East Hampshire (UK Parliament constituency)

East Hampshire
East Hampshire
County constituency; for the House of Commons
	Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
	Boundary of East Hampshire in South East England
County	Hampshire
Electorate	69,959 (2023)
Major settlements	Alton; Bentley; Horndean; Liss; Petersfield;
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Damian Hinds (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Petersfield, Aldershot and Basingstoke

East Hampshire is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Damian Hinds of the Conservative Party.^{[n 2]}

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was subject to major boundary changes. The town of Bordon moved to a majority Surrey constituency named Farnham and Bordon, first contested at the 2024 general election.^[3]

History

The seat was created in 1983 chiefly to replace the Petersfield constituency. The first MP was (by election) Michael Mates, who held it from 1983 until the calling of the 2010 election when he retired.

Constituency profile

The boundaries resemble the East Hampshire district, shifted somewhat north. The south of the seat has many farm, tourist and outdoor leisure businesses in the South Downs National Park. Results present a Conservative safe seat by length of tenure and size of majorities. On national opinion-poll adjusted results, Hinds achieved the 28th-highest vote share for the party in 2017. The Liberal Democrats or its predecessor the Liberals have finished second in the elections, bar:

2015, where this was the UKIP candidate,^[4]
2017 where this was the Labour candidate.^[4]

Boundaries

Map of current boundaries 2010–2024

1983–1997: The District of East Hampshire wards of Binsted, Bramshott and Liphook, Clanfield and Buriton, East Meon and Langrish, Froyle and Bentley, Froxfield and Steep, Grayshott, Headley, Horndean Catherington, Horndean Hazleton, Horndean Kings, Horndean Murray, Liss, Petersfield Heath, Petersfield St Mary's, Petersfield St Peter's, Rowlands Castle, Selborne, The Hangers, Whitehill Bordon and Whitehill, and Whitehill Lindford, and the District of Hart wards of Church Crookham, Crondall, Fleet Courtmoor, Fleet Pondtail, Fleet West, Hook, Long Sutton, and Odiham.

1997–2010: The District of East Hampshire wards of Alton Holybourne, Alton North East, Alton North West, Alton South East, Alton South West and Beech, Clanfield and Buriton, East Meon and Langrish, Farringdon, Four Marks, Froxfield and Steep, Horndean Catherington, Horndean Hazleton, Horndean Kings, Horndean Murray, Liss, Medstead, North Downland, Petersfield Heath, Petersfield St Mary's, Petersfield St Peter's, Ropley and West Tisted, Rowlands Castle, and The Hangers, and the Borough of Havant wards of Cowplain, Hart Plain, and Waterloo.

2010–2024: The District of East Hampshire wards of Alton Amery, Alton Ashdell, Alton Eastbrooke, Alton Westbrooke, Alton Whitedown, Alton Wooteys, Binstead and Bentley, Bramshott and Liphook, Downland, East Meon, Four Marks and Medstead, Froxfield and Steep, Grayshott, Headley, Holybourne and Froyle, Lindford, Liss, Petersfield Bell Hill, Petersfield Causeway, Petersfield Heath, Petersfield Rother, Petersfield St Mary's, Petersfield St Peter's, Ropley and Tisted, Selborne, The Hangers and Forest, Whitehill Chase, Whitehill Deadwater, Whitehill Hogmoor, Whitehill Pinewood, and Whitehill Walldown.

2024–present: The Borough of Basingstoke and Deane ward of Oakley & The Candovers (part) and the District of East Hampshire wards of Alton Amery, Alton Ashdell, Alton Eastbrooke, Alton Holybourne, Alton Westbrooke, Alton Whitedow, Alton Wooteys, Bentworth & Froyle, Binsted, Bentley & Selborne, Buriton & East Meon, Clanfield, Four Marks & Medstead, Froxfield, Sheet & Steep, Horndean Catherington, Horndean Downs, Horndean Kings & Blendworth, Horndean Murray, Liss, Petersfield Bell Hill, Petersfield Causeway, Petersfield Heath, Petersfield St. Peter's, Ropley, Hawkley & Hangers, and Rowlands Castle.^[5]

The town of Bordon (which forms part of the parish of Whitehill) and surrounding areas, comprising 36% of the 2010-2024 electorate^[6], was moved to the new constituency of Farnham and Bordon. To compensate, the seat was expanded southwards to include Horndean, previously part of the abolished Meon Valley constituency. To ensure the electorate is within the permitted range, a small part of the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane ward of Oakley & The Candovers (the "Candovers") was also added.

Members of Parliament

Petersfield, Aldershot and Basingstoke prior to 1983

Election		Member^[7]	Party
	1983	Michael Mates	Conservative
	2010	Damian Hinds	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: East Hampshire^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Hinds	18,509	36.9	–22.1
	Liberal Democrats	Dominic Martin	17,234	34.4	+12.7
	Reform UK	Matthew Kellermann	6,476	12.9	N/A
	Labour	Lucy Sims	4,967	9.9	−2.4
	Green	Richard Knight	2,404	4.8	–0.7
	Hampshire Ind.	Jim Makin	364	0.7	N/A
	SDP	Sara Smith	152	0.3	N/A
Majority			1,275	2.5	–34.8
Turnout			50,106	69.6	–7.8
Registered electors			71,965
	Conservative hold		Swing	17.4

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result^[9]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	31,965	59.0
	Liberal Democrats	11,765	21.7
	Labour	6,662	12.3
	Green	2,971	5.5
	Others	812	1.5

Turnout		54,175	77.4
Electorate		69,959

General election 2019: East Hampshire^[10]^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Hinds	33,446	58.8	−4.8
	Liberal Democrats	David Buxton	13,750	24.2	+9.0
	Labour	Gaynor Austin	6,287	11.1	−5.9
	Green	Zoe Parker	2,600	4.6	+1.4
	UKIP	Jim Makin	616	1.1	New
	JAC	Eddie Trotter	196	0.3	−0.7
Majority			19,696	34.6	−12.0
Turnout			56,895	74.4	−0.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2017: East Hampshire^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Hinds	35,263	63.6	+2.9
	Labour	Rohit Dasgupta	9,411	17.0	+6.9
	Liberal Democrats	Richard Robinson	8,403	15.2	+4.1
	Green	Richard Knight	1,760	3.2	−2.9
	JAC	Susan Jerrard	571	1.0	New
Majority			25,852	46.6	−2.1
Turnout			55,567	74.7	+2.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2015: East Hampshire^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Hinds	31,334	60.7	+3.9
	UKIP	Peter Baillie	6,187	12.0	+9.1
	Liberal Democrats	Richard Robinson	5,732	11.1	−19.4
	Labour	Alex Wilks	5,220	10.1	+2.2
	Green	Peter Bisset	3,176	6.1	New
Majority			25,147	48.7	+22.4
Turnout			51,649	72.7	+1.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2010: East Hampshire^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Hinds	29,137	56.8	+9.7
	Liberal Democrats	Adam Carew	15,640	30.5	−3.5
	Labour	Jane Edbrooke	4,043	7.9	−8.6
	UKIP	Hugh McGuiness	1,477	2.9	+0.3
	English Democrat	Matt Williams	710	1.4	New
	JAC	Don Jerrard	310	0.6	New
Majority			13,467	26.3	+15.9
Turnout			51,317	71.0	+6.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.6

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: East Hampshire^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Mates	24,273	45.7	−1.9
	Liberal Democrats	Ruth Bright	18,764	35.3	+5.4
	Labour	Marjorie Broughton	8,519	16.0	−3.6
	UKIP	David Samuel	1,583	3.0	+0.2
Majority			5,509	10.4	−7.3
Turnout			53,139	66.9	+2.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	−3.7

General election 2001: East Hampshire^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Mates	23,950	47.6	−0.4
	Liberal Democrats	Robert Booker	15,060	29.9	+1.8
	Labour	Barbara Burfoot	9,866	19.6	+2.5
	UKIP	Stephen Coles	1,413	2.8	+1.9
Majority			8,890	17.7	−2.2
Turnout			50,289	64.3	−11.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: East Hampshire^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Mates	27,927	48.0
	Liberal Democrats	Robert Booker	16,337	28.1
	Labour	Robert Hoyle	9,945	17.1
	Referendum	John Hayter	2,757	4.7	New
	Green	Ian Foster	649	1.1
	UKIP	Stephen Coles	513	0.9	New
Majority			11,590	19.9
Turnout			58,128	75.6	−3.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1992: Hampshire East^[18]^[19]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Mates	47,541	64.2	−0.3
	Liberal Democrats	Susan Baring	18,376	24.8	−4.1
	Labour	James Phillips	6,840	9.2	+2.5
	Green	Ian Foster	1,113	1.5	New
	Independent	Stanley Hale	165	0.2	New
Majority			29,165	39.4	+3.8
Turnout			74,035	79.3	+1.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.9

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Hampshire East^[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Mates	43,093	64.5	+1.7
	Liberal	Robert Booker	19,307	28.9	−2.8
	Labour	Colin Lloyd	4,443	6.7	+1.2
Majority			23,786	35.6	+4.5
Turnout			66,843	77.4	+3.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1983: Hampshire East^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Michael Mates	36,968	62.8
	Liberal	Rebecca Bryan	18,641	31.7
	Labour	Steven Cowan	3,247	5.5
Majority			18,327	31.1
Turnout			58,856	74.2
	Conservative win (new seat)

Notes

^ A county 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.