# Tonbridge and Malling (UK Parliament constituency)

Tonbridge and Malling was a constituency in western Kent, in South East England, in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented for its entire creation since 1974 by members of the Conservative Party.
Further to the completion of the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. Subject to moderate boundary changes, it will be reformed as Tonbridge, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.

## History

The seat was created in 1974 from parts of the seats of Sevenoaks and Tonbridge.

## Boundaries

1974–1983: The Urban District of Tonbridge, the Rural District of Malling, and part of the Rural District of Tonbridge.
1983–1997: The District of Tonbridge and Malling.
1997–2010: The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of Birling, Leybourne and Ryarsh, Borough Green, Cage Green, Castle, East Malling, East Peckham, Hadlow, Higham, Hildenborough, Ightham, Judd, Long Mill, Medway, Oast, Trench, Vauxhall, Wateringbury, West Malling, West Peckham and Mereworth, and Wrotham, and the District of Sevenoaks wards of Edenbridge North, Edenbridge South, Leigh, Penshurst and Fordcombe, and Somerden.
2010–2024: The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of Borough Green and Long Mill, Cage Green, Castle, Downs, East Malling, East Peckham and Golden Green, Hadlow, Mereworth and West Peckham, Higham, Hildenborough, Ightham, Judd, Kings Hill, Medway, Trench, Vauxhall, Wateringbury, West Malling and Leybourne, and Wrotham, and the District of Sevenoaks wards of Cowden and Hever, Edenbridge North and East, Edenbridge South and West, Leigh and Chiddingstone Causeway, and Penshurst, Fordcombe and Chiddingstone.
The constituency was in the west of the county of Kent in south eastern England and included about two-thirds of the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling (the remainder being in the Chatham and Aylesford constituency),and parts of Sevenoaks District.

## Constituency profile

This safe Conservative seat was characterised by a large commuter population benefiting from good road and rail links to London. Light engineering, farming and local service industry sectors are represented alongside the public sector, skilled trades and some construction. Visitor attractions in the constituency include the River Medway, the Eden Valley Walk which covers Edenbridge and Penshurst, including Hever Castle, Chiddingstone Castle, Penshurst Place and Tonbridge Castle. In this seat are numerous oast houses and remaining Wealden woodlands.
Residents' wealth and house prices are both higher than the UK average.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| Feb 1974 | Sir John Stanley | Conservative |
| 2015 | Tom Tugendhat | Conservative |
| 2024 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1970s

General election February 1974: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 24,809 | 45.8 | |
| | Liberal | M Vann | 14,701 | 27.1 | |
| | Labour | Jack Straw | 14,683 | 27.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,108 | 18.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,193 | 83.4 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election October 1974: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 23,188 | 46.8 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | P. Knight | 14,579 | 29.4 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | M. Vann | 11,767 | 23.8 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,609 | 17.4 | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,534 | 75.5 | −7.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
General election 1979: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 29,534 | 54.5 | +7.7 |
| | Labour | R. Ackerley | 13,282 | 24.5 | −4.9 |
| | Liberal | G. Knopp | 10,904 | 20.1 | −3.7 |
| | National Front | G. Burnett | 429 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,252 | 30.0 | +12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,149 | 79.5 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.3 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 30,417 | 56.1 | +1.6 |
| | SDP | Roland JM Freeman | 16,897 | 31.2 | +11.1 |
| | Labour | David Bishop | 6,896 | 12.7 | −11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,520 | 24.9 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,210 | 74.7 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.8 | |
General election 1987: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 33,990 | 56.9 | +0.8 |
| | SDP | Michael Ward | 17,561 | 29.4 | −1.8 |
| | Labour | Derek Still | 7,803 | 13.1 | +0.4 |
| | BNP | Michael Easter | 369 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,429 | 27.5 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,725 | 77.8 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.3 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 36,542 | 57.2 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul D. Roberts | 14,984 | 23.5 | −5.9 |
| | Labour | Margaret A. O'Neill | 11,533 | 18.1 | +5.0 |
| | Green | Jim Tidy | 612 | 1.0 | New |
| | Natural Law | Janet I.R. Horvath | 221 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,558 | 33.7 | +6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,892 | 82.7 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.1 | |
General election 1997: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 23,640 | 48.0 | −9.2 |
| | Labour | Barbara Withstandley | 13,410 | 27.2 | +9.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Brown | 9,467 | 19.2 | −4.3 |
| | Referendum | John Scrivenor | 2,005 | 4.1 | New |
| | UKIP | B. Bullen | 502 | 1.0 | New |
| | Natural Law | Gerard Valente | 205 | 0.4 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,230 | 20.8 | −12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,229 | 75.8 | −6.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -9.2 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 20,956 | 49.4 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Victoria Hayman | 12,706 | 29.9 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Canet | 7,605 | 17.9 | −1.3 |
| | UKIP | Lynne Croucher | 1,169 | 2.8 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,250 | 19.5 | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,436 | 64.3 | −11.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
General election 2005: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 24,357 | 52.9 | +3.5 |
| | Labour | Victoria Hayman | 11,005 | 23.9 | −6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Barstow | 8,980 | 19.5 | +1.6 |
| | UKIP | Dave Waller | 1,721 | 3.7 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,352 | 29.0 | +9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,063 | 67.3 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.8 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stanley | 29,723 | 57.9 | +5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Simpson | 11,545 | 22.5 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | Daniel Griffiths | 6,476 | 12.6 | −11.2 |
| | UKIP | David Waller | 1,911 | 3.7 | −0.2 |
| | Green | Steve Dawe | 764 | 1.5 | New |
| | National Front | Michael Easter | 505 | 1.0 | New |
| | English Democrat | Lisa Rogers | 390 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,178 | 35.4 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,314 | 71.5 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
General election 2015: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tom Tugendhat | 31,887 | 59.4 | +1.5 |
| | UKIP | Robert Izzard | 8,153 | 15.2 | +11.5 |
| | Labour | Claire Leigh | 7,604 | 14.2 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Varrall | 3,660 | 6.8 | −15.7 |
| | Green | Howard Porter | 2,366 | 4.4 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,734 | 44.2 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,670 | 73.8 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.0 | |
General election 2017: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tom Tugendhat | 36,218 | 63.6 | +4.2 |
| | Labour | Dylan Jones | 12,710 | 22.3 | +8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Miller | 3,787 | 6.7 | −0.1 |
| | Green | April Clark | 2,335 | 4.1 | −0.3 |
| | UKIP | Collin Bullen | 1,857 | 3.3 | −11.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,508 | 41.3 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,907 | 73.7 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.0 | |
General election 2019: Tonbridge and Malling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tom Tugendhat | 35,784 | 62.8 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Morris | 8,843 | 15.5 | +8.8 |
| | Labour | Dylan Jones | 8,286 | 14.5 | −7.8 |
| | Green | April Clark | 4,090 | 7.2 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26,941 | 47.3 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,003 | 73.7 | 0.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |