# Faversham and Mid Kent (UK Parliament constituency)

Faversham and Mid Kent is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Since 2015, the seat has been held by Helen Whately of the Conservative Party.

## History

In 1997, the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency was formed when the previous Faversham seat was abolished and split into Sittingbourne and Sheppey and the town of Faversham which was then merged with Mid Kent to form this constituency.
It has been held by members of the Conservative Party throughout its existence.

## Constituency profile

Faversham and Mid Kent covers a mainly rural sweep around the North Downs, including part of Swale and Maidstone boroughs. Some of the traditional farming industry remains. Residents' health and wealth are around average for the UK.

## Boundaries

1997–2010: The Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Boughton & Courtenay, Davington Priory, East Downs, St Ann's, Teynham and Lynsted, and Watling, and the Borough of Maidstone wards of Bearsted, Boxley, Detling, Harrietsham and Lenham, Headcorn, Hollingbourne, Langley, Leeds, Park Wood, Shepway East, Shepway West, Sutton Valence, and Thurnham.
The boundary change in 1997 caused some confusion among a large minority of residents of the Maidstone electoral wards as a constituency named Maidstone and The Weald was also created at the same time (largely replacing the former Maidstone constituency), but residents in the Shepway and Park Wood areas of the town found themselves in Faversham and Mid Kent instead.
2010–2024: The Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Boughton and Courtenay, Davington Priory, East Downs, St Ann's, and Watling, and the Borough of Maidstone wards of Bearsted, Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton, Boxley, Detling and Thurnham, Downswood and Otham, Harrietsham and Lenham, Headcorn, Leeds, North Downs, Park Wood, Shepway North, Shepway South, and Sutton Valence and Langley.
2024–present: Under the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was defined as comprising the following, as they existed on 1 December 2020:
* The Borough of Maidstone wards of Bearsted, Boxley, Detling and Thurnham, Downswood and Otham, Harrietsham and Lenham, Leeds, North Downs, Park Wood, Shepway North, and Shepway South.
* The Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Boughton and Courtenay, East Downs, Priory, St Ann's, Teynham and Lynsted, Watling, and West Downs.
The Swale wards of Teynham and Lynstead, and West Downs were transferred in from Sittingbourne and Sheppey, offset by the loss of the Maidstone wards of Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton, Headcorn, and Sutton Valence and Langley to the new constituency of Weald of Kent.
Following a local government boundary review in Maidstone which came into effect in May 2024, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:
* The Borough of Maidstone wards or part wards of: Bearsted & Downswood; Boughton Monchelsea & Chart Sutton (small part); Boxley Downs; Grove Green & Vinters Park (part); Harrietsham, Lenham & North Downs; Leeds & Langley (except Langley parish); Park Wood & Mangravet; Senacre; Shepway.
* The Borough of Swale wards of: Abbey; Boughton and Courtenay; East Downs; Priory; St Ann's; Teynham and Lynsted; Watling; West Downs.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1997 | Andrew Rowe | Conservative |
| 2001 | Sir Hugh Robertson | Conservative |
| 2015 | Helen Whately | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Faversham and Mid Kent :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Helen Whately | 14,816 | 31.8 | −30.8 |
| | Labour | Mel Dawkins | 13,347 | 28.6 | +8.8 |
| | Reform UK | Maxwell Harrison | 9,884 | 21.2 | N/A |
| | Green | Hannah Temple | 4,218 | 9.1 | +5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hannah Perkin | 4,158 | 8.9 | −3.6 |
| | British Democrats | Lawrence Rustem | 171 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,469 | 3.2 | −39.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,594 | 62.7 | −4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 74,301 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −19.8 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 30,187 | 62.6 |
| | Labour | 9,569 | 19.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6,011 | 12.5 |
| | Green | 1,974 | 4.1 |
| | Others | 474 | 1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 48,215 | 67.2 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 71,798 |
General election 2019: Faversham and Mid Kent :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Helen Whately | 31,864 | 63.2 | +2.1 |
| | Labour | Jenny Reeves | 9,888 | 19.6 | −6.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hannah Perkin | 6,170 | 12.2 | +5.7 |
| | Green | Hannah Temple | 2,103 | 4.2 | +1.3 |
| | Independent | Gary Butler | 369 | 0.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,976 | 43.6 | +8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,394 | 68.7 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.3 | |
General election 2017: Faversham and Mid Kent :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Helen Whately | 30,390 | 61.1 | +6.7 |
| | Labour | Michael Desmond | 12,977 | 26.1 | +9.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Naghi | 3,249 | 6.5 | −0.1 |
| | UKIP | Mark McGiffin | 1,702 | 3.4 | −14.6 |
| | Green | Alastair Gould | 1,431 | 2.9 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,413 | 35.0 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,749 | 68.9 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.6 | |
General election 2015: Faversham and Mid Kent :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Helen Whately | 24,895 | 54.4 | −1.8 |
| | UKIP | Peter Edwards-Daem | 8,243 | 18.0 | +14.3 |
| | Labour | Michael Desmond | 7,403 | 16.2 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Naghi | 3,039 | 6.6 | −13.1 |
| | Green | Tim Valentine | 1,768 | 3.9 | +2.0 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Hairy Knorm Davidson | 297 | 0.6 | −0.2 |
| | English Democrat | Gary Butler | 158 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,652 | 36.4 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,803 | 65.9 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −8.1 | |
General election 2010: Faversham and Mid Kent :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Robertson | 26,250 | 56.2 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Naghi | 9,162 | 19.6 | +2.9 |
| | Labour | Ashok Rehal | 7,748 | 16.6 | −12.5 |
| | UKIP | Sarah Larkins | 1,722 | 3.7 | +1.0 |
| | Green | Tim Valentine | 890 | 1.9 | New |
| | National Front | Graham Kemp | 542 | 1.2 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Hairy Knorm Davidson | 398 | 0.9 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,088 | 36.6 | +16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,712 | 67.8 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Faversham and Mid Kent :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Robertson | 21,690 | 49.7 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | Andrew Bradstock | 12,970 | 29.7 | −5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Naghi | 7,204 | 16.5 | +3.0 |
| | UKIP | Robert Thompson | 1,152 | 2.6 | +0.6 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Norman Davidson | 610 | 1.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,720 | 20.0 | +9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,626 | 65.7 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.9 | |
General election 2001: Faversham and Mid Kent :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Robertson | 18,739 | 45.6 | +1.2 |
| | Labour | Grahame Birchall | 14,556 | 35.5 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Sole | 5,529 | 13.5 | +1.1 |
| | UKIP | James Gascoyne | 828 | 2.0 | +1.1 |
| | Green | Penelope Kemp | 799 | 1.9 | +1.2 |
| | Rock 'n' Roll Loony | Norman Davidson | 600 | 1.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,183 | 10.1 | +1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,051 | 60.4 | −13.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.9 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Faversham and Mid Kent :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Rowe | 22,016 | 44.4 | |
| | Labour | Alan Stewart | 17,843 | 36.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bruce E. Parmenter | 6,138 | 12.4 | |
| | Referendum | Robin M. Birley | 2,073 | 4.2 | |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Norman W. Davidson | 511 | 1.0 | |
| | UKIP | Michael J. Cunningham | 431 | 0.9 | |
| | Green | David J. Currer | 380 | 0.8 | |
| | Green Referendum Lawless Naturally Street Party | Caroline Morgan | 115 | 0.2 | |
| | Natural Law | Nigel P.J. Pollard | 99 | 0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,173 | 8.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,606 | 73.5 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |