Our Campaigns - Race Detail Page



New User Account

"A collaborative political resource."

UK Parliament - Maidstone & the Weald

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United Kingdom > England > South East > South East > Maidstone & The Weald

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

Imperator May 14, 2010 07:30pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

BBC Profile:
Nineteenth-century Conservartive Benjamin Disraeli was an MP for this area for a time, and the seat and its predecessors have supported a long line of Conservative members. The incumbent Ann Widdecombe took over the seat in 1987 and restored the majority to five figures. Widdecombe increased her majority to more than 16,000 in 1992 and, despite boundary changes, she achieved a majority of 9,603 in 1997.

In 2001 her majority grew to 10,318 and in 2005 a further swing enabled her to increase her majority to nearly 14,856.

At the election, the seat gains part of the East ward from Faversham and Mid Kent, in exchange for Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton and part of Park Wood ward. It loses Hawkhurst and Sandhurst to Tunbridge Wells. 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 seat is home to commuters and light industry in Maidstone, and more agricultural pursuits on the Weald. Maidstone is a prosperous county town.

The Fremlin Walk retail development, which opened in 2005, restored Maidstone to the position of having the largest shopping centre in Kent, apart from Bluewater. The M2 and M20 serve the needs of commuters to London.

The rest of the constituency is rural, with lush countryside, pretty villages and small towns. Apple and other fruit-growing are important.

Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
C 23,088 (51.79%)
LD 10,166 (22.80%)
Lab 9,983 (22.39%)
UKIP 1,343 (3.01%)