |
| Majority | 3,187 | 6.0 | −28.4 | ||
| Turnout | 53,161 | 69.0 | −1.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 77,101 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −16.4 | |||
Elections in the 2010s
| 2019 notional result[23] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Conservative | 29,846 | 55.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 10,626 | 19.9 | |
| Labour | 9,045 | 16.9 | |
| Green | 3,092 | 5.8 | |
| Others | 860 | 1.6 | |
| Turnout | 53,469 | 70.2 | |
| Electorate | 76,139 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Crispin Blunt | 28,665 | 53.9 | −3.5 | |
| Labour | Susan Gregory | 10,355 | 19.5 | −5.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | John Vincent | 10,320 | 19.4 | +8.5 | |
| Green | Jonathan Essex | 3,169 | 6.0 | +1.9 | |
| UKIP | Julia Searle | 647 | 1.2 | −1.7 | |
| Majority | 18,310 | 34.4 | +1.7 | ||
| Turnout | 53,156 | 71.0 | −1.0 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Crispin Blunt | 30,896 | 57.4 | +0.6 | |
| Labour | Toby Brampton | 13,282 | 24.7 | +11.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Anna Tarrant | 5,889 | 10.9 | +0.4 | |
| Green | Jonathan Essex | 2,214 | 4.1 | −2.6 | |
| UKIP | Joe Fox | 1,542 | 2.9 | −10.4 | |
| Majority | 17,614 | 32.7 | −10.8 | ||
| Turnout | 53,993 | 72.0 | +2.1 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −5.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Crispin Blunt | 29,151 | 56.8 | +3.4 | |
| UKIP | Joe Fox | 6,817 | 13.3 | +9.1 | |
| Labour | Ali Aklakul | 6,578 | 12.8 | +1.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Anna Tarrant | 5,369 | 10.5 | −15.7 | |
| Green | Jonathan Essex | 3,434 | 6.7 | +4.5 | |
| Majority | 22,334 | 43.5 | +16.3 | ||
| Turnout | 51,349 | 69.9 | +0.1 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Crispin Blunt | 26,688 | 53.4 | +4.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jane Kulka | 13,097 | 26.2 | +3.1 | |
| Labour | Robert Hull | 5,672 | 11.3 | −10.2 | |
| UKIP | Joseph Fox | 2,089 | 4.2 | −0.3 | |
| BNP | Keith Brown | 1,345 | 2.7 | New | |
| Green | Jonathan Essex | 1,087 | 2.2 | New | |
| Majority | 13,591 | 27.2 | +1.4 | ||
| Turnout | 49,978 | 69.8 | +5.0 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.9 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Crispin Blunt | 20,884 | 49.0 | +1.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jane Kulka | 9,896 | 23.2 | +2.1 | |
| Labour | Samuel Townend | 8,896 | 20.9 | −6.6 | |
| UKIP | Jeremy Wraith | 1,921 | 4.5 | +1.8 | |
| English Democrat | Harold Green | 600 | 1.4 | New | |
| Independent | Michael Selby | 408 | 1.0 | New | |
| Majority | 10,988 | 25.8 | +5.5 | ||
| Turnout | 42,605 | 64.8 | +4.6 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Crispin Blunt | 18,875 | 47.8 | +4.0 | |
| Labour | Simon Charleton | 10,850 | 27.5 | −0.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jane Kulka | 8,330 | 21.1 | +1.1 | |
| UKIP | Stephen Smith | 1,062 | 2.7 | +2.1 | |
| Reform UK | Harold Green | 357 | 0.9 | New | |
| Majority | 8,025 | 20.3 | +4.3 | ||
| Turnout | 39,474 | 60.2 | −14.2 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.2 | |||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Crispin Blunt | 21,123 | 43.8 | −13.7 | |
| Labour | Andrew Howard | 13,382 | 27.8 | +10.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Samuel | 9,615 | 20.0 | −4.1 | |
| Referendum | George Gardiner | 3,352 | 7.0 | New | |
| Independent | Richard Higgs | 412 | 0.9 | New | |
| UKIP | Stephen Smith | 290 | 0.6 | New | |
| Majority | 7,741 | 16.0 | −15.3 | ||
| Turnout | 48,174 | 74.4 | −4.1 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −12.0 | |||
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. George Gardiner changed party from the Conservative Party to the Referendum Party following his deselection by the local Conservative association.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Gardiner | 32,220 | 57.1 | −2.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | B Newsome | 14,556 | 25.8 | +1.4 | |
| Labour | H Young | 9,150 | 16.2 | +1.9 | |
| SDP | M. Bilcliff | 513 | 0.9 | New | |
| Majority | 17,664 | 31.3 | −3.6 | ||
| Turnout | 56,449 | 78.5 | +6.0 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.8 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Gardiner | 30,925 | 59.3 | +0.3 | |
| SDP | Elizabeth Pamplin | 12,752 | 24.4 | −2.5 | |
| Labour | Robin Spencer | 7,460 | 14.3 | +2.2 | |
| Green | Graham Brand | 1,026 | 2.0 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 18,173 | 34.9 | +2.8 | ||
| Turnout | 52,163 | 72.5 | −0.4 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Gardiner | 29,932 | 59.0 | ||
| SDP | Elizabeth Pamplin | 13,625 | 26.9 | ||
| Labour | Bryan A. Symons | 6,114 | 12.1 | ||
| Ecology | David R. Newell | 1,029 | 2.0 | New | |
| Majority | 16,307 | 32.1 | −5.6 | ||
| Turnout | 50,700 | 72.1 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1970s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Gardiner | 33,767 | 59.79 | ||
| Labour | N. Grant | 12,454 | 22.05 | ||
| Liberal | J. Speyer | 10,257 | 18.16 | ||
| Majority | 21,313 | 37.74 | |||
| Turnout | 56,478 | 78.20 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Gardiner | 27,769 | 50.70 | ||
| Labour | MG Ormerod | 14,185 | 25.90 | ||
| Liberal | AC Bryan | 12,554 | 22.92 | ||
| People Power | Mervyn Taggart | 266 | 0.49 | New | |
| Majority | 13,584 | 24.80 | |||
| Turnout | 54,774 | 75.30 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Gardiner | 30,131 | 50.22 | ||
| Liberal | AC Bryan | 16,071 | 26.78 | ||
| Labour | MG Ormerod | 13,547 | 22.58 | ||
| Independent Democrat | Mervyn Taggart | 254 | 0.42 | New | |
| Majority | 14,060 | 23.44 | |||
| Turnout | 60,003 | 83.34 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Geoffrey Howe | 28,462 | 53.86 | ||
| Labour | Michael P Farley | 15,433 | 29.20 | ||
| Liberal | Kenneth Vaus | 8,952 | 16.94 | ||
| Majority | 13,029 | 24.66 | |||
| Turnout | 52,847 | 73.88 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Vaughan-Morgan | 24,163 | 47.37 | ||
| Labour | John Edward Anthony Samuels | 16,649 | 32.64 | ||
| Liberal | Anthony A Stowell | 10,197 | 19.99 | ||
| Majority | 7,514 | 14.73 | |||
| Turnout | 51,009 | 80.09 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Vaughan-Morgan | 24,380 | 48.35 | ||
| Labour | Charles Garnsworthy | 14,991 | 29.73 | ||
| Liberal | Anthony A Stowell | 11,058 | 21.93 | ||
| Majority | 9,389 | 18.62 | |||
| Turnout | 50,429 | 79.74 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Vaughan-Morgan | 26,966 | 54.34 | ||
| Labour | Charles Garnsworthy | 14,465 | 29.14 | ||
| Liberal | Agnes H Scott | 8,205 | 16.53 | New | |
| Majority | 12,501 | 25.20 | |||
| Turnout | 49,636 | 82.36 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Vaughan-Morgan | 27,210 | 61.68 | ||
| Labour Co-op | Charles Garnsworthy | 16,903 | 38.32 | ||
| Majority | 10,307 | 23.36 | |||
| Turnout | 44,113 | 78.75 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Vaughan-Morgan | 24,137 | 55.92 | ||
| Labour Co-op | Charles Garnsworthy | 14,287 | 33.10 | ||
| Liberal | Allan Stanley Batham | 4,740 | 10.98 | ||
| Majority | 9,850 | 22.82 | |||
| Turnout | 43,164 | 83.34 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Vaughan-Morgan | 23,027 | 53.66 | ||
| Labour Co-op | Charles Garnsworthy | 13,931 | 32.46 | ||
| Liberal | Allan Batham | 5,953 | 13.87 | ||
| Majority | 9,096 | 21.20 | |||
| Turnout | 42,911 | 85.12 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative win (new boundaries) | |||||
Election results 1918–1950
Election in the 1940s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Gordon Touche | 27,419 | 57.07 | ||
| Labour | Charles Garnsworthy | 20,623 | 42.93 | ||
| Majority | 6,796 | 14.14 | |||
| Turnout | 48,042 | 72.92 | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1930s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Gordon Touche | 30,341 | 73.84 | ||
| Labour | Leonard Lewis | 10,748 | 26.16 | ||
| Majority | 19,593 | 47.68 | |||
| Turnout | 41,089 | 69.90 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Gordon Touche | 33,934 | 82.75 | ||
| Labour | Percy Collick | 7,076 | 17.25 | ||
| Majority | 26,858 | 65.50 | |||
| Turnout | 41,010 | 75.14 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1920s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | George K. Cockerill | 20,851 | 54.3 | −22.3 | |
| Liberal | Harold James Hamblen | 9,532 | 24.8 | New | |
| Labour | Percy Collick | 8,012 | 20.9 | −2.5 | |
| Majority | 11,319 | 29.5 | −23.7 | ||
| Turnout | 38,395 | 74.8 | +0.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 51,314 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −9.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | George K. Cockerill | 19,877 | 76.6 | N/A | |
| Labour | William Graham | 6,061 | 23.4 | New | |
| Majority | 13,816 | 53.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 25,938 | 74.0 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 35,070 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | George K. Cockerill | Unopposed | |||
| Unionist hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | George K. Cockerill | Unopposed | |||
| Unionist hold | |||||
Elections in the 1910s

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Unionist | George K. Cockerill | Unopposed | ||
| Unionist hold | |||||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||
Election results 1885–1918
Elections in the 1880s

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Trevor Lawrence | 4,726 | 63.1 | ||
| Liberal | Alfred Carpenter | 2,762 | 36.9 | ||
| Majority | 1,964 | 26.2 | |||
| Turnout | 7,488 | 78.8 | |||
| Registered electors | 9,500 | ||||
| Conservative win (new seat) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Trevor Lawrence | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1890s

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Cubitt | 4,786 | 60.7 | N/A | |
| Liberal | Francis Edward Barnes[43] | 3,097 | 39.3 | New | |
| Majority | 1,689 | 21.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 7,883 | 71.1 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 11,081 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Cubitt | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1900s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Cubitt | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Harry Cunningham Brodie | 6,067 | 50.9 | New | |
| Conservative | Richard Hamilton Rawson | 5,848 | 49.1 | N/A | |
| Majority | 219 | 1.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 11,915 | 86.2 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 13,817 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1910s

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Hamilton Rawson | 8,339 | 59.3 | +10.2 | |
| Liberal | Harry Cunningham Brodie | 5,715 | 40.7 | −10.2 | |
| Majority | 2,624 | 18.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 14,054 | 89.9 | +3.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 15,636 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.2 | |||

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Hamilton Rawson | 7,710 | 59.7 | +0.4 | |
| Liberal | Herbert Walter Goldberg | 5,194 | 40.3 | −0.4 | |
| Majority | 2,516 | 19.4 | +0.8 | ||
| Turnout | 10,226 | 82.5 | −7.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 15,636 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 | |||
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Unionist: Richard Hamilton Rawson
- Liberal:
Election results 1832–1868
Elections in the 1830s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | John Somers-Cocks | 101 | 100.0 | ||
| Whig | George Canning | 0 | 0.0 | ||
| Majority | 101 | 100.0 | |||
| Turnout | 101 | 66.4 | |||
| Registered electors | 152 | ||||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Somers-Cocks | 85 | 85.9 | −14.1 | |
| Radical | John Moore | 14 | 14.1 | N/A | |
| Majority | 71 | 71.8 | −28.2 | ||
| Turnout | 99 | 60.0 | −6.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 165 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −14.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Somers-Cocks | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 205 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1840s
Somers-Cocks succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Earl Somers and causing a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charles Somers-Cocks | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 197 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charles Somers-Cocks | 106 | 92.2 | N/A | |
