Tonbridge was a parliamentary constituency in Kent, centred on the town of Tonbridge. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Tonbridge | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
1918–February 1974 | |
Seats | one |
Created from | Tunbridge |
Replaced by | Tonbridge and Malling |
The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, replacing the previous Tunbridge constituency. It was abolished for the February 1974 general election, when it was replaced by the new Tonbridge and Malling constituency.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be re-established for the next general election. It will be formed primarily from Tonbridge and Malling.[1]
Boundaries edit
1918–1950: The Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Urban Districts of Tonbridge and Southborough, and the Rural District of Tonbridge.
1950–1974: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.
Proposed edit
The constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The District of Sevenoaks wards of: Ash and New Ash Green; Cowden and Hever; Edenbridge North and East; Edenbridge South and West; Hartley and Hodsoll Street; Leigh and Chiddingstone Causeway; Penshurst, Fordcombe and Chiddingstone.
- The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Borough Green and Long Mill; Cage Green; Castle; Downs and Mereworth; Hadlow and East Peckham; Higham; Hildenborough; Judd; Medway; Trench; Vauxhall; Wateringbury; Wrotham, Ightham and Stansted.[2]
It will comprise the bulk of the existing Tonbridge and Malling seat (excluding East and West Malling), plus an additional two District of Sevenoaks wards to the north - Ash and New Ash Green, and Hartley and Hodsoll Street, from the constituencies of Sevenoaks and Dartford respectively.[3]
Following a local government boundary review in Tonbridge and Malling which came into effect in May 2023,[4][5] the constituency will now comprise the following from the next general election:
- The District of Sevenoaks wards of: Ash and New Ash Green; Cowden and Hever; Edenbridge North and East; Edenbridge South and West; Hartley and Hodsoll Street; Leigh and Chiddingstone Causeway; Penshurst, Fordcombe and Chiddingstone.
- The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh (part); Borough Green & Platt; Bourne; Cage Green & Angel; East and West Peckham, Mereworth & Wateringbury; East Malling, West Malling & Offham (small part); Higham; Hildenborough; Judd; Pilgrims with Ightham; Trench; Vauxhall.[6]
Constituency profile edit
The proposed seat includes the commuter town of Tonbridge and its hinterland to the north, plus the smaller town of Edenbridge further west. Electoral Calculus characterises this area as "Strong Right", with right-wing economic and social views, high home ownership levels and strong support for Brexit.[7]
Members of Parliament edit
Election | Member | Party | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1918 | Herbert Spender-Clay | Conservative | Died 1937 | |
1937 by-election | Sir Adrian Baillie, Bt | Conservative | ||
1945 | Gerald Williams | Conservative | Resigned 1956 | |
1956 by-election | Richard Hornby | Conservative | ||
Feb 1974 | constituency abolished |
Election results edit
Elections in the 1910s edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Herbert Spender-Clay | 14,622 | 68.1 | |
Labour | John Palmer | 5,006 | 23.3 | ||
Liberal | Thomas Buxton | 1,851 | 8.6 | ||
Majority | 9,616 | 44.8 | |||
Turnout | 21,479 | 57.4 | |||
Unionist win (new seat) | |||||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Herbert Spender-Clay | 14,797 | 53.0 | -15.1 | |
Labour | Joseph Thomas Davies | 7,665 | 27.4 | +4.1 | |
Liberal | Albert Charles Crane | 5,472 | 19.6 | +11.0 | |
Majority | 7,132 | 25.6 | -19.2 | ||
Turnout | 27,934 | 72.5 | +15.1 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Herbert Spender-Clay | 13,910 | 49.8 | -3.2 | |
Liberal | Albert Charles Crane | 7,433 | 26.6 | +7.0 | |
Labour | Joseph Thomas Davis | 6,610 | 23.6 | -3.8 | |
Majority | 6,477 | 23.2 | -2.4 | ||
Turnout | 27,953 | 70.6 | -1.9 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -5.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Herbert Spender-Clay | 17,392 | 58.2 | +8.4 | |
Labour | W F Toynbee | 6,564 | 22.0 | -1.6 | |
Liberal | James Millard Tucker | 5,898 | 19.8 | -6.8 | |
Majority | 10,828 | 36.2 | +13.0 | ||
Turnout | 29,854 | 74.3 | +3.7 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Herbert Spender-Clay | 19,018 | 49.8 | -8.4 | |
Liberal | Gordon Alchin | 10,025 | 26.2 | +6.4 | |
Labour | W F Toynbee | 9,149 | 24.0 | +2.0 | |
Majority | 8,993 | 23.6 | -12.6 | ||
Turnout | 38,192 | 72.3 | -2.0 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -7.4 |
Elections in the 1930s edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Herbert Spender-Clay | 30,602 | 78.8 | +29.0 | |
Labour | Constance Borrett | 8,208 | 21.1 | -2.9 | |
Majority | 22,394 | 57.7 | +34.1 | ||
Turnout | 38,810 | 69.2 | -3.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Herbert Spender-Clay | 23,460 | 61.3 | -17.5 | |
Labour | F M Landau | 9,405 | 24.6 | +3.5 | |
Liberal | Richard Pope-Hennessy | 5,403 | 14.1 | New | |
Majority | 14,055 | 36.7 | -21.0 | ||
Turnout | 38,268 | 68.2 | -1.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Adrian Baillie | 18,802 | 56.9 | -4.4 | |
Labour | H Smith | 8,147 | 24.7 | +0.1 | |
Liberal | Richard Matthews | 6,073 | 18.4 | +4.3 | |
Majority | 10,655 | 32.2 | -4.5 | ||
Turnout | 33,022 | 58.2 | -10.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.2 |
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;
- Conservative: Adrian Baillie
- Labour: R. E. L. Bowyer[16]
- Liberal: Richard Matthews[17]
- British Union: E J Crawford
Elections in the 1940s edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Gerald Williams | 23,081 | 49.9 | -7.0 | |
Labour | Vera Dart | 16,590 | 35.8 | +11.1 | |
Liberal | John Metcalfe | 5,351 | 11.6 | -6.8 | |
Ind. Conservative | E F St John Lyburn | 1,249 | 2.7 | New | |
Majority | 6,491 | 14.1 | -18.1 | ||
Turnout | 46,271 | 73.2 | +15.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Gerald Williams | 27,893 | 51.9 | ||
Labour | Brian Clapham | 19,525 | 36.3 | ||
Liberal | Leslie Albert Willard | 5,634 | 10.5 | ||
Ind. Conservative | E F St. John Lyburn | 739 | 1.4 | ||
Majority | 8,368 | 15.6 | |||
Turnout | 53,791 | 83.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Gerald Williams | 31,377 | 59.8 | +7.9 | |
Labour | Bernard Bagnari | 21,109 | 40.2 | +3.9 | |
Majority | 10,268 | 19.6 | +4.0 | ||
Turnout | 52,486 | 80.6 | -2.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Gerald Williams | 29,521 | 60.4 | +0.6 | |
Labour | Robert L Fagg | 19,325 | 39.6 | -0.6 | |
Majority | 10,196 | 20.8 | +1.2 | ||
Turnout | 48,846 | 75.5 | -5.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Hornby | 20,515 | 52.0 | -8.4 | |
Labour | Robert L Fagg | 18,913 | 48.0 | +8.4 | |
Majority | 1,602 | 4.0 | -16.8 | ||
Turnout | 39,428 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Hornby | 31,687 | 59.9 | -0.5 | |
Labour | Kenneth W May | 21,181 | 40.1 | +0.5 | |
Majority | 10,506 | 19.8 | -1.0 | ||
Turnout | 52,868 | 78.5 | +3.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Hornby | 27,802 | 49.2 | -10.7 | |
Labour | Donald Savage | 19,037 | 33.7 | -6.4 | |
Liberal | Edward Babbs | 9,682 | 17.1 | New | |
Majority | 8,765 | 15.5 | -4.3 | ||
Turnout | 56,521 | 78.7 | +0.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Hornby | 26,896 | 46.7 | -2.5 | |
Labour | William Eric Wolff | 20,068 | 34.9 | +1.2 | |
Liberal | Colin Bloy | 10,586 | 18.4 | +1.3 | |
Majority | 6,828 | 11.8 | -3.7 | ||
Turnout | 57,550 | 77.3 | -1.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1970s edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Hornby | 31,890 | 53.2 | +4.5 | |
Labour | Maureen Colquhoun | 17,897 | 29.9 | -5.0 | |
Liberal | Harry E Hill | 10,167 | 17.0 | -1.4 | |
Majority | 13,993 | 23.3 | +11.5 | ||
Turnout | 59,954 | 72.0 | -5.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 2020s edit
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Green | Anna Cope[27] | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout |
References edit
- ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
- ^ "New Seat Details - Tonbridge". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ LGBCE. "Medway | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "The Medway (Electoral Changes) Order 2021".
- ^ "New Seat Details - Tonbridge". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/calcwork23.py?seat=Tonbridge
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ "Parliamentary candidates' protest", The Times, 6 April 1939
- ^ The Liberal Magazine, 1939
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
- ^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
- ^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
- ^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
- ^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
- ^ "💚 Tonbridge and Malling Green Party announce Parliamentary Candidate…CLLR ANNA COPE!". Tonbridge & Malling Green Party. Retrieved 13 February 2024.