Tonbridge | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundaries since 2024 | |
![]() Boundary of Tonbridge in South East England | |
Electorate | 73,692 (2023) [1] |
Current constituency | |
Created | 2024 |
Member of Parliament | Tom Tugendhat ( Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from |
|
1918– Feb 1974 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Tunbridge |
Replaced by | Tonbridge and Malling |
Tonbridge is 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.
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 2024 general election. It will be formed primarily from Tonbridge and Malling. [2]
1918–1950: The Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Urban Districts of Tonbridge and Southborough, and Tonbridge Rural District.
1950–1974: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.
Constituency was abolished prior to the February 1974 election. After half a century constituency was re-established as a result of 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for 2024 election.
2024–present: 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. And 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. [3]
Reformed constituency comprised the bulk of the preceding 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. [4]
The 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. [5]
Tunbridge prior to 1918
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 |
Tonbridge and Malling prior to 2024
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Tom Tugendhat | Conservative |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tom Tugendhat [6] | 20,517 | 40.8 | –24.0 | |
Labour | Lewis Bailey [7] | 9,351 | 18.6 | +3.5 | |
Green | Anna Cope [8] | 7,596 | 15.1 | +7.2 | |
Reform UK | Teresa Hansford [9] | 7,548 | 15.0 | N/A | |
Liberal Democrats | John Woollcombe [10] | 4,234 | 8.4 | –3.9 | |
Ind. Alliance | Tim Shaw [11] | 926 | 1.8 | N/A | |
SDP | Ian Grattidge [12] | 156 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 11,166 | 22.2 | –27.5 | ||
Turnout | 50,328 | 68.3 | –5.6 | ||
Registered electors | 72,799 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | –13.8 |
2019 notional result [13] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Vote | % | |
Conservative | 35,262 | 64.8 | |
Labour | 8,210 | 15.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | 6,690 | 12.3 | |
Green | 4,288 | 7.9 | |
Turnout | 54,450 | 73.9 | |
Electorate | 73,692 |
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. |
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 |
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;
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 |
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 |
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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Hornby | 31,890 | 53.2 | +4.5 | |
Labour | Maureen Colquhoun | 17,897 | 29.9 | −5.0 | |
Liberal | Harry Hill | 10,167 | 17.0 | −1.4 | |
Majority | 13,993 | 23.3 | +11.5 | ||
Turnout | 59,954 | 72.0 | −5.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Tonbridge | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundaries since 2024 | |
![]() Boundary of Tonbridge in South East England | |
Electorate | 73,692 (2023) [1] |
Current constituency | |
Created | 2024 |
Member of Parliament | Tom Tugendhat ( Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from |
|
1918– Feb 1974 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Tunbridge |
Replaced by | Tonbridge and Malling |
Tonbridge is 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.
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 2024 general election. It will be formed primarily from Tonbridge and Malling. [2]
1918–1950: The Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Urban Districts of Tonbridge and Southborough, and Tonbridge Rural District.
1950–1974: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.
Constituency was abolished prior to the February 1974 election. After half a century constituency was re-established as a result of 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for 2024 election.
2024–present: 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. And 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. [3]
Reformed constituency comprised the bulk of the preceding 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. [4]
The 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. [5]
Tunbridge prior to 1918
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 |
Tonbridge and Malling prior to 2024
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Tom Tugendhat | Conservative |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tom Tugendhat [6] | 20,517 | 40.8 | –24.0 | |
Labour | Lewis Bailey [7] | 9,351 | 18.6 | +3.5 | |
Green | Anna Cope [8] | 7,596 | 15.1 | +7.2 | |
Reform UK | Teresa Hansford [9] | 7,548 | 15.0 | N/A | |
Liberal Democrats | John Woollcombe [10] | 4,234 | 8.4 | –3.9 | |
Ind. Alliance | Tim Shaw [11] | 926 | 1.8 | N/A | |
SDP | Ian Grattidge [12] | 156 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 11,166 | 22.2 | –27.5 | ||
Turnout | 50,328 | 68.3 | –5.6 | ||
Registered electors | 72,799 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | –13.8 |
2019 notional result [13] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Vote | % | |
Conservative | 35,262 | 64.8 | |
Labour | 8,210 | 15.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | 6,690 | 12.3 | |
Green | 4,288 | 7.9 | |
Turnout | 54,450 | 73.9 | |
Electorate | 73,692 |
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. |
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 |
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;
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 |
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 |
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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Hornby | 31,890 | 53.2 | +4.5 | |
Labour | Maureen Colquhoun | 17,897 | 29.9 | −5.0 | |
Liberal | Harry Hill | 10,167 | 17.0 | −1.4 | |
Majority | 13,993 | 23.3 | +11.5 | ||
Turnout | 59,954 | 72.0 | −5.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |