What will the general election mean for Sussex?

Rishi Sunak has called a summer election for 4 July

Voters in Sussex will head to the polls on 4 July to choose MPs for the county’s 17 constituencies.

Nick Gibb, for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Caroline Lucas, for Brighton Pavilion, Tim Loughton, for East Worthing and Shoreham, Henry Smith for Crawley, and Huw Merriman for Bexhill and Battle are vacating their seats.

Wealden will not be a seat at the upcoming general election. The east of the constituency will become part of the new Sussex Weald area, while the west joins the new East Grinstead and Uckfield seat.

There are also changes to the constituency boundaries of four further seats in Sussex, so things could look quite different for many voters in the county this time around.

What are voters saying?

People in Shoreham told BBC Radio Sussex about the issues they want their parliamentary candidates to address.

Monica Hardman, from Shoreham Knitting and Needlecraft, said: "I don't know who to vote for at the moment, to be honest with you.

"The way I feel at the moment, I may not even vote at all, which is awful, I know."

One listener from Brighton told the BBC that she wants to be able to swim in the rivers and see all the "destroyed infrastructure" repaired.

What do you think are the main local issues in your area? Let us know by messaging us on WhatsApp.

Here’s a brief breakdown of each seat:

Arundel and South Downs

Arundel and South Downs is one of the four constituencies with a changing boundary at the election. It will expand to gain Midhurst and surrounding villages.

It has been a Conservative seat since its creation in 1997 and is currently held by Andrew Griffith, who has a 22,521 vote majority.

Registered voters in 2019: 81,726 (before expansion).

Bexhill and Battle

Huw Merriman, the Minister of State for the Department of Transport, has held Bexhill and Battle since 2015.

The constituency sits close to the border with Kent and is home to the former Northeye prison, which the Home Office has earmarked for use as asylum accommodation.

Mr Merriman will not be standing for re-election.

Registered voters in 2019: 81,963.

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton

Another Tory seat, Nick Gibb has a 22,503 vote majority. He will be stepping down at the election.

Sewage problems are going to be at the front of voters' minds.

In May last year, there were warning signs on the beach in Bognor while 40 tankers dealt with a burst water main. In November, sewage backed up into people's toilets and gardens after a period of heavy rain.

Registered voters in 2019: 77,446.

Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

Areas of Hanover and Elm Grove, in Brighton, will leave Brighton Pavilion to become part of the renamed Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven seat.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle has held Brighton Kemptown since the 2017 election. It was Conservative from 2010.

Registered voters in 2019: 69,833 (before expansion).

Brighton Pavilion

Caroline Lucas will be leaving Brighton Pavilion at the election, having become the Green Party's first MP in 2010.

Areas of Hanover and Elm Grove will move from Brighton Pavilion to the renamed Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven seat, recognising that that constituency stretches out beyond the city.

Registered voters in 2019: 79,057.

Chichester

Chichester has been Conservative since 1868, apart from a single year, 1923, when it was held by the former British Liberal Party.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will be hoping to retain her 21,490 vote majority.

This constituency comprises a real mix of areas - from rural and coastal villages to Chichester city - meaning there will be a broad range of priorities voters will be looking for in their MP.

Registered voters in 2019: 85,499.

Crawley

Last year, Thames Water was fined £3.33m after millions of litres of raw sewage was released into two rivers near Gatwick Airport, in Crawley.

The Environment Agency found 1,400 dead fish in the rivers.

Another point on voters' minds will be plans by Gatwick Airport to use its emergency runway for routine flights.

Henry Smith has held Crawley since 2010, with a majority of 8,360 at the last general election, but he is standing down.

Registered voters in 2019: 74,207.

Eastbourne

The Eastbourne constituency has shrunk since it was created in1885 and has flip-flopped between Tory and Lib Dem MPs in recent years with Conservative Caroline Ansell the most recent incumbent.

Labour usually comes third in Eastbourne, apart from in 2015 when it was fourth behind the UK Independence Party.

The boundary comprises both urban and rural areas.

Registered voters in 2019: 79,307.

East Grinstead and Uckfield

This is a new seat, taking the west of the Wealden constituency along with parts of Lewes, Mid Sussex and Horsham.

It also takes in the towns of East Grinstead and Uckfield, stopping just above Lewes.

The current Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies will stand here for the Conservatives.

East Worthing and Shoreham

East Worthing and Shoreham's Conservative MP, Tim Loughton, is standing down after 27 years in the job.

There were plans to unite East Worthing with Worthing West so the town would become one constituency, but the idea has now been scrapped.

The town is, however, united in voting for the Conservatives since 1841, but Labour will be hoping to bring an end to that.

Registered voters in 2019: 75,194.

Hastings and Rye

Hastings and Rye is the constituency furthest east in Sussex. The area has seen a number of migrants arrive in small boats over the last few years, so voters will be keen to hear a line from each parliamentary candidate on the subject.

Sally-Ann Hart has held the seat for the Conservatives since 2019, taking over from Amber Rudd, who was the MP from 2010.

Registered voters in 2019: 80,524.

Horsham

Horsham has been safely Conservative since 1880. Jeremy Quin has held the seat since 2015, and in 2019 had a majority of 35,900 votes.

Hoping to end the Tory reign is John Milne, for the Lib Dems, and James Field, for Labour.

The constituency is located south of Gatwick, so a key voting issue will be on expansion plans at the airport.

Registered voters in 2019: 86,730.

Hove and Portslade

There will be no changes to Hove's constituency boundaries when the country goes to the polls on 4 July, but it will be renamed Hove and Portslade.

Hove is currently represented by Labour's Peter Kyle.

Registered voters in 2019: 74,313

Lewes

A number of smaller villages to the north of Lewes town have been lost to the new East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

Conservative Maria Caulfield took over in 2015 from the Lib Dems, who had held the seat since 1997.

A report recently found that Lewes Prison is "trapped" in a cycle of rising violence, self-harm and drug problems.

With a large prison on their doorstep, voters could be looking to hear what their candidates have to say on the subject, particularly as prisons across England struggle to find room for their inmates.

Registered voters in 2019: 71,503.

Mid Sussex

Another of the four to see a boundary change, Mid Sussex loses East Grinstead, but takes on Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint and Fulking from Arundel and South Downs.

The Liberal Democrats became the largest party on Mid Sussex District Council at the local elections last year, and maintained this year.

The seat has been held by Mims Davies since 2019, who is now going to stand for the new East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

Registered voters in 2019: 85,146.

Sussex Weald

The constituency of Wealden will disappear at the next election, partly replaced by this seat.

Sussex Weald takes in the east of the old Wealden constituency, plus parts of the Bexhill and Battle seat.

Both Wealden and Bexhill and Battle have long been held by the Conservatives.

Wealden

Wealden will not be a seat at the upcoming general election. It will be split in two halves.

The east of the constituency joins Sussex Weald, while the west joins the new East Grinstead and Uckfield seat. Conservative Nus Ghani is the current Wealden MP.

Worthing West

Worthing West will take in Angmering and Findon but lose Rustington at this year's election.

The seat is currently held by the Father of the House, Peter Bottomley, who is seeking re-election on 4 July.

Mr Bottomley will have to fight off competition from Labour, the Lib Dems and Reform UK.