Tunbridge Wells (UK Parliament constituency)
Tunbridge Wells is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Greg Clark, a Conservative who served as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2016 to 2019.[n 2]
Tunbridge Wells | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Tunbridge Wells in Kent | |
Location of Kent within England | |
County | Kent |
Electorate | 73,028 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Tunbridge Wells and Paddock Wood |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1974 |
Member of Parliament | Greg Clark (Conservatives) |
Number of members | One |
Created from | Tonbridge and Ashford |
Boundaries
1974–1983: The Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Urban District of Southborough, the Rural District of Cranbrook, and in the Rural District of Tonbridge the parishes of Bidborough, Brenchley, Capel, Horsmonden, Lamberhurst, Paddock Wood, Pembury, and Speldhurst.
1983–1997: The Borough of Tunbridge Wells. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged.
1997–2010: The Borough of Tunbridge Wells wards of Brenchley, Capel, Culverden, Goudhurst, Horsmonden, Lamberhurst, Paddock Wood, Pantiles, Park, Pembury, Rusthall, St James', St John's, St Mark's, Sherwood, Southborough East, Southborough North, Southborough West, and Speldhurst and Bidborough.
2010–present: The Borough of Tunbridge Wells wards of Brenchley and Horsmonden, Broadwater, Capel, Culverden, Goudhurst and Lamberhurst, Hawkhurst and Sandhurst, Paddock Wood East, Paddock Wood West, Pantiles and St Mark's, Park, Pembury, Rusthall, St James', St John's, Sherwood, Southborough and High Brooms, Southborough North, and Speldhurst and Bidborough.
The current constituency includes the large town of Tunbridge Wells, and most of its borough to the east which is generally rural.
History
The constituency was created in 1974, and was originally named "Royal Tunbridge Wells". Except for Cranbrook Rural District (previously part of the Ashford constituency) the area had formed part of the constituency of Tonbridge prior to 1974. In 1983 the "Royal" prefix was removed from the seat's name.
- Political history
The seat's results since its 1974 creation indicate a Conservative safe seat. In 1994, the Conservative group on the council lost control, but regained it in 1998.
- Prominent frontbenchers
In succession, from 1983 until 1997 Patrick Mayhew reached three leading positions: Solicitor General for England and Wales, Attorney General for England and Wales and for Northern Ireland (simultaneously) and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
From 2000 to 2001, Archie Norman was the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions.
The present member, Greg Clark, was Minister for Decentralisation from the start of the Cameron ministry, and then two years later became Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Constituency profile
The area is still largely rural in character and landscape, enjoying a gently elevated position which is traversed by the High Weald Landscape Trail. The area has local service sector and financial sector employers, light engineering combined with being substantially a commuter belt town for London, and to an extent, businesses on the southern side of the M25, such as in the Gatwick Diamond.
Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.7% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[2]
Members of Parliament
Election | Member[3] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
Feb 1974 | Patrick Mayhew | Conservative | |
1997 | Archie Norman | Conservative | |
2005 | Greg Clark | Conservative | |
September 2019 | Independent | ||
November 2019 | Conservative |
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Greg Clark | 30,119 | 55.1 | 1.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Ben Chapelard | 15,474 | 28.3 | 18.4 | |
Labour | Antonio Weiss | 8,098 | 14.8 | 11.7 | |
Independent | Christopher Camp | 488 | 0.9 | N/A | |
Independent | Nigel Peacock | 471 | 0.9 | N/A | |
Majority | 14,645 | 26.8 | 3.6 | ||
Turnout | 54,650 | 73.0 | 0.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | 10.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Greg Clark | 30,856 | 56.9 | −1.8 | |
Labour | Charles Woodgate | 14,391 | 26.5 | +12.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Rachel Sadler | 5,355 | 9.9 | +1.4 | |
UKIP | Chris Hoare | 1,464 | 2.7 | −9.9 | |
Green | Trevor Bisdee | 1,441 | 2.7 | −2.5 | |
Women's Equality | Celine Thomas | 702 | 1.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 16,465 | 30.4 | −14.1 | ||
Turnout | 54,209 | 72.1 | +2.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -5.25 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Greg Clark | 30,181 | 58.7 | +2.4 | |
Labour | Kevin Kerrigan | 7,307 | 14.2 | +3.4 | |
UKIP | Colin Nicholson[8] | 6,481 | 12.6 | +8.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | James McCleary[9][10] | 4,342 | 8.4 | −16.8 | |
Green | Marie Jones | 2,659 | 5.2 | +3.4 | |
Independent | Graham Naismith[11] | 458 | 0.9 | N/A | |
Majority | 22,874 | 44.5 | +13.5 | ||
Turnout | 51,428 | 70.0 | +0.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Greg Clark | 28,302 | 56.2 | +5.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Hallas | 12,726 | 25.3 | 0.0 | |
Labour | Gary Heather | 5,448 | 10.8 | −9.6 | |
UKIP | Victor Webb | 2,054 | 4.1 | +0.6 | |
Green | Hazel Dawe | 914 | 1.8 | N/A | |
BNP | Andrew McBride[13] | 704 | 1.4 | N/A | |
Independent | Farel Bradbury | 172 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 15,576 | 30.9 | +7.4 | ||
Turnout | 50,320 | 69.8 | +3.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.8 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Greg Clark | 21,083 | 49.6 | +0.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Laura Murphy | 11,095 | 26.1 | +1.4 | |
Labour | Jacqui Jedrzejewski | 8,736 | 20.6 | −2.6 | |
UKIP | Victor Webb | 1,568 | 3.7 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 9,988 | 23.5 | −0.7 | ||
Turnout | 42,482 | 65.7 | +3.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Archie Norman | 19,643 | 48.9 | +3.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Keith Brown | 9,913 | 24.7 | −5.0 | |
Labour | Ian Carvell | 9,332 | 23.2 | +2.8 | |
UKIP | Victor Webb | 1,313 | 3.3 | +2.7 | |
Majority | 9,730 | 24.2 | +6.7 | ||
Turnout | 40,201 | 62.3 | −11.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.4 |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Archie Norman | 21,853 | 45.2 | −11.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Anthony S. Clayton | 14,347 | 29.7 | +1.3 | |
Labour | Peter Warner | 9,879 | 20.4 | +6.6 | |
Referendum | Tim Macpherson | 1,858 | 3.8 | N/A | |
UKIP | M. Smart | 264 | 0.5 | N/A | |
Natural Law | Paul Levy | 153 | 0.3 | −0.1 | |
Majority | 7,506 | 15.5 | -13.0 | ||
Turnout | 48,354 | 74.1 | -4.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -6.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Mayhew | 34,162 | 56.9 | −1.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Anthony S. Clayton | 17,030 | 28.4 | −1.6 | |
Labour | EAC Goodman | 8,300 | 13.8 | +2.3 | |
Natural Law | EW Fenna | 267 | 0.4 | N/A | |
Independent | R Edey | 236 | 0.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 17,132 | 28.5 | +0.1 | ||
Turnout | 59,995 | 78.1 | +3.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.0 |
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Mayhew | 33,111 | 58.44 | +0.18 | |
Liberal | Dorothy Buckrell | 16,989 | 29,99 | −0.02 | |
Labour | Peter Sloman | 6,555 | 11.57 | +0.29 | |
Majority | 16,122 | 28.45 | +0.20 | ||
Turnout | 74.26 | +1.60 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Mayhew | 31,199 | 58.26 | −1.28 | |
Liberal | P Blaine | 16,073 | 30.01 | +11.74 | |
Labour | SJ Casely | 6,042 | 11.28 | −9.96 | |
National Front | D Smith | 236 | 0.44 | −0.51 | |
Majority | 15,126 | 28.25 | −10.04 | ||
Turnout | 72.66 | −2.00 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | −6.5 |
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Mayhew | 31,928 | 59.54 | +10.01 | |
Labour | AAJ Bartlett | 11,392 | 21.24 | −3.69 | |
Liberal | R Baker | 9,797 | 18.27 | −7.27 | |
National Front | W Standen | 509 | 0.95 | N/A | |
Majority | 20,536 | 38.30 | +14.3 | ||
Turnout | 74.66 | +2.15 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Mayhew | 24,829 | 49.53 | +0.17 | |
Liberal | DC Owens | 12,802 | 25.54 | −3.82 | |
Labour | RC Blackwell | 12,499 | 24.93 | +3.65 | |
Majority | 12,027 | 23.99 | +3.99 | ||
Turnout | 72.51 | −7.87 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Mayhew | 27,212 | 49.36 | ||
Liberal | DC Owens | 16,184 | 29.36 | ||
Labour | MF Short | 11,734 | 21.28 | ||
Majority | 11,028 | 20.00 | |||
Turnout | 80.38 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Notes and references
- Notes
- A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- 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
- "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.
- Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)
- "Tunbridge Wells Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- "2017 General Election: The 6 candidates in Tunbridge Wells". Who Can I Vote For? by Democracy Club. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- "Tunbridge Wells". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- http://www.libdems.org.uk/general_election_candidates#South_East
- "James MacCleary". YourNextMP. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- http://www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/88134/Statment-of-Persons-Nominated-Parliamentary-Election.pdf%5B%5D
- "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- http://bnp.org.uk/2010/03/bnp%E2%80%99s-south-east-regional-organiser-to-contest-the-tunbridge-wells-seat/%5B%5D
- "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.