Isle of Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)

Isle of Thanet was a county constituency which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885, until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election.

Isle of Thanet
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Isle of Thanet in Kent, showing boundaries used from 1955-1974
1885–February 1974
Number of membersone
Replaced byThanet East, Thanet West
Created fromEast Kent

It was located on the Isle of Thanet, in Kent.

Boundaries

1918–1950: The Boroughs of Margate, Ramsgate, and Sandwich, the Urban District of Broadstairs and St Peters, and the Rural District of Isle of Thanet.

1950–1974: The Boroughs of Margate and Ramsgate, the Urban District of Broadstairs and St Peters, and in the Rural District of Eastry the parishes of Acol, Minster, Monkton, St Nicholas at Wade, and Sarre.

Members of Parliament
YearMemberParty
1885 Edward King-Harman Conservative
1888 James Lowther Conservative
1904 Harry Marks Conservative
1910 Norman Craig Conservative
1919 Esmond Harmsworth Unionist
1929 Harold Balfour Unionist
1945 Edward Carson Conservative
1953 William Rees-Davies Conservative
1974 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: Isle of Thanet [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward King-Harman 3,381 55.9
Liberal Edmund Francis Davies [2] 2,670 44.1
Majority 711 11.8
Turnout 6,051 76.2
Registered electors 7,941
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Isle of Thanet [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward King-Harman 3,399 72.2 +16.3
Liberal Edward Gripper Banks[4] 1,311 27.8 -16.3
Majority 2,088 44.4 +32.6
Turnout 4,710 59.3 -16.9
Registered electors 7,941
Conservative hold Swing +16.3

King-Harman's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 29 Jun 1888: Isle of Thanet [5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Lowther 3,547 55.1 −17.1
Liberal Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen 2,889 44.9 +17.1
Majority 658 10.2 −34.2
Turnout 6,436 78.2 +18.9
Registered electors 8,228
Conservative hold Swing −17.1

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Isle of Thanet [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Lowther 3,901 57.7 −14.5
Liberal Heber Hart 2,857 42.3 +14.5
Majority 1,044 15.4 −29.0
Turnout 6,758 68.2 +8.9
Registered electors 9,913
Conservative hold Swing −14.5
General election 1895: Isle of Thanet [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Lowther Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Isle of Thanet [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Lowther Unopposed
Conservative hold
1904 Isle of Thanet by-election [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Marks 4,048 52.5 N/A
Liberal Joseph King 3,666 47.5 New
Majority 382 5.0 N/A
Turnout 7,714 71.3 N/A
Registered electors 10,823
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1906: Isle of Thanet [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Marks 5,154 51.3 N/A
Liberal Joseph King 3,961 39.5 N/A
Ind. Conservative Frederick E McCormick Goodhart 925 9.2 New
Majority 1,193 11.8 N/A
Turnout 10,040 84.4 N/A
Registered electors 11,891
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General Election January 1910: Isle of Thanet [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Norman Craig 6,892 66.9 +15.6
Liberal Julian William Wellesley Weigall 3,410 33.1 −6.4
Majority 3,482 33.8 +22.0
Turnout 10,302 81.8 −2.6
Registered electors 12,588
Conservative hold Swing +11.0
General election December 1910: Isle of Thanet [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Norman Craig Unopposed
Conservative hold

General Election 1914/15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General Election 1918: Isle of Thanet[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Norman Craig Unopposed
Unionist hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
1919 Isle of Thanet by-election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Esmond Harmsworth 9,711 57.9 N/A
Liberal William J. West 7,058 42.1 New
Majority 2,653 15.8 N/A
Turnout 16,769 52.8 N/A
Registered electors 31,767
Unionist hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1920s
1922 general election: Isle of Thanet[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Esmond Harmsworth 16,116 61.2 N/A
Liberal Alfred Suenson-Taylor 10,226 38.8 N/A
Majority 5,890 22.4 N/A
Turnout 26,342 68.4 N/A
Registered electors 38,500
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Isle of Thanet[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Esmond Harmsworth 13,821 50.1 −11.1
Liberal Reginald Rait 13,773 49.9 +11.1
Majority 48 0.2 −22.2
Turnout 27,594 69.5 +1.1
Registered electors 39,679
Unionist hold Swing −11.1
General election 1924: Isle of Thanet[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Esmond Harmsworth 21,130 65.8 +15.7
Liberal Arthur Luxmoore 6,779 21.1 −28.8
Labour Dudley Aman 4,202 13.1 New
Majority 14,351 44.7 +44.5
Turnout 32,111 77.6 +8.1
Registered electors 41,395
Unionist hold Swing +22.3
General election 1929: Isle of Thanet[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Harold Balfour 22,595 52.9 −12.9
Liberal Alfred Suenson-Taylor 15,648 36.6 +15.5
Labour Edgar Joseph Plaisted 4,490 10.5 −2.6
Majority 6,947 16.3 −28.4
Turnout 42,733 73.3 −4.3
Registered electors 58,330
Unionist hold Swing −14.2

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Isle of Thanet[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harold Balfour 33,173 74.2 +21.3
Liberal George Ivor Phillips 11,517 25.8 -10.8
Majority 21,656 48.4 +32.1
Turnout 44,690 73.6 +0.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Isle of Thanet[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harold Balfour Unopposed
Conservative hold

General Election 1939/40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Isle of Thanet [24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Carson 15,023 48.7 N/A
Labour Thomas Boyd 12,075 39.2 New
Liberal PJ Willmett 3,732 12.1 New
Majority 2,948 9.5 N/A
Turnout 30,830 69.2 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Isle of Thanet [25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Carson 31,345 55.5 +6.8
Labour Christopher Boyd 20,522 36.4 -2.8
Liberal Charles Wrong 4,561 8.1 -4.0
Majority 10,823 19.1 +9.6
Turnout 56,431 83.0 +13.8
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Isle of Thanet [26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Carson 33,551 61.6 +6.1
Labour Otto Shaw 20,892 38.4 +2.0
Majority 12,659 23.2 +4.1
Turnout 54,444 78.0 -5.0
Conservative hold Swing
1953 Isle of Thanet by-election[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Rees-Davies 25,261 61.3 -0.3
Labour Frank Woodbridge 15,935 38.7 +0.3
Majority 9,326 22.6 -0.6
Turnout 41,196 58.7 -21.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Isle of Thanet [28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Rees-Davies 31,270 62.2 +0.6
Labour Kingston Jones 18,981 37.8 -0.6
Majority 12,289 24.4 +1.2
Turnout 50,251 71.9 -6.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Isle of Thanet [29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Rees-Davies 29,453 54.5 -7.7
Labour Henry Fountain 17,555 32.5 -5.3
Liberal George MacDonald-Jones 6,998 13.0 New
Majority 11,898 22.0 -2.4
Turnout 54,007 75.1 +3.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Isle of Thanet [30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Rees-Davies 27,870 47.7 -6.8
Labour Ernest Wistrich 20,520 35.2 +2.7
Liberal David Norrington 9,979 17.1 +4.1
Majority 7,350 12.5 -9.5
Turnout 58,369 74.2 -0.9
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Isle of Thanet [31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Rees-Davies 29,302 47.5 -0.2
Labour Leonard John A Bishop 24,416 39.6 +4.4
Liberal Frederick G Redman 7,952 12.9 -4.2
Majority 4,886 7.9 -4.6
Turnout 61,670 75.7 +1.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Isle of Thanet [32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Rees-Davies 33,434 51.9 +4.4
Labour Leonard John A Bishop 21,709 33.7 -5.9
Liberal Tudor Gates 7,176 11.1 -1.8
Ind. Conservative Ian Josephs 2,136 3.3 New
Majority 11,725 18.2 +10.3
Turnout 64,458 72.2 -3.5
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  2. "The General Election". The Morning Post. 2 December 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 1 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  4. "The General Election". Aberdeen Free Press. 10 July 1886. p. 4. Retrieved 1 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  6. The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 146 (170 in web page), Kent
  7. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  8. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  9. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  10. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  11. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  12. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  13. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  14. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  15. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  16. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  17. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  18. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  19. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  20. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  21. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  22. The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  23. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  24. British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949 by FWS Craig
  25. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  26. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  27. https://web.archive.org/web/20121010071919/http://by-elections.co.uk/53.html
  28. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  29. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  30. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  31. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  32. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
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