Chatham and Aylesford (UK Parliament constituency)

Chatham and Aylesford
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Chatham and Aylesford in Kent.
Location of Kent within England.
County	Kent
Electorate	68,437 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Chatham and Aylesford
Current constituency
Created	1997 (1997)
Member of Parliament	Tracey Crouch (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Mid Kent and Tonbridge & Malling
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	South East England

Chatham and Aylesford is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is a marginal seat between the Labour Party and the Conservatives.

Boundaries

The constituency was created in 1997 from parts of the seats of Mid Kent and Tonbridge and Malling. As its name suggests, it covers the towns of Chatham and Aylesford in Kent. Labour are very strong in Chatham and Snodland, whereas the Tories' strength is concentrated in the smaller surrounding towns and villages.

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Kent, the Boundary Commission for England has made major changes to existing constituencies as a consequence of population changes. The modified Chatham and Aylesford constituency has been formed with electoral wards from the boroughs of Medway and Tonbridge and Malling;

• From Medway - Chatham Central, Lordswood and Capstone, Luton and Wayfield, Princes Park, and Walderslade
• From Tonbridge and Malling - Aylesford, Blue Bell Hill and Walderslade, Burham, Eccles and Wouldham, Ditton, Larkfield North, Larkfield South, Snodland East and Snodland West.
• The electoral ward of Luton should not be confused with the town of the same name
• The electoral ward of Eccles should not be confused with the Salford town of the same name

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1997	Jonathan Shaw	Labour
	2010	Tracey Crouch	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Chatham and Aylesford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tracey Crouch	20,230	46.2	+9.4
	Labour	Jonathan Shaw	14,161	32.3	-12.7
	Liberal Democrat	John McClintock	5,832	13.3	-0.2
	BNP	Colin McCarthy-Stewart	1,365	3.1	-
	UKIP	Steve Newton	1,314	3.0	+0.0
	English Democrats	Sean Varnham	400	0.9	-0.8
	Green	Dave Arthur	396	0.9	-
	Christian	Maureen Smith	109	0.2	-
Majority			6,069	13.9
Turnout			43,807	61.6	+1.0
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+11.1

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Chatham and Aylesford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jonathan Shaw	18,387	43.7	-4.6
	Conservative	Anne Jobson	16,055	38.2	+0.9
	Liberal Democrat	Debbie Enever	5,744	13.7	+1.9
	UKIP	Jeffrey King	1,226	2.9	+0.4
	English Democrats	Michael Russell	668	1.6	+1.6
Majority			2,332	5.5
Turnout			42,080	59.7	2.7
	Labour hold		Swing	-2.7

General Election 2001: Chatham and Aylesford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jonathan Shaw	19,180	48.3	+5.2
	Conservative	Sean Holden	14,840	37.3	-0.1
	Liberal Democrat	David Lettington	4,705	11.8	-3.2
	UKIP	Gregory Knopp	1,010	2.5	+1.5
Majority			4,340	11.0
Turnout			39,735	57.0	-13.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Chatham and Aylesford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jonathan Shaw	21,191	43.1
	Conservative	Richard Knox-Johnston	18,401	37.4
	Liberal Democrat	Robin Murray	7,389	15.0
	Referendum Party	K. Riddle	1,538	3.1
	UKIP	A. Harding	493	1.0
	Natural Law	T. Martell	149	0.3
Majority			2,790
Turnout				71.1

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Kent