# Ashford (UK Parliament constituency)

Ashford is a constituency in Kent created in 1885 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Sojan Joseph of the Labour Party.

## Constituency profile

The constituency includes all of the large town of Ashford, which is seeing significant housing expansion and has a manufacturing and services employment base; and surrounding rural areas to the east, including the village of Wye. The seat previously included the town of Tenterden but, due to population growth in Ashford itself, the 2023 boundary review proposed that Tenterden be removed from the Ashford constituency and included in the new constituency of Weald of Kent.
Residents' health and wealth are in line with UK averages.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Tenterden, the Sessional Divisions of Ashford and Cranbrook, the corporate towns of Lydd and New Romney, and part of the Liberty of Romney Marsh.
1918–1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Lydd, New Romney, and Tenterden, the Urban District of Ashford, and the Rural Districts of Cranbrook, East Ashford, Romney Marsh, Tenterden, and West Ashford.
1950–1974: The Municipal Borough of Tenterden, the Urban District of Ashford, and the Rural Districts of Cranbrook, East Ashford, Tenterden, and West Ashford.
1974–1983: The Municipal Borough of Tenterden, the Urban District of Ashford, and the Rural Districts of East Ashford, Tenterden, and West Ashford. Cranbrook Rural District was transferred to the new Royal Tunbridge Wells constituency.
1983–2010: The Borough of Ashford. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged from 1974.
2010–2024: The Borough of Ashford wards of Aylesford Green, Beaver, Biddenden, Bockhanger, Boughton Aluph and Eastwell, Bybrook, Charing, Downs North, Downs West, Godinton, Great Chart with Singleton North, Highfield, Isle of Oxney, Kennington, Little Burton Farm, Norman, North Willesborough, Park Farm North, Park Farm South, Rolvenden and Tenterden West, St Michael's, Singleton South, South Willesborough, Stanhope, Stour, Tenterden North, Tenterden South, Victoria, Washford, Weald Central, Weald East, Weald North, Weald South, and Wye.
2024–present: Following the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
* The Borough of Ashford wards of: Aylesford & East Stour; Beaver; Bircholt; Bockhanger; Bybrook; Conningbrook & Little Burton Farm; Furley; Goat Lees; Godinton; Highfield; Kennington; Mersham, Sevington South with Finberry; Norman; Park Farm North; Park Farm South; Repton; Roman; Singleton East; Singleton West; Stanhope; Victoria; Washford; Willesborough; Wye with Hinxhill.
* The District of Folkestone and Hythe wards of: North Downs East; North Downs West.
The bulk of the geographic area of the constituency, including the town of Tenterden, and comprising approximately 35% of the current electorate, was moved to the newly created constituency of Weald of Kent. To partly compensate, the two North Downs wards were transferred from Folkestone and Hythe.

## Political history

Created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Ashford has been won by a Conservative at every election except that of 1929 when it was won by a Liberal, after that party's turn towards the left marked by the People's Budget in 1911, who won with a majority of less than 1% of the vote.
The most marginal victory since 1929 occurred in 1997 when its voters returned a Conservative who won by a 9.7% majority. The 2015 result made the seat the 106th safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.
In June 2016, an estimated 60% of local adults voting in the EU membership referendum chose to leave the European Union instead of to remain. This was matched in two January 2018 votes in Parliament by its MP.
The Conservatives lost the seat at the 2024 general election to Sojan Joseph of the Labour Party, the first time in the seat's history that it was won by Labour.

