Our Campaigns - Race Detail Page



New User Account

"A collaborative political resource."

UK Parliament - Folkestone & Hythe

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United Kingdom > England > South East > South East > Folkestone & Hythe

Office

Parliament

Type

General Election

Filing Deadline

00, 0000 - 06:00pm

Polls Open

May 06, 2010 - 01:00am

Polls Close

May 06, 2010 - 04:00pm

Term Start

May 17, 2010 - 12:00pm

Term End

May 17, 2015 - 12:00pm

Contributor

Ralphie

Last Modified

Monsieur May 06, 2010 08:32pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

BBC Profile:
Conservative for much of the last century, the constituency has been represented by former home secretary and ex-Conservative party leader Michael Howard since 1983.

Mr Howard polled over half of the vote at the 1987 and 1992 general elections. Despite a large swing against him in 1997, Mr Howard won with a majority of 6,332, which was further reduced to 5,907 in 2001. In 2005 Mr Howard's majority increased to 11,680.

At the election, the seat gains the Saxon ward from Ashford, under boundary changes. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

This Kentish coastal constituency features the medieval Cinque ports of Hythe and Romney, the town of Folkestone, a scattering of pretty villages and fertile areas such as Romney Marsh and the scenic Elham Valley further inland.

Small businesses are the dominant employers. Tourism plays a part, too, in the southernmost part of the "Garden of England". Folkestone is also the home of several insurance firms, some of which used to be involved in the shipping trade but have since diversified into other fields.

Folkestone is home of the Eurotunnel terminal so it remains an important departure and arrival point for cross-channel traffic.

Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
C 27,587 (53.93%)
LD 15,141 (29.60%)
Lab 6,449 (12.61%)
Green 777 (1.52%)
UKIP 698 (1.36%)
Others 501 (0.98%)