# Gravesham (UK Parliament constituency)

Gravesham (/ˈɡreɪvʃəm/) is a constituency in Kent, represented by Lauren Sullivan of the Labour Party since July 2024.

## Constituency profile

The seat covers the historic riverside town of Gravesend and a more rural area extending to Higham and Vigo Village on the North Downs. The electorate voted strongly to leave in the 2016 EU referendum. Health and wealth are roughly average for the UK.

## Boundaries

1983–present: The Borough of Gravesham wards of: Central; Chalk; Coldharbour; Higham; Istead Rise; Meopham North; Meopham South and Vigo; Northfleet North; Northfleet South; Painters Ash; Pelham; Riverside; Riverview; Shorne, Cobham and Luddesdown; Singlewell; Westcourt, Whitehill; Woodlands.
Since the constituency's creation, its boundaries have been co-terminous with those of the Borough of Gravesham. The largest town in the constituency is Gravesend.
The 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies left the boundaries unchanged.

## History

This particular name of the seat was created in 1983 effectively as the new name for the Gravesend seat.
The constituency and its predecessor together can be considered a bellwether seat: from World War I, with the exceptions of the General Elections in 1929, 1951 and 2005, its winner came from the winning party nationally. In 2005, Adam Holloway was one of 36 Conservative candidates to gain a seat from other parties; he held the seat until 2024, when Labour gained it for the first time in 19 years with the election of Lauren Sullivan as MP.

## Members of Parliament

Gravesend prior to 1983
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Tim Brinton | Conservative |
| 1987 | Jacques Arnold | Conservative |
| 1997 | Chris Pond | Labour |
| 2005 | Adam Holloway | Conservative |
| 2024 | Lauren Sullivan | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lauren Sullivan | 16,623 | 38.5 | +9.1 |
| | Conservative | Adam Holloway | 13,911 | 32.2 | −30.0 |
| | Reform UK | Matthew Fraser Moat | 8,910 | 20.6 | New |
| | Green | Rebecca Hopkins | 2,254 | 5.2 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ukonu Obasi | 1,534 | 3.5 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,712 | 6.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,232 | 59.0 | −6.1 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +19.5 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Adam Holloway | 29,580 | 62.2 | +6.6 |
| | Labour | Lauren Sullivan | 13,999 | 29.4 | −7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ukonu Obasi | 2,584 | 5.4 | +2.9 |
| | Green | Marna Gilligan | 1,397 | 2.9 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,581 | 32.8 | +13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,560 | 64.9 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.8 | |
2017 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Adam Holloway | 27,237 | 55.6 | +8.8 |
| | Labour | Mandy Garford | 17,890 | 36.5 | +6.4 |
| | UKIP | Emmanuel Feyisetan | 1,742 | 3.6 | −15.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Willis | 1,210 | 2.5 | +0.3 |
| | Green | Marna Gilligan | 723 | 1.5 | −0.8 |
| | Independent | Michael Rogan | 195 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,347 | 19.1 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,106 | 67.2 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
2015 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Adam Holloway | 23,484 | 46.8 | −1.7 |
| | Labour | Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi | 15,114 | 30.1 | +1.3 |
| | UKIP | Sean Marriott | 9,306 | 18.6 | +13.8 |
| | Green | Mark Lindop | 1,124 | 2.2 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anne-Marie Bunting | 1,111 | 2.2 | −11.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,370 | 16.7 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,139 | 67.5 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.5 | |
2010 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Adam Holloway | 22,956 | 48.5 | +4.8 |
| | Labour Co-op | Kathryn Smith | 13,644 | 28.8 | −13.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anna Arrowsmith | 6,293 | 13.3 | +2.6 |
| | UKIP | Geoffrey Clark | 2,265 | 4.8 | +2.9 |
| | English Democrat | Steve Uncles | 1,005 | 2.1 | New |
| | Green | Richard Crawford | 675 | 1.4 | New |
| | Independent | Alice Dartnell | 465 | 1.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,312 | 19.7 | +18.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,303 | 67.4 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +9.1 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

2005 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Adam Holloway | 19,739 | 43.7 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | Chris Pond | 19,085 | 42.2 | −7.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bruce Parmenter | 4,851 | 10.7 | +1.5 |
| | UKIP | Geoff Coates | 850 | 1.9 | −0.2 |
| | English Independence Party | Christopher Nickerson | 654 | 1.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 654 | 1.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,179 | 65.8 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +6.3 | |
2001 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Chris Pond | 21,773 | 49.9 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Jacques Arnold | 16,911 | 38.8 | 0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bruce Parmenter | 4,031 | 9.2 | +1.5 |
| | UKIP | William Jenner | 924 | 2.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,862 | 11.1 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,639 | 62.7 | −14.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.1 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

1997 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Chris Pond | 26,460 | 49.7 | +9.3 |
| | Conservative | Jacques Arnold | 20,681 | 38.8 | −10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Merilyn Canet | 4,128 | 7.8 | −1.1 |
| | Referendum | Patricia Curtis | 1,441 | 2.7 | New |
| | Independent Labour | Anthony Leyshon | 414 | 0.8 | New |
| | Natural Law | David Palmer | 129 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,779 | 10.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,253 | 76.9 | −6.5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -10.1 | |
1992 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jacques Arnold | 29,322 | 49.7 | −0.4 |
| | Labour | Graham A. Green | 23,829 | 40.4 | +5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek R. Deedman | 5,269 | 8.9 | −6.2 |
| | Independent | AJ Bunstone | 273 | 0.5 | New |
| | Ind. Conservative | REB Khilkoff-Boulding | 187 | 0.3 | New |
| | Independent Socialist | BJ Buxton | 174 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,493 | 9.3 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,054 | 83.4 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.0 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

1987 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jacques Arnold | 28,891 | 50.1 | +2.7 |
| | Labour | Martin Coleman | 20,099 | 34.8 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal (Alliance) | Robert Crawford | 8,724 | 15.1 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,792 | 15.3 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,714 | 79.3 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.1 | |
1983 general election: Gravesham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Brinton | 25,968 | 47.4 | |
| | Labour | John Ovenden | 17,505 | 31.9 | |
| | SDP (Alliance) | M Horton | 10,826 | 19.7 | |
| | National Front | P Johnson | 420 | 0.8 | |
| | Ecology | Martin Sewell | 103 | 0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,463 | 15.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,822 | 77.1 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |