Maidstone and The Weald (UK Parliament constituency)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since January 2007. |
| Maidstone and The Weald County constituency |
|
|---|---|
  |
|
| Maidstone and The Weald shown within Kent, and Kent shown within England | |
| Created: | 1560 |
| MP: | Ann Widdecombe |
| Party: | Conservative |
| Type: | House of Commons |
| County: | Kent |
| EP constituency: | South East England |
Maidstone and The Weald is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Contents |
[edit] Boundaries
It is located in the west of the county of Kent in south eastern England and includes parts of the areas of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells boroughs. Towns include Maidstone and Benenden.
[edit] Boundary review
Following their review of parliamentary representation in Kent, the Boundary Commission for England has made major changes to the existing constituency boundaries as a consequence of population changes across the county. The modified Maidstone and The Weald constituency is formed from the following electoral wards:
- Allington, Barming, Bridge, Coxheath and Hunton, East, Fant, Heath, High Street, Loose, Marden and Yalding, North, South and Staplehurst from the borough of Maidstone.
- Benenden and Cranbrook, and Frittenden and Sissinghurst from Tunbridge Wells.
[edit] History
The constituency of Maidstone has sent members to Parliament since 1560. In 1997 the name of the constituency was changed from Maidstone to its current form, Maidstone and The Weald.
The constituency is rural with strong Conservative support although there is a degree of light engineering too and many residents commute to London.
[edit] Members of Parliament
This constituency, originally named Maidstone, was created in 1560. Up until 1885 it elected two MPs. In 1997 the name was changed to Maidstone and The Weald.
[edit] MPs 1660-1885
| Year | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1660, April | Thomas Twisden | Robert Barnham |
| 1660, August | Sir Edward Hales | |
| 1661 | Sir Edmund Pierce | |
| 1668 | Thomas Harlackenden | |
| 1679, February | Sir John Tufton | Sir John Darell |
| 1679, August | Thomas Fane | |
| 1685, March | Archibald Clinkard | |
| 1685, November | Edwin Wyatt | |
| 1689 | Sir Thomas Taylor | Caleb Banks |
| 1690 | Thomas Rider | |
| 1695 | Sir John Banks | |
| 1696 | Thomas Rider | |
| 1698 | Sir Robert Marsham | Thomas Bliss |
| 1702 | Sir Thomas Roberts | |
| 1704 | Heneage Finch | Thomas Bliss |
| 1705 | Sir Thomas Colepeper | |
| 1708 | Sir Robert Marsham | |
| 1713 | Sir Samuel Ongley | |
| 1715 | Sir Thomas Colepeper | |
| 1716 | Sir Barnham Rider | |
| 1722 | John Finch | |
| 1723 | Sir Barnham Rider | |
| 1727 | Thomas Hope | |
| 1734 | William Horsemonden-Turner | |
| 1740 | Robert Fairfax | |
| 1741 | Lord Guernsey | John Bligh |
| 1747 | William Horsemonden-Turner | Robert Fairfax |
| 1753 | Gabriel Hanger | |
| 1754 | Lord Guernsey | |
| 1757 | Savile Finch | |
| 1761 | Rose Fuller | William Northey |
| 1768 | Charles Marsham | Robert Gregory |
| 1774 | Sir Horatio Mann | Lord Guernsey |
| 1777 | Charles Finch | |
| 1780 | Clement Taylor | |
| 1784 | Gerard Edwards | |
| 1788 | Sir Matthew Bloxham | |
| 1796 | Oliver de Lancey | |
| 1802 | John Hodsdon Durand | |
| 1806 | George Simson | George Longman |
| 1812 | Samuel Egerton Brydges | |
| 1818 | Abraham Wildey Robarts | George Longman |
| 1820 | John Wells | |
| 1830 | Henry Winchester | |
| 1831 | Charles James Barnett | |
| 1835 | Wyndham Lewis | |
| 1837 | Benjamin Disraeli | |
| 1838 | John Minet Fector | |
| 1841 | Alexander Beresford-Hope | George Dodd |
| 1852 | James Whatman | |
| 1853 | William Lee | |
| 1857 | Alexander Beresford-Hope | Edward Scott |
| 1859 | William Lee | Charles Buxton |
| 1865 | James Whatman | |
| 1870 | Sir John Lubbock | |
| 1874 | Sir Sydney Waterlow | |
| 1880 | Alexander Henry Ross | John Freke-Aylmer |
| 1885 | Reduced to one member | |
[edit] MPs 1885-present
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Alexander Henry Ross | Conservative | |
| 1888 | Fiennes Cornwallis | Conservative | |
| 1895 | Sir Frederick Hunt | Conservative | |
| 1898 | Fiennes Cornwallis | Conservative | |
| 1900 | John Barker | Liberal | |
| 1901 | Sir Francis Evans | Liberal | |
| 1906 | Viscount Castlereagh | Conservative | |
| 1915 | Carlyon Bellairs | Conservative | |
| 1931 | Sir Alfred Charles Bossom | Conservative | |
| 1959 | John Wells | Conservative | |
| 1987 | Ann Widdecombe | Conservative | |
[edit] Elections
| General Election 2005: Maidstone and the Weald | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Ann Widdecombe | 25,670 | 52.7 | +3.1 | |
| Labour | Beth Breeze | 10,814 | 22.2 | -4.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Mark Corney | 10,808 | 22.2 | +2.3 | |
| UK Independence | Anthony 'Felix' Robertson | 1,463 | 3.0 | +0.9 | |
| Majority | 14,856 | 30.5 | |||
| Turnout | 48,755 | 65.8 | 4.2 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.9 | |||
| General Election 2001: Maidstone & The Weald | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Ann Widdecombe | 22,621 | 49.6 | +5.5 | |
| Labour | Mark Davis | 12,303 | 27.0 | +0.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Allison Wainman | 9,064 | 19.9 | -2.5 | |
| UK Independence | John Botting | 978 | 2.1 | +1.5 | |
| Independent (politician) | Neil Hunt | 611 | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 10,318 | 22.6 | |||
| Turnout | 45,577 | 61.6 | -12.1 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
