Dartford is a constituency in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Jim Dickson of the Labour Party since 2024.

It is currently the longest-running bellwether constituency in the UK, having voted for an MP of the party which formed the government in every General Election since 1964.

Constituency profile The Dartford constituency is located in Kent and lies just outside the boundaries of Greater London. It is roughly coterminous with the local government district of the same name. The constituency covers the large town of Dartford and its surrounding settlements, including the small town of Swanscombe and the villages of Greenhithe, Longfield and Maypole. Dartford has an industrial heritage and was a centre for cement, flour and paper manufacturing until the decline of industry in the 20th century. Today Dartford serves as a commuter town and is connected to central London by the Southeastern and Thameslink rail services.

Compared to the rest of the country, residents of the constituency have average levels of education and professional employment and above-average household income.Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Dartford At the 2021 census, White people made up 73% of the population, Black people were 11% and Asians were 10%. At the local borough council, most of the constituency is represented by Conservatives with some Labour councillors in Swanscombe and parts of Dartford. At the county council, all wards in the constituency elected Reform UK councillors. Voters in the constituency strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, with an estimated 64% in favour of Brexit.

History The seat was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. This Act added a net 18 seats, but its main purpose was to correct the over-representation of minor, if often old,boroughs and of depopulated county divisions. In their place were created new seats with a larger population. In Kent the Act finally abolished the Sandwich constituency, which sent two MPs until 1885. It also halved the representation of no fewer than four other historic towns. In contrast a seat for Dartford, the North-Western Division of Kent or North West Kent, was created.

The area of the seat, remaining a combination of urban, suburban and a small rural population, has been gradually reduced through its territory being contributed to new constituencies, their county designation later being changed in 1965 to become part of the new county of Greater London, which adjoins Dartford. These seats were Bexley, created in 1945, and Erith & Crayford, created in 1955.

Political history In the early 20th century, the Dartford constituency was very much a bellwether. Dartford's results later shifted towards the left: in a by-election in 1938 and then in the general elections from 1951 to 1959, a Labour candidate won, going against the national result.

Since 1964, however, Dartford has alternated between Labour and the Conservatives in line with the national result, and has thus served as a bellwether again. Indeed, as of the 2024 General Election it is the longest-running bellwether constituency in the United Kingdom. Candidates for the largest two parties nationally have also polled first and second since 1923 in Dartford.

This was the first constituency contested by future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (then Margaret Roberts). She was the Conservative candidate at the 1950 and 1951 general elections, unsuccessful on both occasions.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Dartford, and part of the Sessional Division of Bromley.

1918–1945: The Urban Districts of Bexley, Dartford, and Erith, and in the Rural District of Dartford the parishes of Crayford, Stone, and Swanscombe.

1945–1955: The Boroughs of Dartford and Erith, and the Urban District of Crayford.

1955–1974: The Borough of Dartford, the Urban District of Swanscombe, and the Rural District of Dartford.

1974–1983: The Borough of Dartford, the Urban District of Swanscombe, and in the Rural District of Dartford the parishes of Darenth, Southfleet, Stone, Sutton-at-Hone, and Wilmington.

1983–1997: The Borough of Dartford, and the District of Sevenoaks wards of Ash-cum-Ridley, Fawkham and Hartley, Horton Kirby, and Longfield.

1997–2010: The Borough of Dartford, and the District of Sevenoaks wards of Fawkham and Hartley, and Horton Kirby.

2010–2024: The Borough of Dartford, and the District of Sevenoaks ward of Hartley and Hodsoll Street.

2024–present: The Borough of Dartford wards of Bean & Village Park, Brent, Burnham, Darenth, Ebbsfleet, Greenhithe & Knockhall, Heath, Joyden's Wood, Longfield, New Barn & Southfleet, Maypole & Leyton Cross, Newtown, Princes, Stone Castle, Stone House, Swanscombe, Temple Hill, Town, and West Hill. The electorate was reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring the District of Sevenoaks ward of Hartley and Hodsoll Street to Tonbridge and the Dartford Borough ward of Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone & Hawley to Sevenoaks.

Members of Parliament

West Kent prior to 1885

ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1885 William Hart Dyke ConservativeMember for Mid Kent (1868–1885) 1906 James Rowlands LiberalMember for Finsbury East (1886–1895) Jan 1910 William Foot Mitchell Conservative Dec 1910 James Rowlands Liberal 1916 Coalition LiberalDied March 1920 1920 by-election John Edmund Mills Labour 1922 George Jarrett National Liberal Nov 1923 Constitutionalist 1923 John Edmund Mills Labour 1924 Angus McDonnell Conservative 1929 John Edmund Mills Labour 1931 Frank Clarke ConservativeDied July 1938 1938 by-election Jennie Adamson LabourContested Bexley following redistribution Constituency split, with half becoming the new Bexley seat 1945 Norman Dodds Labour Co-operativeContested Erith and Crayford following redistribution Constituency split, majority renamed Erith and Crayford, minority merged with parts of Chislehurst and Orpington 1955 Sydney Irving Labour Co-operative Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons (1968–1970) 1970 Peter Trew Conservative Feb 1974 Sydney Irving Labour Co-operative 1979 Bob Dunn Conservative 1997 Howard Stoate Labour 2010 Gareth Johnson Conservative 2024 Jim DicksonLabourLeader of Lambeth London Borough Council (1994–2000)

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 28,413 61.1 Labour 13,709 29.5 Liberal Democrats 3,251 7.0 Green 1,115 2.4Turnout46,48864.5Electorate72,048

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Election in the 1940s

1945 saw radical boundary changes, with half the constituency becoming part of the Bexley seat.

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

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; Liberal: James Rowlands Unionist:

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1880s

Caused by Dyke's appointment as Vice-president of the Committee of the Council on Education.

See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Kent List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)

Notes

References

External links Dartford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Dartford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Dartford UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK