Gillingham and Rainham (UK Parliament constituency)

Gillingham and Rainham is a constituency[n 1] in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 creation by Rehman Chishti, a Conservative.[n 2] It replaced the previous constituency of Gillingham.

Gillingham and Rainham
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Gillingham and Rainham in Kent for the 2010 general election
Outline map
Location of Kent within England
CountyKent
Electorate71,109 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsGillingham, Rainham, Hempstead, Twydall
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentRehman Chishti (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromGillingham

Boundaries edit

 
Map of current boundaries

The Medway wards of Gillingham North, Gillingham South, Hempstead and Wigmore, Rainham Central, Rainham North, Rainham South, Twydall and Watling.

Proposed edit

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be unchanged.[2]

Constituency profile edit

The constituency is generally suburban and centred on Gillingham, historically a small port, which is within the London Commuter Belt. Local retail, industry, business parks, trades and professions provide constituents with a high level of employment, mostly on moderate to middle incomes;[3] however, the area is not wholly resilient to unemployment. Registered claimants who were registered jobseekers were marginally lower than the national average of 3.8% at 3.5% of the population, according to a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[4]

Residents' wealth is around average for the UK, but below average for the South East region.[5] The predecessor constituency of Gillingham was a Labour-Conservative marginal seat though prior to 1997 was a safe Conservative seat. The current constituency can be considered a safe Conservative seat.

Members of Parliament edit

Election Member[6] Party
2010 Rehman Chishti Conservative

Elections edit

Elections in the 2020s edit

Next general election: Gillingham and Rainham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Naushabah Khan[7]
Liberal Democrats Stuart Bourne[8]
Reform UK Rizvi Rawoof[9]
SDP Peter Wheeler[10]
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Elections in the 2010s edit

General election 2019: Gillingham and Rainham[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rehman Chishti 28,173 61.3 +5.9
Labour Andy Stamp 13,054 28.4 –7.7
Liberal Democrats Alan Bullion 2,503 5.4 +2.6
Green George Salomon 1,043 2.3 +1.2
UKIP Rob McCulloch Martin 837 1.8 –2.5
Independent Peter Cook 229 0.5 New
CPA Roger Peacock 119 0.3 0.0
Majority 15,119 32.9 +13.6
Turnout 45,958 62.5 –4.4
Conservative hold Swing +6.8
General election 2017: Gillingham and Rainham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rehman Chishti 27,091 55.4 +7.4
Labour Andy Stamp 17,661 36.1 +10.5
UKIP Martin Cook 2,097 4.3 –15.2
Liberal Democrats Paul Chaplin 1,372 2.8 –0.8
Green Clive Gregory 520 1.1 –1.3
CPA Roger Peacock 127 0.3 New
Majority 9,430 19.3 –3.1
Turnout 48,868 66.9 +2.1
Conservative hold Swing –1.5
General election 2015: Gillingham and Rainham[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rehman Chishti 22,590 48.0 +1.8
Labour Paul Clark 12,060 25.6 –2.1
UKIP Mark Hanson 9,199 19.5 +16.3
Liberal Democrats Paul Chaplin[13] 1,707 3.6 –14.5
Green Neil Williams 1,133 2.4 +1.6
TUSC Jacqui Berry[14] 273 0.6 New
Independent Roger Peacock 72 0.1 New
Independent Mike Walters 44 0.1 New
Majority 10,530 22.4 +3.9
Turnout 47,078 64.8 –1.2
Conservative hold Swing +1.9
General election 2010: Gillingham and Rainham[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rehman Chishti 21,624 46.2 +5.5
Labour Paul Clark 12,944 27.7 –13.1
Liberal Democrats Andrew Stamp 8,484 18.1 +2.8
UKIP Robert Oakley 1,515 3.2 +0.6
BNP Brian Ravenscroft 1,149 2.5 New
English Democrat Dean Lacey 464 1.0 New
Green Trish Marchant 356 0.8 New
Independent Gordon Bryan 141 0.3 New
Medway Independent Party George Meegan 109 0.2 New
Majority 8,680 18.5 N/A
Turnout 46,786 66.0 +2.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.3

Paul Clark was the incumbent MP for Gillingham.

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ 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 edit

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  3. ^ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk.
  4. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  5. ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Gillingham+and+Rainham
  6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 1)
  7. ^ "Local democracy reporter Robert Boddy meets Labour's Gillingham and Rainham parliamentary candidate Naushabah Khan". Kent Online. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Gillingham and Rainham Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  10. ^ "GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES". SDP. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  11. ^ "General Election 2019 candidates". www.medway.gov.uk.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ "General Election Candidates". Liberal Democrats. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  14. ^ "MORE TUSC CANDIDATES IN PLACE AS ELECTION CHALLENGE GROWS". www.tusc.org.uk.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

51°22′N 0°34′E / 51.367°N 0.567°E / 51.367; 0.567