East Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)

East Thanet
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of East Thanet in South East England
CountyKent
Electorate73,790 (2023)[1]
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created2024
Member of ParliamentPolly Billington (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created from
February 1974–1983[a]
SeatsOne
Created fromIsle of Thanet
Replaced bySouth Thanet[2]

East Thanet is a British parliamentary constituency in the Isle of Thanet in Kent, represented since 2024 by Polly Billington of the Labour Party. The seat previously existed, under the name Thanet East, from 1974 to 1983, returning one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was re-established as East Thanet for the 2024 general election. It is primarily the successor to the former South Thanet parliamentary constituency.[3][4]

Boundaries

1974–1983 (Thanet East)

The Borough of Ramsgate, and the Urban District of Broadstairs and St Peter's.

2024–present (East Thanet)

Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the District of Thanet wards of Beacon Road, Bradstowe, Central Harbour, Cliffsend & Pegwell, Cliftonville East, Cliftonville West, Dane Valley, Eastcliff, Kingsgate, Margate Central, Nethercourt, Newington, Northwood, St Peters, Salmestone, Sir Moses Montefiore, and Viking.[5]

It comprises those parts of the former constituency of South Thanet in the District of Thanet (85.6% of the electorate), together with three wards from North Thanet, including Central Margate.[4]

Constituency profile

Electoral Calculus categorises the proposed seat as being part of the "Somewheres" demographic, indicating socially conservative, economically soft left views and strong support for Brexit.[6] The High Speed 1 railway service has stimulated some regeneration of Margate and Ramsgate, with many residents moving to the towns from Greater London.[7]

History

The constituency was created for the February 1974 general election, when the former constituency of Isle of Thanet was split in two, and returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was abolished for the 1983 general election, when Thanet East and the neighbouring Thanet West constituency were replaced by new North Thanet and South Thanet constituencies.

The constituency name was revived at the 2024 general election, where it effectively replaced the South Thanet constituency, with 81.8% of the electorate of the former South Thanet seat becoming part of the new East Thanet, and 85.6% of the new East Thanet seat having previously belonged to the former South Thanet.[4]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1974–1983

Isle of Thanet prior to 1974

Election Member Party
Feb 1974 Jonathan Aitken Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

MPs since 2024

South Thanet prior to 2024

Election Member Party
2024 Polly Billington Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: East Thanet[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Polly Billington 17,054 39.9 +2.3
Conservative Helen Harrison 10,083 23.6 −29.9
Reform UK Paul Webb 8,591 20.1 N/A
Green Steve Roberts 4,590 10.7 +7.0
Liberal Democrats Jai Singh 1,365 3.2 −2.0
Independent Grahame Birchall 563 1.3 N/A
Independent Paul Holton 369 0.9 N/A
Independent Mo Shafaei 98 0.2 N/A
Majority 6,971 16.3 N/A
Turnout 42,713 57.0 −7.9
Registered electors 74,940
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase16.1

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[9]
Party Vote %
Conservative 25,616 53.5
Labour 18,031 37.6
Liberal Democrats 2,486 5.2
Green 1,791 3.7
Turnout 47,924 64.9
Electorate 73,790

Election results 1974–1983

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Thanet East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Aitken 20,367 57.17 +11.1
Labour I Kilberry 10,128 28.43 −4.6
Liberal B Hesketh 4,755 13.35 −5.6
National Front B Dobing 376 1.06 −1.0
Majority 10,239 28.74 +15.6
Turnout 35,625 72.72 +1.2
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Thanet East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Aitken 15,813 46.10 −0.8
Labour S Bartlett 11,310 32.97 +0.4
Liberal C Hogarth 6,472 18.87 −4.6
National Front K Munson 708 2.06 New
Majority 4,503 13.13 −4.1
Turnout 34,302 71.55 −9.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Thanet East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Aitken 17,944 46.86
Labour Robert Bean 11,347 29.64
Liberal J Cox 8,997 23.50
Majority 6,597 17.22
Turnout 38,289 80.53
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As Thanet East

References

  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  2. ^ "'Thanet East', Feb 1974 – May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ a b c "Boundary review 2023: Which seats will change in the UK?". House of Commons Library. 20 March 2024.
  5. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  6. ^ "The Electoral Calculus' profile of East Thanet". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  7. ^ Kent Online https://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/greasy-spoons-have-been-replaced-with-chichi-little-bistros-262211/
  8. ^ "East Thanet Results". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.

51°22′N 1°25′E / 51.36°N 1.42°E / 51.36; 1.42