The seat dates to the earliest century of regular parliaments, in 1295; it elected two MPs until 1885, electing one thereafter, before being altered by the Representation of the People Act 1918 (the later-termed "Fourth Reform Act", the first being in 1832). Currently, the electorate (the total of people eligible to vote) is much greater than the average nationwide (the electoral quota); this is termed under-apportionment of representation.
Constituency profile
The seat takes in the cathedral and university city of Canterbury, rural villages to the south, and the seaside resort of Whitstable to the north. Full time students make up around a quarter of the electorate.[3]
History
Constitutional status of seat
The widened Canterbury constituency was formed from an expansion of the narrow parliamentary borough (or simply borough) of the same name that existed from 1295 to 1918. This had elected two MPs from 1295 (the Model Parliament) until 1885, and then one until 1918.
MP representation in the constituency was suspended between 1880 and 1885, following a corruption scandal in which bribery was found to have been extensively used in the re-election of the two sitting Conservative MPs, and the result was overturned. Following the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883 and the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, representation was resumed at the 1885 general election, when the number of MPs returned was reduced from two to one. [5]
From 1835 (where a Conservative was elected on petition) until 2017, the local electorate elected mostly candidates of the Conservative Party (with the exceptions of the elections of Independent UnionistFrancis Bennett-Goldney, MP from 1910 to 1918, and of a few Whigs or Liberals when Canterbury had two seats); the seat was recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest uninterrupted period of one party holding a Parliamentary seat. The election of Labour's Rosie Duffield, who won the seat by just 187 votes in the 2017 election, marked the end of a 185-year period of Canterbury almost always electing Conservative-allied MPs, the longest recorded unbroken record of party representation in British political history. Her victory in this election was largely credited to the strategies of electoral strategist Jack Wilson, who at the time was the youngest senior political adviser in British history. She kept the seat, increasing her majority in 2019.
Size of electorate
Voters locally are under-apportioned a large fraction of a seat, and so, representative – population having risen, and homes having increased in a planned way, since the 2001 United Kingdom Census from which seats are predominantly drawn. This can be illustrated in that 27,182 was the number of votes cast for the runner-up in 2019 amid a locally high, three-quarters, turnout election. Such voters for the runner-up were more than voted for the winner in 208 of the 535 English seats – and the second-highest such votes in the election, exceeded only in Stroud, by Labour's runner-up. In the same election 12,713 votes won Kingston upon Hull East; 14,557 votes won Stoke-on-Trent Central; 6,531 votes won Na h-Eileanan an Iar; 11,705 won Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; 12,959 won Ynys Môn and 15,149 won South Antrim.
Boundaries
Map of boundaries 2010-2024
1918–1950: The County Borough of Canterbury, the Urban Districts of Herne Bay and Whitstable, the Rural Districts of Bridge and Elham, and the Rural District of Blean with the detached parts of the parishes of Dunkirk and Hernhill which were wholly surrounded by the rural district.
1950–1983: The County Borough of Canterbury, the Urban Districts of Herne Bay and Whitstable, and the Rural District of Bridge Blean.
1983–1997: The City of Canterbury wards of Barham Downs, Barton, Blean Forest, Chartham, Chestfield, Gorrell, Harbledown, Harbour, Little Stour, Marshside, Northgate, North Nailbourne, St Stephen's, Seasalter, Stone Street, Sturry North, Sturry South, Swalecliffe, Tankerton, Westgate, and Wincheap, and the Borough of Swale wards of Boughton and Courtenay.
1997–2010: as 1983 less the two Borough of Swale wards.
2010–2024: The City of Canterbury wards of Barham Downs, Barton, Blean Forest, Chartham and Stone Street, Chestfield and Swalecliffe, Gorrell, Harbledown, Harbour, Little Stour, North Nailbourne, Northgate, St Stephen's, Seasalter, Sturry North, Sturry South, Tankerton, Westgate, and Wincheap.
2024–present: The City of Canterbury wards of Barton; Blean Forest; Chartham & Stone Street; Chestfield; Gorrell; Little Stour & Adisham; Nailbourne; Northgate; St. Stephens; Seasalter; Swalecliffe; Tankerton; Westgate; and Wincheap.[6]
Electorate reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring Sturry to the new seat of Herne Bay and Sandwich.
Members of Parliament
Parliamentary borough of Canterbury
MPs 1295–1660
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MPs 1660–1880
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MPs 1885–1918
Constituency representation restored and reduced to one (1885)
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Canterbury county constituency
MPs 1918–present
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Elections
Canterbury election results since 1906
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
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Elections in the 2000s
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Elections in the 1990s
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Elections in the 1980s
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Elections in the 1970s
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Elections in the 1960s
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Elections in the 1950s
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Elections in the 1940s
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Elections in the 1930s
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Elections in the 1920s
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Elections in the 1910s
WoodcockBennett-Goldney
General Election 1914/15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
After findings of corruption, the writ for Canterbury was suspended and the election result voided. The constituency was reconstituted in 1885.
Heaton
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Elections in the 1870s
Butler-Johnstone resigned, causing a by-election.
Majendie resigned, causing a by-election.
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Elections in the 1860s
Johnstone resigned, causing a by-election.
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Elections in the 1850s
Denison was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Londesborough, and causing a by-election.
Smythe retired before polling.[64] The election was declared void on petition, due to bribery, and the writ suspended on 21 February 1853.[65] A by-election was called to replace both MPs in August 1854.
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Elections in the 1840s
Caused by Bradshaw's death
Caused by Denison's resignation
Elections in the 1830s
On petition, Villiers was declared unduly elected and Lushington declared elected.
^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 once every five years.
References
^"Canterbury: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
^"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.
^West, Richard (5 December 2019). "The election scandal that rocked city". Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae"History of Parliament 1386–1421". History of Parliament. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
^ a b cHistory of Parliament
^P. R. Cavill (2009). The English Parliaments of Henry VII 1485–1504. OUP Oxford. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-19-161026-4.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o"History of Parliament 1509–1558". History of Parliament. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
^ a b c d e f g h i j"History of Parliament 1558–1603". History of Parliament. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
^Browne Willis
^ a b c dLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 2)
^ a b cSir William Hardres was re-elected in 1734, but the result was overturned on petition and his seat awarded in 1735 to Sir Thomas Hales
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y zStooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, FWS (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 158–160. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
^"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.
^"Canterbury Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
^"Candidates standing in Kent and Medway across Kent's 17 parliamentary constituencies". Kent Online. 12 May 2017.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ a b c d"CANTERBURY 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
^"Canterbury and Whitstable parliamentary campaign launch". Canterbury District Green Party. 20 November 2014.
^"General Election – Campaign News – The Socialist Party of Great Britain". worldsocialism.org. Archived from the original on 20 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"UK Independence Party »". Candidates.ukip.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"Canterbury". Politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"UK General Election results: June 1987 [Archive]". Politicsresources.net. 11 June 1987. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"UK General Election results: June 1983 [Archive]". Politicsresources.net. 9 June 1983. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"UK General Election results: May 1979 [Archive]". Politicsresources.net. 28 May 1979. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"UK General Election results: October 1974 [Archive]". Politicsresources.net. 10 October 1974. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"UK General Election results: February 1974 [Archive]". Politicsresources.net. 28 February 1974. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"UK General Election results 1970 [Archive]". Politicsresources.net. 18 June 1970. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m nF W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949
^ a bDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
^Standard 21 May 1914
^ a b c d e fThe Liberal Year Book, 1907
^ a bDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r sCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^ a b"The Canterbury Election Petition". Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. 19 June 1880. pp. 2–4.