East Surrey is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Claire Coutinho, a Conservative who formerly served as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Until 2024 it combined the town of Horley with Surrey's District of Tandridge, which is made up of Caterham and commuter settlements, farming and retirement homes.

Horley is one of two towns adjoining London Gatwick Airport and is part of Reigate and Banstead borough.

Elsewhere, the seat is more rural and includes a low part of the Greensand Ridge and features woodland and many golf courses.

Most local wards are won by the Conservatives with the Liberal Democrats often picking up seats somewhere in the dual-council[clarification needed] system, particularly in Whyteleafe or Caterham Valley.

The territory was incepted[clarification needed] and absorbed two of Surrey's three rotten boroughs: Bletchingley and Gatton, which were abolished under the act.

Notable outer reaches, clockwise from north, were Southwark, Rotherhithe, Addington, Lingfield, Charlwood, Buckland, Surrey, Cheam, Kingston upon Thames and Richmond (see map, top right).

Its MP until 1974, William Clark, won the new Croydon South in that year's February election.

Clark's successor, Geoffrey Howe, later became Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet.

The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;