# Dartford (UK Parliament constituency)

Dartford is a constituency in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Jim Dickson of the Labour Party since 2024.

## History

The seat was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. This Act added a net 18 seats, but its main purpose was to correct the over-representation of minor, often still old boroughs and depopulated county divisions. In their place were created new seats with a larger population. In Kent the Act finally abolished the Sandwich constituency, which sent two MPs until 1885. It also halved the representation of no fewer than four other historic towns. In contrast a seat for Dartford, the North-Western Division of Kent or North West Kent, was created.
The area of the seat, remaining a combination of urban, suburban and a small rural population, has been gradually reduced through its territory being contributed to new constituencies, their county designation later being changed in 1965 to become part of the new county of Greater London, which adjoins Dartford. These seats were Bexley, created in 1945, and Erith & Crayford, created in 1955.

### Political history

In the early 20th century, the Dartford constituency was very much a bellwether. Dartford's results later shifted towards the left: in a by-election in 1938 and then in general elections from 1951 to 1959, a Labour candidate won, going against the national result. Since 1964, however, Dartford has alternated between Labour and the Conservatives in line with the national result, and thus has served as a bellwether again; as of 2024, it is the longest-running bellwether constituency in the United Kingdom. Candidates for the largest two parties nationally have polled first and second since 1923 in Dartford.
This was the first constituency contested by future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (then Margaret Roberts). She was the Conservative candidate at the 1950 and 1951 general elections, unsuccessful on both occasions.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Dartford, and part of the Sessional Division of Bromley.
1918–1945: The Urban Districts of Bexley, Dartford, and Erith, and in the Rural District of Dartford the parishes of Crayford, Stone, and Swanscombe.
1945–1955: The Boroughs of Dartford and Erith, and the Urban District of Crayford.
1955–1974: The Borough of Dartford, the Urban District of Swanscombe, and the Rural District of Dartford.
1974–1983: The Borough of Dartford, the Urban District of Swanscombe, and in the Rural District of Dartford the parishes of Darenth, Southfleet, Stone, Sutton-at-Hone, and Wilmington.
1983–1997: The Borough of Dartford, and the District of Sevenoaks wards of Ash-cum-Ridley, Fawkham and Hartley, Horton Kirby, and Longfield.
1997–2010: The Borough of Dartford, and the District of Sevenoaks wards of Fawkham and Hartley, and Horton Kirby.
2010–2024: The Borough of Dartford, and the District of Sevenoaks ward of Hartley and Hodsoll Street.
2024–present: The Borough of Dartford wards of Bean & Village Park, Brent, Burnham, Darenth, Ebbsfleet, Greenhithe & Knockhall, Heath, Joyden's Wood, Longfield, New Barn & Southfleet, Maypole & Leyton Cross, Newtown, Princes, Stone Castle, Stone House, Swanscombe, Temple Hill, Town, and West Hill.
    The electorate was reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring the District of Sevenoaks ward of Hartley and Hodsoll Street to Tonbridge and the Dartford Borough ward of Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone & Hawley to Sevenoaks.

## Constituency profile

As its name suggests, the main settlement in the constituency is the town of Dartford, but it also includes a number of other towns and villages, including Swanscombe, Longfield and Greenhithe. These all add up to create a diverse constituency which covers urban and rural areas.
The population of the constituency currently comprises the bulk of the Borough of Dartford. It is on the border with the London Borough of Bexley, with which at one time it shared an MP.
Health and wealth of its residents is around average for the UK.

