Ashford_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

Ashford (UK Parliament constituency)

Ashford (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards


Ashford is a constituency[n 1] in Kent created in 1885 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Damian Green, a Conservative who served as First Secretary of State between 11 June and 20 December 2017.[n 2]

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Constituency profile

The constituency includes all of Ashford, which is seeing significant housing expansion[3] and has a manufacturing and services employment base; and surrounding rural areas including Tenterden and Wye. Residents' health and wealth are in line with UK averages.[4] Due to population growth in Ashford itself, the 2023 boundary review proposes that Tenterden is removed from the Ashford constituency.

Boundaries

Boundary map

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Tenterden, the Sessional Divisions of Ashford and Cranbrook, the corporate towns of Lydd and New Romney, and part of the Liberty of Romney Marsh.

1918–1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Lydd, New Romney, and Tenterden, the Urban District of Ashford, and the Rural Districts of Cranbrook, East Ashford, Romney Marsh, Tenterden, and West Ashford.

1950–1974: The Municipal Borough of Tenterden, the Urban District of Ashford, and the Rural Districts of Cranbrook, East Ashford, Tenterden, and West Ashford.

1974–1983: The Municipal Borough of Tenterden, the Urban District of Ashford, and the Rural Districts of East Ashford, Tenterden, and West Ashford. Cranbrook Rural District was transferred to the new Royal Tunbridge Wells constituency.

1983–2010: The Borough of Ashford. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged from 1974.

2010–present: The Borough of Ashford wards of Aylesford Green, Beaver, Biddenden, Bockhanger, Boughton Aluph and Eastwell, Bybrook, Charing, Downs North, Downs West, Godinton, Great Chart with Singleton North, Highfield, Isle of Oxney, Kennington, Little Burton Farm, Norman, North Willesborough, Park Farm North, Park Farm South, Rolvenden and Tenterden West, St Michael's, Singleton South, South Willesborough, Stanhope, Stour, Tenterden North, Tenterden South, Victoria, Washford, Weald Central, Weald East, Weald North, Weald South, and Wye.

Ashford constituency has the large town of Ashford which has Ashford International railway station and the smaller town of Tenterden, one of the area's 46 villages, towns or town suburbs which are organised communities into civil parishes. Ashford town centre, its north and its west are the only unparished areas.[5]

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The Borough of Ashford wards of: Aylesford & East Stour; Beaver; Bircholt; Bockhanger; Bybrook; Conningbrook & Little Burton Farm; Furley; Goat Lees; Godinton; Highfield; Kennington; Mersham, Sevington South with Finberry; Norman; Park Farm North; Park Farm South; Repton; Roman; Singleton East; Singleton West; Stanhope; Victoria; Washford; Willesborough; Wye with Hinxhill.
  • The District of Folkestone and Hythe wards of: North Downs East; North Downs West.[6]

The bulk of the geographic area of the constituency, including the town of Tenterden, and comprising approximately 35% of the current electorate[7] will be included in the newly created constituency of Weald of Kent. To partly compensate, the two North Downs wards will be transferred from Folkestone and Hythe.

Political history

Created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Ashford has been won by a Conservative at every election except that of 1929 when it was won by a Liberal, after that party's turn towards the left marked by the People's Budget in 1911, who won with a majority of less than 1% of the vote.

The most marginal victory since 1929 occurred in 1997 when its voters returned a Conservative who won by a 9.7% majority. The 2015 result made the seat the 106th safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.[8]

In June 2016, an estimated 60% of local adults voting in the EU membership referendum chose to leave the European Union instead of to remain. This was matched in two January 2018 votes in Parliament by its MP.[9]

Members of Parliament

  • Constituency created (1885)

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

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Elections in the 2010s

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Elections in the 2000s

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Elections in the 1990s

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Elections in the 1980s

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Elections in the 1970s

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Elections in the 1960s

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Elections in the 1950s

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Elections in the 1940s

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Elections in the 1930s

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Elections in the 1920s

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Elections in the 1910s

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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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

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Elections in the 1900s

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Elections in the 1890s

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Hardy
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Elections in the 1880s

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See also

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

  1. "Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  2. "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.
  3. 2011 Census Archived 11 February 2003 at the Wayback Machine Custom tables: administrative parish hierarchy. Retrieved 17 July 2013
  4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  5. "Conservative Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  6. "Ashford Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  7. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. "UKIP: Ashford". UKIP. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  9. "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
  10. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.120 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  11. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  12. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
  13. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1922
  14. Kent & Sussex Courier 27 Mar 1914
  15. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  16. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  17. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  18. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  19. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886

Sources

  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
  • Iain Dale, ed. (2003). The Times House of Commons 1929, 1931, 1935. Politico's (reprint). ISBN 1-84275-033-X.
  • The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  • The Times House of Commons 1950. 1950. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  • The Times House of Commons 1955. 1955. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

51.1°N 0.8°E / 51.1; 0.8


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