# South Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)

South Thanet was a constituency in Kent.
The 2023 review of Westminster constituencies made moderate boundary changes to the constituency, which was renamed East Thanet, taking effect at the 2024 general election.

## Electoral spending criminal investigation following the 2015 general election

In 2016 an investigation by Channel 4 News revealed that the Conservative Party had spent many thousands of pounds centrally on battlebuses to transport activists, and hotel accommodation for the activists, who went to campaign in marginal constituencies, including South Thanet. The expenditure on the buses was declared by the Conservative Party on its national declaration of "Campaign Spending", but in some cases the hotel accommodation was not declared at all as election spending when it should have been. In addition, there is controversy about whether the expenditure, both on the buses and the accommodation, should have been declared on the declarations of expenditure for the constituency made by each candidate's election agent. Kent Police began an investigation into the spending returns of Craig Mackinlay following the Channel 4 report.
In a court case on 1 June 2016, brought against Mackinlay and his election agent Nathan Gray, District Judge Barron granted more time for investigation saying "In this case, the allegations are far-reaching and the consequences of a conviction would be of a local and national significance with the potential for election results being declared void."
On 14 March 2017, it was reported that Mackinlay had been interviewed under caution by officers investigating the allegations. On 2 June 2017, six days before the 2017 general election, Mackinlay and two Conservative party officials were charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983. They were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 4 July 2017.
On 9 January 2019, Mackinlay was cleared of election expenses fraud. One of the other defendants, Marion Little, was found guilty of two charges and given a nine-month suspended sentence and £5000 fine. She retained the OBE she had been awarded for political service in 2015.

## Boundaries

1983–2010: The District of Thanet wards of Beacon Road, Bradstowe, Central Eastcliff, Central Westcliff, Kingsgate, Minster Parish, Newington, Northwood, Pierremont, St Lawrence, St Peter's, Sir Moses Montefiore, Southwood, and Upton, and the District of Dover wards of Ash, Little Stour, Sandwich, Woodnesborough with Staple, and Worth.
2010–2024: The District of Thanet wards of Beacon Road, Bradstowe, Central Harbour, Cliffsend and Pegwell, Cliftonville East, Cliftonville West, Eastcliff, Kingsgate, Nethercourt, Newington, Northwood, St Peter's, Sir Moses Montefiore, and Viking, and the District of Dover wards of Little Stour and Ashstone, and Sandwich.
South Thanet consisted of the southern and eastern part of Thanet district (the towns of Ramsgate and Broadstairs, the Cliftonville area of Margate and the village of Cliffsend) together with the northern part of Dover district, comprising the ancient Cinque Port of Sandwich and surrounding villages.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Jonathan Aitken | Conservative |
| 1997 | Stephen Ladyman | Labour |
| 2010 | Laura Sandys | Conservative |
| 2015 | Craig Mackinlay | Conservative |
| 2024 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Craig Mackinlay | 27,084 | 56.1 | +5.3 |
| | Labour | Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt | 16,497 | 34.2 | −3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martyn Pennington | 2,727 | 5.7 | +2.7 |
| | Green | Rebecca Wing | 1,949 | 4.0 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,587 | 21.9 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,257 | 65.8 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
General election 2017: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Craig Mackinlay | 25,262 | 50.8 | +12.7 |
| | Labour | Raushan Ara | 18,875 | 37.9 | +14.1 |
| | UKIP | Stuart Piper | 2,997 | 6.0 | −26.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jordan Williams | 1,514 | 3.0 | +1.1 |
| | Green | Trevor Roper | 809 | 1.6 | −0.6 |
| | Independent | Tim Garbutt | 181 | 0.4 | New |
| | CPA | Faith Fisher | 115 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,387 | 12.9 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,753 | 68.8 | −1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.8 | |
General election 2015: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Craig Mackinlay | 18,838 | 38.0 | −9.9 |
| | UKIP | Nigel Farage | 16,026 | 32.3 | +26.8 |
| | Labour | Will Scobie | 11,740 | 23.7 | −7.7 |
| | Green | Ian Driver | 1,076 | 2.2 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Russell Timpson | 932 | 1.9 | −13.2 |
| | No description$^1$ | Al Murray | 318 | 0.6 | New |
| | Manston Airport Independent | Ruth Bailey | 191 | 0.4 | New |
| | We Are The Reality Party | Nigel Askew | 126 | 0.3 | New |
| | Party for a United Thanet | Grahame Birchall | 63 | 0.1 | New |
| | Independent | Dean McCastree | 61 | 0.1 | New |
| | Al-Zebabist Nation of Ooog | Zebadiah Abu-Obadiah | 30 | 0.05 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,812 | 5.7 | −9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,564 | 69.8 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −18.4 | |
$^1$: Murray appeared on the ballot paper without any description, but campaigned under the label of the Free United Kingdom Party (FUKP).
General election 2010: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Laura Sandys | 22,043 | 47.9 | +6.8 |
| | Labour | Stephen Ladyman | 14,426 | 31.3 | −8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Bucklitsch | 6,935 | 15.1 | +2.9 |
| | UKIP | Trevor Shonk | 2,529 | 5.5 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,617 | 15.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,023 | 65.3 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +7.4 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Ladyman | 16,660 | 40.4 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative | Mark MacGregor | 15,996 | 38.8 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Guy Voizey | 5,431 | 13.2 | +3.8 |
| | UKIP | Nigel Farage | 2,079 | 5.0 | +3.7 |
| | Green | Howard Green | 888 | 2.2 | New |
| | Independent | Maude Kinsella | 188 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 664 | 1.6 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,242 | 65.0 | 1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −1.5 | |
General election 2001: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Ladyman | 18,002 | 45.7 | −0.5 |
| | Conservative | Mark MacGregor | 16,210 | 41.1 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Guy Voizey | 3,706 | 9.4 | −2.3 |
| | Independent | William Baldwin | 770 | 2.0 | New |
| | UKIP | Terry Eccott | 502 | 1.3 | New |
| | National Front | Bernard Franklin | 242 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,792 | 4.6 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,432 | 63.9 | −7.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −0.9 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Ladyman | 20,777 | 46.2 | +18.1 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 17,899 | 39.8 | −11.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Hewitt-Silk | 5,263 | 11.7 | −6.6 |
| | Independent | C Crook | 631 | 1.4 | New |
| | Green | David Wheatley | 418 | 0.9 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,878 | 6.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,488 | 71.6 | −6.6 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +15.4 | |
General election 1992: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 25,253 | 51.7 | −2.6 |
| | Labour | Mark James | 13,740 | 28.1 | +7.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Pitt | 8,948 | 18.3 | −6.5 |
| | Green | Sue Peckham | 871 | 1.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,513 | 23.6 | −5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,812 | 78.2 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.9 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 25,135 | 54.3 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal | Bill Pitt | 11,452 | 24.8 | +0.7 |
| | Labour | Chris Wright | 9,673 | 20.9 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,683 | 29.5 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,260 | 73.7 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4 | |
General election 1983: South Thanet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 24,512 | 56.5 | |
| | Liberal | Ian Josephs | 10,461 | 24.1 | |
| | Labour | Martin Clark | 8,429 | 19.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,051 | 32.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,402 | 70.0 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |