Faversham and Mid Kent (UK Parliament constituency)

Faversham and Mid Kent is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Since 2015, the seat has been held by Helen Whately of the Conservative Party.[n 2]

Faversham and Mid Kent
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Faversham and Mid Kent in Kent for the 2010 general election
Outline map
Location of Kent within England
CountyKent
Electorate68,521 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsFaversham and Shepway, Maidstone
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentHelen Whately (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromFaversham and Mid Kent

Constituency profile

Faversham and Mid Kent covers a mainly rural sweep around the North Downs, including part of Swale and Maidstone boroughs. Some of the traditional farming industry remains. Residents' health and wealth are around average for the UK.[2]

Boundaries

1997–2010: The Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Boughton & Courtenay, Davington Priory, East Downs, St Ann's, Teynham and Lynsted, and Watling, and the Borough of Maidstone wards of Bearsted, Boxley, Detling, Harrietsham and Lenham, Headcorn, Hollingbourne, Langley, Leeds, Park Wood, Shepway East, Shepway West, Sutton Valence, and Thurnham.

2010–present: The Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Boughton and Courtenay, Davington Priory, East Downs, St Ann's, and Watling, and the Borough of Maidstone wards of Bearsted, Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton, Boxley, Detling and Thurnham, Downswood and Otham, Harrietsham and Lenham, Headcorn, Leeds, North Downs, Park Wood, Shepway North, Shepway South, and Sutton Valence and Langley.

The boundary change in 1997 caused minor confusion among a large minority of residents of the Maidstone electoral wards as a constituency named Maidstone and The Weald was also created at the same time (largely replacing the former Maidstone constituency), but residents in the Shepway and Park Wood areas of the town found themselves in Faversham and Mid Kent instead.[3]

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The Borough of Maidstone wards of: Bearsted; Boxley; Detling and Thurnham; Downswood and Otham; Harrietsham and Lenham; Leeds; North Downs; Park Wood; Shepway North; Shepway South.
  • The Borough of Swale wards of: Abbey; Boughton and Courtenay; East Downs; Priory; St. Ann’s; Teynham and Lynsted; Watling; West Downs.[4]

The Swale Borough wards of Teynham and Lynstead, and West Downs wards will be transferred from Sittingbourne and Sheppey, offset by the loss of the Maidstone Borough wards of Boughton Monchelsea & Chart Sutton, Headcorn, and Sutton Valence & Langley to the newly created constituency of Weald of Kent.

History

In 1997, the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency was formed when the previous Faversham seat was abolished and split into Sittingbourne and Sheppey and the town of Faversham which was then merged with Mid Kent to form this constituency.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[5] Party
1997 Andrew Rowe Conservative
2001 Sir Hugh Robertson Conservative
2015 Helen Whately Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s
Next general election: Faversham and Mid Kent
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform UK Maxwell Harrison[6]
Liberal Democrats Hannah Perkin[7]
Green Hannah Temple[8]
Conservative Helen Whately[9]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Faversham and Mid Kent[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Whately 31,864 63.2 +2.1
Labour Jenny Reeves 9,888 19.6 -6.5
Liberal Democrats Hannah Perkin 6,170 12.2 +5.7
Green Hannah Temple 2,103 4.2 +1.3
Independent Gary Butler 369 0.7 New
Majority 21,976 43.6 +8.6
Turnout 50,394 68.7 -0.2
Conservative hold Swing +4.3
General election 2017: Faversham and Mid Kent
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Whately 30,390 61.1 +6.7
Labour Michael Desmond 12,977 26.1 +9.9
Liberal Democrats David S. Naghi 3,249 6.5 -0.1
UKIP Mark McGiffin 1,702 3.4 -14.6
Green Alastair Gould 1,431 2.9 -1.0
Majority 17,413 35.0 -1.4
Turnout 49,749 68.9 +3.0
Conservative hold Swing -1.6
General election 2015: Faversham and Mid Kent[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Whately[13] 24,895 54.4 −1.8
UKIP Peter Edwards-Daem 8,243 18.0 +14.3
Labour Michael Desmond 7,403 16.2 −0.4
Liberal Democrats David S. Naghi 3,039 6.6 −13.1
Green Tim Valentine 1,768 3.9 +2.0
Monster Raving Loony Hairy Knorm Davidson[14] 297 0.6 −0.2
English Democrat Gary Butler 158 0.3 New
Majority 16,652 36.4 −0.2
Turnout 45,803 65.9 −1.9
Conservative hold Swing -8.1
General election 2010: Faversham and Mid Kent[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Robertson 26,250 56.2 +6.1
Liberal Democrats David S. Naghi 9,162 19.6 +2.9
Labour Ashok Rehal 7,748 16.6 −12.5
UKIP Sarah Larkins 1,722 3.7 +1.0
Green Tim Valentine 890 1.9 New
National Front Graham Kemp[16] 542 1.2 New
Monster Raving Loony Hairy Knorm Davidson 398 0.9 −0.6
Majority 17,088 36.6 +16.6
Turnout 46,712 67.8 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing +1.6

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Faversham and Mid Kent[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Robertson 21,690 49.7 +4.1
Labour Andrew W. Bradstock 12,970 29.7 −5.8
Liberal Democrats David S. Naghi 7,204 16.5 +3.0
UKIP Robert P. Thompson 1,152 2.6 +0.6
Monster Raving Loony Norman W. Davidson 610 1.4 New
Majority 8,720 20.0 +9.9
Turnout 43,626 65.7 +5.3
Conservative hold Swing +4.9
General election 2001: Faversham and Mid Kent[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Robertson 18,739 45.6 +1.2
Labour Grahame Birchall 14,556 35.5 −0.5
Liberal Democrats Michael Sole 5,529 13.5 +1.1
UKIP James Gascoyne 828 2.0 +1.1
Green Penelope Kemp 799 1.9 +1.2
Rock 'n' Roll Loony Norman W. Davidson 600 1.5 New
Majority 4,183 10.1 +1.7
Turnout 41,051 60.4 -13.1
Conservative hold Swing +0.9

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Faversham and Mid Kent[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Rowe 22,016 44.4
Labour Alan Stewart 17,843 36.0
Liberal Democrats Bruce E. Parmenter 6,138 12.4
Referendum Robin M. Birley 2,073 4.2
Monster Raving Loony Norman W. Davidson 511 1.0
UKIP Michael J. Cunningham 431 0.9
Green David J. Currer 380 0.8
Green Referendum Lawless Naturally Street Party Caroline Morgan 115 0.2
Natural Law Nigel P.J. Pollard 99 0.2
Majority 4,173 8.4
Turnout 49,606 73.5
Conservative win (new seat)

See also
  • List of parliamentary constituencies in Kent

Notes
  1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. 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
  1. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Faversham+and+Kent+Mid
  3. "Maidstone News & Sport, latest news from the Kent Messenger". Kent Online.
  4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  5. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
  6. "Faversham and Mid Kent Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  7. "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  8. "General Election 2024". Swale GReen Party. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  9. "Helen Whately MP for Faversham and Mid Kent reselected as Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate". Kent Online. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  10. "Election of a Member of Parliament" (PDF). 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  11. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. "UKIP in Faversham and Mid-Kent elect candidate for 2015". Canterbury Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  13. "Faversham Conservatives name Helen Whately as parliamentary candidate | Canterbury Times". Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  14. "Official Monster Raving Loony Party leaflet". ElectionLeaflets.org.
  15. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. National Front
  17. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

51°15′N 0°48′E

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