| Chartist | James Bedford | 9 | 7.8 | New | |
| Majority | 97 | 84.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 115 | 57.8 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 199 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Somers-Cocks | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 182 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1850s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Somers-Cocks | 100 | 56.8 | N/A | |
| Whig | Hillebrant Meredith Parratt[48] | 76 | 43.2 | New | |
| Majority | 24 | 13.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 176 | 77.2 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 228 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Whig | William Hackblock | 228 | 64.2 | New | |
| Conservative | Henry Rawlinson | 127 | 35.8 | −21.0 | |
| Majority | 101 | 28.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 355 | 80.3 | +3.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 442 | ||||
| Independent Whig gain from Conservative | |||||
Hackblock's death caused a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Rawlinson | 212 | 50.1 | +14.3 | |
| Radical | Frederick Doulton[17][49][50] | 116 | 27.4 | New | |
| Whig | William Monson | 95 | 22.5 | New | |
| Majority | 96 | 22.7 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 423 | 95.7 | +15.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 442 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Independent Whig | |||||
Rawlinson was appointed a member of the Council of India, requiring a by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | William Monson | 225 | 51.7 | N/A | |
| Radical | William Arthur Wilkinson[51] | 210 | 48.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 15 | 3.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 435 | 98.4 | +18.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 442 | ||||
| Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | William Monson | 260 | 61.8 | N/A | |
| Liberal | William Arthur Wilkinson | 161 | 38.2 | N/A | |
| Majority | 99 | 23.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 421 | 76.8 | −3.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 548 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1860s
Monson succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Monson and causing a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Granville William Gresham Leveson-Gower | 346 | 51.0 | N/A | |
| Liberal | William Arthur Wilkinson | 333 | 49.0 | +10.8 | |
| Majority | 13 | 2.0 | −21.6 | ||
| Turnout | 679 | 92.1 | +15.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 737 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Granville William Gresham Leveson-Gower | 473 | 62.2 | N/A | |
| Liberal | Edmund Monson | 276 | 36.3 | N/A | |
| Conservative | George Gibson Richardson | 11 | 1.4 | New | |
| Majority | 197 | 25.9 | +2.3 | ||
| Turnout | 760 | 82.6 | +5.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 920 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Pre–1832 election results
Elections in the 1830s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Joseph Sydney Yorke | Unopposed | |||
| Tory | James Cocks (1773–1854) | Unopposed | |||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Joseph Sydney Yorke | Unopposed | |||
| Tory | Joseph Yorke | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 59 | ||||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Tory hold | |||||
Joseph Sydney Yorke's death caused a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Charles Yorke | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 59 | ||||
| Tory hold | |||||
Charles Yorke resigned in order to contest a by-election at Cambridgeshire, causing a by-election. He was unsuccessful and stood again for Reigate.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Charles Yorke | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 59 | ||||
| Tory hold | |||||
See also
Notes
- A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- 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

