Tonbridge (UK Parliament constituency)

Tonbridge is a parliamentary constituency in Kent, centred on the town of Tonbridge. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, replacing the previous Tunbridge constituency. It was abolished for the February 1974 general election, when it was replaced by the new Tonbridge and Malling constituency.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be re-established for the 2024 general election. It will be formed primarily from Tonbridge and Malling.

Boundaries

1918–1950: The Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Urban Districts of Tonbridge and Southborough, and Tonbridge Rural District.

1950–1974: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.

Constituency was abolished prior to the 1974 election. After half a century constituency was re-established as a result of 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for 2024 election.

2024–present: The District of Sevenoaks wards of: Ash and New Ash Green; Cowden and Hever; Edenbridge North and East; Edenbridge South and West; Hartley and Hodsoll Street; Leigh and Chiddingstone Causeway; Penshurst, Fordcombe and Chiddingstone. And the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh (part); Borough Green & Platt; Bourne; Cage Green & Angel; East and West Peckham, Mereworth & Wateringbury; East Malling, West Malling & Offham (small part); Higham; Hildenborough; Judd; Pilgrims with Ightham; Trench; Vauxhall.

Reformed constituency comprised the bulk of the preceding Tonbridge and Malling seat (excluding East and West Malling), plus an additional two District of Sevenoaks wards to the north - Ash and New Ash Green, and Hartley and Hodsoll Street, from the constituencies of Sevenoaks and Dartford respectively.

Constituency profile

The seat includes the commuter town of Tonbridge and its hinterland to the north, plus the smaller town of Edenbridge further west. Electoral Calculus characterises this area as "Strong Right", with right-wing economic and social views, high home ownership levels and strong support for Brexit.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1918-1974

Tunbridge prior to 1918

MPs since 2024

Tonbridge and Malling prior to 2024

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Election results 1918-1974

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1939–40:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: Adrian Baillie
• Labour: R. E. L. Bowyer
• Liberal: Richard Matthews
• British Union: E J Crawford

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1970s

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Kent
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)

External links

• Tonbridge UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK