Folkestone and Hythe (UK Parliament constituency)

Folkestone and Hythe
Folkestone and Hythe
County constituency; for the House of Commons
	Boundaries since 2024
	Boundary of Folkestone and Hythe in South East England
County	Kent
Electorate	70,023 (2023)
Major settlements	Folkestone; Hythe;
Current constituency
Created	1950
Member of Parliament	Tony Vaughan (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Ashford; Canterbury; Hythe;

Folkestone and Hythe (/ˈfoʊkstən ... ˈhaɪð/) is a constituency^{[n 1]} in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Tony Vaughan, a Labour MP.^{[n 2]}

Until 2024, Folkestone and Hythe had elected a Conservative MP at every general election since its creation 1950, as had the earlier Hythe constituency since the late 19th century; it was therefore regarded as a Conservative safe seat. However, in 2024 it was won for the first time by the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

Folkestone and Hythe consists of a hilly swathe of East Kent including the coastal urban area of Folkestone and Hythe. The rural communities of New Romney, Lydd, Dymchurch, Lyminge and Elham contain significant farming communities, commuters to towns and business parks, including a small percentage to London and a large retired population.^[2]

Boundaries

Map of 2010–2024 boundaries

1950–1983: The Boroughs of Folkestone, Hythe, Lydd, and New Romney, and the Rural Districts of Elham and Romney Marsh.

1983–2010: The District of Shepway.

2010–2024: The District of Shepway (the District of Folkestone and Hythe from 2018), and the Borough of Ashford ward of Saxon Shore.

2024–present: The District of Folkestone and Hythe wards of: Broadmead; Cheriton; East Folkestone; Folkestone Central; Folkestone Harbour; Hythe; Hythe Rural; New Romney; Romney Marsh; Sandgate & West Folkestone; Walland & Denge Marsh.^[3]

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, for the General election 2024, changes described as:

The electorate will be reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring out the North Downs area in the north, along with the parts in the Borough of Ashford, primarily to the reconfigured constituency of Ashford.

Members of Parliament

The current Member of Parliament is Tony Vaughan of the Labour Party who was elected at the 2024 general election. Vaughan's predecessors for the seat were Damian Collins (served 2010–2024) and Michael Howard (served 1983-2010). Howard held a number of political posts during his career in Parliament, most prominently as Home Secretary from 1993 to 1997 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2003 to 2005.

	Member^[4]	Party
1950	Harry Mackeson	Conservative
1959	Albert Costain	Conservative
1983	Michael Howard	Conservative
2010	Damian Collins	Conservative
2024	Tony Vaughan	Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Folkestone and Hythe^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tony Vaughan	15,020	34.7	+7.9
	Conservative	Damian Collins	11,291	26.1	-30.2
	Reform UK	William Wright	10,685	24.7	New
	Green	Marianne Brett	3,954	9.1	+4.2
	Liberal Democrats	Larry Ngan	1,736	4.0	-6.0
	TUSC	Momtaz Khanom	249	0.6	New
	Fairer Voting Party	David Allen	240	0.6	New
	Socialist (GB)	Andy Thomas	71	0.2	=
Majority			3,729	4.5
Turnout
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Folkestone and Hythe ^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Collins	35,483	60.1	+5.4
	Labour	Laura Davison	14,146	24.0	-4.5
	Liberal Democrats	Simon Bishop	5,755	9.8	+2.6
	Green	Georgina Treloar	2,706	4.6	+0.4
	Independent	Henry Bolton	576	1.0	New
	SDP	Colin Menniss	190	0.3	New
	Young People's	Rohen Kapur	80	0.1	New
	Socialist (GB)	Andy Thomas	69	0.1	New
Majority			21,337	36.1	+9.9
Turnout			59,005	66.8	-1.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.0

General election 2017: Folkestone and Hythe^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Collins	32,197	54.7	+6.8
	Labour	Laura Davison	16,786	28.5	+14.1
	Liberal Democrats	Lynne Beaumont	4,222	7.2	−1.7
	UKIP	Stephen Priestley	2,565	4.4	−18.4
	Green	Martin Whybrow	2,498	4.2	−1.2
	Independent	David Plumstead	493	0.8	New
	Independent	Naomi Slade	114	0.2	New
Majority			15,411	26.2	+1.1
Turnout			58,875	68.4	+2.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.7

General election 2015: Folkestone and Hythe^[8]^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Collins	26,323	47.9	−1.5
	UKIP	Harriet Yeo^[10]	12,526	22.8	+18.2
	Labour	Claire Jeffrey^[11]	7,939	14.4	+3.6
	Liberal Democrats	Lynne Beaumont^[12]	4,882	8.9	−21.4
	Green	Martin Whybrow^[13]	2,956	5.4	+4.2
	TUSC	Seth Cruse	244	0.4	New
	Young People's	Rohen Kapur^[14]	72	0.1	New
	Socialist (GB)	Andy Thomas ^[15]	68	0.1	New
Majority			13,797	25.1	+6.0
Turnout			55,010	65.8	−1.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	−9.9

General election 2010: Folkestone and Hythe^[16]^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Damian Collins	26,109	49.4	−4.5
	Liberal Democrats	Lynne Beaumont	15,987	30.3	+0.7
	Labour	Donald Worsley	5,719	10.8	−1.8
	UKIP	Frank McKenna	2,439	4.6	+3.3
	BNP	Harry Williams	1,662	3.1	New
	Green	Penny Kemp	637	1.2	−0.3
	Independent	David Plumstead	247	0.5	+0.5
Majority			10,122	19.1	-4.9
Turnout			52,800	67.7	−1.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.6

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Howard	26,161	53.9	+8.9
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Carroll	14,481	29.9	−2.2
	Labour	Maureen Tomison	6,053	12.5	−7.7
	Green	Hazel Dawe	688	1.4	New
	UKIP	Petrina Holdsworth	619	1.3	−1.3
	Monster Raving Loony	Lord Toby Jug	175	0.4	New
	Get Britain Back	Rodney Hylton-Potts	153	0.3	New
	Senior Citizens	Grahame Leon-Smith	151	0.3	New
	Peace and Progress	Sylvia Dunn	22	0.0	New
Majority			11,680	24.0	+11.1
Turnout			48,503	68.4	+4.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.6

General election 2001: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Howard	20,645	45.0	+6.0
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Carroll	14,738	32.1	+5.2
	Labour	Albert Catterall	9,260	20.2	−4.7
	UKIP	John Baker	1,212	2.6	+1.9
Majority			5,907	12.9	+0.8
Turnout			45,855	64.1	−8.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.4

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Howard	20,313	39.0	−13.3
	Liberal Democrats	David Laws	13,981	26.9	−8.4
	Labour	Peter Doherty	12,939	24.9	+12.8
	Referendum	John Aspinall	4,188	8.0	New
	UKIP	John Baker	378	0.7	New
	Socialist Alternative	Eric Segal	182	0.4	New
	Country Field and Shooting Sports	Raymond Saint	69	0.1	New
Majority			6,332	12.1	−4.9
Turnout			52,050	72.7	−6.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.5

General election 1992: Folkestone and Hythe^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Howard	27,437	52.3	−3.1
	Liberal Democrats	Linda W. Cufley	18,527	35.3	−2.0
	Labour	Peter Doherty	6,347	12.1	+4.7
	Natural Law	Anthony Hobbs	123	0.2	New
Majority			8,910	17.0	−1.1
Turnout			52,434	79.6	+1.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.6

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Howard	27,915	55.4	-1.5
	Liberal	John MacDonald	18,789	37.3	+4.7
	Labour	Vidya Anand	3,720	7.4	-2.4
Majority			9,126	18.1	-6.2
Turnout			50,424	78.3	+8.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1983: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Howard	27,261	56.9	+1.2
	Liberal	John MacDonald	15,591	32.6	+10.1
	Labour	Leslie Lawrie	4,700	9.8	-11.0
	Independent	Philip Todd	318	0.7	New
Majority			11,670	24.3	-8.9
Turnout			47,870	69.6	-3.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Albert Costain	26,837	55.74
	Liberal	Bernard Budd	10,817	22.47
	Labour	GJ Priestman	10,015	20.8
	National Front	M Lavine	478	0.99	New
Majority			16,020	33.2	+14.6
Turnout			48,147	72.6	+2.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+7.3

General election October 1974: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Albert Costain	20,930	46.18
	Liberal	Bernard Budd	12,488	27.55
	Labour	MJS Butler	11,639	25.68
	Independent	Harold W. Button	265	0.58	New
Majority			8,442	18.63
Turnout			45,322	70.03
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Albert Costain	23,400	47.08
	Liberal	Bernard Budd	14,890	29.96	New
	Labour	MJS Butler	11,412	22.96
Majority			8,510	17.12
Turnout			49,702	77.31
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1970: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Albert Costain	27,031	64.33
	Labour	Nicholas A Hyman	13,772	32.77
	Independent	Harold W Button	1,219	2.90	New
Majority			13,259	31.56
Turnout			42,022	68.81
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Albert Costain	22,964	59.51
	Labour	John Horam	15,562	40.39
Majority			7,402	19.22
Turnout			38,526	70.60
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1964: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Albert Costain	23,587	62.23
	Labour	Michael J. Stewart	14,314	37.77
Majority			9,273	24.46
Turnout			37,901	70.99
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Albert Costain	21,726	56.54
	Labour	W Edgar Simpkins	9,346	24.32
	Liberal	Robert D Emerson	7,351	19.13	New
Majority			12,380	32.22
Turnout			38,423	76.41
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1955: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Harry Mackeson	23,851	64.99
	Labour	Leslie Leonard Reeves	12,849	35.01
Majority			11,002	29.98
Turnout			36,700	72.83
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1951: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Harry Mackeson	25,792	64.87
	Labour	I Rhys Jones	13,968	35.13
Majority			11,824	29.74
Turnout			39,760	78.95
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1950: Folkestone and Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Harry Mackeson	23,767	58.22
	Labour	Moss Murray	13,885	34.02
	Liberal	Ray Ward Bateson	3,168	7.76
Majority			9,882	24.20
Turnout			40,820	83.24
	Conservative win (new seat)

Notes

References

Sources

Election result, 2005 (BBC)
Election results 1997–2001 (BBC)
Election results 1997–2001 (Election Demon)
Election results 1992–2010 (The Guardian)

External links

Folkestone and Hythe UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
Folkestone and Hythe UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Chingford and Woodford Green	Constituency represented by the leader of the opposition 2003–2005	Succeeded by Witney

51°04′N 1°02′E / 51.06°N 1.03°E / 51.06; 1.03

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