Sevenoaks (UK Parliament constituency)

Sevenoaks
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Sevenoaks in Kent for the 2010 general election.

Outline map

Location of Kent within England.
County Kent
Electorate 69,925 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1885
Member of parliament Sir Michael Fallon (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from West Kent
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South East England

Sevenoaks is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Sir Michael Fallon, a Conservative, who has served as Secretary of State for Defence since 15 July 2014.[n 2] It is considered a safe Conservative seat.

History

This constituency has existed since the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.

With the exception of the one-year Parliament in 1923, the constituency has to date been a Conservative stronghold.

1885–1950

Sir Thomas Jewell Bennett before entering Parliament was a leader writer at The Standard and lived in India for many years, working at the Bombay Gazette before becoming both editor and principal proprietor of the Times of India. Bennett returned to England in 1901 and in 1910 unsuccessfully contested his first Parliamentary election, losing to Alfred Gelder at the time of David Lloyd George and H. H. Asquith's celebrated "People's Budget". He represented the seat for five years from 1918.

Higher in government in this period was Hilton Young, the Health Secretary between 1931 and 1935. The health portfolio at the time included responsibility for housing, including slum clearance and rehousing. Key items of legislation to which he contributed in this period were: the Town and Country Planning Act (1932) (which applied to all 'developable' land), the Housing Act (1935) (which laid down standards of accommodation)[2] and the Restriction of Ribbon Development Act (1935) (which sought to consolidate urban development and restrict ribbon sprawl along major highways).[3]

1950–date

Since 1950 the highest government position has been that of Michael Fallon, who is currently Secretary of State for Defence.

Boundaries

1918-1950: The Urban Districts of Sevenoaks and Wrotham, and the Rural Districts of Malling and Sevenoaks.

1950-1974: The Urban District of Sevenoaks, and the Rural Districts of Malling and Sevenoaks.

1974-1983: The Urban District of Sevenoaks, the Rural District of Sevenoaks as altered by the Greater London Kent and Surrey Order 1968, and in the Rural District of Dartford the civil parishes of Ash-cum-Ridley, Eynsford, Farningham, Fawkham, Hartley, Horton Kirby, Longfield, Swanley, and West Kingsdown.

1983-1997: The District of Sevenoaks wards of Brasted, Chevening, Crockenhill and Lullingstone, Dunton Green, Eynsford, Farningham, Halstead Knockholt and Badgers Mount, Hextable and Swanley Village, Kemsing, Leigh, Otford, Penshurst and Fordcombe, Riverhead, Seal, Sevenoaks Kippington, Sevenoaks Northern, Sevenoaks Town and St John's, Sevenoaks Weald and Underriver, Sevenoaks Wildernesse, Shoreham, Somerdon, Sundridge and Ide Hill, Swanley Christchurch, Swanley St Mary's, Swanley White Oak, Westerham and Crockham, and West Kingsdown.

1997-2010: The District of Sevenoaks wards of Ash-cum-Ridley, Brasted, Chevening, Crockenhill and Lullingstone, Dunton Green, Eynsford, Farningham, Halstead Knockholt and Badgers Mount, Hextable and Swanley Village, Kemsing, Otford, Riverhead, Seal, Sevenoaks Kippington, Sevenoaks Northern, Sevenoaks Town and St John's, Sevenoaks Weald and Underriver, Sevenoaks Wildernesse, Shoreham, Sundridge and Ide Hill, Swanley Christchurch, Swanley St Mary's, Swanley White Oak, Westerham and Crockham, and West Kingsdown.

2010-present: The District of Sevenoaks wards of Ash, Brasted, Chevening and Sundridge, Crockenhill and Well Hill, Dunton Green and Riverhead, Eynsford, Farningham, Horton Kirby and South Darenth, Fawkham and West Kingsdown, Halstead, Knockholt and Badgers Mount, Hextable, Kemsing, Otford and Shoreham, Seal and Weald, Sevenoaks Eastern, Sevenoaks Kippington, Sevenoaks Northern, Sevenoaks Town and St John’s, Swanley Christchurch and Swanley Village, Swanley St Mary’s, Swanley White Oak, and Westerham and Crockham Hill.

Constituency profile

The seat is in mainstay City commuter belt territory, which supports a relatively high-income local economy with retail and self-employed trades principally benefiting. Sevenoaks constituency covers the towns of Sevenoaks and Swanley in Kent and some of the surrounding area. Most wards are most often Conservative councillor represented with the exceptions being part-Labour councillor represented Swanley and Crockenhill (5 of the 11 councillors who serve Swanley wards in 2013 for example) and two of three Sevenoaks Eastern councillors are Liberal Democrats based on local election results. Despite an unprecedented number of parties standing in 2010 no other parties have local councillors.[4]

In statistics

The constituency consists of Census Output Areas of one local government districts with a working population whose income is higher than the national average and lower than average reliance upon social housing.[5] At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 1.7% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 2.4%.[6] The borough contributing to the bulk of the seat has a low 13.1% of its population without a car, 19.2% of the population without qualifications and a high 32.0% with level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure 72.7% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage by occupants as at the 2011 census across the district.[7]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[8] Party
1885 Charles Mills Conservative
1892 Henry Forster Conservative
1918 Sir Thomas Bennett Coalition Conservative
1923 Ronald Williams Liberal
1924 Walter Styles Conservative
1929 Sir Hilton Young Conservative
1935 Sir Charles Ponsonby Conservative
1950 Sir John Rodgers Conservative
1979 Mark Wolfson Conservative
1997 Sir Michael Fallon Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2015: Sevenoaks[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Fallon 28,531 56.9 +0.1
UKIP Steve Lindsay[10] 8,970 17.9 +14.3
Labour Chris Clark 6,448 12.9 −0.4
Liberal Democrat Alan Bullion 3,937 7.9 −13.5
Green Amelie Boleyn 2,238 4.5 +4.5
Majority 19,561 39.0
Turnout 50,124 70.9
Conservative hold Swing +7.2
General election 2010: Sevenoaks[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Fallon 28,076 56.8 +5.0
Liberal Democrat Alan Bullion 10,561 21.4 −0.5
Labour Gareth Siddorn 6,541 13.2 −7.8
UKIP Christopher Heath 1,782 3.6 +0.6
BNP Paul Golding 1,384 2.8 N/A
English Democrat Louise Uncles 806 1.6 −0.1
Independent Mark Ellis 258 0.5 N/A
Majority 17,515 35.4 +5.4
Turnout 49,408 71.1 +12.4
Conservative hold Swing +3.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Sevenoaks[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Fallon 22,437 51.8 +2.4
Liberal Democrat Ben Abbotts 9,467 21.9 +0.3
Labour Tim Stanley 9,101 21.0 −4.6
UKIP Robert Dobson 1,309 3.0 +0.3
English Democrat John Marshall 751 1.7 N/A
United Kingdom Pathfinders Mark Ellis 233 0.5 −0.2
Majority 12,970 30.0
Turnout 43,298 58.7 −5.2
Conservative hold Swing +1.1
General election 2001: Sevenoaks[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Fallon 21,052 49.4 +4.0
Labour Caroline Humphreys 10,898 25.6 +1.0
Liberal Democrat Clive Gray 9,214 21.6 -2.5
UKIP Lisa Hawkins 1,155 2.7 N/A
United Kingdom Pathfinders Mark Ellis 295 0.7 N/A
Majority 10,154 23.8
Turnout 42,614 63.9 -11.4
Conservative hold Swing +1.5

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Sevenoaks[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Fallon 22,776 45.42
Labour John Hayes 12,315 24.56
Liberal Democrat Roger F. C. Walshe 12,086 24.1
Referendum Nigel Large 2,138 4.26
Green Margot E. Lawrence 443 0.88
Pathfinders Mark Ellis 244 0.49
Natural Law Alex Hankey 147 0.29
Majority 10,461 20.86
Turnout 50,151 75.38
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1992: Sevenoaks[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Mark Wolfson 33,245 57.5 −1.4
Liberal Democrat Roger F. C. Walshe 14,091 24.4 −3.5
Labour Ms. J. S. Evans 9,470 16.4 +3.2
Green Ms. Margot E. Lawrence 786 1.4 N/A
Natural Law P. L. Wakeling 210 0.4 N/A
Majority 19,154 33.1 +2.1
Turnout 57,802 81.3 +4.9
Conservative hold Swing +1.1

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Sevenoaks[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Mark Wolfson 32,945 58.91
SDP–Liberal Alliance Stephen Ronald Jakobi 15,600 27.9
Labour G. A. Green 7,379 13.19
Majority 17,345 31.02
Turnout 55,923 76.42
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1983: Sevenoaks[21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Mark Wolfson 30,722 58.41
SDP–Liberal Alliance Stephen Ronald Jakobi 15,061 28.55
Labour R. Gooding 6,439 12.24
National Front G. L. Burnett 416 0.79
Majority 15,706 29.86
Turnout 52,596 73.74
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Sevenoaks[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Mark Wolfson 36,697 57.39
Labour R. H. Redden 14,583 22.81
Liberal G. Phillips 11,839 18.52
National Front Michael Easter 821 1.28 n/a
Majority 22,114 34.59
Turnout 63,942 78.98
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Sevenoaks
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir John Charles Rodgers 26,670 46.99
Labour J. Scanlan 15,065 26.54
Liberal Robert F. Webster 15,024 26.47
Majority 11,605 20.45
Turnout 56,759 75.71
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Sevenoaks[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir John Charles Rodgers 29,963 48.36
Liberal Ian Campbell Bradley 16,223 26.21
Labour J. Scanlan 14,987 24.21
Independent D. J. Woolard 754 1.22 n/a
Majority 13,713 22.15
Turnout 61,898 83.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1970: Sevenoaks:[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir John Charles Rodgers 32,654 54.13 +3.6
Labour John Frederick Ovenden 15,376 25.49 -6.8
Liberal Robert F. Webster 12,290 20.37 +3.2
Majority 17,278 28.64
Turnout 60,320 73.00
Conservative hold Swing +5.2

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Sevenoaks[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir John Charles Rodgers 28,651 50.50
Labour Peter B. Pearce 18,338 32.32
Liberal A. Noel H. Blackburn 9,746 17.18
Majority 10,313 18.18
Turnout 56,735 79.19
Conservative hold Swing +3.3
General election 1964: Sevenoaks[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir John Charles Rodgers 28,678 52.03
Labour Peter B. Pearce 14,958 27.14
Liberal Nelia Penman 11,480 20.83
Majority 13,720 24.89
Turnout 55,116 80.09
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Sevenoaks[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Charles Rodgers 28,186 56.07
Labour Roderick C. Ogley 14,265 28.38
Liberal Nelia Penman 7,819 15.55 n/a
Majority 13,921 27.69
Turnout 50,270 80.17
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Sevenoaks[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Charles Rodgers 28,936 61.84
Labour John N. Powrie 17,858 38.16
Majority 11,078 23.67
Turnout 46,794 78.07
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Sevenoaks[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Charles Rodgers 28,668 60.37
Labour John N. Powrie 18,823 39.63
Majority 9,845 20.73
Turnout 81.46
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1950: Sevenoaks[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Charles Rodgers 25,292 51.75
Labour J. Spencer 17,610 36.03
Liberal Edward Richard Moulton-Barrett 5,969 12.21
Majority 7,682 15.72
Turnout 84.90
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Sevenoaks[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Charles Edward Ponsonby 18,893 45.61
Labour John Sleigh Pudney 14,947 36.08 n/a
Liberal Nelia Muspratt 6,906 16.67
Communist K. Thompson 676 1.63 n/a
Majority 3,946 9.53
Turnout 73.6
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Sevenoaks[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Charles Edward Ponsonby 21,405 67.5 n/a
Liberal John Horridge 10,297 32.5 n/a
Majority 11,108 35.0 n/a
Turnout 65.3 n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a
General election 1931: Sevenoaks
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Rt Hon Sir Edward Hilton Young unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Sevenoaks
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Rt Hon. Sir Edward Hilton Young 16,767 53.7 -8.2
Liberal Edgar Sratton Liddiard 7,844 25.1 -13.0
Labour Henry Hamilton Fyfe 6,634 21.2 n/a
Majority 8,923 28.6 +4.8
Turnout 31,245
Unionist hold Swing +2.4
General election 1924: Sevenoaks
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Herbert Walter Styles 15,125 61.9
Liberal Ronald Samuel Ainslie Williams 9,311 38.1
Majority 5,814 23.8
Turnout 24,436
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
General election 1923: Sevenoaks
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Ronald Samuel Ainslie Williams 10,656 51.6 n/a
Unionist Thomas Jewell Bennett 9,987 48.4
Majority 669 3.2
Turnout 20,643
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing n/a
General election 1922: Sevenoaks
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Thomas Jewell Bennett 12,045
Labour L. A. Goldie 6,849
Majority 5,196
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Sevenoaks
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist 10,650
Labour J. E. Skinner 3,323
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Election results 1885-1918

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1885: Sevenoaks [25][26][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Charles William Mills 4,651 54.0 n/a
Liberal Patteson Nickalls 3,956 46.0 n/a
Majority 695 8.0 n/a
Turnout 77.6 n/a
Conservative win (new seat)
General Election 1886: Sevenoaks [25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Charles William Mills unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1892: Sevenoaks [25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Henry William Forster 6,036 60.7 n/a
Liberal Thomas Johnston 3,908 39.3 n/a
Majority 2,128 21.4 n/a
Turnout 71.5 n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a
General Election 1895: Sevenoaks [25][26][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Henry William Forster unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1900: Sevenoaks [25][26][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Henry William Forster 6,604 78.7 n/a
Liberal Murray Spencer Richardson 1,792 21.3 n/a
Majority 4,812 57.4 n/a
Turnout 56.5 n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a
Sevenoaks by-election, 1902 [25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Henry William Forster 5,333 54.6 -24.1
Liberal Beaumont Morice 4,442 45.4 +24.1
Majority 891 9.2 -48.2
Turnout 63.4 +6.9
Conservative hold Swing -24.1
General Election 1906: Sevenoaks [25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Henry William Forster 7,219 51.1 -3.5
Liberal Beaumont Morice 6,855 48.6 +3.5
Independent Liberal Murray Spencer Richardson 44 0.3 n/a
Majority 364 2.5 -7.0
Turnout 81.8 +18.4
Conservative hold Swing -3.5

Elections in the 1910s

Forster
General Election January 1910: Sevenoaks [25][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Henry William Forster 10,421 62.1 +11.0
Liberal Sir Frederick Styles Philpin Lely 6,351 37.9 -11.0
Majority 4,070 24.2 +22.0
Turnout 88.1 +6.3
Conservative hold Swing +11.0
General Election December 1910: Sevenoaks [25][31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Henry William Forster unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a

General Election 1914/15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ↑ A county 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

Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ Young, W. (1971), p.1089.
  3. ↑ Sheail, J. (1979), The Restriction of Ribbon Development Act: The character and perception of land-use control in inter-war Britain, Regional Studies, 13: 6, 501–12.
  4. ↑ Sevenoaks Councillors
  5. ↑ 2001 Census
  6. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  7. ↑ 2011 census interactive maps
  8. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 2)
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ↑ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/sevenoaks/
  11. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ↑ http://www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/news/2010/may/4176.asp
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/constit/399.htm
  17. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  19. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge87/i17.htm
  21. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge83/i17.htm
  23. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge79/i18.htm
  24. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge74a/i18.htm
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 British parliamentary election results 1950-1973, Craig, F. W. S.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F. W. S.
  27. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  28. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  29. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  30. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  31. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  32. ↑ Kent & Sussex Courier 13 Mar 1914

Coordinates: 51°20′N 0°11′E / 51.333°N 0.183°E / 51.333; 0.183

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/21/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.