## Members of Parliament

West Kent prior to 1885
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Sir William Hart Dyke | Conservative |
| | 1906 | James Rowlands | Liberal |
| | Jan 1910 | William Foot Mitchell | Conservative |
| | Dec 1910 | James Rowlands | Liberal |
| | 1918 | James Rowlands | Coalition Liberal |
| | 1920 by-election | John Edmund Mills | Labour |
| | 1922 | George Jarrett | Constitutionalist |
| | 1923 | John Edmund Mills | Labour |
| | 1924 | Angus McDonnell | Conservative |
| | 1929 | John Edmund Mills | Labour |
| | 1931 | Frank Clarke | Conservative |
| | 1938 by-election | Jennie Adamson | Labour |
| 1945 | 1945 | constituency split, with half becoming the new Bexley seat | constituency split, with half becoming the new Bexley seat |
| | 1945 | Norman Dodds | Labour and Co-operative |
| | 1955 | Sydney Irving | Labour Co-op |
| | 1970 | Peter Trew | Conservative |
| | Feb 1974 | Sydney Irving | Labour Co-op |
| | 1979 | Bob Dunn | Conservative |
| | 1997 | Howard Stoate | Labour |
| | 2010 | Gareth Johnson | Conservative |
| | 2024 | Jim Dickson | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim Dickson | 15,392 | 34.6 | +5.1 |
| | Conservative | Gareth Johnson | 14,200 | 31.9 | −29.2 |
| | Reform UK | Lee Stranders | 9,523 | 21.4 | N/A |
| | Green | Laura Edie | 3,189 | 7.2 | +4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kyle Marsh | 2,184 | 4.9 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,192 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,488 | 59.0 | –5.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 75,426 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 18.1 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 28,413 | 61.1 |
| | Labour | 13,709 | 29.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 3,251 | 7.0 |
| | Green | 1,115 | 2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 46,488 | 64.5 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 72,048 |
General election 2019: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gareth Johnson | 34,006 | 62.9 | +5.3 |
| | Labour | Sacha Gosine | 14,846 | 27.5 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kyle Marsh | 3,736 | 6.9 | +4.3 |
| | Green | Mark Lindop | 1,435 | 2.7 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,160 | 35.4 | +11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,023 | 65.7 | −4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.6 | |
General election 2017: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gareth Johnson | 31,210 | 57.6 | +8.6 |
| | Labour | Bachchu Kaini | 18,024 | 33.2 | +7.8 |
| | UKIP | Ben Fryer | 2,544 | 4.7 | −15.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Beard | 1,428 | 2.6 | −0.2 |
| | Green | Andrew Blatchford | 807 | 1.5 | −1.0 |
| | Independent | Ola Adewunmi | 211 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,186 | 24.4 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,224 | 69.8 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
General election 2015: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gareth Johnson | 25,670 | 49.0 | +0.2 |
| | Labour | Simon Thomson | 13,325 | 25.4 | −2.2 |
| | UKIP | Elizabeth Jones | 10,434 | 19.9 | +16.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Beard | 1,454 | 2.8 | −11.9 |
| | Green | Andy Blatchford | 1,324 | 2.5 | New |
| | English Democrat | Steve Uncles | 211 | 0.4 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,345 | 23.6 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,418 | 68.4 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election 2010: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gareth Johnson | 24,428 | 48.8 | +7.6 |
| | Labour | John Adams | 13,800 | 27.6 | −15.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Willis | 7,361 | 14.7 | +4.6 |
| | English Democrat | Gary Rogers | 2,178 | 4.3 | +1.7 |
| | UKIP | Richard Palmer | 1,842 | 3.7 | +0.7 |
| | Independent | Stephane Tindame | 264 | 0.5 | New |
| | Fancy Dress Party | Ernie Crockford | 207 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,628 | 21.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,080 | 65.7 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +11.6 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Howard Stoate | 19,909 | 42.6 | −5.4 |
| | Conservative | Gareth Johnson | 19,203 | 41.1 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Bucklitsch | 5,036 | 10.8 | +2.3 |
| | UKIP | Mark Croucher | 1,407 | 3.0 | +0.8 |
| | New England | Michael Tibby | 1,224 | 2.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 706 | 1.5 | −5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,779 | 63.2 | +1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −2.9 | |
General election 2001: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Howard Stoate | 21,466 | 48.0 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | Bob Dunn | 18,160 | 40.6 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Morgan | 3,781 | 8.5 | −0.9 |
| | UKIP | Mark Croucher | 989 | 2.2 | New |
| | Fancy Dress Party | Keith Davenport | 344 | 0.8 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,306 | 7.4 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,740 | 61.9 | −12.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Howard Stoate | 25,278 | 48.6 | +12.4 |
| | Conservative | Bob Dunn | 20,950 | 40.3 | −10.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Webb | 4,872 | 9.4 | −2.8 |
| | BNP | Paul McHale | 424 | 0.8 | New |
| | Fancy Dress Party | Peter Homden | 287 | 0.5 | +0.1 |
| | Christian Democrat | James Pollitt | 228 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,328 | 8.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,039 | 74.6 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1992: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bob Dunn | 31,194 | 51.9 | −1.6 |
| | Labour | Howard Stoate | 20,880 | 34.7 | +7.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Bryden | 7,584 | 12.6 | −5.6 |
| | Fancy Dress Party | A Munro | 262 | 0.4 | −0.5 |
| | Natural Law | Angela Holland | 241 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,314 | 17.2 | −8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,161 | 83.1 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.4 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bob Dunn | 30,685 | 53.5 | +1.9 |
| | Labour | Barrie Clarke | 15,756 | 27.5 | +0.7 |
| | SDP | Michael Bruce | 10,439 | 18.2 | −2.3 |
| | Fancy Dress Party | Keith Davenport | 491 | 0.9 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,929 | 26.0 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,371 | 79.0 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1983: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Bob Dunn | 28,199 | 51.6 |
| | Labour | David Townsend | 14,636 | 26.8 |
| | Liberal | John Mills | 11,204 | 20.5 |
| | Fancy Dress Party | A Crockford | 374 | 0.7 |
| | National Front | GE Nye | 282 | 0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,563 | 24.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,695 | 76.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bob Dunn | 21,195 | 45.87 | |
| | Labour Co-op | Sydney Irving | 19,803 | 42.86 | |
| | Liberal | Ian Josephs | 4,407 | 9.54 | |
| | National Front | I Nobbs | 476 | 1.03 | |
| | Fancy Dress Party | J Beddowes | 328 | 0.71 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,392 | 3.01 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,209 | 80.35 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour Co-op | Conservative gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | Sydney Irving | 20,817 | 47.64 |
| | Conservative | Graham Bright | 15,331 | 35.09 |
| | Liberal | George H Dunk | 6,606 | 15.12 |
| | National Front | RH Aldous | 939 | 2.15 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,486 | 12.55 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,693 | 76.60 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | +1.6 |
General election February 1974: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Sydney Irving | 19,803 | 41.98 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Trew | 16,149 | 34.24 | |
| | Liberal | Ian Josephs | 10,273 | 21.78 | |
| | National Front | RH Aldous | 945 | 2.00 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,654 | 7.74 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,170 | 83.44 | |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1970: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Trew | 27,822 | 45.96 | |
| | Labour Co-op | Sydney Irving | 27,262 | 45.03 | |
| | Liberal | J Paul Johnson | 5,453 | 9.01 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 560 | 0.93 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,537 | 74.02 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour Co-op | Conservative gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | Sydney Irving | 29,547 | 49.84 |
| | Conservative | Peter Trew | 22,638 | 38.19 |
| | Liberal | Peter Loftus | 7,094 | 11.97 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,909 | 11.65 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,279 | 80.80 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | |
General election 1964: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | Sydney Irving | 27,371 | 46.46 |
| | Conservative | James J Davis | 22,496 | 38.18 |
| | Liberal | Morris Janis | 9,047 | 15.36 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,875 | 8.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,914 | 81.48 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Sydney Irving | 25,323 | 45.83 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Walker | 24,047 | 43.52 | |
| | Liberal | Barry Charles Davis | 5,881 | 10.64 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,276 | 2.31 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,251 | 82.96 | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | Sydney Irving | 25,928 | 54.40 |
| | Conservative | Peter Walker | 21,730 | 45.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,198 | 8.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,658 | 80.98 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | Norman Dodds | 40,094 | 59.09 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Roberts | 27,760 | 40.91 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,334 | 18.18 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 67,854 | 85.22 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | +3.71 |
General election 1950: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Norman Dodds | 38,128 | 56.38 | |
| | Conservative | Margaret Roberts | 24,490 | 36.21 | |
| | Liberal | Anthony H. Giles | 5,011 | 7.41 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,638 | 20.17 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 67,629 | 85.51 | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | Norman Dodds | 36,665 | 68.38 |
| | Conservative | Ralph Ernest Watkins Grubb | 16,951 | 31.62 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,714 | 36.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,616 | 74.89 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | |
* 1945 saw radical boundary changes, with half the constituency becoming part of the Bexley seat.

