This got me wondering if parliamentary elections had always been so predictable. So I started burrowing round to find out what had happened in the past.
Wealden: 1983 - ongoing
Wealden has only existed as a constituency since 1983. Since then it has had two MPs, both Conservative. The only real change is that the boundary became a lot more wiggly in the 2010 changes.
East Grinstead: 1885 - 1983
Before 1983, Uckfield was part of the East Grinstead constituency. In this time it had eight MPs, seven conservative and one Liberal (1906 to 1910). To my surprise, from 1955 to 1965, there was a woman MP, Evelyn Emmet.
East Sussex: 1832 - 1885
Before 1885, Constituencies were much larger and had two MPs each. Uckfield was part of East Sussex. The table listing the MPs over that time shows a little more blue than yellow/orange.
Pas de Change?
So, early on, there was some variety but since 1910 the constituency containing Uckfield has returned only Conservative MPs. You might be forgiven for thinking nothing has changed in that time - but you would be wrong. Unlike the women of the Edwardian era, I can vote. However, with such predictable results, you might wonder why I bother.
Here are my reasons:
- First, I find myself remembering the women who died so I could put my cross in a box.
- I think that much of the Lib Dem vote will get redistributed in an unpredictable way, so all bets are off
- In post election negotiations, the percentage across the UK may well matter.
- I hope the constituency becomes more marginal. That way, they will stop assuming they can walk all over us without consequences.
- Finally, new ways of communicating with candidates, enabled by social media, are emerging. Many of the hopefuls (notably some standing for local elections) are engaged in genuine two-way conversations, which will help everyone understand each other better. While the parliamentary seat is stuck in the same old groove, I'm hoping that the Uckfield Spring is a sign of a new way of doing politics.
