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Gravesham (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°24′N 0°22′E / 51.400°N 0.367°E / 51.400; 0.367
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gravesham
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 1983
Map of constituency
Boundary of Gravesham in South East England
CountyKent
Electorate72,866 (2023) [1]
Major settlementsGravesend
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentLauren Sullivan (Labour UK)
SeatsOne
Created fromGravesend

Gravesham (/ˈɡrvʃəm/) is a constituency in Kent, represented by Lauren Sullivan for the Labour since July 2024.

Constituency profile

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The seat covers the historic riverside town of Gravesend and a more rural area extending to Higham and Vigo Village on the North Downs. The electorate voted strongly to leave in the 2016 EU referendum. Health and wealth are roughly average for the UK.[2]

Boundaries

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1983–present: The Borough of Gravesham wards of: Central; Chalk; Coldharbour; Higham; Istead Rise; Meopham North; Meopham South and Vigo; Northfleet North; Northfleet South; Painters Ash; Pelham; Riverside; Riverview; Shorne, Cobham and Luddesdown; Singlewell; Westcourt, Whitehill; Woodlands.[3]

Since the constituency's creation, its boundaries have been co-terminous with those of the Borough of Gravesham. The largest town in the constituency is Gravesend.

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the 2024 general election remained unchanged.[4]

History

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This particular name of the seat was created in 1983 effectively as the new name for the Gravesend seat.

The constituency and its predecessor together was considered a bellwether seat: from World War I until 2005 with the exceptions of the General Elections in 1929 Election and 1951, its winner came from the winning party.[n 1] In 2005 Adam Holloway was one of 36 Conservative candidates to gain a seat from other parties, and held the seat until 2024. Since the 2005 result conflicted with the UK outcome, the seat was regarded as having lost its bellwether status.[5] However, since the 2010 election, it has returned to this status, voting for the Conservatives in every election until 2024, when Labour gained it for the first time in 19 years.

Members of Parliament

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Gravesend prior to 1983

Election Member[6] Party
1983 Tim Brinton Conservative
1987 Jacques Arnold Conservative
1997 Chris Pond Labour
2005 Adam Holloway Conservative
2024 Lauren Sullivan Labour

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Gravesham [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lauren Sullivan 16,623 38.5 +9.1
Conservative Adam Holloway 13,911 32.2 −30.0
Reform UK Matthew Fraser Moat 8,910 20.6 New
Green Rebecca Hopkins 2,254 5.2 +2.3
Liberal Democrats Ukonu Obasi 1,534 3.5 −1.9
Majority 2,712 6.3 N/A
Turnout 43,232 59.0 −6.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +19.5

Elections in the 2010s

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2019 general election: Gravesham [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adam Holloway 29,580 62.2 +6.6
Labour Lauren Sullivan 13,999 29.4 −7.1
Liberal Democrats Ukonu Obasi 2,584 5.4 +2.9
Green Marna Gilligan 1,397 2.9 +1.4
Majority 15,581 32.8 +13.7
Turnout 47,560 64.9 −2.3
Conservative hold Swing +6.8
2017 general election: Gravesham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adam Holloway 27,237 55.6 +8.8
Labour Mandy Garford 17,890 36.5 +6.4
UKIP Emmanuel Feyisetan 1,742 3.6 −15.0
Liberal Democrats James Willis 1,210 2.5 +0.3
Green Marna Gilligan 723 1.5 −0.8
Independent Michael Rogan 195 0.4 New
Majority 9,347 19.1 +2.4
Turnout 49,106 67.2 −0.3
Conservative hold Swing +1.2
2015 general election: Gravesham[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adam Holloway 23,484 46.8 −1.7
Labour Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi[10] 15,114 30.1 +1.3
UKIP Sean Marriott 9,306 18.6 +13.8
Green Mark Lindop 1,124 2.2 +0.8
Liberal Democrats Anne-Marie Bunting 1,111 2.2 −11.1
Majority 8,370 16.7 −3.0
Turnout 50,139 67.5 +0.1
Conservative hold Swing −1.5
2010 general election: Gravesham[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adam Holloway 22,956 48.5 +4.8
Labour Co-op Kathryn Smith 13,644 28.8 −13.4
Liberal Democrats Anna Arrowsmith 6,293 13.3 +2.6
UKIP Geoffrey Clark 2,265 4.8 +2.9
English Democrat Steve Uncles 1,005 2.1 New
Green Richard Crawford 675 1.4 New
Independent Alice Dartnell 465 1.0 New
Majority 9,312 19.7 +18.2
Turnout 47,303 67.4 +1.6
Conservative hold Swing +9.1

Elections in the 2000s

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2005 general election: Gravesham[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adam Holloway 19,739 43.7 +4.9
Labour Chris Pond 19,085 42.2 −7.7
Liberal Democrats Bruce Parmenter 4,851 10.7 +1.5
UKIP Geoff Coates 850 1.9 −0.2
English Independence Party Christopher Nickerson 654 1.4 New
Majority 654 1.5 N/A
Turnout 45,179 65.8 +3.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.3
2001 general election: Gravesham[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Pond 21,773 49.9 +0.2
Conservative Jacques Arnold 16,911 38.8 0.0
Liberal Democrats Bruce Parmenter 4,031 9.2 +1.5
UKIP William Jenner 924 2.1 New
Majority 4,862 11.1 +0.3
Turnout 43,639 62.7 −14.2
Labour hold Swing +0.1

Elections in the 1990s

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1997 general election: Gravesham[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Pond 26,460 49.7 +9.3
Conservative Jacques Arnold 20,681 38.8 −10.9
Liberal Democrats Merilyn Canet 4,128 7.8 −1.1
Referendum Patricia Curtis 1,441 2.7 New
Independent Labour Anthony Leyshon 414 0.8 New
Natural Law David Palmer 129 0.2 New
Majority 5,779 10.9 N/A
Turnout 53,253 76.9 −6.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -10.1
1992 general election: Gravesham[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jacques Arnold 29,322 49.7 −0.4
Labour Graham A. Green 23,829 40.4 +5.6
Liberal Democrats Derek R. Deedman 5,269 8.9 −6.2
Independent AJ Bunstone 273 0.5 New
Ind. Conservative REB Khilkoff-Boulding 187 0.3 New
Independent Socialist BJ Buxton 174 0.3 New
Majority 5,493 9.3 −6.0
Turnout 59,054 83.4 +4.1
Conservative hold Swing −3.0

Elections in the 1980s

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1987 general election: Gravesham[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jacques Arnold 28,891 50.1 +2.7
Labour Martin Coleman 20,099 34.8 +2.9
Liberal (Alliance) Robert Crawford 8,724 15.1 −4.6
Majority 8,792 15.3 −0.2
Turnout 57,714 79.3 +2.2
Conservative hold Swing -0.1
1983 general election: Gravesham[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Brinton 25,968 47.4
Labour John Ovenden 17,505 31.9
SDP (Alliance) M Horton 10,826 19.7
National Front P Johnson 420 0.8
Ecology Martin Sewell 103 0.2
Majority 8,463 15.5
Turnout 54,822 77.1
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Nonetheless, in the 1929 and 1951 elections, the seat elected into office the candidate from the party with the largest national share of the vote

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Gravesham
  3. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  4. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  5. ^ Jones, Ian. "Is the bell about to toll for bellwether seats?". May 2015 Election. New Statesman. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Timothy Brinton former MP, Grsvesham". TheyWorkForYou.com. mySociety. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated, Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations". Gravesham Council. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ "GRAVESHAM 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  17. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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51°24′N 0°22′E / 51.400°N 0.367°E / 51.400; 0.367