Chatham and Aylesford is a constituency in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Tris Osborne of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

The Chatham and Aylesford constituency is located in Kent. The Kent Downs runs through the centre of the constituency, dividing it into two populated areas. In the east is the town of Chatham, although the constituency does not include the town centre. In the west is the Medway Gap which includes the small town of Snodland, the villages of New Hythe and Larkfield and the old centre of Aylesford. The Medway area has a long naval history. Parts of Chatham, particularly around Luton, are within the 10% most-deprived areas in England, whilst Walderslade and the west of the constituency are more affluent.

Compared to national averages, residents of the constituency have low levels of education and professional employment and average levels of income. House prices are low compared to the rest of South East England. White people make up 86% of the population. At the local council level, most of the constituency is represented by Labour Party councillors, whilst Walderslade elected Conservatives and New Hythe and Larkfield elected Liberal Democrats. Voters in Chatham and Aylesford were strongly in favour of leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, with an estimated 65% voting for Brexit.

Boundaries

1997–2010: The City of Rochester-upon-Medway wards of Holcombe, Horsted, Lordswood, Luton, Walderslade, Wayfield, and Weedswood, and the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of Aylesford, Blue Bell Hill, Burham, Eccles and Wouldham, Ditton, Larkfield North, Larkfield South, Snodland East, and Snodland West.

2010–2024: The Borough of Medway wards of Chatham Central, Lordswood and Capstone, Luton and Wayfield, Princes Park, and Walderslade, and the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of Aylesford, Blue Bell Hill and Walderslade, Burham, Eccles and Wouldham, Ditton, Larkfield North, Larkfield South, Snodland East, and Snodland West.

2024–present: Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was defined as composing of the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:

  • The Borough of Medway wards of: Chatham Central; Lordswood and Capstone; Luton and Wayfield; Princes Park; Rochester South and Horsted; Walderslade.
  • The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Aylesford North and Walderslade; Burham and Wouldham; Larkfield North; Larkfield South; Snodland East and Ham Hill; Snodland West and Holborough Lakes.

The Medway ward of Rochester South and Horsted was transferred in from Rochester and Strood, offset by the loss of the Tonbridge and Malling wards of Aylesford South and Ditton to the new constituency of Maidstone and Malling.

Following local government boundary reviews in Medway, and Tonbridge and Malling which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

  • The Borough of Medway wards of: Chatham Central & Brompton (majority); Fort Horsted; Fort Pitt (most); Lordswood & Walderslade; Luton; Princes Park; Rochester East & Warren Wood (small part); Wayfield & Weeds Wood; and a very small part of Hempstead & Wigmore.
  • The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Aylesford North & North Downs (most); Larkfield; Snodland East and Ham Hill; Snodland West and Holborough Lakes; Walderslade.

Members of Parliament

Mid Kent and Tonbridge & Malling prior to 1997

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!colspan="2"|Election!!Member

!Party

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

| 1997

| Jonathan Shaw

| Labour

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

| 2010

| Tracey Crouch

| Conservative

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

| 2024

| Tris Osborne

| Labour

|-

|}

Elections

thumb|centre|750px|Election results 1950-2024

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="4" | 2019 notional result

|-

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %

|-

|

| Conservative ||align=right| 30,183 ||align=right| 65.9

|-

|

| Labour ||align=right| 11,191 ||align=right| 24.4

|-

|

| Liberal Democrats ||align=right| 3,085 ||align=right| 6.7

|-

|

| Green ||align=right| 1,138 ||align=right| 2.5

|-

|

| Others ||align=right| 212 ||align=right| 0.5

|-

|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|

|-

|colspan="2"|Turnout

|align=right|45,809

|align=right|61.2

|-

|colspan="2"|Electorate

|align=right|74,840

|}

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

See also

  • List of parliamentary constituencies in Kent
  • List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)

Notes

References

  • nomis Constituency Profile for Chatham and Aylesford – presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.
  • Chatham and Aylesford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
  • Chatham and Aylesford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
  • Chatham and Aylesford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK