Chatham and Aylesford (UK Parliament constituency)
Chatham and Aylesford | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Kent |
Population | 97,281 (2011 census)[1] |
Electorate | 74,840 (2023)[2] |
Major settlements | Chatham, Walderslade, Larkfield, Snodland |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1997 |
Member of Parliament | Tris Osborne (Labour) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Mid Kent and Tonbridge and Malling |
Chatham and Aylesford is a constituency[n 1] in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Tris Osborne of the Labour Party.[n 2]
Constituency profile
Most of the population lives in two distinct areas divided by the North Downs. These are Chatham and its suburbs of Luton and Walderslade, within the Medway Towns conurbation; and a patchwork of smaller settlements in the Medway Gap further west.
This is one of the less affluent seats in the otherwise wealthy South East, as shown by lower rates of formal qualifications and cheaper house prices.[3]
Political history
Local voters returned the Labour candidate in the first three elections to 2005 then the Conservative candidate in the four general elections up to and including 2019, then reverted to Labour in 2024, reflecting the winner of the national general election in each case.
The greatest third party share of vote was 24.5% for Reform UK in 2024, followed by 19.9% for the UK Independence Party candidate in 2015. A Liberal Democrat came third in the first four elections reaching a vote share of 15% in 1997.
In June 2016, an estimated 63.9% of local adults voting in the EU membership referendum chose to leave the European Union instead of to remain. This was matched in two January 2018 votes in Parliament by its MP.[4]
Boundaries
1997–2010: The City of Rochester-upon-Medway wards of Holcombe, Horsted, Lordswood, Luton, Walderslade, Wayfield, and Weedswood, and the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of Aylesford, Blue Bell Hill, Burham, Eccles and Wouldham, Ditton, Larkfield North, Larkfield South, Snodland East, and Snodland West.
2010–2024: The Borough of Medway wards of Chatham Central, Lordswood and Capstone, Luton and Wayfield, Princes Park, and Walderslade, and the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of Aylesford, Blue Bell Hill and Walderslade, Burham, Eccles and Wouldham, Ditton, Larkfield North, Larkfield South, Snodland East, and Snodland West.
2024–present: Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was defined as composing of the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:
- The Borough of Medway wards of: Chatham Central; Lordswood and Capstone; Luton and Wayfield; Princes Park; Rochester South and Horsted; Walderslade.
- The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Aylesford North and Walderslade; Burham and Wouldham; Larkfield North; Larkfield South; Snodland East and Ham Hill; Snodland West and Holborough Lakes.[5]
The Medway ward of Rochester South and Horsted was transferred in from Rochester and Strood, offset by the loss of the Tonbridge and Malling wards of Aylesford South and Ditton to the new constituency of Maidstone and Malling.
Following local government boundary reviews in Medway, and Tonbridge and Malling which came into effect in May 2023,[6][7] the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:
- The Borough of Medway wards of: Chatham Central & Brompton (majority); Fort Horsted; Fort Pitt (most); Lordswood & Walderslade; Luton; Princes Park; Rochester East & Warren Wood (small part); Wayfield & Weeds Wood; and a very small part of Hempstead & Wigmore.
- The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Aylesford North & North Downs (most); Larkfield; Snodland East and Ham Hill; Snodland West and Holborough Lakes; Walderslade.[8]
Members of Parliament
Mid Kent and Tonbridge & Malling prior to 1997
Election | Member[9][10] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Jonathan Shaw | Labour | |
2010 | Tracey Crouch | Conservative | |
2024 | Tris Osborne | Labour |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Tris Osborne | 13,689 | 33.5 | +9.1 | |
Conservative | Nathan Gamester | 11,691 | 28.6 | −37.3 | |
Reform UK | Thomas Mallon | 9,989 | 24.5 | N/A | |
Green | Kim Winterbottom | 2,504 | 6.1 | +3.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Nick Chan | 2,175 | 5.3 | −1.4 | |
Workers Party | Matt Valentine | 340 | 0.8 | N/A | |
CPA | Adedotun Ogundemuren | 316 | 0.8 | +0.3 | |
SDP | Steven Tanner | 141 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,998 | 4.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 40,845 | 54.4 | –6.8 | ||
Registered electors | 75,109 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 23.2 |
Elections in the 2010s
2019 notional result[12] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Vote | % | |
Conservative | 30,183 | 65.9 | |
Labour | 11,191 | 24.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | 3,085 | 6.7 | |
Green | 1,138 | 2.5 | |
Others | 212 | 0.5 | |
Turnout | 45,809 | 61.2 | |
Electorate | 74,840 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tracey Crouch | 28,856 | 66.6 | +9.6 | |
Labour | Vince Maple | 10,316 | 23.8 | −9.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Naghi | 2,866 | 6.6 | +4.1 | |
Green | Geoff Wilkinson | 1,090 | 2.5 | +1.2 | |
CPA | John Gibson | 212 | 0.5 | −0.1 | |
Majority | 18,540 | 42.8 | +19.5 | ||
Turnout | 43,340 | 59.1 | −4.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +9.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tracey Crouch | 25,587 | 57.0 | +6.8 | |
Labour | Vince Maple | 15,129 | 33.7 | +10.1 | |
UKIP | Nicole Bushill | 2,225 | 5.0 | −14.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Thomas Quinton | 1,116 | 2.5 | −0.7 | |
Green | Bernard Hyde | 573 | 1.3 | −1.3 | |
CPA | John-Wesley Gibson | 260 | 0.6 | +0.3 | |
Majority | 10,458 | 23.3 | −3.3 | ||
Turnout | 44,963 | 63.7 | +0.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -1.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tracey Crouch[16] | 21,614 | 50.2 | +4.0 | |
Labour | Tris Osborne | 10,159 | 23.6 | −8.7 | |
UKIP | Ian Wallace[17] | 8,581 | 19.9 | +16.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Thomas Quinton | 1,360 | 3.2 | −10.1 | |
Green | Luke Balnave | 1,101 | 2.6 | +1.7 | |
CPA | John-Wesley Gibson[18] | 133 | 0.3 | New | |
TUSC | Ivor Riddell | 125 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 11,455 | 26.6 | +12.7 | ||
Turnout | 43,073 | 62.8 | +1.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tracey Crouch | 20,230 | 46.2 | +9.4 | |
Labour | Jonathan Shaw | 14,161 | 32.3 | −12.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | John McClintock | 5,832 | 13.3 | −0.2 | |
BNP | Colin McCarthy-Stewart | 1,365 | 3.1 | New | |
UKIP | Steve Newton | 1,314 | 3.0 | 0.0 | |
English Democrat | Sean Varnham | 400 | 0.9 | −0.8 | |
Green | Dave Arthur | 396 | 0.9 | New | |
Christian | Maureen Smith | 109 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 6,069 | 13.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 43,807 | 61.6 | +1.0 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +11.1 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jonathan Shaw | 18,387 | 43.7 | −4.6 | |
Conservative | Anne Jobson | 16,055 | 38.2 | +0.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Debbie Enever | 5,744 | 13.7 | +1.9 | |
UKIP | Jeffrey King | 1,226 | 2.9 | +0.4 | |
English Democrat | Michael Russell | 668 | 1.6 | New | |
Majority | 2,332 | 5.5 | −5.5 | ||
Turnout | 42,080 | 59.7 | +2.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −2.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jonathan Shaw | 19,180 | 48.3 | +5.2 | |
Conservative | Sean Holden | 14,840 | 37.3 | −0.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Lettington | 4,705 | 11.8 | −3.2 | |
UKIP | Gregory Knopp | 1,010 | 2.5 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 4,340 | 11.0 | +5.3 | ||
Turnout | 39,735 | 57.0 | −13.6 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jonathan Shaw | 21,191 | 43.1 | ||
Conservative | Richard Knox-Johnston | 18,401 | 37.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Robin Murray | 7,389 | 15.0 | ||
Referendum | Keith Riddle | 1,538 | 3.1 | ||
UKIP | Alan Harding | 493 | 1.0 | ||
Natural Law | Timothy Martell | 149 | 0.3 | ||
Majority | 2,790 | 5.7 | |||
Turnout | 49,161 | 70.6 | |||
Labour win (new seat) |
See also
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Kent
- List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)
Notes
- ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
- ^ "Chatham and Aylesford: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ "Chatham and Aylesford: Seat Details". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ "European Union (Withdrawal) Bill – Reject Third Reading – Membership of the European Union: Recent Votes". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
- ^ LGBCE. "Medway | LGBCE". lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "The Medway (Electoral Changes) Order 2021".
- ^ "New Seat Details – Chatham and Aylesford". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Chatham and Aylesford 1997-". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 3)
- ^ Chatham and Aylesford
- ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "Chatham & Aylesford Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Chatham & Aylesford parliamentary constituency – Election 2017". BBC. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ "Ian Wallace, Parliamentary Candidate for Chatham and Aylesford". ianwallacechathamandaylesford.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "Constituencies". UKIP South East. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ "CPA Candidates for the General Election". Christian Peoples Alliance. Archived from the original on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
External links
- nomis Constituency Profile for Chatham and Aylesford – presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.
- Chatham and Aylesford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
- Chatham and Aylesford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
- Chatham and Aylesford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK