Canterbury is a constituency in Kent, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Rosie Duffield, formerly of the Labour Party, and since September 2024, an independent.
The seat dates to the earliest century of regular parliaments, in 1295; it elected two MPs until 1885, electing one thereafter, before being altered by the Representation of the People Act 1918 (the later-termed "Fourth Reform Act", the first being in 1832).
Constituency profile The Canterbury constituency is located in Kent and covers most of the City of Canterbury local government district. It includes the historic cathedral city of Canterbury, with a population of around 55,000, and a large rural area surrounding the city and meeting the coast at the town of Whitstable. Canterbury is an important religious centre; the city is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the city's main religious sites together hold UNESCO World Heritage status. Canterbury also hosts three universities (the University of Kent, University for the Creative Arts and Canterbury Christ Church University) and has the highest student-to-permanent-resident ratio in the country.Kentish Gazette 14 May 2015
Compared to national averages, residents of the constituency are younger and have high levels of education and professional employment. Most of the constituency is affluent, however there are high levels of deprivation in parts of Canterbury, particularly in the north-east of the city. White people make up 86% of the population. At the local city and county council levels, the city of Canterbury is mostly represented by Labour Party councillors whilst the rural areas of the constituency have predominantly elected Liberal Democrats. Voters in the constituency mostly supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 54% supported remaining compared to 48% nationwide.
History Constitutional status of seat The current Canterbury seat is constituted as a county constituency and was formed in 1918 from an expansion of the narrow parliamentary borough (or simply borough) of the same name that existed from 1295 to 1918. This had elected two MPs from 1295 (the Model Parliament) until 1885, and then one until 1918.
Political history Before the seat was reformed the politics of the town were greatly influenced by Canterbury Cathedral and the Archbishop of Canterbury.Pages 99 to 102,Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
MP representation in the constituency was suspended between 1880 and 1885, following a corruption scandal in which bribery was found to have been extensively used in the re-election of the two sitting Conservative MPs, and the result was overturned. Following the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883 and the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, representation was resumed at the 1885 general election, when the number of MPs returned was reduced from two to one.
From 1835 (where a Conservative was elected on petition) until 2017, the local electorate elected mostly candidates of the Conservative Party (with the exceptions of the elections of Independent Unionist Francis Bennett-Goldney, MP from 1910 to 1918, and of a few Whigs or Liberals when Canterbury had two seats); the seat was recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest uninterrupted period of one party holding a Parliamentary seat. The election of Labour's Rosie Duffield, who won the seat by just 187 votes in the 2017 election, marked the end of a 185-year period of Canterbury almost always electing Conservative-allied MPs, the longest recorded unbroken record of party representation in British political history. Her victory in this election was largely credited to the strategies of electoral strategist Jack Wilson, who at the time was the youngest senior political adviser in British history.
Duffield kept the seat at the 2019 election, increasing her majority – one of only a handful of seats to swing to Labour. At the 2024 election, her majority increased substantially following the collapse of the Conservative vote.
Boundaries
1918–1950: The County Borough of Canterbury, the Urban Districts of Herne Bay and Whitstable, the Rural Districts of Bridge and Elham, and the Rural District of Blean with the detached parts of the parishes of Dunkirk and Hernhill which were wholly surrounded by the rural district.
1950–1983: The County Borough of Canterbury, the Urban Districts of Herne Bay and Whitstable, and the Rural District of Bridge Blean.
1983–1997: The City of Canterbury wards of Barham Downs, Barton, Blean Forest, Chartham, Chestfield, Gorrell, Harbledown, Harbour, Little Stour, Marshside, Northgate, North Nailbourne, St Stephen's, Seasalter, Stone Street, Sturry North, Sturry South, Swalecliffe, Tankerton, Westgate, and Wincheap, and the Borough of Swale wards of Boughton and Courtenay.
1997–2010: as 1983 less the two Borough of Swale wards.
2010–2024: The City of Canterbury wards of Barham Downs, Barton, Blean Forest, Chartham and Stone Street, Chestfield and Swalecliffe, Gorrell, Harbledown, Harbour, Little Stour, North Nailbourne, Northgate, St Stephen's, Seasalter, Sturry North, Sturry South, Tankerton, Westgate, and Wincheap.
2024–present: The City of Canterbury wards of Barton; Blean Forest; Chartham & Stone Street; Chestfield; Gorrell; Little Stour & Adisham; Nailbourne; Northgate; St. Stephens; Seasalter; Swalecliffe; Tankerton; Westgate; and Wincheap. Electorate reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring Sturry to the new seat of Herne Bay and Sandwich.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1295–1660 — MPs 1660–1880 — MPs 1885–1918 — MPs 1918–present — Elections — See also — Notes and references
Parliamentary borough of Canterbury MPs 1295–1660 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member1386 Thomas Holt John Symme1388 (February) John Mendham William Ellis1388 (September) John Creking John Wimpole1390 (January) Thomas Lincoln Thomas Ickham1390 (November) 1391 Edmund Horne John Proude1393 John Sexton Richard Gervays1394 John Proude Robert Farthing1395 William Ellis Thomas Ickham1397 (January) Richard Gervays John Sexton1397 (September) Edmund Horne Robert Farthing1399 John Sheldwich I Thomas Lane1401 Thomas Ickham John Pirie1402 John Sheldwich IRobert Cooper1404 (January) Thomas Chicche John Sexton1404 (October) John Umfray John Haute1406 Edmund Horne Richard Water1407 John Sexton Richard Water1410 Thomas Lane Henry Lynde1411 William Ickham William Rose1413 (February) William Lane John Sheldwich II1413 (May) Thomas Lane William Emery1414 (April) Richard Water John Sheldwich II1414 (November) Thomas Lane John Sheldwich II1415 John Sheldwich II1416 (March) Henry Lynde John Sheldwich II1416 (October) William Ickham William Benet1417 John Sheldwich II Henry Lynde1419 John Monyn John Sheldwich II1420 William Benet William Ickham1421 (May) John Sheldwich II William Lane1421 (December) Thomas Langdon Thomas Norman1425 William BenetHistory of Parliament1435 William Benet1450 William Benet1483 Sir George Browne (died 1483)1489 John Crysp1504Thomas Atwode1510 William Crump Thomas Atwode1512 Thomas Wainfleet John Hales I1515 Thomas Atwode John Hales I1523 Christopher Hales John Bridges1529 Thomas Atwode, died and replaced February 1535 by Robert Darknall John Bridges1536 Robert Darknall John Bridges1539 John Starkey Robert Lewis1542 Robert Darknall Walter Hendley1545 Robert Lewis ?1547 Robert Darknall Thomas Hales1553 (March) Robert Darknall George Webbe1553 (October) John Twyne William Coppyn1554 (April) John Twyne William Coppyn1554 (November) Nicholas Fish Richard Railton1558 Sir Henry Crispe William Roper1558/59Sir Thomas Finch George Maye1562/63 William Lovelace Robert Alcock1571 William Lovelace} Robert Alcock1572 Anthony Webbe, died and replaced 1582 by Sir George Carey William Lovelace, died and replaced 1578 by ?1584 Simon Brome John RoseBrowne Willis1586 Simon Brome John Rose1588 Simon Brome Bartholomew Brome1593 Richard Lee Sir Henry Finch1597 John Boys Sir Henry Finch1601 John Boys John Rogers II1604 John Boys Matthew Hadde1614 George Newman Sir William Lovelace1621–1622 John Finch Sir Robert Newington1624 Thomas Scott Thomas Denn1625 John Fisher Sir Thomas Wilsford 1626 Sir John Finch James Palmer1628–1629 Sir John Finch Thomas Scott1629–1640No Parliaments summoned1640 (April) Edward Masters John Nutt 1640 (November) Sir Edward Masters John Nutt1645 Sir Edward Masters John Nutt1648 Sir Edward Masters John Nutt1653Canterbury not represented in Barebones Parliament1654 Thomas Scot Francis Butcher1656 Thomas St Nicholas Vincent Denne1659 Thomas St Nicholas Robert Gibbon 1659 Sir Edward Masters John Nutt
MPs 1660–1880 Election First memberParty Second memberParty1660 Sir Anthony Aucher Heneage Finch 1661 Francis Lovelace Sir Edward Master 1664 Thomas Hardres February 1679 Edward Hales William Jacob August 1679 Sir Thomas Hardres 1681 Lewis Watson Vincent Denne 1685 Sir William Honywood, Bt Henry Lee 1695 George Sayer 1698 Henry Lee 1705 John Hardres 1708 Edward Watson Thomas D'Aeth 1710 John Hardres Henry Lee 1715 Sir Thomas Hales, Bt 1722 Samuel Milles 1727 Sir William Hardres, BtSir William Hardres was re-elected in 1734, but the result was overturned on petition and his seat awarded in 1735 to Sir Thomas Hales 1734 Thomas May 1735 Sir Thomas Hales, Bt 1741 Thomas Watson Thomas Best 1746 by-election Sir Thomas Hales, Bt 1747 Matthew Robinson 1754 Sir James Creed 1761 Richard Milles Thomas Best 1768 William Lynch 1774 Sir William Mayne 1780 George Gipps Charles Robinson 1790 Sir John Honywood, Bt 1796 John Baker Whig Samuel Elias Sawbridge WhigElection declared void 2 March 1797March 1797 by-election John Baker Whig Samuel Elias Sawbridge WhigMay 1797 Sir John Honywood, Bt Tory George Gipps Tory1800 by-election George Watson 1802 John Baker Whig1806 James Simmons February 1807 by-election Samuel Elias Sawbridge WhigMay 1807 Edward Taylor Whig1812 Stephen Rumbold Lushington Tory1818 Edward Bligh Whig1830 Richard Watson Whig George Cowper WhigJan 1835 Albert Denison Whig Frederick Villiers WhigMarch 1835 Stephen Rumbold Lushington Conservative1837A petition was lodged against the 1837 result, but withdrawn James Bradshaw Conservative1841 by-electionA petition was lodged against the result of the by-election in February 1841, but it was dismissed George Smythe Conservative1847 by-election Albert Denison Whig1850 by-election Frederick Romilly Radical1852 Henry Plumptre Gipps Conservative Henry Butler-Johnstone Conservative1853Constituency representation suspended1854 by-election Charles Manners Lushington Peelite Sir William Somerville, BtSir William Somerville was known from 1863 as The Lord Athlumney Whig1857 Henry Butler-Johnstone Conservative1859 Liberal1862 by-election Henry Munro-Butler-Johnstone Conservative1865A petition was lodged against the 1865 result, but withdrawn John Walter Huddleston Conservative1868Independent Conservative Theodore Brinckman Liberal1874Conservative Lewis Majendie Conservative1878 by-election Hon. Alfred Gathorne-Hardy Conservative1879 by-election Robert Peter Laurie Conservative1880Constituency representation suspended
MPs 1885–1918 Constituency representation restored and reduced to one (1885) ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1885 John Henniker Heaton Conservative December 1910 Francis Bennett-Goldney Independent Unionist Died July 1918 1918 by-election George Knox Anderson Conservative 1918 Parliamentary borough abolished, name transferred to a new county division
Canterbury county constituency MPs 1918–present