Havant is located between Portsmouth and Chichester. Until 1974 it was part of a Portsmouth seat, Langstone, but due to its increase in population from 35,000 in 1951 to 109,000 in 1971 it earned its own seat.
There are many former council estates and unemployment is high for the county. Nonetheless, for nearly three decades this area safely returned Sir Ian Lloyd, a well known right-winger and in 1992, it provided a majority of 17,588 for David Willetts, previously director of the Centre for Policy Studies.
The constituency was altered by boundary changes in 1995, but the overall effect on the constituency’s political composition was minimal. In 1997 Mr Willetts held his seat, though with a much reduced majority of 3,729, and Labour advanced from third to second place.
Havant is home to many well-off commuters, most of whom are white middle-class owner-occupiers and typically Tory. The exclusive Chichester Harbour borders the seat to the east, and sailing and sea angling are popular pastimes along a coast designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.