South Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)
South Thanet | |
---|---|
Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundary of South Thanet in Kent | |
![]() Location of Kent within England | |
County | Kent |
Electorate | 67,970 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Sandwich |
1983–2024 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Thanet West, Dover and Thanet East[2] |
Replaced by | East Thanet |
South Thanet was a constituency[n 1] in Kent.[n 2]
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies made moderate boundary changes to the constituency, which was abolished and reformed as East Thanet, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.[3]
Electoral spending criminal investigation following the 2015 general election
In 2016 an investigation by Channel 4 News revealed that the Conservative Party had spent many thousands of pounds centrally on battlebuses to transport activists, and hotel accommodation for the activists, who went to campaign in marginal constituencies, including South Thanet. The expenditure on the buses was declared by the Conservative Party on its national declaration of "Campaign Spending", but in some cases the hotel accommodation was not declared at all as election spending when it should have been. In addition, there is controversy about whether the expenditure, both on the buses and the accommodation, should have been declared on the declarations of expenditure for the constituency made by each candidate's election agent. Kent Police began an investigation into the spending returns of Craig Mackinlay following the Channel 4 report.[4]
In a court case on 1 June 2016, brought against Mackinlay and his election agent Nathan Gray,[5] District Judge Barron granted more time for investigation saying "In this case, the allegations are far-reaching and the consequences of a conviction would be of a local and national significance with the potential for election results being declared void."[6]
On 14 March 2017, it was reported that Mackinlay had been interviewed under caution by officers investigating the allegations.[7] On 2 June 2017, six days before the 2017 general election, Mackinlay and two Conservative party officials were charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983. They were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 4 July 2017.[8]
On 9 January 2019, Mackinlay was cleared of election expenses fraud.[9] One of the other defendants, Marion Little, was found guilty of two charges and given a nine-month suspended sentence and £5000 fine.[10] She retained the OBE she had been awarded for political service in 2015.[11]
Boundaries
1983–2010: The District of Thanet wards of Beacon Road, Bradstowe, Central Eastcliff, Central Westcliff, Kingsgate, Minster Parish, Newington, Northwood, Pierremont, St Lawrence, St Peter's, Sir Moses Montefiore, Southwood, and Upton, and the District of Dover wards of Ash, Little Stour, Sandwich, Woodnesborough with Staple, and Worth.
2010–2024: The District of Thanet wards of Beacon Road, Bradstowe, Central Harbour, Cliffsend and Pegwell, Cliftonville East, Cliftonville West, Eastcliff, Kingsgate, Nethercourt, Newington, Northwood, St Peter's, Sir Moses Montefiore, and Viking, and the District of Dover wards of Little Stour and Ashstone, and Sandwich.
South Thanet consisted of the southern and eastern part of Thanet district (the towns of Ramsgate and Broadstairs, the Cliftonville area of Margate and the village of Cliffsend) together with the northern part of Dover district, comprising the ancient Cinque Port of Sandwich and surrounding villages.
Members of Parliament
Election | Member[12] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Jonathan Aitken | Conservative | |
1997 | Stephen Ladyman | Labour | |
2010 | Laura Sandys | Conservative | |
2015 | Craig Mackinlay | Conservative | |
2024 | constituency abolished |
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Craig Mackinlay | 27,084 | 56.1 | +5.3 | |
Labour | Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt | 16,497 | 34.2 | −3.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Martyn Pennington | 2,727 | 5.7 | +2.7 | |
Green | Rebecca Wing | 1,949 | 4.0 | +2.4 | |
Majority | 10,587 | 21.9 | +9.0 | ||
Turnout | 48,257 | 65.8 | −3.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Craig Mackinlay | 25,262 | 50.8 | +12.7 | |
Labour | Raushan Ara | 18,875 | 37.9 | +14.1 | |
UKIP | Stuart Piper | 2,997 | 6.0 | −26.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jordan Williams | 1,514 | 3.0 | +1.1 | |
Green | Trevor Roper | 809 | 1.6 | −0.6 | |
Independent | Tim Garbutt | 181 | 0.4 | New | |
CPA | Faith Fisher | 115 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 6,387 | 12.9 | +7.2 | ||
Turnout | 49,753 | 68.8 | −1.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Craig Mackinlay | 18,838 | 38.0 | −9.9 | |
UKIP | Nigel Farage | 16,026 | 32.3 | +26.8 | |
Labour | Will Scobie | 11,740 | 23.7 | −7.7 | |
Green | Ian Driver | 1,076 | 2.2 | New | |
Liberal Democrats | Russell Timpson | 932 | 1.9 | −13.2 | |
No description1 | Al Murray | 318 | 0.6 | New | |
Manston Airport Independent | Ruth Bailey | 191 | 0.4 | New | |
We Are The Reality Party | Nigel Askew | 126 | 0.3 | New | |
Party for a United Thanet | Grahame Birchall | 63 | 0.1 | New | |
Independent | Dean McCastree | 61 | 0.1 | New | |
