Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

• The District of Arun wards of: Bersted; Pagham.
• The District of Chichester wards of: Chichester Central; Chichester East; Chichester North; Chichester South; Chichester West; Goodwood (polling districts GWWD and GWWH); Harbour Villages; Lavant; North Mundham & Tangmere; Selsey South; Sidlesham with Selsey North; Southbourne; The Witterings; Westbourne.^[3]

The electorate will be reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring northern, largely rural areas, including the town of Midhurst, to Arundel and South Downs. To partly compensate, Bersted and Pagham will be transferred in from Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

Physical geography

The constituency runs from the county's border with Surrey, through a partly wooded broad swathe of the South Downs, to the town of Selsey and paired villages The Witterings on the English Channel. The small cathedral city Chichester and Selsey account for 6 of 24 wards but comprise a higher proportion of councillors as these are larger three-member wards. Another larger Ward comprises the Georgian market town of Midhurst towards the north. The highest density of villages is near the Hampshire border, in the west.

Social geography

The city has relatively little social housing and few homes which are cheap to buy or rent, as epitomised in the National Park status of much of the land north of Chichester. In Chichester itself the percentage of social housing in 2011 was 20.5%, including 3% directly in local authority homes.^[4] The area is linked to London by train and the A3. Modestly deprived areas of Chichester, Selsey and the rural South Downs are dominated by the working poor and poorer pensioners with little generational unemployment. The local economy has many entry-level or intensive manual jobs in food production, retail, driving, warehousing as well as intermittent or traditionally low paid labour such as road repair and the care sector. Some of these workers commute from the outskirts of nearest major cities Brighton and Portsmouth.^[5] The contributory districts occupy the top two rankings out of all seven in terms of fuel poverty in West Sussex.^[6]

Results

The seat has been Conservative since 1924; in 2017 incumbent Keegan saw her vote share exceed that of 1992. The closest election since then was the 1997 general election, where a Liberal Democrat took 29% of the vote. The best performances by Labour candidates were in 2001 and 2017, with 21.4% and 22.4% of the vote, respectively. In terms of the fourth party since 2001, the three general elections to 2010 saw an increase in support for the UK Independence Party to their highest level to date, 6.8%.

MPs 1295–1660

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

• Constituency created 1295

MPs 1660–1868

MPs since 1868

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

More information Party, Candidate ...

General election 2019: Chichester^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gillian Keegan	35,402	57.8	2.3
	Liberal Democrats	Kate O'Kelly	13,912	22.7	11.4
	Labour	Jay Morton	9,069	14.8	7.6
	Green	Heather Barrie	2,527	4.1	0.8
	Libertarian	Adam Brown	224	0.4	New
	Patria	Andrew Emerson	109	0.2	0.1
Majority			21,490	35.1	2.6
Turnout			61,243	71.6	1.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	6.9

Close

More information Party, Candidate ...

General election 2017: Chichester^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gillian Keegan	36,032	60.1	2.4
	Labour	Mark Farwell[25]	13,411	22.4	10.3
	Liberal Democrats	Jonathan Brown[26]	6,749	11.3	2.8
	Green	Heather Barrie	1,992	3.3	3.2
	UKIP	Andrew Moncreiff[27]	1,650	2.8	12.1
	Patria	Andrew Emerson	84	0.1	0.1
Majority			22,621	37.7	5.1
Turnout			59,918	70.6	2.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	3.8

Close

More information Party, Candidate ...

General election 2015: Chichester^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Tyrie	32,953	57.7	2.4
	UKIP	Andrew Moncreiff[27]	8,540	14.9	8.1
	Labour	Mark Farwell[29]	6,933	12.1	1.6
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Smith[30]	4,865	8.5	18.9
	Green	Jasper Richmond[31]	3,742	6.5	New
	Patria	Andrew Emerson	106	0.2	New
Majority			24,413	42.8	14.9
Turnout			57,139	68.4	1.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	2.9

Close

More information Party, Candidate ...

General election 2010: Chichester

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Tyrie	31,427	55.3	7.4
	Liberal Democrats	Martin Lury	15,550	27.4	0.3
	Labour	Simon Holland	5,937	10.5	8.1
	UKIP	Andrew Moncreiff	3,873	6.8	1.0
Majority			15,877	27.9	7.7
Turnout			56,787	69.7	4.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	3.8

Close

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

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.

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40:

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: John Courtauld
• Labour: E A Weston
• Liberal: Gerald Kidd^[33]
• British Union: Charles Hudson

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

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: Edmund Talbot
• Liberal:

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1880s

• Caused by Gordon-Lennox's resignation.

Elections in the 1870s

• Caused by Lennox's appointment as First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings

Elections in the 1860s

Seat reduced to one member

• Caused by Freeland's resignation.

Elections in the 1850s

• Caused by Gordon-Lennox's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.

• Caused by Gordon-Lennox's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.

Elections in the 1840s

• Caused by Lennox's resignation by accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Hempholme

• Caused by Lennox's appointment as Clerk of the Ordnance

• Caused by Lennox's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury

Elections in the 1830s