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Maidstone and The Weald (UK Parliament constituency)
Maidstone and The Weald (UK Parliament constituency)

Maidstone and The Weald
County constituency
MaidstoneWealdConstituency.svg
EnglandKent.svg
Maidstone and The Weald shown within Kent, and Kent shown within England
Created: 1997
MP: Ann Widdecombe
Party: Conservative
Type: House of Commons
County: Kent
EP constituency: South East England

Maidstone and The Weald is a county constituency which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Contents

Boundaries

The constituency is located in the middle 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 Cranbrook and - until the next election - Tenterden.

History

The constituency was created for the 1997 general election, after the previous Maidstone constituency was split in two. The southeast Maidstone wards of Shepway and Park Wood and the rural wards east of the town joined Faversham in the new Faversham and Mid Kent constituency. The remaining two-thirds of the electorate in west/central Maidstone were reunited with the town wards that had been lost to Mid Kent in 1983, and joined by a rural part of the Weald to the south of the town, previously in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.

Most of the electorate live in urban Maidstone, which has some light industry but whose economy is increasingly dominated by the service sector (eg insurance). The south of the constituency is rural with significant orchards and market gardens. Many residents commute to London.

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. One major change is that Tenterden will be lost to Ashford. The modified Maidstone and The Weald constituency is formed from the following electoral wards:

  • Allington, Barming, Bridge, Coxheath, Hunton and Linton, 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.

Members of Parliament

The MP for the seat since its creation in 1997 has been Ann Widdecombe of the Conservative Party. She was previously MP for the former seat of Maidstone from 1987, and served as a Home Office minister in the government of John Major from 1995 to 1997, and as Shadow Home Secretary from 1999 to 2001. She will be standing down at the next general election.

Election Member Party
1997 Ann Widdecombe Conservative

Elections

Confirmed candidates for the next UK general election 1 2
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
English Democrats John Botting
Liberal Democrat Peter Carroll
Conservative Helen Grant
Green Stuart Jeffery
Labour Rav Seeruthun
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 Democrat Mark Corney 10,808 22.2 +2.3
UKIP 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 Democrat Allison Wainman 9,064 19.9 -2.5
UKIP John Botting 978 2.1 +1.5
Independent Neil Hunt 611 1.3 N/A
Majority 10,318 22.6
Turnout 45,577 61.6 -12.1
Conservative hold Swing

Notes

References

See also

Coordinates: 51°12′N 0°33′E / 51.2°N 0.55°E / 51.2; 0.55




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