The ceremonial county of Kent, (which includes the unitary authority of Medway), is divided into 17 parliamentary constituencies - one borough constituency and 16 county constituencies.

Constituencies

Further information: 2019 United Kingdom general election

  Conservative †   Labour ‡   Liberal Democrats ¤

Constituency[nb 1] Electorate[1] Majority[2][nb 2] Member of Parliament[2] Nearest opposition[2] Map
Ashford CC 89,553 24,029   Damian Green †   Dara Farrell ‡
Canterbury CC 80,203 1,836   Rosie Duffield ‡   Anna Firth †
Chatham and Aylesford CC 71,642 18,540   Tracey Crouch †   Vince Maple ‡
Dartford CC 82,209 19,160   Gareth Johnson †   Sacha Gosine ‡
Dover CC 76,355 12,278   Natalie Elphicke †   Charlotte Cornell ‡
Faversham and Mid Kent CC 73,403 21,976   Helen Whately †   Jenny Reeves ‡
Folkestone and Hythe CC 88,272 21,337   Damian Collins †   Laura Davison ‡
Gillingham and Rainham BC 73,549 15,119   Rehman Chishti †   Andy Stamp ‡
Gravesham CC 73,242 15,581   Adam Holloway †   Lauren Sullivan ‡
Maidstone and The Weald CC 76,109 21,772   Helen Grant †   Dan Wilkinson ‡
North Thanet CC 72,756 17,189   Roger Gale †   Coral Jones ‡
Rochester and Strood CC 82,056 17,072   Kelly Tolhurst †   Teresa Murray ‡
Sevenoaks CC 71,757 20,818   Laura Trott †   Gareth Willis ¤
Sittingbourne and Sheppey CC 83,917 24,479   Gordon Henderson †   Clive Johnson ‡
South Thanet CC 73,223 10,587   Craig Mackinlay †   Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt ‡
Tonbridge and Malling CC 79,278 26,941   Tom Tugendhat †   Richard Morris ¤
Tunbridge Wells CC 74,823 14,645   Greg Clark †   Ben Chapelard ¤

2010 boundary changes

Under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the Boundary Commission for England[3] decided to retain Kent's 17 constituencies for the 2010 election, making minor changes to realign constituency boundaries with the boundaries of current local government wards, and to reduce the electoral disparity between constituencies, including the transfer of Cliftonville from North Thanet to South Thanet. They recommended two name changes: Gillingham to Gillingham and Rainham to reflect the similar stature of the two towns, and Medway to Rochester and Strood to avoid confusion with the larger Medway unitary authority.

Former name Boundaries 1997-2010 Current name Boundaries 2010–present
  1. Ashford CC
  2. Canterbury CC
  3. Chatham and Aylesford CC
  4. Dartford CC
  5. Dover CC
  6. Faversham and Mid Kent CC
  7. Folkestone and Hythe CC
  8. Gillingham BC
  9. Gravesham CC
  10. Maidstone and The Weald CC
  11. Medway CC
  12. North Thanet CC
  13. Sevenoaks CC
  14. Sittingbourne and Sheppey CC
  15. South Thanet CC
  16. Tonbridge and Malling CC
  17. Tunbridge Wells CC
Parliamentary constituencies in Kent
Parliamentary constituencies in Kent
  1. Ashford CC
  2. Canterbury CC
  3. Chatham and Aylesford CC
  4. Dartford CC
  5. Dover CC
  6. Faversham and Mid Kent CC
  7. Folkestone and Hythe CC
  8. Gillingham and Rainham BC
  9. Gravesham CC
  10. Maidstone and The Weald CC
  11. North Thanet CC
  12. Rochester and Strood CC
  13. Sevenoaks CC
  14. Sittingbourne and Sheppey CC
  15. South Thanet CC
  16. Tonbridge and Malling CC
  17. Tunbridge Wells CC
Proposed Revised constituencies in Kent
Proposed Revised constituencies in Kent

Proposed boundary changes

See 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for further details.

Following the abandonment of the Sixth Periodic Review (the 2018 review), the Boundary Commission for England formally launched the 2023 Review on 5 January 2021.[4] Initial proposals were published on 8 June 2021 and, following two periods of public consultation, revised proposals were published on 8 November 2022. The final proposals were published on 28 June 2023.

The commission has proposed that an additional seat is created in Kent, with the formation of the constituency of Weald of Kent. As a consequence, Maidstone and the Weald, and Tonbridge and Malling would be renamed Maidstone and Malling, and Tonbridge respectively. Changes to North Thanet and South Thanet would result in them being replaced by Herne Bay and Sandwich, and East Thanet respectively. Although only subject to a very minor boundary change, Dover would revert to its previous name of Dover and Deal.[5][6][7]

The following constituencies are proposed:

Containing electoral wards from Ashford

Containing electoral wards from Canterbury

Containing electoral wards from Dartford

Containing electoral wards from Dover

Containing electoral wards from Folkestone and Hythe

Containing electoral wards from Gravesham

Containing electoral wards from Maidstone

Containing electoral wards from Medway

Containing electoral wards from Sevenoaks

Containing electoral wards from Swale

Containing electoral wards from Thanet

Containing electoral wards from Tonbridge and Malling

Containing electoral wards from Tunbridge Wells

Results history

Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019[8]

2019

The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Kent in the 2019 general election were as follows:

Party Votes % Change from 2017 Seats Change from 2017
Conservative 532,342 60.1% Increase3.7% 16 0
Labour 221,554 25.0% Decrease6.7% 1 0
Liberal Democrats 91,973 10.4% Increase4.9% 0 0
Greens 28,264 3.2% Increase1.0% 0 0
Others 11,063 1.3% Decrease2.9% 0 0
Total 885,196 100.0 17

Percentage votes

Election year 1974

(Feb)

1974

(Oct)

1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019
Conservative 44.2 44.0 53.9 53.9 54.0 53.1 40.5 43.4 45.8 50.5 49.2 56.4 60.1
Labour 29.5 33.3 29.9 18.6 19.3 24.3 37.1 37.7 32.4 21.1 20.0 31.7 25.0
Liberal Democrat1 25.7 21.8 15.1 26.9 26.1 21.3 17.0 15.5 17.3 20.9 6.3 5.5 10.4
Green Party - - - - * * * * * 1.0 3.6 2.2 3.2
UKIP - - - - - - * * * 3.9 20.3 3.6 *
Other 0.6 0.9 1.1 0.7 0.6 1.3 5.4 3.4 4.4 2.6 0.5 0.6 1.3

11974 & 1979 - Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats

Election year 1974

(Feb)

1974

(Oct)

1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019
Conservative 13 12 15 16 16 16 9 9 10 17 17 16 16
Labour 2 3 0 0 0 0 8 8 7 0 0 1 1
Total 15 15 15 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17

Maps

1885-1910


1918-1945



1950-1970


1974-present


Historic representation by party

A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

1885 to 1918

  Conservative   Independent Conservative   Independent Liberal   Labour   Liberal   Liberal Unionist   National Party

Constituency 1885 1886 88 89 1892 93 1895 98 99 1900 01 03 04 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 11 12 13 15 17 18
Ashford Pomfret Hardy
Canterbury Heaton Bennett-Goldney Anderson
Chatham Gorst Loyd Davies Jenkins Hohler
Dartford Dyke Rowlands Mitchell Rowlands
Dover Dickson Wyndham Ponsonby →
Faversham Knatchbull-Hugessen Barnes Howard Napier Wheler
Gravesend White Palmer Ryder Parker Richardson
Hythe Watkin → Edwards E. Sassoon P. Sassoon
Isle of Thanet King-Harman Lowther Marks Craig
Maidstone Ross Cornwallis Hunt Cornwallis Barker Evans Vane-Tempest-Stewart Bellairs
Medway Gathorne-Hardy Warde
Rochester Hughes-Hallett Knatchbull-Hugessen Davies Gascoyne-Cecil Tuff Lamb Ridley Lamb
St Augustine's Akers-Douglas McNeill
Sevenoaks Mills Forster
Tunbridge Norton Griffith-Boscawen Hedges Spender-Clay

1918 to 1950

  Coalition Liberal (1918-22) / National Liberal (1922-23)   Conservative   Constitutionalist   Independent   Labour   Liberal   National Labour

Constituency 1918 19 20 21 1922 23 1923 1924 27 28 1929 30 31 1931 33 35 1935 37 38 39 43 1945 45 46 47
Bexley Adamson Bramall
Orpington Smithers
Ashford Steel Kedward Knatchbull Spens Smith
Bromley Forster James Campbell Macmillan
Canterbury McNeill Wayland White
Chatham Moore-Brabazon Markham → Goff Plugge Bottomley
Chislehurst A. Smithers Nesbitt W. Smithers Wallace
Dartford Rowlands Mills Jarrett → Mills McDonnell Mills Clarke Adamson Dodds
Dover Ponsonby Polson Astor Thomas
Faversham Wheler Maitland Wells
Gillingham Hohler Gower Binns
Gravesend Richardson Isaacs Albery Allighan Acland
Hythe P. Sassoon Brabner Mackeson
Isle of Thanet Craig Harmsworth Balfour Carson
Maidstone Bellairs Bossom
Sevenoaks Bennett Williams Styles Young Ponsonby
Tonbridge Spender-Clay Baillie Williams

1950 to 1974

  Conservative   Labour   Liberal

Constituency 1950 1951 53 55 1955 56 57 1959 62 64 1964 1966 1970
Ashford Deedes
Beckenham Buchan-Hepburn Goodhart Transferred to Greater London
Bexley Heath Transferred to Greater London
Bromley Macmillan Hunt Transferred to Greater London
Canterbury White Thomas Crouch
Chislehurst Hornsby-Smith Macdonald Hornsby-Smith Transferred to Greater London
Dartford Dodds Irving Trew
Dover Arbuthnot Ennals Rees
Erith and Crayford Dodds Transferred to Greater London
Faversham Wells Boston Moate
Folkestone and Hythe Mackeson Costain
Gillingham Burden
Gravesend Acland Kirk Murray White
Isle of Thanet Carson Rees-Davies
Maidstone Bossom Wells
Orpington Smithers Sumner Lubbock Stanbrook Transferred to Greater London
Rochester and Chatham Bottomley Critchley Kerr Fenner
Sevenoaks Rodgers
Tonbridge Williams Hornby

1974 to present

  Conservative   Independent   Labour   UKIP

Constituency Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 14 2015 2017 17 18 19 2019
Ashford Deedes Speed Green
Canterbury D. Crouch Brazier Duffield
Dartford Irving Dunn Stoate Johnson
Dover & Deal / Dover (1983–) Rees Shaw Prosser C. Elphicke → → → N. Elphicke
Faversham / Sittingbourne and Sheppey (1997) Moate Wyatt Henderson
Folkestone and Hythe Costain Howard Collins
Gillingham / & Rainham (2010) Burden Couchman Clark Chishti
Gravesend / Gravesham (1983) Ovenden Brinton Arnold Pond Holloway
Maidstone / & The Weald (1997) Wells Widdecombe Grant
Rochester & Chatham / Medway (1983) / Rochester & Strood (2010) Fenner Bean Fenner Marshall-Andrews Reckless → Tolhurst
Sevenoaks Rodgers Wolfson Fallon Trott
Thanet W / North Thanet (1983) Rees-Davies Gale
Tonbridge & Malling Hornby Stanley Tugendhat
Thanet East / South Thanet (1983) Aitken Ladyman Sandys Mackinlay
Tunbridge Wells Mayhew Norman Clark
Mid Kent / Faversham & Mid Kent (1997) Rowe Robertson Whately
Chatham and Aylesford Shaw T. Crouch

See also

Notes

  1. ^ BC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.
  2. ^ The majority is the number of votes the winning candidate receives more than their nearest rival.

References

  1. ^ Baker, Carl; Uberoi, Elise; Cracknell, Richard (28 January 2020). "General Election 2019: full results and analysis". ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Constituencies A-Z - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  4. ^ "2023 Review | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  5. ^ "New Constituency Proposed for Kent". Kent Bylines. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  6. ^ Bailes, Kathy (8 June 2021). "Boundary changes proposed for Thanet with East and West constituencies". The Isle Of Thanet News. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. paras 1025-1053. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  8. ^ Watson, Christopher; Uberoi, Elise; Loft, Philip (17 April 2020). "General election results from 1918 to 2019". ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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