Sittingbourne and Sheppey (UK Parliament constituency)
| Sittingbourne and Sheppey | |
|---|---|
| County constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Boundary of Sittingbourne and Sheppey in Kent | |
 Location of Kent within England | |
| County | Kent |
| Electorate | 74,796 (December 2010)[1] |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1997 |
| Member of Parliament | Gordon Henderson (Conservative) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Faversham |
Sittingbourne and Sheppey is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Gordon Henderson, a Conservative.[n 2]
Boundaries
The constituency was created in 1997, mostly from the former seat of Faversham. It covers some of the district of Swale, including Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey.[2]
Boundary review
Implementing the Fourth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies in 2003-4 of the Boundary Commission, Parliament made major changes to the existing constituency boundaries as a consequence of population changes in the county, taking effect in 2005, whereas the Fifth Review simply saw the full inclusion of the previously shared Teynham and Lynsted ward from Faversham and Mid Kent seat from 2010.
Since this date the seat has electoral wards:
- Borden, Chalkwell, Grove, Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch, Iwade and Lower Halstow, Kemsley, Leysdown and Warden, Milton Regis, Minster Cliffs, Murston, Queenborough and Halfway, Roman, St Michaels, Sheerness East, Sheerness West, Sheppey Central, West Downs and Woodstock in the Borough of Swale[2]
Constituency profile
The constituency has been a bellwether (of the national result) since its 1997 creation. Unemployment claimant levels in November 2012 were close to the national average (3.8%) at 4.5%, in line with Cleethorpes, Thurrock, Hammersmith and Meriden.[3]
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member[4] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | 1997 | Derek Wyatt | Labour |
| style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | 2010 | Gordon Henderson | Conservative |
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Gordon Henderson | 24,313 | 50.0 | +8.3 | |
| Labour | Angela Harrison | 11,930 | 24.6 | -17.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Keith Nevols | 7,943 | 16.4 | +3.6 | |
| UKIP | Ian Davison | 2,610 | 5.4 | +3.1 | |
| BNP | Lawrence Tames | 1,305 | 2.7 | N/A | |
| Monster Raving Loony | Mad Mike Young | 319 | 0.7 | +0.7 | |
| Independent | David Cassidy | 158 | 0.3 | +0.3 | |
| Majority | 12,383 | 25.5 | |||
| Turnout | 48,578 | 64.5 | +10.8 | ||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +12.7 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Wyatt | 17,051 | 41.8 | -4.0 | |
| Conservative | Gordon Henderson | 16,972 | 41.6 | +5.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jane Nelson | 5,183 | 12.7 | -1.4 | |
| UKIP | Stephen Dean | 926 | 2.3 | +0.6 | |
| Rock 'n' Roll Loony | Mad Mike Young | 479 | 1.2 | -0.6 | |
| Veritas | David Cassidy | 192 | 0.5 | +0.5 | |
| Majority | 79 | 0.2 | |||
| Turnout | 40,803 | 53.7 | -3.8 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -4.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Wyatt | 17,340 | 45.8 | +5.2 | |
| Conservative | Adrian Lee | 13,831 | 36.5 | +0.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Elvina Lowe | 5,353 | 14.1 | -4.2 | |
| Rock 'n' Roll Loony | Mad Mike Young | 673 | 1.8 | N/A | |
| UKIP | Robert Oakley | 661 | 1.7 | +0.7 | |
| Majority | 3,509 | 9.3 | |||
| Turnout | 37,858 | 57.5 | -14.7 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Wyatt | 18,723 | 40.6 | ||
| Conservative | Roger Moate | 16,794 | 36.4 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Roger Truelove | 8,447 | 18.3 | ||
| Referendum | P. Moull | 1,082 | 2.3 | ||
| Monster Raving Loony | C. Driver | 644 | 1.4 | ||
| UKIP | N. Risi | 472 | 1.0 | ||
| Majority | 1,929 | ||||
| Turnout | 72.3 | ||||
See also
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. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ a b 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
- ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 3)