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South Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°18′N 1°22′E / 51.300°N 1.367°E / 51.300; 1.367
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South Thanet
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of South Thanet in Kent
Outline map
Location of Kent within England
CountyKent
Electorate67,970 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsRamsgate, Broadstairs and Sandwich
1983–2024
SeatsOne
Created fromThanet West, Dover and Thanet East[2]
Replaced byEast Thanet

South Thanet was a constituency[n 1] in Kent.[n 2]

The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies made moderate boundary changes to the constituency, which was renamed East Thanet, taking effect at the 2024 general election.[3]

Electoral spending criminal investigation following the 2015 general election

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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.[4]

In a court case on 1 June 2016, brought against Mackinlay and his election agent Nathan Gray,[5] 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."[6]

On 14 March 2017, it was reported that Mackinlay had been interviewed under caution by officers investigating the allegations.[7] 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.[8]

On 9 January 2019, Mackinlay was cleared of election expenses fraud.[9] One of the other defendants, Marion Little, was found guilty of two charges and given a nine-month suspended sentence and £5000 fine.[10] She retained the OBE she had been awarded for political service in 2015.[11]

Boundaries

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Map
Map of boundaries 2010–2024

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

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Election Member[12] Party
1983 Jonathan Aitken Conservative
1997 Stephen Ladyman Labour
2010 Laura Sandys Conservative
2015 Craig Mackinlay Conservative
2024 constituency abolished

Elections

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Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: South Thanet[13]
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 10,587 21.9 +9.0
Turnout 48,257 65.8 −3.0
Conservative hold Swing +4.5
General election 2017: South Thanet[14][15]
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 6,387 12.9 +7.2
Turnout 49,753 68.8 −1.6
Conservative hold Swing -0.8
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § South Thanet
General election 2015: South Thanet [16]
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 description1 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 2,812 5.7 −9.7
Turnout 49,564 69.8 +4.1
Conservative hold Swing −18.4

1: Murray appeared on the ballot paper without any description,[17] but campaigned under the label of the Free United Kingdom Party (FUKP).[18]

General election 2010: South Thanet[19]
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 7,617 15.4 N/A
Turnout 46,023 65.3 +0.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.4

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: South Thanet[20]
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 664 1.6 −3.0
Turnout 41,242 65.0 1.1
Labour hold Swing −1.5
General election 2001: South Thanet[21]
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 1,792 4.6 −1.8
Turnout 39,432 63.9 −7.7
Labour hold Swing −0.9

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: South Thanet[22]
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 2,878 6.4 N/A
Turnout 44,488 71.6 −6.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +15.0
General election 1992: South Thanet[23][24]
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 11,513 23.6 −5.9
Turnout 48,812 78.2 +4.5
Conservative hold Swing −4.9

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: South Thanet[25]
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 13,683 29.5 −2.9
Turnout 46,260 73.7 +3.7
Conservative hold Swing −1.4
General election 1983: South Thanet[26]
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 14,051 32.4
Turnout 43,402 70.0
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

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  1. ^ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ "'Thanet South', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  3. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  4. ^ Sommerlad, Nick (20 April 2016). "Did the Tories 'break election laws' with battle bus spending? Here's everything you need to know". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  5. ^ Jon Stone (1 June 2016). "Tory MP moves to block police inquiry into alleged election fraud". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  6. ^ Nicola Slawson and agencies (June 2016). "Judge grants extension to police investigation into Tory election fraud". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  7. ^ "MP Craig Mackinlay quizzed over election expenses". BBC News. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay charged over election expenses". BBC News. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  9. ^ "MP Craig Mackinlay cleared of election expenses fraud". BBC News. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Tory official convicted of falsifying expenses in race against Farage". BBC News. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Tories rewarded in New Years honours list". Conservative Home. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  12. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
  13. ^ "Thanet South Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Statement of persons nominated, notice of poll and situation of polling stations" (PDF). Thanet District Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Candidates standing in Kent and Medway across Kent's 17 parliamentary constituencies". KentOnline. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  16. ^ "May 2015 General Election-South Thanet" (PDF). Thanet District Council. May 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  17. ^ "South Thanet". Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
  18. ^ "Thanet South parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  25. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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51°18′N 1°22′E / 51.300°N 1.367°E / 51.300; 1.367

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