the parishes of Arlington, Chalvington, Chiddingly, Hailsham, Hellingly, Laughton, and Ripe. 1950–1955: The Boroughs of Eastbourne and Bexhill, and in the Rural District of Hailsham the parishes of East Dean, Friston, Hooe, Jevington, Ninfield, Pevensey, Polegate, Wartling, Westham, and Willingdon. 1955–1974: The Borough of Eastbourne, and part of the Rural District of Hailsham. 1974–1983: The Borough of Eastbourne, and in the Rural District of Hailsham the parishes of East Dean, Friston, Jevington, Pevensey, Polegate, Westdean, Westham, and Willingdon. 1983–1997: The Borough of Eastbourne, and the District of Wealden wards of Polegate North, Polegate South, and Willingdon. 1997–2010: As prior, substituting East Dean for the Polegate wards. 2010–present: As prior, less East Dean. From safe seat to marginal seat From 1910 until 1987 the seat returned Conservative Party candidates at every election. The large rural vote within the seat, until boundary changes in 1983, resulted in strong Conservative support – rural English voters tended to be richer and more right-wing (anti-socialist, pro-Empire before 1960s, pro-Established Church and pro-defence) compared to other voters. The seat became a marginal, or swing seat, from the 1990 by-election onwards, being closely fought for between the two locally dominant parties. A Liberal Democrat gained the seat at the 2010 general election, in a vote which saw Eastbourne return the sixth-lowest Labour share of the vote of the 631 candidates who stood at the election, with only 4.8%. In 2015, the seat was the 9th most marginal of the Conservative Party's 331 seats, by share of the vote. By-elections 1925 Eastbourne by-election (Con, hold), following the resignation of the Conservative MP Sir George Ambrose Lloyd 1932 Eastbourne by-election (Con, hold), following the death of the Conservative MP Edward Marjoribanks 1935 Eastbourne by-election (Con, hold), following the death of the Conservative MP John Slater 1990 Eastbourne by-election (LD, gain), following the assassination of the Conservative MP Ian Gow by members of the Provisional IRA. Proposal to change constituency name In 2016 incumbent Ansell made better known via the local press some voters wished the seat's name be changed to add "and Willingdon". Had this met with enough public support Ansell confirmed she (or anyone else) could apply to the Boundary Commission to request the change. Election results by decade Elections in the 2010s 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