List of parliamentary constituencies in Kent explained

The ceremonial county of Kent, (which includes the unitary authority of Medway), is divided into 18 parliamentary constituencies - one borough constituency and 17 county constituencies.

Constituencies

See also: 2024 United Kingdom general election.

Constituency[1] ElectorateMajority[2] [3] Member of ParliamentNearest oppositionMap
Ashford CC1,779 Sojan Joseph ‡ Damian Green †
Canterbury CC8,653 Rosie Duffield ‡ Louise Harvey-Quirke †
Chatham and Aylesford CC1,998 Tris Osborne ‡ Nathan Gamester †
Dartford CC1,192 Jim Dickson ‡ Gareth Johnson †
Dover and Deal CC7,559 Mike Tapp ‡ Howard Cox ‡
East Thanet CC6,971 Polly Billington ‡ Helen Harrison †
Faversham and Mid Kent CC1,469 Helen Whately † Mel Dawkins ‡
Folkestone and Hythe CC3,729 Tony Vaughan ‡ Damian Collins †
Gillingham and Rainham BC3,972 Naushabah Khan ‡ Rehman Chishti †
Gravesham CC2,712 Lauren Sullivan ‡ Adam Holloway †
Herne Bay and Sandwich CC2,499 Roger Gale † Helen Whitehead ‡
Maidstone and Malling CC1,674 Helen Grant † Maureen Cleator ‡
Rochester and Strood CC2,293 Lauren Edwards ‡ Kelly Tolhurst †
Sevenoaks CC5,440 Laura Trott † Richard Streatfeild ¤
Sittingbourne and Sheppey CC355 Kevin McKenna ‡ Aisha Cuthbert †
Tonbridge CC11,166 Tom Tugendhat † Lewis Bailey ‡
Tunbridge Wells CC8,687 Mike Martin ¤ Neil Mahapatra †
Weald of Kent CC8,422 Katie Lam † Lenny Rolles ‡

2024 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]

2024

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

PartyVotes%Change from 2019SeatsChange from 2019
Conservative251,86031.3%28.8%610
Labour249,04331.0%6.0%1110
Reform168,65221.0%21.0%00
Greens64,3038.0%4.8%00
Liberal Democrats57,5797.0%3.4%11
Others13,0591.6%0.3%00
Total804,496100.0181

Percentage votes

Election year1974(Feb)1974(Oct)1979198319871992199720012005201002015201720192024
Conservative44.244.053.953.954.053.140.543.445.850.549.256.460.131.3
Labour29.533.329.918.619.324.337.137.732.421.120.031.725.031.0
Reform1-------------21.0
Green Party----1.03.62.23.28.0
Liberal Democrat225.721.815.126.926.121.317.015.517.320.96.35.510.47.0
UKIP------3.920.33.6
Other0.60.91.10.70.61.35.43.44.42.60.50.61.31.6
12019 - Brexit Party
21974 & 1979 - Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats

Election year1974(Feb)1974(Oct)197919831987199219972001200520102015201720192024
Labour230000887001111
Conservative1312151616169910171716166
Liberal Democrats00000000000001
Total1515151616161717171717171718

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

Constituency1885188688891892931895989919000103041906Jan 1910Dec 1910111213151718
AshfordPomfretHardy
CanterburyHeatonBennett-GoldneyAnderson
GorstLoydDaviesJenkinsHohler
DartfordDykeRowlandsMitchellRowlands
DoverDicksonWyndhamPonsonby→
FavershamKnatchbull-HugessenBarnesHowardNapierWheler
GravesendWhitePalmerRyderParkerRichardson
HytheWatkin→EdwardsE. SassoonP. Sassoon
Isle of ThanetKing-HarmanLowtherMarksCraig
MaidstoneRossCornwallisHuntCornwallisbgcolor=BarkerEvansVane-Tempest-StewartBellairs
Gathorne-HardyWarde
Hughes-Hallettbgcolor=Knatchbull-HugessenDaviesGascoyne-CecilTuffbgcolor=LambRidleyLamb
Akers-DouglasMcNeill
SevenoaksMillsForster
NortonGriffith-BoscawenHedgesSpender-Clay

