# Gravesend (UK Parliament constituency)

Gravesend was a county constituency centred on the town of Gravesend, Kent which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election. It is most notable for being a bellwether, with the winner of Gravesend (and its successor Gravesham) winning every election from 1918 through to the present day except for 1929, 1951, and 2005.

## Boundaries

1868–1885: The parishes of Gravesend, Milton, and Northfleet.
1918–1950: The Borough of Gravesend, the Urban District of Northfleet, and the Rural Districts of Hoo and Strood.
1950–1955: The Borough of Gravesend, the Urban Districts of Northfleet and Swanscombe, and the Rural District of Strood.
1955–1983: The Borough of Gravesend, the Urban District of Northfleet, and the Rural District of Strood.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1868 | Sir Charles John Wingfield | Liberal |
| | 1874 | Bedford Pim | Conservative |
| | 1880 | Thomas Bevan | Liberal |
| | 1880 by-election | Sir Sydney Waterlow | Liberal |
| | 1885 | John Bazley White | Conservative |
| | 1892 | James Dampier Palmer | Conservative |
| | 1898 by-election | John Ryder | Conservative |
| | 1900 | Sir Gilbert Parker | Conservative |
| | 1918 by-election | Sir Alexander Richardson | Conservative |
| | 1923 | George Isaacs | Labour |
| | 1924 | Sir Irving Albery | Conservative |
| | 1945 | Garry Allighan | Labour |
| | 1947 by-election | Sir Richard Acland | Labour |
| | 1955 | Peter Kirk | Conservative |
| | 1964 | Albert Murray | Labour |
| | 1970 | Roger White | Conservative |
| | Feb 1974 | John Ovenden | Labour |
| | 1979 | Tim Brinton | Conservative |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished: see Gravesham | constituency abolished: see Gravesham |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles John Wingfield | 1,237 | 53.6 | |
| | Conservative | Bedford Pim | 1,069 | 46.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 168 | 7.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,306 | 84.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,722 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bedford Pim | 1,355 | 54.3 | +7.9 |
| | Liberal | Charles John Wingfield | 1,142 | 45.7 | −7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 214 | 8.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,497 | 87.4 | +2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,856 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.9 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Bevan | 1,544 | 52.1 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative | Francis Wyatt Truscott | 1,422 | 47.9 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 122 | 4.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,966 | 90.3 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,286 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.4 | |
The 1880 election was declared void on account of bribery, whereby Bevan had "given his men a holiday and paid them their wages".
1880 Gravesend by-election: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Waterlow | 1,504 | 53.9 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Robert Peel | 1,284 | 46.1 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 220 | 7.8 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,788 | 84.8 | −5.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,286 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.8 | |
General election 1885: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Bazley White | 1,916 | 50.9 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Bevan | 1,850 | 49.1 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 66 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,766 | 89.7 | −0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,200 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.0 | |
General election 1886: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Bazley White | 1,938 | 57.5 | +6.6 |
| | Liberal | Edward Smyth Pryce | 1,430 | 42.5 | −6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 508 | 15.0 | +13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,368 | 80.2 | −9.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,200 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.6 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Dampier Palmer | 2,370 | 59.4 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal | John Greenwood Shipman | 1,619 | 40.6 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 751 | 18.8 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,989 | 82.7 | +2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,821 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
General election 1895: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Dampier Palmer | 2,405 | 66.4 | +7.0 |
| | Lib-Lab | Leslie Morton Johnson | 1,218 | 33.6 | −7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,187 | 32.8 | +14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,623 | 72.4 | −10.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,001 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.0 | |
Palmer resigned, causing a by-election.
1898 Gravesend by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Ryder | 2,372 | 54.8 | −11.6 |
| | Liberal | Walter Runciman | 1,955 | 45.2 | +11.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 417 | 9.6 | −23.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,327 | 82.0 | +9.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,276 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -11.6 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gilbert Parker | 2,542 | 58.5 | −7.9 |
| | Liberal | Hildebrand Harmsworth | 1,804 | 41.5 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 738 | 17.0 | −15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,346 | 77.6 | +5.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,600 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −7.9 | |
General election 1906: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gilbert Parker | 3,102 | 57.6 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal | Sir William Nevill Montgomerie Geary, 5th Baronet | 1,413 | 26.2 | −15.3 |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. | James Macpherson | 873 | 16.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,689 | 31.4 | +14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,388 | 82.0 | +4.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,568 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.2 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gilbert Parker | 3,286 | 55.7 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Roberts Jenkins | 2,612 | 44.3 | +18.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 674 | 11.4 | −20.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,898 | 87.6 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.0 | |
General election December 1910: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gilbert Parker | 3,108 | 55.4 | −0.3 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Roberts Jenkins | 2,506 | 44.6 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 602 | 10.8 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,614 | 83.4 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.3 | |
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: Gilbert Parker
* Liberal:
1918 Gravesend by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Alexander Richardson | 1,312 | 44.0 | −11.4 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Henry Edward Davis | 1,106 | 37.1 | New |
| | Independent Labour | Harry Hinkley | 562 | 18.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 206 | 6.9 | −3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,980 | 36.6 | −46.8 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1918: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Alexander Richardson | 7,841 | 51.6 | −3.8 |
| | Labour | James Butts | 3,254 | 21.5 | New |
| | Ind. Unionist | Henry Edward Davis | 1,817 | 12.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Charles Edward Best | 1,271 | 8.4 | −36.2 |
| | National | Harry Hinkley | 985 | 6.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,587 | 30.1 | +19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,168 | 48.8 | −34.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,070 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +21.6 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Alexander Richardson | 8,166 | 40.6 | −11.0 |
| | Labour | George Isaacs | 7,180 | 35.6 | +14.1 |
| | Ind. Unionist | *Henry Edward Davies | 4,796 | 23.8 | +11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 986 | 5.0 | −25.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,142 | 63.0 | +14.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,972 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −12.6 | |
* Davies stood for election as an 'Anti-Waste' candidate, but was not officially supported by the Anti-Waste League
General election 1923: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Isaacs | 9,776 | 43.4 | +7.8 |
| | Unionist | Alexander Richardson | 9,657 | 42.8 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal | Laurence Harry Duniam Jones | 3,123 | 13.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 119 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,556 | 68.8 | +5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,781 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +2.9 | |
General election 1924: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Irving Albery | 15,410 | 58.4 | +15.6 |
| | Labour | George Isaacs | 10,969 | 41.6 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,441 | 16.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,379 | 78.0 | +9.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,840 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +8.7 | |
General election 1929: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Irving Albery | 14,644 | 46.1 | −12.3 |
| | Labour | William James Humphreys | 12,871 | 40.6 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal | Frederick William Kershaw | 4,220 | 13.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,773 | 5.5 | −13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,735 | 71.8 | −6.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,226 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −5.7 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Irving Albery | 22,410 | 64.2 | +18.1 |
| | Labour | Ben Greene | 12,488 | 35.8 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,922 | 28.4 | +22.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,898 | 75.7 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +11.5 | |
General election 1935: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Irving Albery | 20,438 | 56.1 | −8.1 |
| | Labour | Ben Greene | 15,994 | 43.9 | +8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,444 | 12.2 | −16.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,432 | 72.4 | −3.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −8.1 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Garry Allighan | 21,609 | 52.5 | +8.6 |
| | Conservative | Irving Albery | 14,553 | 35.3 | −20.8 |
| | Liberal | Reginald Edwin Goodfellow | 5,033 | 12.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,056 | 17.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,195 | 74.5 | +2.1 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 14.7 | |
1947 Gravesend by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Acland | 24,692 | 51.8 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Frank K. Taylor | 23,017 | 48.2 | +12.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,675 | 3.6 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,709 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −6.1 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Richard Acland | 28,297 | 53.07 |
| | Conservative | John Gerrard Lowe | 22,726 | 42.62 |
| | Liberal | Mavis Doreen Ayliffe | 2,298 | 4.31 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,571 | 10.45 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,321 | 86.29 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Richard Acland | 30,055 | 55.29 |
| | Conservative | Charles P T Burke | 24,300 | 44.71 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,755 | 10.58 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,355 | 85.74 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Kirk | 22,058 | 46.22 | |
| | Labour | Victor Mishcon | 19,149 | 40.13 | |
| | Independent | Richard Acland | 6,514 | 13.65 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,909 | 6.09 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,721 | 80.75 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Kirk | 27,124 | 52.08 | +5.86 |
| | Labour | Victor Mishcon | 24,962 | 47.92 | +7.79 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,162 | 4.16 | −1.93 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,086 | 82.29 | +1.54 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.0 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Albert Murray | 26,074 | 45.41 | −3.81 |
| | Conservative | Peter Kirk | 25,326 | 44.11 | −7.97 |
| | Liberal | Jack Harris Barnett | 6,015 | 10.48 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 748 | 1.30 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,415 | 80.40 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.1 | |
General election 1966: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Albert Murray | 30,276 | 49.75 | +4.34 |
| | Conservative | Roger White | 25,484 | 41.88 | −2.23 |
| | Liberal | Jack Harris Barnett | 5,092 | 8.37 | −2.11 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,792 | 7.87 | +6.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,852 | 82.04 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.3 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roger White | 29,924 | 46.85 | +4.97 |
| | Labour | Albert Murray | 28,711 | 44.95 | −4.80 |
| | Liberal | Michael J Dunn | 5,234 | 8.19 | −0.18 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,213 | 1.90 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,869 | 75.93 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +4.9 | |
General election February 1974: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Ovenden | 29,571 | 40.83 | |
| | Conservative | Roger White | 27,989 | 38.65 | |
| | Liberal | DC Mumford | 13,136 | 18.14 | |
| | National Front | JD Turner | 1,726 | 2.38 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,582 | 2.18 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 72,422 | 83.73 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Ovenden | 29,569 | 43.09 | |
| | Conservative | Richard Needham | 27,264 | 39.73 | |
| | Liberal | L Cartier | 10,244 | 14.93 | |
| | National Front | JD Turner | 1,304 | 1.90 | |
| | More Prosperous Britain | Tom Keen | 239 | 0.35 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,305 | 3.36 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 68,620 | 78.63 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Gravesend :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Brinton | 37,592 | 51.95 | |
| | Labour | John Ovenden | 28,246 | 39.04 | |
| | Liberal | Ian Goodwin | 5,917 | 8.18 | |
| | National Front | George Willden | 603 | 0.83 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,346 | 12.91 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 72,358 | 81.40 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |