Reigate () is a constituency in Surrey represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Rebecca Paul, of the Conservative Party.
Constituency profile
Reigate is a constituency in Surrey in South East England. Most of its population live in the connected towns of Reigate and Redhill, which together have around 60,000 residents. Other settlements include the town of Banstead and the villages of Tadworth, Kingswood and Chipstead.
This is a highly-affluent, suburban constituency located just outside Greater London, around south of the centre of the capital, placing it within the London commuter belt. Traditionally a rural, agricultural area, Reigate and its nearby settlements were mostly developed during the Victorian era after the arrival of road and rail from London. The Surrey Hills, a National Landscape of rolling downland, passes through the constituency between Reigate and Banstead. This gives the area a leafy, suburban character with most residents living in large detached or semi-detached homes; the average house price across the constituency is almost double the nationwide average.
The Reigate constituency has a low proportion of young adults and an above-average population of middle-aged adults and young families. Levels of income and homeownership are high and the child poverty rate is less than half the UK-wide rate. Residents are generally well-educated and a high proportion work in the health and finance sectors. The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is around half the national rate. White people made up 84% of the population at the 2021 census.
At the local council level, Reigate and Redhill are mostly represented by Green Party councillors with some Liberal Democrats, whilst Banstead and its surroundings primarily elected Conservatives with some localists. An estimated 52% of voters in the constituency supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the UK-wide figure of 48%.
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
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.
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 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1386 John Aubyn Richard atte Mere 1388 (February) John Chaunce I Thomas Ballard 1388 (September) John Aubyn William Bone 1390 (January) John Aubyn William Bone 1390 (November) 1391 Roger Chaunce I William Bone 1393 John Aubyn John Bavell 1394 1395 John Skinner John Bavell 1397 (January) John Skinner John Bavell 1397 (September) John Skinner Richard atte Mere 1399 John Skinner Roger Chaunce I 1401 1402 Richard Turner Thomas Barber 1404 (January) 1404 (October) 1406 John Chaunce II John Taylor 1407 John Chaunce II Thomas Barber 1410 1411 1413 (February) 1413 (May) 1414 (April) 1414 (November) John Skinner Roger Chaunce II 1415 John Skinner Walter Wrigge 1416 (March) 1416 (October) 1417 John Knight John Chaunce II 1419 John Pope John Chaunce II 1420 John Pope John Skinner 1421 (May) John Pope Walter Urry 1421 (December) Robert Wanford Roger Chaunce II 1432Thomas Russell 1510–1523 No names known 1529 John Skinner I Thomas Michell 1536 ? 1539 ? 1542 James Skinner John Skinner II 1545 ? 1547 Robert Richers William More 1553 (March) Robert Robotham Henry Fisher 1553 (October) Sir Thomas Saunders Thomas Ingler 1554 (April) Henry White Robert Richers 1554 (November) Robert Richers James Skinner 1555 Thomas Windsor Walter Haddon 1558 George Elsden Thomas Banester 1559 William Howard John Skinner 1562–63 Sir George Howard William Howard 1571 William Howard John Agmondesham I 1572 William Howard John Skinner 1584 William Howard Edmund Sanders 1586 William Howard Edmund Sanders 1588 Julius Caesar Thomas Lyfield 1593 William Howard John Trevor 1597 Sir William Howard Edward Howard 1601 Edward Howard John Trevor 1604 Sir Edward Howard Herbert Pelham 1614 Sir Edward Howard John Suckling 1621 Thomas Glemham Robert Lewis 1624 Sir Thomas Bludder Robert Lewis 1625 Sir Thomas Bludder Sir Roger James 1626 Sir Thomas Bludder Sir William Monson 1628 Charles Cockayne Sir Thomas Bludder 1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned 1640 (April) Edward Thurland Sir Thomas Bludder 1640 (November) William Lord Monson George Evelyn 1645 1648 1653Reigate not represented in Barebones Parliament 1654 Edward Bysshe (one seat only) 1656 ?John Goodwin (one seat only) 1659 John Hele Edward Thurland
MPs 1660–1832 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party1660 John Hele Edward Thurland 1661 Roger James 1673 Sir John Werden February 1679Deane Goodwin October 1679 Ralph Freeman 1680Deane 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 1698Stephen Hervey Edward Thurland 1701Sir John Parsons 1707 James Cocks Whig1710 John Ward 1713James Cocks Whig1717 William Jordan 1720 Thomas Jordan 1722 Sir Joseph Jekyll Whig1739 John Hervey 1741 Philip Yorke WhigJune 1747 Charles CocksCreated a baronet in 1772. December 1747 Charles Yorke Whig1768 John Yorke 1784 William Bellingham Edward Leeds 1787 Reginald Pole-Carew 1789 The Lord Hood 1790 John Somers Cocks Joseph Sydney Yorke ToryFebruary 1806 Philip James Cocks November 1806Edward Charles Cocks Tory Viscount Royston Tory1808 James Cocks Tory1812 John Somers-Cocks Tory1818Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke Tory James Somers Cocks Tory1823 James Cocks ToryApril 1831 Joseph Yorke ToryJuly 1831 Charles Yorke Tory
MPs 1832–1868 Representation reduced to one (1832) Election Member Party1832 John Somers-Cocks Tory1834 Conservative1841 by-election Charles Somers-Cocks Conservative1847 Thomas Somers-Cocks Conservative1857 William Hackblock Independent WhigFebruary 1858 by-election Henry Rawlinson ConservativeOctober 1858 by-election William Monson Whig1859 Liberal1863 by-election Granville William Gresham Leveson-Gower Liberal 1868 Constituency disenfranchised for corruption
MPs since 1885 Constituency revived (1885) YearMemberPartyNotes 1885 Trevor Lawrence ConservativeMember for Mid Surrey (1875–1885) 1892 Henry Cubitt Conservative 1906 Harry Brodie Liberal 1910 Richard Rawson Conservative 1917 National 1918George CockerillUnionist 1931 Gordon Touche ConservativeContested Dorking following redistribution Constituency split, majority renamed Dorking, minority merged with part of East Surrey 1950 John Vaughan-Morgan Conservative 1970 Geoffrey Howe ConservativeMember for Bebington (1964–1966)Contested East Surrey following redistribution 1974George Gardiner Conservative 1996 Referendum 1997 Crispin Blunt Conservative 2023 Independent2024Rebecca PaulConservative
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s 2019 notional result 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 1.6Turnout53,46970.2Electorate76,139
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. George Gardiner changed party from the Conservative Party to the Referendum Party following his deselection by the local Conservative association.
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Election results 1918–1950 Election in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Election results 1885–1918 Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
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: Richard Hamilton Rawson Liberal:
Election results 1832–1868 Elections in the 1830s
Elections in the 1840s Somers-Cocks succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Earl Somers and causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Hackblock's death caused a by-election.
Rawlinson was appointed a member of the Council of India, requiring a by-election
Elections in the 1860s