East Thanet

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East Thanet
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
East Thanet
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
South East England - East Thanet constituency.svg
Boundary of East Thanet in South East England
County Kent
Electorate 73,790 (2023) [1]
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created 2024
Member of Parliament Polly Billington (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created from
February 1974–1983 [a]
SeatsOne
Created from Isle of Thanet
Replaced by South Thanet [2]

East Thanet is a British parliamentary constituency in the Isle of Thanet in Kent, represented since 2024 by Polly Billington of the Labour Party. The seat previously existed under the name Thanet East, from 1974 to 1983, returning one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, it was re-established as East Thanet for the 2024 general election. It is primarily the successor to the former South Thanet parliamentary constituency. [3] [4]

Contents

Constituency profile

The East Thanet constituency is located at the easternmost point of Kent, occupying the Isle of Thanet peninsula. It contains the connected towns of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. The three towns are popular seaside resorts with large tourism sectors, although like many English coastal towns, they experienced economic decline during the late 20th century. High levels of deprivation are present, [5] particularly in Margate and Ramsgate where many areas fall within the top 10% most-deprived areas in England. Broadstairs is comparatively wealthier. [6] Average house prices in the constituency are lower than the national average. [5]

Compared to the rest of the country, residents are generally older and have low levels of education. Household income is low and residents are less likely to work in professional occupations. White people made up 92% of the population at the 2021 census. [5] At the local district council, Ramsgate and Margate are mostly represented by the Labour Party whilst more Conservative councillors were elected in Broadstairs. At the county council, which held elections more recently, all wards in East Thanet elected Reform UK councillors. Voters in East Thanet strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 64% voted in favour of Brexit compared to 52% nationwide. [5]

Boundaries

1974–1983 (Thanet East)

The Borough of Ramsgate, and the Urban District of Broadstairs and St Peter's.

2024–present (East Thanet)

Following the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the District of Thanet wards of Beacon Road, Bradstowe, Central Harbour, Cliffsend & Pegwell, Cliftonville East, Cliftonville West, Dane Valley, Eastcliff, Kingsgate, Margate Central, Nethercourt, Newington, Northwood, St Peters, Salmestone, Sir Moses Montefiore, and Viking. [7]

It comprises those parts of the former constituency of South Thanet in the District of Thanet (85.6% of the electorate), together with three wards from North Thanet, including Central Margate. [4]

History

The constituency was created for the February 1974 general election, when the former constituency of Isle of Thanet was split in two, and returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was abolished for the 1983 general election, when Thanet East and the neighbouring Thanet West constituency were replaced by new North Thanet and South Thanet constituencies.

The constituency name was revived at the 2024 general election, where it effectively replaced the South Thanet constituency, with 81.8% of the electorate of the former South Thanet seat becoming part of the new East Thanet, and 85.6% of the new East Thanet seat having previously belonged to the former South Thanet. [4]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1974–1983

Isle of Thanet prior to 1974

ElectionMemberParty
Feb 1974 Jonathan Aitken Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

MPs since 2024

South Thanet prior to 2024

ElectionMemberParty
2024 Polly Billington Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: East Thanet [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Polly Billington 17,054 39.9 Increase2.svg2.3
Conservative Helen Harrison10,08323.6Decrease2.svg29.9
Reform Paul Webb8,59120.1New
Green Steve Roberts4,59010.7Increase2.svg7.0
Liberal Democrats Jai Singh1,3653.2Decrease2.svg2.0
Independent Grahame Birchall5631.3New
Independent Paul Holton3690.9New
Independent Mo Shafaei980.2New
Majority 6,97116.3N/A
Turnout 42,71357.0Decrease2.svg7.9
Registered electors 74,940
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase2.svg16.1

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result [9]
PartyVote%
Conservative 25,61653.5
Labour 18,03137.6
Liberal Democrats 2,4865.2
Green 1,7913.7
Turnout47,92464.9
Electorate73,790

Election results 1974–1983

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Thanet East
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jonathan Aitken 20,367 57.17 +11.1
Labour I Kilberry10,12828.43−4.6
Liberal B Hesketh4,75513.35−5.6
National Front B Dobing3761.06−1.0
Majority 10,23928.74+15.6
Turnout 35,62572.72+1.2
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Thanet East
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jonathan Aitken 15,813 46.10 −0.8
Labour S Bartlett11,31032.97+0.4
Liberal C Hogarth6,47218.87−4.6
National Front K Munson7082.06New
Majority 4,50313.13−4.1
Turnout 34,30271.55−9.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Thanet East
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jonathan Aitken 17,944 46.86
Labour Robert Bean 11,34729.64
Liberal J Cox8,99723.50
Majority 6,59717.22
Turnout 38,28980.53
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ As Thanet East

References

  1. ↑ "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.
  2. ↑ "'Thanet East', Feb 1974 – May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Boundary review 2023: Which seats will change in the UK?". House of Commons Library. 20 March 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The Electoral Calculus' profile of East Thanet". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  6. ↑ "Constituency data: Deprivation in England". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  8. ↑ "East Thanet Results". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "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.

51°22′N1°25′E / 51.36°N 1.42°E / 51.36; 1.42

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