### Elections in the 1930s

1938 Dartford by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jennie Adamson | 46,514 | 52.39 | |
| | Conservative | Godfrey Mitchell | 42,276 | 47.61 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,238 | 4.78 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 88,790 | 68.00 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Frank Clarke | 38,242 | 51.79 |
| | Labour | Jennie Adamson | 35,596 | 48.21 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,646 | 3.58 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 73,838 | 69.63 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1931: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frank Clarke | 34,095 | 55.49 | |
| | Labour | John Edmund Mills | 27,349 | 44.51 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,746 | 10.98 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,444 | 79.01 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Edmund Mills | 26,871 | 50.6 | +1.6 |
| | Unionist | Ashley Edwards | 16,568 | 31.2 | −19.8 |
| | Liberal | John Woolfenden Williamson | 9,689 | 18.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,303 | 19.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,128 | 76.9 | −2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 69,070 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +10.7 | |
General election 1924: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Angus McDonnell | 20,108 | 51.0 | New |
| | Labour | John Edmund Mills | 19,352 | 49.0 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 756 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,460 | 79.2 | +9.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,804 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1923: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Edmund Mills | 18,329 | 54.2 | +10.3 |
| | Constitutionalist | George Jarrett | 15,500 | 45.8 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,829 | 8.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,829 | 70.0 | −1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,320 | | |
| | Labour gain from Constitutionalist | Labour gain from Constitutionalist | Swing | +7.1 | |
General election 1922: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Constitutionalist | George Jarrett | 16,662 | 49.6 | New |
| | Labour | John Edmund Mills | 14,744 | 43.9 | +15.3 |
| | Liberal | Alison Garland | 2,175 | 6.5 | −64.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,918 | 5.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,581 | 71.2 | +23.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,132 | | |
| | Constitutionalist gain from Liberal | Constitutionalist gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
1920 Dartford by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Edmund Mills | 13,610 | 50.2 | +21.6 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Wing | 4,562 | 16.8 | −54.6 |
| | Coalition Unionist | Richard Meller | 4,221 | 15.5 | New |
| | National | Reginald Applin | 2,952 | 10.9 | New |
| | Ind. Unionist | Frank Emil Fehr | 1,802 | 6.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,048 | 33.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,147 | 61.3 | +13.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,281 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +38.1 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | James Rowlands | 15,626 | 71.4 | +20.8 |
| | Labour | William Ling | 6,256 | 28.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,370 | 42.8 | +41.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,892 | 47.9 | −36.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 45,666 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
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;
* Liberal: James Rowlands
* Unionist:
General election December 1910: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | James Rowlands | 9,152 | 50.6 | +2.8 |
| | Conservative | William Foot Mitchell | 8,918 | 49.4 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 234 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,070 | 84.4 | −3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,398 | | |
| | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.8 | |
General election January 1910: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Foot Mitchell | 9,807 | 52.2 | +10.8 |
| | Lib-Lab | James Rowlands | 8,990 | 47.8 | −10.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 817 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,797 | 87.8 | +5.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,398 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Lib-Lab | Conservative gain from Lib-Lab | Swing | +10.8 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | James Rowlands | 9,532 | 58.6 | New |
| | Conservative | William Hart Dyke | 6,728 | 41.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,804 | 17.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,260 | 82.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,741 | | |
| | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1900: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hart Dyke | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hart Dyke | 5,699 | 55.6 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal | Patteson Nickalls | 4,557 | 44.4 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,142 | 11.2 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,256 | 73.8 | +3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,888 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.7 | |
General election 1892: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hart Dyke | 5,294 | 52.9 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal | Jeremiah Lyon | 4,722 | 47.1 | +5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 572 | 5.8 | −11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,016 | 70.4 | +6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,227 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.7 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 2 Feb 1887: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hart Dyke | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Dyke's appointment as Vice-president of the Committee of the Council on Education.
General election 1886: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hart Dyke | 4,198 | 58.6 | +5.8 |
| | Liberal | James Ebenezer Saunders | 2,965 | 41.4 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,233 | 17.2 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,163 | 64.1 | −11.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,173 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
General election 1885: Dartford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hart Dyke | 4,488 | 52.8 | |
| | Liberal | James Ebenezer Saunders | 4,006 | 47.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 482 | 5.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,494 | 76.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,173 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |