Rochester and Chatham (UK Parliament constituency)

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Rochester and Chatham
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
RochesterChatham1974Constituency.svg
Rochester and Chatham in Kent, showing boundaries used from 1974 to 1983
1950–1983
Number of membersOne
Replaced by Medway, Mid Kent [1]
Created from Chatham

Rochester and Chatham was a parliamentary constituency in Kent which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.

Contents

It largely replaced the former Chatham constituency, which had taken some of the previous Rochester seat in 1918. In turn it gave way to the Medway constituency in 1983, which was renamed Rochester and Strood in 2010.

Boundaries

The Municipal Boroughs of Rochester and Chatham.

History

This constituency was a Labour-Tory marginal seat throughout its 33-year existence.

The seat disappeared at the 1983 general election, and its territory was split between two new constituencies; 55.23% of it went to Medway, and 44.77% to Mid Kent.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1950 Arthur Bottomley Labour
1959 Julian Critchley Conservative
1964 Anne Kerr Labour
1970 Peggy Fenner Conservative
Oct 1974 Robert Bean Labour
1979 Peggy Fenner Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Rochester and Chatham [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Arthur Bottomley 24,855 50.48
Conservative Robert Mathew 24,37849.52
Majority4770.96
Turnout 49,23384.17
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1951: Rochester and Chatham [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Arthur Bottomley 26,390 50.82
Conservative Robert Mathew 25,54349.18
Majority8471.64
Turnout 51,93385.52
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Rochester and Chatham [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Arthur Bottomley 26,645 52.41
Conservative John D Campbell24,19847.59
Majority2,4474.82
Turnout 50,84382.24
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Rochester and Chatham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julian Critchley 26,510 50.98
Labour Arthur Bottomley 25,48749.02
Majority1,0231.97N/A
Turnout 51,99780.76
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Rochester and Chatham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Anne Kerr 26,161 50.99
Conservative Julian Critchley 25,14849.01
Majority1,0131.98
Turnout 51,30976.42
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1966: Rochester and Chatham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Anne Kerr 27,938 52.09
Conservative Julian Critchley 25,69247.91
Majority2,2464.18
Turnout 53,63078.11
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Rochester and Chatham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peggy Fenner 30,263 54.84
Labour Anne Kerr 24,92245.16
Majority5,3419.68N/A
Turnout 55,18571.41
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election February 1974: Rochester and Chatham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peggy Fenner 24,326 38.76
Labour Roger R Kenward23,48337.42
Liberal C Fellowes14,94523.83New
Majority8431.34
Turnout 62,75479.33
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Rochester and Chatham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Robert Bean 26,467 43.38
Conservative Peggy Fenner 23,04939.27
Liberal M Black9,03515.39
National Front G Hazelden1,1501.96New
Majority2,4184.11N/A
Turnout 59,70173.56
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.7
General election 1979: Rochester and Chatham
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peggy Fenner 27,574 47.46
Labour Robert Bean 24,88642.84
Liberal M Black5,2198.98
National Front J King4170.72
Majority2,6884.62N/A
Turnout 58,09672.74
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

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References

  1. ↑ "'Rochester and Chatham', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  2. ↑ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1950.
  3. ↑ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1951.
  4. ↑ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.

Coordinates: 51°23′N0°31′E / 51.383°N 0.517°E / 51.383; 0.517

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