1918 to 1950

Constituency191819202119222319231924272819293031193133351935373839431945454647
BexleyAdamsonBramall
OrpingtonSmithers
AshfordSteelKedwardKnatchbullSpensSmith
BromleyForsterJamesCampbellMacmillan
CanterburyMcNeillWaylandWhite
ChathamMoore-BrabazonMarkham→GoffPluggeBottomley
ChislehurstA. SmithersNesbittW. SmithersWallace
DartfordRowlandsMillsJarrett→MillsMcDonnellMillsClarkeAdamsonDodds
DoverPonsonbyPolsonAstorThomas
FavershamWhelerMaitlandWells
GillinghamHohlerGowerBinns
GravesendRichardsonIsaacsAlberyAllighanAcland
HytheP. SassoonBrabnerMackeson
Isle of ThanetCraigHarmsworthBalfourCarson
MaidstoneBellairsBossom
SevenoaksBennettWilliamsStylesYoungPonsonby
TonbridgeSpender-ClayBaillieWilliams

1950 to 1974

Constituency1950195153551955565719596264196419661970
AshfordDeedes
BeckenhamBuchan-HepburnGoodhartTransferred to Greater London
BexleyHeathTransferred to Greater London
BromleyMacmillanHuntTransferred to Greater London
CanterburyWhiteThomasCrouch
ChislehurstHornsby-SmithMacdonaldHornsby-SmithTransferred to Greater London
DartfordDoddsIrvingTrew
DoverArbuthnotEnnalsRees
Erith and CrayfordDoddsTransferred to Greater London
FavershamWellsBostonMoate
Folkestone and HytheMackesonCostain
GillinghamBurden
GravesendAclandKirkMurrayWhite
Isle of ThanetCarsonRees-Davies
MaidstoneBossomWells
OrpingtonSmithersSumnerLubbockStanbrookTransferred to Greater London
Rochester and ChathamBottomleyCritchleyKerrFenner
SevenoaksRodgers
TonbridgeWilliamsHornby

1974 to 2010

ConstituencyFeb 1974Oct 19741979198319871992199720012005
AshfordDeedesSpeedGreen
CanterburyD. CrouchBrazier
DartfordIrvingDunnStoate
Dover & Deal / Dover (1983–)ReesShawProsser
Faversham / Sittingbourne & Sheppey (1997)MoateWyatt
Folkestone and HytheCostainHoward
GillinghamBurdenCouchmanP. Clark
Gravesend / Gravesham (1983)OvendenBrintonArnoldPondHolloway
Maidstone / Maidstone & The Weald (1997)WellsWiddecombe
Rochester & Chatham / Medway (1983)FennerBeanFennerMarshall-Andrews
SevenoaksRodgersWolfsonFallon
Thanet W / North Thanet (1983)Rees-DaviesGale
Tonbridge & MallingHornbyStanley
Thanet East / South Thanet (1983)AitkenLadyman
Tunbridge WellsMayhewNormanG. Clark
Mid Kent / Faversham & Mid Kent (1997)RoweRobertson
Chatham and AylesfordShaw

2010 to present

Constituency201014201520171718192019242024
AshfordGreenJoseph
CanterburyBrazierDuffield
Chatham and AylesfordT. CrouchOsborne
DartfordJohnsonDickson
Dover / Dover and Deal (2024)C. Elphicke→→→N. Elphicke→Tapp
Faversham & Mid KentRobertsonWhately
Folkestone and HytheCollinsVaughan
Gillingham & RainhamChishtiKhan
GraveshamHollowaySullivan
Maidstone & The Weald / M'stone & Malling ('24)Grant
North Thanet / Herne Bay & Sandwich (2024)Gale
Rochester & StroodReckless→TolhurstEdwards
SevenoaksFallonTrott
Sittingbourne and SheppeyHendersonMcKenna
South Thanet / East Thanet (2024)SandysMackinlayBillington
Tonbridge & Malling / Tonbridge (2024)StanleyTugendhat
Tunbridge WellsG. ClarkMartin
Weald of KentLam

See also

Notes and References

  1. BC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.
  2. Web site: Constituencies A-Z - Election 2019. BBC News. en-GB. 24 April 2020.
  3. The majority is the number of votes the winning candidate receives more than their nearest rival.
  4. Web site: 2023 Review. 7 October 2021. Boundary Commission for England.
  5. Web site: 21 July 2021. New Constituency Proposed for Kent. 16 November 2021. Kent Bylines. en-GB.
  6. Web site: Bailes. Kathy. 8 June 2021. Boundary changes proposed for Thanet with East and West constituencies. 16 November 2021. The Isle Of Thanet News. en-GB.
  7. Web site: The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report . 10 July 2023 . Boundary Commission for England . paras 1025-1053.
  8. Web site: Watson. Christopher. Uberoi. Elise. Loft. Philip. 17 April 2020. General election results from 1918 to 2019. en-GB.

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