Tonbridge and Malling (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Tonbridge and Malling
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
TonbridgeMalling2007Constituency.svg
Boundary of Tonbridge and Malling in Kentfor the 2010 general election
EnglandKent.svg
Location of Kent within England
County Kent
Electorate 72,671 (2015) [1]
Major settlements Tonbridge, Edenbridge and West Malling
1974 (1974)2024
SeatsOne
Created from Sevenoaks, Tonbridge
Replaced by Tonbridge

Tonbridge and Malling was a constituency in western Kent, in South East England, in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented for its entire creation since 1974 by members of the Conservative Party.

Contents

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. Subject to moderate boundary changes, it will be reformed as Tonbridge , to be first contested at the 2024 general election. [2]

History

The seat was created in 1974 from parts of the seats of Sevenoaks and Tonbridge.

Boundaries

Tonbridge and Malling (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

1974–1983: The Urban District of Tonbridge, the Rural District of Malling, and part of the Rural District of Tonbridge.

1983–1997: The District of Tonbridge and Malling.

1997–2010: The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of Birling, Leybourne and Ryarsh, Borough Green, Cage Green, Castle, East Malling, East Peckham, Hadlow, Higham, Hildenborough, Ightham, Judd, Long Mill, Medway, Oast, Trench, Vauxhall, Wateringbury, West Malling, West Peckham and Mereworth, and Wrotham, and the District of Sevenoaks wards of Edenbridge North, Edenbridge South, Leigh, Penshurst and Fordcombe, and Somerden.

2010–2024: The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of Borough Green and Long Mill, Cage Green, Castle, Downs, East Malling, East Peckham and Golden Green, Hadlow, Mereworth and West Peckham, Higham, Hildenborough, Ightham, Judd, Kings Hill, Medway, Trench, Vauxhall, Wateringbury, West Malling and Leybourne, and Wrotham, and the District of Sevenoaks wards of Cowden and Hever, Edenbridge North and East, Edenbridge South and West, Leigh and Chiddingstone Causeway, and Penshurst, Fordcombe and Chiddingstone.

The constituency was in the west of the county of Kent in south eastern England and included about two-thirds of the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling (the remainder being in the Chatham and Aylesford constituency),and parts of Sevenoaks District.

Constituency profile

This safe Conservative seat was characterised by a large commuter population benefiting from good road and rail links to London. Light engineering, farming and local service industry sectors are represented alongside the public sector, skilled trades and some construction. [3] Visitor attractions in the constituency include the River Medway, the Eden Valley Walk which covers Edenbridge and Penshurst, including Hever Castle, Chiddingstone Castle, Penshurst Place and Tonbridge Castle. In this seat are numerous oast houses and remaining Wealden woodlands.

Residents' wealth and house prices are both higher than the UK average. [4]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [5] Party
Feb 1974 Sir John Stanley Conservative
2015 Tom Tugendhat Conservative
2024 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1970s

General election February 1974: Tonbridge and Malling [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 24,809 45.8
Liberal M Vann14,70127.1
Labour Jack Straw 14,68327.1
Majority10,10818.7
Turnout 54,19383.4
Conservative win (new seat)
General election October 1974: Tonbridge and Malling [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 23,188 46.8 +1.0
Labour P. Knight14,57929.4+2.3
Liberal M. Vann11,76723.83.3
Majority8,60917.4−1.3
Turnout 49,53475.57.9
Conservative hold Swing -0.7
General election 1979: Tonbridge and Malling [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 29,534 54.5 +7.7
Labour R. Ackerley13,28224.54.9
Liberal G. Knopp10,90420.13.7
National Front G. Burnett4290.8New
Majority16,25230.0+12.6
Turnout 54,14979.5+4.0
Conservative hold Swing +6.3

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Tonbridge and Malling [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 30,417 56.1 +1.6
SDP Roland JM Freeman16,89731.2+11.1
Labour David Bishop6,89612.711.8
Majority13,52024.9−5.1
Turnout 54,21074.74.8
Conservative hold Swing -4.8
General election 1987: Tonbridge and Malling [11] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 33,990 56.9 +0.8
SDP Michael Ward 17,56129.41.8
Labour Derek Still7,80313.1+0.4
BNP Michael Easter3690.6New
Majority16,42927.5+2.6
Turnout 59,72577.8+3.1
Conservative hold Swing +1.3

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Tonbridge and Malling [13] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 36,542 57.2 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Paul D. Roberts14,98423.5−5.9
Labour Margaret A. O'Neill11,53318.1+5.0
Green Jim Tidy6121.0New
Natural Law Janet I.R. Horvath2210.3New
Majority21,55833.7+6.2
Turnout 63,89282.7+4.9
Conservative hold Swing +3.1
General election 1997: Tonbridge and Malling [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 23,640 48.0 −9.2
Labour Barbara Withstandley13,41027.2+9.1
Liberal Democrats Keith Brown9,46719.2−4.3
Referendum John Scrivenor2,0054.1New
UKIP B. Bullen5021.0New
Natural Law Gerard Valente2050.4+0.1
Majority10,23020.8−12.9
Turnout 49,22975.8−6.9
Conservative hold Swing -9.2

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Tonbridge and Malling [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 20,956 49.4 +1.4
Labour Victoria Hayman12,70629.9+2.7
Liberal Democrats Jean Canet7,60517.9−1.3
UKIP Lynne Croucher1,1692.8+1.8
Majority8,25019.5−1.3
Turnout 42,43664.3−11.5
Conservative hold Swing -0.7
General election 2005: Tonbridge and Malling [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 24,357 52.9 +3.5
Labour Victoria Hayman11,00523.9−6.0
Liberal Democrats John Barstow8,98019.5+1.6
UKIP Dave Waller1,7213.7+0.9
Majority13,35229.0+9.5
Turnout 46,06367.3+3.0
Conservative hold Swing +4.8

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Tonbridge and Malling [18] [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Stanley 29,723 57.9 +5.1
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Simpson11,54522.5+3.0
Labour Daniel Griffiths6,47612.6−11.2
UKIP David Waller1,9113.7−0.2
Green Steve Dawe7641.5New
National Front Michael Easter5051.0New
English Democrat Lisa Rogers3900.8New
Majority18,17835.4+6.4
Turnout 51,31471.5+3.1
Conservative hold Swing +1.1
General election 2015: Tonbridge and Malling [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Tom Tugendhat [21] 31,887 59.4 +1.5
UKIP Robert Izzard [22] 8,15315.2+11.5
Labour Claire Leigh [23] 7,60414.2+1.6
Liberal Democrats Mary Varrall [24] 3,6606.8−15.7
Green Howard Porter2,3664.4+2.9
Majority23,73444.2+8.8
Turnout 53,67073.8+2.3
Conservative hold Swing −5.0
General election 2017: Tonbridge and Malling
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Tom Tugendhat 36,218 63.6 +4.2
Labour Dylan Jones12,71022.3+8.1
Liberal Democrats Keith Miller3,7876.7−0.1
Green April Clark2,3354.1−0.3
UKIP Collin Bullen1,8573.3−11.9
Majority23,50841.3−2.9
Turnout 56,90773.7−0.1
Conservative hold Swing −2.0
General election 2019: Tonbridge and Malling [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Tom Tugendhat 35,784 62.8 −0.8
Liberal Democrats Richard Morris8,84315.5+8.8
Labour Dylan Jones8,28614.5−7.8
Green April Clark4,0907.2+3.1
Majority26,94147.3+6.0
Turnout 57,00373.70.0
Conservative hold Swing

See also

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References

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