1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Hull wards of Alexandra, Beverley, Drypool, Sutton, and part of Central.[citation needed]
1918–1950: The County Borough of Hull wards of Alexandra, Drypool, and Southcoates.[citation needed]
1950–1955: The County Borough of Hull wards of Alexandra, Drypool, Marfleet, Southcoates, Stoneferry, and Sutton.[citation needed]
1955–1974: The County Borough of Hull wards of Alexandra, Drypool, East Central, Marfleet, Myton, Southcoates, Stoneferry, and Sutton.[citation needed]
1974–1983: The County Borough of Hull wards of Bransholme, Drypool, Greatfield, Holderness, Longhill, Marfleet, Stoneferry, and Sutton.[citation needed]
1983–2010: The City of Hull wards of Drypool, Holderness, Ings, Longhill, Marfleet, Southcoates, and Sutton.[citation needed]
2010–2024: The City of Hull wards of Drypool, Holderness, Ings, Longhill, Marfleet, Southcoates East, Southcoates West, and Sutton.[2]
2024–present: The City of Kingston upon Hull wards of: Drypool; Holderness; Ings; Longhill & Bilton Grange; Marfleet; North Carr; Southcoates; Sutton.[3]
The constituency covers most of the city of Kingston upon Hull east of the River Hull, excluding the Bransholme estate which lies in the Kingston upon Hull North constituency. It is a constituency of diversity; divided by Holderness Road, it can be split into two very separate areas. It includes the now-redeveloped residential Victoria Docks, which can be considered alongside Sutton Village, Garden Village and the private housing suburbs to the north of East Park. Away from the prestigious dockside developments and middle-class suburbs, the southern area of the constituency is largely social housing with a large amount of unemployment and underemployment[4] alongside the vast docks and industrial estates.[citation needed]
History
In the early years of the constituency, it continually changed hands between the Conservative Party and the then-Liberal Party. Kingston upon Hull East has returned Labour MPs since 1935, and from 1945 to 2010 was represented by only two members, former seamen, Harry Pursey and John Prescott (who became Deputy Prime Minister, at the time in charge of town and country planning policy).[citation needed]
The turnout of 49.3% in Kingston upon Hull East was the lowest in any constituency in the United Kingdom at the 2019 general election, and was the only example of a seat where fewer than half of the eligible electorate voted.[9] It was also the seat with the lowest number of votes for a winning candidate in England.