Al-Zebabist Nation of Ooog | Zebadiah Abu-Obadiah | 30 | 0.05 | New | |
Majority | 2,812 | 5.7 | −9.7 | ||
Turnout | 49,564 | 69.8 | +4.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −18.4 |
1: Murray appeared on the ballot paper without any description,[17] but campaigned under the label of the Free United Kingdom Party (FUKP).[18]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Laura Sandys | 22,043 | 47.9 | +6.8 | |
Labour | Stephen Ladyman | 14,426 | 31.3 | −8.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Peter Bucklitsch | 6,935 | 15.1 | +2.9 | |
UKIP | Trevor Shonk | 2,529 | 5.5 | +0.7 | |
Majority | 7,617 | 15.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 46,023 | 65.3 | +0.3 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +7.4 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Stephen Ladyman | 16,660 | 40.4 | −5.3 | |
Conservative | Mark MacGregor | 15,996 | 38.8 | −2.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Guy Voizey | 5,431 | 13.2 | +3.8 | |
UKIP | Nigel Farage | 2,079 | 5.0 | +3.7 | |
Green | Howard Green | 888 | 2.2 | New | |
Independent | Maude Kinsella | 188 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 664 | 1.6 | −3.0 | ||
Turnout | 41,242 | 65.0 | 1.1 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −1.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Stephen Ladyman | 18,002 | 45.7 | −0.5 | |
Conservative | Mark MacGregor | 16,210 | 41.1 | +1.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Guy Voizey | 3,706 | 9.4 | −2.3 | |
Independent | William Baldwin | 770 | 2.0 | New | |
UKIP | Terry Eccott | 502 | 1.3 | New | |
National Front | Bernard Franklin | 242 | 0.6 | New | |
Majority | 1,792 | 4.6 | −1.8 | ||
Turnout | 39,432 | 63.9 | −7.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −0.9 |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Stephen Ladyman | 20,777 | 46.2 | +18.1 | |
Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 17,899 | 39.8 | −11.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Barbara Hewitt-Silk | 5,263 | 11.7 | −6.6 | |
Independent | C Crook | 631 | 1.4 | New | |
Green | David Wheatley | 418 | 0.9 | −0.9 | |
Majority | 2,878 | 6.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 44,488 | 71.6 | −6.6 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +15.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 25,253 | 51.7 | −2.6 | |
Labour | Mark James | 13,740 | 28.1 | +7.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Bill Pitt | 8,948 | 18.3 | −6.5 | |
Green | Sue Peckham | 871 | 1.8 | New | |
Majority | 11,513 | 23.6 | −5.9 | ||
Turnout | 48,812 | 78.2 | +4.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −4.9 |
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 25,135 | 54.3 | −2.2 | |
Liberal | Bill Pitt | 11,452 | 24.8 | +0.7 | |
Labour | Chris Wright | 9,673 | 20.9 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 13,683 | 29.5 | −2.9 | ||
Turnout | 46,260 | 73.7 | +3.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 24,512 | 56.5 | ||
Liberal | Ian Josephs | 10,461 | 24.1 | ||
Labour | Martin Clark | 8,429 | 19.4 | ||
Majority | 14,051 | 32.4 | |||
Turnout | 43,402 | 70.0 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
See also
Notes
- ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- ^ 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
- ^ "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.
- ^ "'Thanet South', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ Sommerlad, Nick. "Did the Tories 'break election laws' with battle bus spending? Here's everything you need to know". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ Jon Stone (1 June 2016). "Tory MP moves to block police inquiry into alleged election fraud". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ Nicola Slawson and agencies. "Judge grants extension to police investigation into Tory election fraud". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ "MP Craig Mackinlay quizzed over election expenses". BBC News. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- ^ "Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay charged over election expenses". BBC News. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
- ^ "MP Craig Mackinlay cleared of election expenses fraud". BBC News. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ "Tory official convicted of falsifying expenses in race against Farage". BBC News. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- ^ "Tories rewarded in New Years honours list". Conservative Home. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
- ^ "Thanet South Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ "Statement of persons nominated, notice of poll and situation of polling stations" (PDF). Thanet District Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ "Candidates standing in Kent and Medway across Kent's 17 parliamentary constituencies". KentOnline. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ "May 2015 General Election-South Thanet" (PDF). Thanet District Council. May 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "South Thanet". Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
- ^ "Thanet South parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
External links
- South Thanet UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK