The 1997 landslide saw Crawley elect a Labour member for the first time in its existence. In local elections in 2000 the Conservatives picked up just one seat from Labour, taking their tally to six, compared with Labour’s 23
Crawley has grown rapidly and, like many such towns, aesthetics have often suffered in the headlong rush for growth. That is being changed now though, as the growth slows and the town centre has been given a thorough overhaul. Some more upmarket shops have been attracted by an increasingly affluent population, and although the growth continues, with suburban sprawl rapidly filling the gap between Crawley and Horsham, it is of a more restrained kind these days.
Where the town’s growth has slowed, its major source of employment has not. Gatwick airport in the north of the constituency contributes greatly to the constituency’s economy, and with anticipated air traffic growth of 50% over the next decade, there will be many more flights into this part of the world.
With the airport, the constituency’s relative prosperity continues to rise.