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Tonbridge and Malling (UK Parliament constituency)

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Tonbridge and Malling
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent for the 2010 general election
Outline map
Location of Kent within England
CountyKent
Electorate72,671 (2015)[1]
Major settlementsTonbridge, Edenbridge and West Malling
1974 (1974)2024
SeatsOne
Created fromSevenoaks, Tonbridge
Replaced byTonbridge

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.

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

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

Boundaries

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Map
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

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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

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

Elections

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Elections in the 1970s

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General election February 1974: Tonbridge and Malling[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 24,809 45.8
Liberal M Vann 14,701 27.1
Labour Jack Straw 14,683 27.1
Majority 10,108 18.7
Turnout 54,193 83.4
Conservative win (new seat)
General election October 1974: Tonbridge and Malling[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 23,188 46.8 +1.0
Labour P. Knight 14,579 29.4 +2.3
Liberal M. Vann 11,767 23.8 −3.3
Majority 8,609 17.4 −1.3
Turnout 49,534 75.5 −7.9
Conservative hold Swing -0.7
General election 1979: Tonbridge and Malling[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 29,534 54.5 +7.7
Labour R. Ackerley 13,282 24.5 −4.9
Liberal G. Knopp 10,904 20.1 −3.7
National Front G. Burnett 429 0.8 New
Majority 16,252 30.0 +12.6
Turnout 54,149 79.5 +4.0
Conservative hold Swing +6.3

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1983: Tonbridge and Malling[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 30,417 56.1 +1.6
SDP Roland JM Freeman 16,897 31.2 +11.1
Labour David Bishop 6,896 12.7 −11.8
Majority 13,520 24.9 −5.1
Turnout 54,210 74.7 −4.8
Conservative hold Swing -4.8
General election 1987: Tonbridge and Malling[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 33,990 56.9 +0.8
SDP Michael Ward 17,561 29.4 −1.8
Labour Derek Still 7,803 13.1 +0.4
BNP Michael Easter 369 0.6 New
Majority 16,429 27.5 +2.6
Turnout 59,725 77.8 +3.1
Conservative hold Swing +1.3

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1992: Tonbridge and Malling[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 36,542 57.2 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Paul D. Roberts 14,984 23.5 −5.9
Labour Margaret A. O'Neill 11,533 18.1 +5.0
Green Jim Tidy 612 1.0 New
Natural Law Janet I.R. Horvath 221 0.3 New
Majority 21,558 33.7 +6.2
Turnout 63,892 82.7 +4.9
Conservative hold Swing +3.1
General election 1997: Tonbridge and Malling[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 23,640 48.0 −9.2
Labour Barbara Withstandley 13,410 27.2 +9.1
Liberal Democrats Keith Brown 9,467 19.2 −4.3
Referendum John Scrivenor 2,005 4.1 New
UKIP B. Bullen 502 1.0 New
Natural Law Gerard Valente 205 0.4 +0.1
Majority 10,230 20.8 −12.9
Turnout 49,229 75.8 −6.9
Conservative hold Swing -9.2

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2001: Tonbridge and Malling[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 20,956 49.4 +1.4
Labour Victoria Hayman 12,706 29.9 +2.7
Liberal Democrats Jean Canet 7,605 17.9 −1.3
UKIP Lynne Croucher 1,169 2.8 +1.8
Majority 8,250 19.5 −1.3
Turnout 42,436 64.3 −11.5
Conservative hold Swing -0.7
General election 2005: Tonbridge and Malling[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 24,357 52.9 +3.5
Labour Victoria Hayman 11,005 23.9 −6.0
Liberal Democrats John Barstow 8,980 19.5 +1.6
UKIP Dave Waller 1,721 3.7 +0.9
Majority 13,352 29.0 +9.5
Turnout 46,063 67.3 +3.0
Conservative hold Swing +4.8

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2010: Tonbridge and Malling[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Stanley 29,723 57.9 +5.1
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Simpson 11,545 22.5 +3.0
Labour Daniel Griffiths 6,476 12.6 −11.2
UKIP David Waller 1,911 3.7 −0.2
Green Steve Dawe 764 1.5 New
National Front Michael Easter 505 1.0 New
English Democrat Lisa Rogers 390 0.8 New
Majority 18,178 35.4 +6.4
Turnout 51,314 71.5 +3.1
Conservative hold Swing +1.1
General election 2015: Tonbridge and Malling[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Tugendhat[21] 31,887 59.4 +1.5
UKIP Robert Izzard[22] 8,153 15.2 +11.5
Labour Claire Leigh[23] 7,604 14.2 +1.6
Liberal Democrats Mary Varrall[24] 3,660 6.8 −15.7
Green Howard Porter 2,366 4.4 +2.9
Majority 23,734 44.2 +8.8
Turnout 53,670 73.8 +2.3
Conservative hold Swing −5.0
General election 2017: Tonbridge and Malling
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Tugendhat 36,218 63.6 +4.2
Labour Dylan Jones 12,710 22.3 +8.1
Liberal Democrats Keith Miller 3,787 6.7 −0.1
Green April Clark 2,335 4.1 −0.3
UKIP Collin Bullen 1,857 3.3 −11.9
Majority 23,508 41.3 −2.9
Turnout 56,907 73.7 −0.1
Conservative hold Swing −2.0
General election 2019: Tonbridge and Malling[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Tugendhat 35,784 62.8 −0.8
Liberal Democrats Richard Morris 8,843 15.5 +8.8
Labour Dylan Jones 8,286 14.5 −7.8
Green April Clark 4,090 7.2 +3.1
Majority 26,941 47.3 +6.0
Turnout 57,003 73.7 0.0
Conservative hold Swing

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2015 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics". statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  4. ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Tonbridge+and+Malling
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)
  6. ^ "UK General Election results: February 1974 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  7. ^ "UK General Election results: October 1974 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  8. ^ "UK General Election results: May 1979 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. ^ "UK General Election results: June 1983 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ^ "UK General Election results: June 1987 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. ^ http://www.tmbc.gov.uk/assets/Elections/WPE/WPE_TM_SoPN.pdf [dead link]
  20. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Tom Tugendhat MP". Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  22. ^ "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  23. ^ Tonbridge and Malling Labour Party. "@ClaireLeighLab, Labour PPC for Tonbridge Edenbridge & Malling". claireleigh4tonbridge.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  24. ^ "General Election 2015 Candidates - Liberal Democrats". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014.
  25. ^ "Tonbridge & Malling Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
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