# Arundel and South Downs (UK Parliament constituency)

Arundel and South Downs (/ˈærʊndəl/) is a constituency in West Sussex created in 1997 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Andrew Griffith, a Conservative, since 2019.

## Constituency profile

This is a mostly rural constituency including the town of Arundel and small towns and villages within the South Downs national park boundaries or encircled by the park, the largest of which are Midhurst, Petworth, Pulborough, Steyning and Storrington. Residents' incomes and house prices are significantly wealthier than the UK averages.

## Boundaries

1997–2010: Following their review of parliamentary boundaries in West Sussex which Parliament approved in 1995, the Boundary Commission for England formed new constituencies. As created in 1997, the seat was constituted as follows:
* The following wards of the District of Arun, namely, Aldingbourne, Angmering, Arundel, Barnham, Findon and Walberton;
* The Bury ward of the District of Chichester;
* The following wards of the District of Horsham, namely, Bramber and Upper Beeding, Chanctonbury, Henfield, Pulborough, Steyning, Storrington, Sullington, West Chiltington and West Grinstead; and
* The Bolney, Clayton, Hurstpierpoint and Keymer wards of the District of Mid Sussex.
In their recommendations, the Boundary Commission for England mooted the name Chanctonbury after uninhabited Chanctonbury Ring, an ancient hill fort at its centre. This name was rejected during the local inquiry process at which the current name was chosen.
2010–2024: Following their review of parliamentary boundaries in West Sussex which Parliament approved in 2007, the Boundary Commission for England recommended the constituency be composed of:
* The Arun District wards of: Angmering, Arundel, Barnham, Findon, and Walberton
* The Chichester District wards of: Bury, Petworth, and Wisborough Green
* The Horsham District wards of: Bramber, Upper Beeding and Woodmancote, Chanctonbury, Chantry, Cowfold, Partridge Green, Shermanbury and West Grinstead, Henfield, Pulborough and Coldwaltham, and Steyning
* The Mid Sussex District wards of: Hassocks, and Hurstpierpoint and Downs
2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into force for the 2024 general election, the constituency is currently composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
* The District of Arun wards of: Arundel & Walberton; Barnham; Felpham East (polling district BHOE).
* The District of Chichester wards of: Easebourne; Fernhurst; Fittleworth; Goodwood (polling districts GWBX, GWEA, GWED, GWSI and GWUP); Harting; Loxwood; Midhurst; Petworth.
* The District of Horsham wards of: Bramber, Upper Beeding & Woodmancote; Henfield; Pulborough, Coldwaltham & Amberley; Steyning & Ashurst; Storrington & Washington; West Chiltington, Thakeham & Ashington.
The electorate was reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring out the two District of Mid Sussex wards and the Horsham District ward of Cowfold, Shermanbury & West Grinstead to their respectively-named constituencies; the District of Arun ward of Angmering & Findon was transferred to Worthing West. To partly compensate, the constituency was extended further northwards and westwards into the constituency/District of Chichester, gaining the town of Midhurst.

## History
### Results and EU referendum stance

The constituency has strong conservative tendencies. The 2024 result saw the eight consecutive victory for the Conservative Party; all wards, with the exception of Harting, voted for the Conservative candidate.
Second-place runners-up have been, listed in order, four times a Liberal Democrat, once the UKIP candidate and once the Labour candidate. In line with regional trends, the highest percentage of the vote among these was the Liberal Democrat in 2010, with 27.9% of the vote.
In June 2016, an estimated 50.3% of local adults voting in the EU membership referendum chose to remain in the European Union instead of to leave. This was defied in two January 2018 votes in Parliament by its MP, in line with his governing party's promise to adhere to the overall result of that referendum.
The 2015-2017 status was as the 8th safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.

### De-selection of incumbent seeking re-election in 2005

The incumbent Howard Flight MP had national media coverage in the run-up to the 2005 general election due to his deselection requested by the party leader for membership of Conservative Way Forward, lobbying for spending cuts to be more severe than set out in the small cuts in the 2005 manifesto. Flight hinted his preferred cuts would be as implemented by a Conservative government in his view. He had represented the constituency since its creation at the 1997 general election. Anne Marie Morris, Laura Sandys and Nick Herbert put themselves forward for nomination as replacement candidates. The chosen candidate, Nick Herbert, won the seat at the election. Morris and Sandys became MPs elsewhere in 2010.

