Portsmouth South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Stephen Morgan of the Labour Party. Morgan is the first Labour MP to represent the seat.

Constituency profile

Portsmouth South is a constituency in Hampshire in South East England. It covers the southern half of Portsea Island, including Portsmouth city centre and the neighbourhoods of Somerstown, Southsea, Eastney, Milton, Fratton and Buckland.

Portsmouth is a port city with a maritime history. Its importance as a naval base and centre for shipbuilding made it the most heavily fortified city in the world in the early 19th century. HMNB Portsmouth in the west of the constituency is the home base of most of the Royal Navy's surface fleet. Much of the city centre was destroyed by the Luftwaffe during World War II and underwent post-war redevelopment with a high quantity of council housing. Today, this area is highly-deprived. Southsea is a popular seaside resort; this area and its surroundings are wealthier than the city centre and mostly consist of dense Victorian and Edwardian terraces. House prices across the constituency are generally lower than the national average and considerably lower than the rest of South East England.

Portsmouth South has a low proportion of older adults and a large student population; the constituency contains the University of Portsmouth which has around 24,000 students. Residents have low levels of income and homeownership and the child poverty rate is above-average. They are generally well-educated and a high proportion work in the education, tourism and defence sectors. The percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is above-average. White people made up 81% of the population at the 2021 census. Asians were 9% of residents, with people of Bangladeshi origin being the largest Asian group.

At the local city council, most of the constituency is represented by Liberal Democrats with some Labour Party and Reform UK councillors elected in the city centre. An estimated 51% of voters in Portsmouth South supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, similar to the UK-wide rate of 52%.

Boundaries 1918–1950: The County Borough of Portsmouth wards of Havelock, Highland, St Paul, St Simon, and St Thomas.

1950–1955: The County Borough of Portsmouth wards of Havelock, Highland, Kingston, St Paul, St Simon, and St Thomas.

1955–1974: The County Borough of Portsmouth wards of Havelock, Highland, Kingston, St Jude, St Simon, and St Thomas.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Portsmouth wards of Buckland, Fratton, Havelock, Highland, Kingston, St Jude, St Simon, and St Thomas.

1983–2010: The City of Portsmouth wards of Charles Dickens, Fratton, Havelock, Highland, Milton, St Jude, and St Thomas.

2010–present: The City of Portsmouth wards of Central Southsea, Charles Dickens, Eastney and Craneswater, Fratton, Milton, St Jude, and St Thomas.

The 2023 review of Westminster constituencies left the boundaries unchanged.

History The constituency was created in 1918 when the larger Portsmouth constituency was split into three divisions: Central, North and South. The Portsmouth Central constituency was abolished in 1950.

During the 2010 general election campaign, independent candidate Les Cummings distributed a leaflet claiming that sitting MP Mike Hancock was a paedophile, which was later proven in court to be false. Cummings was subsequently convicted under the Representation of the People Act 1983 for distributing material which was known to be false with the intention of smearing or defaming to affect the return of a member of parliament, and was fined £500 as a result.

Stephen Morgan won the seat at the 2017 general election, the first time ever that the Labour Party held the seat. Morgan's win was one of 30 net gains made by Labour at that election. At the 2019 general election Labour increased its vote share by 7.6%. This was the second-highest increase in Labour vote share in any seat in the United Kingdom (after Bradford West) in an election where Labour's vote share fell in all but 13 constituencies.

Morgan's vote share remained steady in the 2024 election, with the Conservatives falling significantly behind both Labour and Reform. Portsmouth South can be considered a safe Labour seat. From a high of 45.9% in 2010, the Lib Dems are now in fourth position in a seat they held between 1997 and 2015, despite holding the majority of councillors in this constituency.

Members of Parliament

Portsmouth prior to 1918

ElectionMemberParty 1918 Herbert Cayzer Conservative 1922 by-election Leslie Wilson Conservative 1923 by-election Herbert Cayzer Conservative 1939 by-election Jocelyn Lucas Conservative 1966 Bonner Pink Conservative 1984 by-election Mike Hancock SDP 1987 David Martin Conservative 1997 Mike Hancock Liberal Democrat2013Independent 2015Flick DrummondConservative 2017Stephen MorganLabour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s 2005 notional result Party Vote % Liberal Democrats 15,652 42.3 Conservative 12,394 33.5 Labour 8,228 22.2 Others 714 1.9Turnout36,988 56.9Electorate64,981

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s 1979 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 28,990 53.8 Labour 17,813 33.1 Liberal 6,566 12.2 Others 485 0.9Turnout53,854Electorate

1970 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 29,600 60.5 Labour 19,300 39.5Turnout48,90067.7Electorate72,213

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Hampshire List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)

Notes

References

External links Portsmouth South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Portsmouth South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Portsmouth South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK