Brighton, Pavilion
Labour hold

The west end and centre of Brighton is now the more strongly Labour of its two constituencies, which is not historically the case at all; indeed although Kemptown to the east has been won by Labour before (1964-70) Pavilion had never fallen when David Lepper seized it by no less than 13,000 votes in 1997. There have been some favourable boundary changes, but this is not the main reason for the long term swing. Brighton has changed. The gay vote has demonstrably both grown and become more open and even assertive here. A large transient population has arrived, ranging from bohemian types to social security claimants. There is a great number of students, both attending and more loosely connected with the two universities and many other establishments. This all generates a unique cosmopplitan atmosphere, more to the taste of some than others. There are some stable conventional family neighbourhoods like Preston and Patcham but these feel as if they are the ones out of kilter. Only in Brighton could one find a constituency called Pavilion, in which there is a ward called Regency. In fact, "only in Brighton" could be an apposite motto.

David Lepper, one of Labour's 1997 intake, bald and beaky and of Huguenot origin, born 1945, educated at secondary modern schools in Richmond and Wimbledon and at Kent and Sussex Universities, is a standard issue Labour MP: a schoolteacher and local councillor - eventually leader of Brighton council, and as a reflection of his town's downward mobility, campaigns against its poverty and homelessness.

Brighton Labour Party

Brighton and Hove Liberal Democrats

Brighton and Hove Council

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 9.81% 14.99% 65.42 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.00% 2.13% 0.00 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 5.11% 2.49% 205.39 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 0.00% 4.43% 0.00 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 0.03% 7.27% 0.37 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 4.32% 2.56% 168.44 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 10.77% 2.04% 527.76 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 22.72% 3.94% 575.98 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 16.12% 13.04% 123.62 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 7.11% 12.70% 55.98 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 3.45% 8.14% 42.35 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 12.17% 4.02% 302.65 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 1.72% 3.19% 53.96 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 2.79% 11.31% 24.70 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 3.76% 3.06% 122.77 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 0.09% 2.52% 3.48 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.04% 0.06% 67.64

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 9.85% 9.41% 104.63 £5-10K 15.62% 16.63% 93.93 £10-15K 15.39% 16.58% 92.82 £15-20K 12.86% 13.58% 94.70 £20-25K 10.14% 10.39% 97.53 £25-30K 7.82% 7.77% 100.53 £30-35K 5.99% 5.79% 103.40 £35-40K 4.59% 4.33% 106.03 £40-45K 3.54% 3.27% 108.40 £45-50K 2.74% 2.48% 110.51 £50-55K 2.14% 1.90% 112.39 £55-60K 1.68% 1.47% 114.08 £60-65K 1.33% 1.15% 115.59 £65-70K 1.06% 0.91% 116.96 £70-75K 0.85% 0.72% 118.21 £75-80K 0.69% 0.57% 119.36 £80-85K 0.56% 0.46% 120.41 £85-90K 0.45% 0.37% 121.40 £90-95K 0.37% 0.31% 122.32 £95-100K 0.31% 0.25% 123.19 £100K + 1.73% 1.34% 128.35