## Members of Parliament

West Kent prior to 1885
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | William Pomfret | Conservative |
| 1892 | Laurence Hardy | Conservative |
| 1918 | Samuel Strang Steel | Coalition Conservative |
| 1929 | Rev Roderick Kedward | Liberal |
| 1931 | Michael Knatchbull | Conservative |
| 1933 by-election | Patrick Spens | Conservative |
| 1943 by-election | Edward Percy Smith | Conservative |
| 1950 | Bill Deedes | Conservative |
| October 1974 | Keith Speed | Conservative |
| 1997 | Damian Green | Conservative |
| 2024 | Sojan Joseph | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

2024 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sojan Joseph | 15,262 | 32.5 | +8.7 |
| | Conservative | Damian Green | 13,483 | 28.7 | −30.5 |
| | Reform UK | Tristram Kennedy Harper | 10,141 | 21.6 | N/A |
| | Green | Mandy Rossi | 4,355 | 9.3 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adam Rowledge | 2,445 | 5.2 | −5.5 |
| | Consensus | James Ransley | 1,289 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,779 | 3.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,975 | 61.6 | −4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,212 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +19.6 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 28,759 | 59.2 |
| | Labour | 11,548 | 23.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 5,176 | 10.7 |
| | Green | 2,234 | 4.6 |
| | Others | 862 | 1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 48,579 | 66.1 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 73,546 |
2019 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Damian Green | 37,270 | 62.1 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Dara Farrell | 13,241 | 22.0 | −7.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrian Gee-Turner | 6,048 | 10.1 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Mandy Rossi | 2,638 | 4.4 | +2.1 |
| | Independent | Susannah De Sanvil | 862 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,029 | 40.1 | +10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,059 | 67.1 | −1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 89,553 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.4 | |
2017 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Damian Green | 35,318 | 59.0 | +6.5 |
| | Labour | Sally Gathern | 17,840 | 29.8 | +11.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrian Gee-Turner | 3,101 | 5.2 | −0.8 |
| | UKIP | Gerald O'Brien | 2,218 | 3.7 | −15.1 |
| | Green | Mandy Rossi | 1,402 | 2.3 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,478 | 29.2 | −4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,879 | 68.5 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 87,387 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.5 | |
2015 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Damian Green | 30,094 | 52.5 | −1.6 |
| | UKIP | Gerald O'Brien | 10,798 | 18.8 | +14.3 |
| | Labour | Brendan Chilton | 10,580 | 18.4 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Debbie Enever | 3,433 | 6.0 | −16.8 |
| | Green | Mandy Rossi | 2,467 | 4.3 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,296 | 33.7 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,372 | 67.3 | −0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 85,177 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −8.0 | |
2010 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Damian Green | 29,878 | 54.1 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Took | 12,581 | 22.8 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Chris Clark | 9,204 | 16.7 | −9.7 |
| | UKIP | Jeffrey Elenor | 2,508 | 4.5 | +1.4 |
| | Green | Steven Campkin | 1,014 | 1.8 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,297 | 31.3 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,185 | 67.9 | +2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 81,271 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

2005 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Damian Green | 26,651 | 51.6 | +4.2 |
| | Labour | Valerie Whitaker | 13,353 | 25.8 | −6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Took | 8,308 | 16.1 | +1.0 |
| | Green | Richard Boden | 1,753 | 3.4 | +0.6 |
| | UKIP | Bernard Stroud | 1,620 | 3.1 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,298 | 25.8 | +10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,685 | 65.0 | +2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 78,816 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.2 | |
2001 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Damian Green | 22,739 | 47.4 | +6.0 |
| | Labour | John Adams | 15,380 | 32.1 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Fitchett | 7,236 | 15.1 | −4.6 |
| | Green | Richard Boden | 1,353 | 2.8 | +1.6 |
| | UKIP | David Waller | 1,229 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,359 | 15.3 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,937 | 62.5 | −11.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,699 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

1997 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Damian Green | 22,899 | 41.4 | −13.2 |
| | Labour | John Ennals | 17,554 | 31.7 | +11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Williams | 10,901 | 19.7 | −4.4 |
| | Referendum | Christopher Cruden | 3,201 | 5.8 | N/A |
| | Green | Richard Boden | 660 | 1.2 | −0.2 |
| | Natural Law | Stephen Tyrell | 89 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,345 | 9.7 | −20.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,294 | 74.2 | −5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 74,512 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −12.5 | |
1992 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Speed | 31,031 | 54.6 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Headley | 13,672 | 24.1 | −3.2 |
| | Labour | Doreen Cameron | 11,365 | 20.0 | +5.3 |
| | Green | Charles Porter | 773 | 1.4 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,359 | 30.5 | +1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,841 | 79.2 | +3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 71,767 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.7 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

1987 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Speed | 29,978 | 56.5 | −0.3 |
| | SDP | Neil Macmillan | 14,490 | 27.3 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | Michael Wiggins | 7,775 | 14.7 | +1.8 |
| | Green | Charles Porter | 778 | 1.5 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,488 | 29.2 | +0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,021 | 75.7 | +2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,052 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1983 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Speed | 27,230 | 56.8 | +1.1 |
| | SDP | Jo Hawkes | 13,319 | 27.8 | +11.6 |
| | Labour | Paul Lewis | 6,167 | 12.9 | −13.8 |
| | Ecology | Charles Porter | 569 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | National Labour | J.W. King | 456 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | BNP | R.E. Lockwood | 195 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,911 | 29.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,936 | 73.2 | −3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 65,442 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

1979 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Speed | 26,224 | 55.7 | +11.4 |
| | Labour | A.A. Gilbert | 12,586 | 26.7 | −3.8 |
| | Liberal | Alison Wainman | 7,631 | 16.2 | −9.0 |
| | National Front | K.R. McKilliam | 678 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,638 | 29.0 | +15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,119 | 76.7 | +2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,460 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
October 1974 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Speed | 19,294 | 44.3 | −1.9 |
| | Labour | M.B. Jackson | 13,269 | 30.5 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal | Clive G. Dennis | 10,983 | 25.2 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,025 | 13.8 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,546 | 74.5 | −7.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,419 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
February 1974 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Deedes | 21,773 | 46.2 | −6.4 |
| | Liberal | Clive G. Dennis | 13,314 | 28.2 | +11.9 |
| | Labour | M.B. Jackson | 12,077 | 25.6 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,459 | 18.0 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,164 | 81.5 | +9.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,875 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1970 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Deedes | 26,649 | 54.8 | +4.8 |
| | Labour | John M. Bowyer | 14,037 | 28.9 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal | Frederick Charles Truman | 7,902 | 16.3 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,612 | 26.0 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,588 | 72.5 | −2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,975 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.5 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

1966 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Deedes | 21,362 | 50.0 | +0.6 |
| | Labour | Charles A. Thomas | 13,249 | 31.0 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal | J. Gavin W. Peck | 8,121 | 19.0 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,113 | 19.0 | −2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,732 | 75.4 | −2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 56,669 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1964 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Deedes | 21,026 | 49.4 | −13.5 |
| | Labour | Charles A. Thomas | 11,989 | 28.2 | −8.9 |
| | Liberal | J. Gavin W. Peck | 9,531 | 22.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,037 | 21.2 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,546 | 77.5 | 0.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,879 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

1959 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Deedes | 25,383 | 62.9 | +2.4 |
| | Labour | Reginald Ward | 14,983 | 37.1 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,400 | 25.8 | +4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,366 | 77.5 | −0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 52,097 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1955 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Deedes | 23,992 | 60.5 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Neville Sandelson | 15,685 | 39.5 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,307 | 20.9 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,677 | 78.1 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,821 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1951 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Deedes | 24,093 | 59.1 | +7.5 |
| | Labour | Neville Sandelson | 16,645 | 40.9 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,448 | 18.3 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,738 | 81.9 | −2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,715 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1950 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Deedes | 21,095 | 51.6 | −0.4 |
| | Labour | Neville Sandelson | 14,948 | 36.6 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal | H. Shirley | 4,828 | 11.8 | −1,5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,147 | 15.0 | −2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,871 | 84.1 | +12.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,607 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

1945 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Percy Smith | 18,800 | 52.0 | −7.2 |
| | Labour | Horace Waterton Lee | 12,575 | 34.8 | +17.2 |
| | Liberal | Harold Vezey Strong | 4,804 | 13.3 | −9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,225 | 17.2 | −18.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,179 | 71.3 | −2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,760 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1943 Ashford by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Percy Smith | 9,648 | 69.7 | +10.5 |
| | Common Wealth | Catherine E. Williamson | 4,192 | 30.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,456 | 39.4 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,840 | 27.7 | −45.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

14 November 1935 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patrick Spens | 21,323 | 59.2 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal | Borlase Matthews | 8,338 | 23.2 | N/A |
| | Labour | W.J. Beck | 6,333 | 17.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,985 | 36.0 | +18.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,994 | 73.6 | −2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,914 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1933 Ashford by-election: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patrick Spens | 16,051 | 47.7 | −11.0 |
| | Liberal | Roderick Kedward | 11,423 | 33.9 | −7.4 |
| | Labour | W.J. Beck | 6,178 | 18.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,628 | 13.8 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,652 | 70.9 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
27 October 1931 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Knatchbull | 20,891 | 58.7 | +16.1 |
| | National Liberal | Roderick Kedward | 14,681 | 41.3 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,210 | 17.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,572 | 75.9 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

30 May 1929 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Roderick Kedward | 15,753 | 46.0 | +24.2 |
| | Unionist | Samuel Strang Steel | 14,579 | 42.6 | −17.8 |
| | Labour | Mont Follick | 3,885 | 11.4 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,174 | 3.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,217 | 75.3 | +4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 45,445 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +21.0 | |
29 October 1924 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Samuel Strang Steel | 15,159 | 60.4 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal | Leonard John Humphrey | 5,487 | 21.8 | N/A |
| | Labour | Basil Noble | 4,473 | 17.8 | −20.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,672 | 38.6 | +14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,119 | 70.4 | +12.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,659 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +9.2 | |
6 December 1923 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Samuel Strang Steel | 12,644 | 62.1 | −7.0 |
| | Labour | Basil Noble | 7,709 | 37.9 | +7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,935 | 24.2 | −14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,353 | 57.8 | −6.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,223 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +7.0 | |
15 November 1922 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Samuel Strang Steel | 15,638 | 69.1 | −11.9 |
| | Labour | Basil Noble | 6,977 | 30.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,661 | 38.2 | −23.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,615 | 64.2 | +25.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,240 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1910s

14 December 1918 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Samuel Strang Steel | 10,258 | 81.0 | N/A |
| | Independent Democrat | William H. Deedes | 2,408 | 19.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,850 | 62.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,666 | 39.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,349 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist 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;
* Unionist: Lawrence Hardy
* Liberal: Arthur Frederick William Johnson
December 1910 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Laurence Hardy | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
January 1910 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Laurence Hardy | 7,966 | 64.3 | +12.7 |
| | Liberal | Reginald John Farrer | 4,422 | 35.7 | −12.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,544 | 28.6 | +25.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,418 | 87.2 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1900s

1906 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Laurence Hardy | 5,994 | 51.6 | −20.0 |
| | Liberal | Percy Harris | 5,614 | 48.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 380 | 3.2 | −40.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,608 | 83.7 | +18.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,864 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1900 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Laurence Hardy | 5,898 | 71.6 | N/A |
| | Independent Protestant | Benjamin Nicholson | 2,343 | 28.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,555 | 43.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,241 | 64.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,714 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1895 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Laurence Hardy | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1892 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Laurence Hardy | 5,512 | 56.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John U Bugler | 4,281 | 43.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,231 | 12.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,793 | 68.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,314 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

1886 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Pomfret | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1885 general election: Ashford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Pomfret | 6,020 | 55.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal | George Crispe Whiteley | 4,895 | 44.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,125 | 10.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,915 | 81.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,389 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |