Isle of Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Isle of Thanet was a county constituency which returned one Member of Parliament
(MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
from 1885
, until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election
.
It was located on the Isle of Thanet
, in Kent
.
, Ramsgate
and Sandwich
, the Urban District of Broadstairs and St Peters and the Rural District of Isle of Thanet.
In 1935 the Rural District of Isle of Thanet was abolished and was merged with the Rural District of Eastry (of which part was in the constituency).
In the boundary changes prior to the 1950 election the MD of Sandwich was transferred to Dover
.
The boundary changes of November 1970 resulted in the division of the constituency into two. Thanet East
which comprised the Ramsgate MB and Broadstairs & St Peters UD, and Thanet West
which comprised the Margate MB and part of Eastry RD.
Electorate 44,571
Turnout 69.17%
Voters 30,830
Edward Carson Conservative 15,023 48.73%
T C Boyd Labour 12,075 39.17%
P Willmett Liberal 3,732 12.11%
Election 23 Feb 1950
Electorate 68,022
Turnout 82.96%
Voters 56,431
Edward Carson Conservative 31,345 55.55%
T C Boyd Labour 20,522 36.37%
C J Wrong Liberal 4,561 8.08%
Election 25 Oct 1951
Electorate 69,782
Turnout 78.02%
Voters 54,444
Edward Carson Conservative 33,551 61.62%
O L Shaw Labour 20,892 38.37%
Election 26 May 1955
Electorate 69,910
Turnout 71.88%
Voters 50,251
William Rees-Davies
Conservative 31,270 62.23%
K Jones Labour 18,981 37.77%
Election 8 Oct 1959
Electorate 71,952
Turnout 75.06%
Voters 54,007
William Rees-Davies
Conservative 29,453 54.54%
H A Fountain Labour 17,555 32.50%
G MacDonald-Jones Liberal 6,998 12.96%
Election 15 Oct 1964
Electorate 78,664
Turnout 74.20%
Voters 58,369
William Rees-Davies
Conservative 27,870 47.75%
E Wistrich Labour 20,520 35.16%
D Norrington Liberal 9,979 17.10%
Election 31 Mar 1966
Electorate 81,498
Turnout 75.67%
Voters 61,670
William Rees-Davies
Conservative 29,302 47.51%
L Bishop Labour 24,416 39.59%
F Redman Liberal 7,952 12.89%
Election 18 Jun 1970
Electorate 89,227
Turnout 72.24%
Voters 64,458
William Rees-Davies
Conservative 33,434 51.87%
L Bishop Labour 21,709 33.68%
Tudor Gates
Liberal 7,176 11.13%
I Josephs Ind Conservative 2,136 3.31%
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
from 1885
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
, until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
.
It was located on the Isle of Thanet
Isle of Thanet
The Isle of Thanet lies at the most easterly point of Kent, England. While in the past it was separated from the mainland by the nearly -wide River Wantsum, it is no longer an island ....
, in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Boundaries
Between 1918 and 1945 the constituency comprised the Municipal Districts of MargateMargate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
, Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
and Sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
, the Urban District of Broadstairs and St Peters and the Rural District of Isle of Thanet.
In 1935 the Rural District of Isle of Thanet was abolished and was merged with the Rural District of Eastry (of which part was in the constituency).
In the boundary changes prior to the 1950 election the MD of Sandwich was transferred to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
.
The boundary changes of November 1970 resulted in the division of the constituency into two. Thanet East
Thanet East (UK Parliament constituency)
Thanet East was a British parliamentary constituency in the Isle of Thanet, in Kent. It consisted of the coastal towns of Ramsgate and Broadstairs.Jonathan Aitken was the MP for the lifetime of the constituency, from February 1974 until 1983.-History:...
which comprised the Ramsgate MB and Broadstairs & St Peters UD, and Thanet West
Thanet West (UK Parliament constituency)
Thanet West was a British parliamentary constituency in the Isle of Thanet, in Kent.It was created for the February 1974 general election, and returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
which comprised the Margate MB and part of Eastry RD.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:... |
Edward Robert King-Harman Edward Robert King-Harman Edward Robert King-Harman was an Irish landlord and Irish Nationalist and later Unionist politician who sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1877 to 1888.-Early life:... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1888 by-election | James Lowther | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1904 by-election | Harry Hananel Marks | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1910 (Jan) | Norman Carlyle Craig | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1918 United Kingdom general election, 1918 The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did... |
Coalition Conservative | ||
| 1919 by-election | Esmond Harmsworth Esmond Harmsworth, 2nd Viscount Rothermere Esmond Cecil Harmsworth, 2nd Viscount Rothermere was a British Conservative politician and press magnate.Harmsworth's father, Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere, had been the financial wizard behind the creation of the Daily Mail in partnership with his brother Alfred Harmsworth,... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1929 United Kingdom general election, 1929 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
Harold Balfour Harold Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Inchrye Harold Harington Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Inchrye MC & Bar was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom, and First World War flying ace... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1945 United Kingdom general election, 1945 The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to... |
Edward Carson Edward Carson (English politician) Edward "Ned" Carson was a British Conservative politician.-Personal life:The Hon. Edward Carson was the youngest child of five children , and he was the only child to his fathers second wife Ruby Frewen, who his father had married following the death of the first Lady Carson.Edward Carson was... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1953 by-election | William Rees-Davies William Rees-Davies William Rupert Rees-Davies was a British Conservative politician.Rees-Davies was the son of Sir William Rees-Davies, Chief Justice of Hong Kong. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained a cricket blue. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1974 United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
constituency abolished and replaced by Thanet West Thanet West (UK Parliament constituency) Thanet West was a British parliamentary constituency in the Isle of Thanet, in Kent.It was created for the February 1974 general election, and returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom... and Thanet East Thanet East (UK Parliament constituency) Thanet East was a British parliamentary constituency in the Isle of Thanet, in Kent. It consisted of the coastal towns of Ramsgate and Broadstairs.Jonathan Aitken was the MP for the lifetime of the constituency, from February 1974 until 1983.-History:... |
||
Election results
Election 5 Jul 1945Electorate 44,571
Turnout 69.17%
Voters 30,830
Edward Carson Conservative 15,023 48.73%
T C Boyd Labour 12,075 39.17%
P Willmett Liberal 3,732 12.11%
Election 23 Feb 1950
Electorate 68,022
Turnout 82.96%
Voters 56,431
Edward Carson Conservative 31,345 55.55%
T C Boyd Labour 20,522 36.37%
C J Wrong Liberal 4,561 8.08%
Election 25 Oct 1951
Electorate 69,782
Turnout 78.02%
Voters 54,444
Edward Carson Conservative 33,551 61.62%
O L Shaw Labour 20,892 38.37%
Election 26 May 1955
Electorate 69,910
Turnout 71.88%
Voters 50,251
William Rees-Davies
William Rees-Davies
William Rupert Rees-Davies was a British Conservative politician.Rees-Davies was the son of Sir William Rees-Davies, Chief Justice of Hong Kong. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained a cricket blue. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in...
Conservative 31,270 62.23%
K Jones Labour 18,981 37.77%
Election 8 Oct 1959
Electorate 71,952
Turnout 75.06%
Voters 54,007
William Rees-Davies
William Rees-Davies
William Rupert Rees-Davies was a British Conservative politician.Rees-Davies was the son of Sir William Rees-Davies, Chief Justice of Hong Kong. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained a cricket blue. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in...
Conservative 29,453 54.54%
H A Fountain Labour 17,555 32.50%
G MacDonald-Jones Liberal 6,998 12.96%
Election 15 Oct 1964
Electorate 78,664
Turnout 74.20%
Voters 58,369
William Rees-Davies
William Rees-Davies
William Rupert Rees-Davies was a British Conservative politician.Rees-Davies was the son of Sir William Rees-Davies, Chief Justice of Hong Kong. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained a cricket blue. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in...
Conservative 27,870 47.75%
E Wistrich Labour 20,520 35.16%
D Norrington Liberal 9,979 17.10%
Election 31 Mar 1966
Electorate 81,498
Turnout 75.67%
Voters 61,670
William Rees-Davies
William Rees-Davies
William Rupert Rees-Davies was a British Conservative politician.Rees-Davies was the son of Sir William Rees-Davies, Chief Justice of Hong Kong. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained a cricket blue. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in...
Conservative 29,302 47.51%
L Bishop Labour 24,416 39.59%
F Redman Liberal 7,952 12.89%
Election 18 Jun 1970
Electorate 89,227
Turnout 72.24%
Voters 64,458
William Rees-Davies
William Rees-Davies
William Rupert Rees-Davies was a British Conservative politician.Rees-Davies was the son of Sir William Rees-Davies, Chief Justice of Hong Kong. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained a cricket blue. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in...
Conservative 33,434 51.87%
L Bishop Labour 21,709 33.68%
Tudor Gates
Tudor Gates
Tudor Gates was an English screenwriter and trade unionist.-Biography:Gates was involved in stage management by the early 1950s and began scriptwriting in his spare time. After The Guv'nor was broadcast on television in 1956, he took to writing full time...
Liberal 7,176 11.13%
I Josephs Ind Conservative 2,136 3.31%