East Surrey | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons |
|
Boundary of East Surrey in Surrey.
|
|
Location of Surrey within England.
|
|
County | Surrey |
Electorate | 77,145 (December 2010) |
Major settlements | Caterham, Whyteleafe, Warlingham, Lingfield, Woldingham, Godstone, Horley, Oxted, Limpsfield, Tatsfield. |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1918 |
Member of parliament | Sam Gyimah (Conservative) |
Number of members | One |
1832–1885 | |
Number of members | Two |
Type of constituency | County constituency |
Replaced by | Battersea, Chertsey, Clapham, Croydon, Epsom, Kingston, Reigate, Wandsworth and Wimbledon |
Created from | Bletchingley, Gatton and Surrey |
Overlaps | |
European Parliament constituency | South East England |
East Surrey is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Sam Gyimah of the Conservative Party. Its record is that of a Tory safe seat based on time and opposition. It has elected a Conservative Party MP on an absolute majority since its establishment, in 1918, and its greatest share of the vote for any opposition candidate was 33.75% in February 1974.
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.
1997-2010: The District of Tandridge, and the Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Horley East and Horley West.
2010-present: The District of Tandridge, and the Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Horley Central, Horley East, and Horley West.
East Surrey is a well-connected inner Home Counties seat, combining the town of Horley with Surrey's residual District Tandridge (as opposed to Boroughs which the other 10 parts have been created) which is made up of Caterham and modest commuter settlements, farming and retirement homes. Horley is one of two towns adjoining London Gatwick Airport and part of Reigate and Banstead borough. The area borders the London Borough of Croydon to the north, the county of Kent to the east, and the county of West Sussex to the south.
The northern part of the seat is inside the M25 motorway — Caterham, Whyteleafe and Warlingham form green-buffered, elevated commuter belt, with good rail connections to Central London and well-connected by all modes of transport to Croydon. Elsewhere the seat is more rural and includes a low part of the Greensand Ridge and features woodland and many golf courses.