Editing Brighton (section)

==Governance and politics==
{{see also|Public services in Brighton and Hove}}
Brighton is covered by two constituencies in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]: [[Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven (UK Parliament constituency)|Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven]] and [[Brighton Pavilion (UK Parliament constituency)|Brighton Pavilion]]. In the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], Brighton Kemptown elected [[Chris Ward (British politician)|Chris Ward]], [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]];<ref>{{cite news |title=Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven results |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001129 |access-date=8 July 2024}}</ref>  Brighton Pavilion elected [[Siân Berry]], [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Brighton Pavilion |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001130 |access-date=8 July 2024}}</ref>

There are 21 wards in the city of Brighton and Hove, of which 12 are in Brighton. Regency, St Peter's & North Laine, Preston Park, Withdean, Patcham, Hollingdean & Stanmer and Hanover & Elm Grove are part of the Brighton Pavilion constituency; Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, East Brighton, Woodingdean and Rottingdean Coastal are covered by the Brighton Kemptown constituency.<ref name="BHCC-Wards">{{cite web |url=http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/brighton-hove.gov.uk/files/Councillor%20Ward%20Map_aug2013.pdf |title=Ward Map |date=August 2013 |publisher=Brighton and Hove City Council |access-date=6 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106220119/http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/brighton-hove.gov.uk/files/Councillor%20Ward%20Map_aug2013.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The newly created Borough of Brighton consisted of six wards in 1854: St Nicholas, St Peter, Pier, Park, Pavilion and West. When the territory was extended to include part of [[Preston Village, Brighton|Preston]] parish in 1873, the new area became a seventh ward named Preston. The seven were split into 14 in 1894: Hanover, Kemp Town (renamed King's Cliff in 1908), Lewes Road, Montpelier, Pavilion, Pier, Preston, Preston Park, Queen's Park, Regency, St John, St Nicholas, St Peter, and West. Preston ward was extended in 1923 to incorporate the area taken into the borough from Patcham parish in 1923 for the construction of the Moulsecoomb estate, and in 1928 the ward was divided into four: Hollingbury, Moulsecoomb, Preston and Preston Park. Elm Grove and Patcham wards were created at the same time, bringing the total to 19. There were further changes in 1952, 1955 and 1983, at which time there were 16 wards.<ref name="EncB47">{{Harvnb|Carder|1990|loc=§47.}}</ref> This situation continued until 1 April 1997, when Hove and its wards became part of the new [[unitary authority]] of [[Brighton and Hove]].<ref name="NEB156">{{Harvnb|Collis|2010|p=156.}}</ref>

[[File:Brighton Town Hall (IoE Code 479446).jpg|thumb|right|Brighton Town Hall dates from 1830.]]
[[Brighton Town Hall, England|Brighton Town Hall]] occupies a large site in [[the Lanes]]. Medieval Brighthelmston had a town hall, although it was called the Townhouse and functioned more like a market hall. A later building (1727) known as the Town Hall was principally used as a [[workhouse]]. Work on the first purpose-built town hall began in 1830; [[Thomas Read Kemp]] laid the first stone, and Thomas Cooper designed it on behalf of the Brighton Town Commissioners (of which he was a member). Brighton Corporation spent £40,000 to extend it in 1897–99 to the [[Classical architecture|Classical]] design of Brighton Borough Surveyor Francis May. Despite this, the building was too small for municipal requirements by the mid-20th century, and extra council buildings were built in locations throughout Brighton Borough Council's existence: the most recent, Bartholomew House and Priory House next to the town hall, were finished in 1987.<ref name="NEB341–342">{{Harvnb|Collis|2010|pp=341–342.}}</ref><ref name="Antram72">{{Harvnb|Antram|Morrice|2008|p=72.}}</ref> The town hall ceased to be responsible solely for Brighton's affairs when Brighton and Hove were united in 1997, but it is still used by Brighton & Hove City Council—particularly for weddings and civil partnerships.<ref name="BHCC-TownHall">{{cite web |url=http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/community-and-life-events/births-deaths-and-marriages/ceremonies-brighton-town-hall |title=Ceremonies in Brighton Town Hall |year=2013 |publisher=Brighton & Hove City Council |access-date=23 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224115106/http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/community-and-life-events/births-deaths-and-marriages/ceremonies-brighton-town-hall |archive-date=24 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The presence of a British subsidiary of the United States arms company [[EDO Corporation]] on the Home Farm Industrial Estate in [[Moulsecoomb]] has been the cause of protests since 2004. The premises were significantly damaged in January 2009 when protesters broke in.<ref name="NEB205">{{Harvnb|Collis|2010|p=205.}}</ref>