### Predecessor seats

The seat and its predecessors have in the 20th century been a Conservative Party stronghold save that the minor contributory Horsham seat to the area's electorate saw victory by 8.6% of the vote over the Labour Party in 1966, followed statistically by a next-most-marginal victory again with the Labour Party as runner-up, in 1950, of 14.4%.
Between 1974 and 1983, much of the South Downs area was part of the Shoreham constituency, with the town of Arundel remaining in the Arundel constituency.
Prior to 1974, the seat was largely part of the Arundel and Shoreham constituency.

## Members of Parliament

Arundel and Horsham prior to 1997
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1997 | Howard Flight | Conservative |
| 2005 | Nick Herbert | Conservative |
| 2019 | Andrew Griffith | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Arundel and South Downs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Griffith | 22,001 | 40.2 | 20.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Allen | 9,867 | 18.0 | 1.0 |
| | Labour | Chris Philipsborn | 9,782 | 17.9 | 2.2 |
| | Reform UK | David Thomas | 7,391 | 13.5 | New |
| | Green | Steve McAuliff | 5,515 | 10.1 | 6.1 |
| | SDP | Mike Smith | 184 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,134 | 22.2 | 19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,740 | 70.5 | 5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,969 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 9.6 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 35,117 | 60.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 11,012 | 19.0 |
| | Labour | 9,108 | 15.7 |
| | Green | 2,312 | 4.0 |
| | Others | 556 | 1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 58,105 | 75.5 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 76,974 |
General election 2019: Arundel and South Downs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Griffith | 35,566 | 57.9 | 4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Bennett | 13,045 | 21.2 | 13.3 |
| | Labour | Bella Sankey | 9,722 | 15.8 | 6.9 |
| | Green | Isabel Thurston | 2,519 | 4.1 | 0.1 |
| | Independent | Robert Wheal | 556 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,521 | 36.7 | 3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,408 | 75.1 | 0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 81,726 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 8.9 | |
General election 2017: Arundel and South Downs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nick Herbert | 37,573 | 62.4 | 1.6 |
| | Labour | Caroline Fife | 13,690 | 22.7 | 11.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shweta Kapadia | 4,783 | 7.9 | 0.7 |
| | Green | Jo Prior | 2,542 | 4.2 | 2.2 |
| | UKIP | John Wallace | 1,668 | 2.8 | 11.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,883 | 39.7 | 6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,256 | 75.8 | 2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 79,478 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 5.0 | |
General election 2015: Arundel and South Downs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nick Herbert | 34,331 | 60.8 | 3.0 |
| | UKIP | Peter Grace | 8,154 | 14.4 | 8.7 |
| | Labour | Christopher Wellbelove | 6,324 | 11.2 | 2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shweta Kapadia | 4,062 | 7.2 | 20.7 |
| | Green | Isabel Thurston | 3,606 | 6.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26,177 | 46.4 | 16.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,477 | 73.1 | 0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,242 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.9 | |
General election 2010: Arundel and South Downs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nick Herbert | 32,333 | 57.8 | 8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Deedman | 15,642 | 27.9 | 0.8 |
| | Labour | Tim Lunnon | 4,835 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| | UKIP | Stuart Bower | 3,172 | 5.7 | 0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,691 | 29.9 | 8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,982 | 72.2 | 3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,835 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.6 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Arundel and South Downs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nick Herbert | 24,752 | 49.8 | 2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Deedman | 13,443 | 27.1 | 4.7 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Whitlam | 8,482 | 17.1 | 3.6 |
| | UKIP | Andrew Moffat | 2,700 | 5.4 | 0.7 |
| | Protest Vote Party | Mark Stack | 313 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,309 | 22.7 | 6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,690 | 68.5 | 3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 72,535 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.5 | |
General election 2001: Arundel and South Downs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Howard Flight | 23,969 | 52.2 | 0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek R. Deedman | 10,265 | 22.4 | 3.3 |
| | Labour | Charles S. Taylor | 9,488 | 20.7 | 2.4 |
| | UKIP | Robert Perrin | 2,167 | 4.7 | 1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,704 | 29.8 | 2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,889 | 64.7 | 10.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,956 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.3 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Arundel and South Downs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Howard Flight | 27,251 | 53.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Goss | 13,216 | 25.7 | N/A |
| | Labour | Richard Black | 9,376 | 18.3 | N/A |
| | UKIP | James Herbert | 1,494 | 2.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,035 | 27.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,337 | 75.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 68,010 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |