Dover and Deal is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It has been represented since 2024 by Mike Tapp of the Labour Party.
It was known as Dover until 1974 and from 1983 until 2024. Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat reverted to its current name, and was first contested at the 2024 general election.
Dover was considered a Cinque Ports constituency from 1386 to 1832.
Constituency profile The seat includes most of Dover District. It comprises the towns of Deal, Dover, Walmer and surrounding villages in a productive chalkland, long-cultivated area adjoining the Strait of Dover.
Since 1945 Dover has been a Labour/Conservative swing seat. In local elections, most of its rural villages and the two small towns favour the Conservative Party, whereas Dover favours the Labour Party, as well as the former mixed mining and agricultural villages in the local coal belt (East Kent coalfield), such as Aylesham. Labour's vote held on very solidly here in 2005, but the seat went Conservative in the 2010 election on a swing of 10.4% compared with a 4.9% swing nationally.
Electoral Calculus categorises the seat as being part of the “Strong Right” demographic, those who have fiscally conservative views on the economy but are also fairly nationalist and socially conservative, alongside strong support for Brexit. In addition to this, around 55% of Dover and Deal is deprived, in terms of employment, income and education, with 47% of the local population, in particular, being unemployed, according to the site. For general statistics, the average age is 52.4, at least 80% of the local population owns a car, whilst 67% own a home, and the gross household income is £41,120.
Cinque Port seat
Dover's representation was originally as a Cinque Port constituency. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports nominated one member, as with other Cinque Ports, but this was outlawed by the Parliamentary Elections Act 1689 (2 Will. & Mar. c. 7).Note 2, Page 121,Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957) There was still some residual influence, but there was also a local independent element in the borough, with two local leading families, the Papillons and Furneses, starting to send MPs to Parliament. By the mid eighteenth century, it had come under more government authority through the influence of the Earl of Hardwicke, although government control was often more fragile than it seemed.Pages 121 to 124,Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
Dover lost its status as a Cinque Port seat, becoming a borough seat under the Reform Act 1832 (2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 45).
Boundaries
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Dover and Deal, the Urban District of Walmer, and the Rural Districts of Dover and Eastry.
1950–1983: The Boroughs of Dover, Deal, and Sandwich, the Rural District of Dover, and the Rural District of Eastry, except the parishes included in the Isle of Thanet constituency.
1983–2010: The District of Dover wards of Aylesham, Barton, Buckland, Capel-le-Ferne, Castle, Cornilo, Eastry, Eythorne, Lower Walmer, Lydden and Temple Ewell, Maxton and Elms Vale, Middle Deal, Mill Hill, Mongeham, Noninstone, North Deal, Pineham, Priory, Ringwould, River, St Margaret's-at-Cliffe, St Radigund's, Shepherdswell with Coldred, Tower Hamlets, Town and Pier, and Upper Walmer.
2010–2024: The District of Dover wards of Aylesham, Buckland, Capel-le-Ferne, Castle, Eastry, Eythorne and Shepherdswell, Lydden and Temple Ewell, Maxton, Elms Vale and Priory, Middle Deal and Sholden, Mill Hill, North Deal, Ringwould, River, St Margaret's-at-Cliffe, St Radigund's, Tower Hamlets, Town and Pier, Walmer, and Whitfield.
2024–present: The District of Dover wards of Alkham & Capel-le-Ferne, Aylesham, Eythorne & Shepherdswell, Buckland, Dover Downs & River, Eastry Rural, Guston, Kingsdown & St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe, Maxton & Elms Vale, Middle Deal, Mill Hill, North Deal, St. Radigunds, Tower Hamlets, Town & Castle, Walmer, and Whitfield. Minor changes due to revision of ward boundaries.
Members of Parliament
Cinque Port/Parliamentary Borough 1386–1918
MPs 1386–1660
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member1386 John Gyles John Halle I1388 (Feb) John Gyles John Halle I1388 (Sep) John Gyles John Monyn1390 (Jan) John Gyles John Monyn1390 (Nov)1391 John Gyles John Strete1393 John Gyles John Strete13941395 John Gyles John Strete1397 (Jan) Nicholas Spicer John Monyn1397 (Sep) John Monyn I1399 John Gyles John Enebrook14011402 Thomas Gyles John Strete1404 (Jan)1404 (Oct)1406 Thomas Gyles Henry Merley1407 John Alkham Henry Merley1410 Nicholas Spicer Peter Rede1411 Thomas Monyn1413 (Feb)1413 (May) Thomas Monyn John Garton1414 (Apr)1414 (Nov) Walter Stratton John Garton14151416 (Mar)1416 (Oct) John Braban1417 John Braban Thomas atte Crowche1419 John Braban Walter Stratton1420 Thomas Arnold Thomas atte Crowche1421 (May) Thomas Arnold John Braban1421 (Dec) John Braban Walter Stratton1439–1444 Sir Thomas Browne1470 Thomas Smith1510 John Warren not known1512 Nicholas Templeman John Warren1515 Nicholas Templeman John Warren1523 Thomas Vaughan Robert Nethersole1529 Robert Nethersole John Warren1536 Robert Nethersole John Warren1539 Thomas Vaughan John Payntor1542 John Warren William Granger1545 Edmund Mody John Warren1547 Joseph Beverley Thomas Warren1553 (Mar) Henry Crispe Thomas Portway1553 (Oct) Joseph Beverley John Webbe1554 (Apr) John WebbeThomas Colly1554 (Nov) William HanningtonJohn Webbe1555 Thomas Warren Sir Edmund Rous1558 Joseph BeverleyJohn Cheyne1559 Thomas WarrenJohn Robins1562–3 John RobinsThomas Warren1571 Thomas Andrews IIJohn Pinchon1572 Thomas Andrews IIThomas Warren1584 Richard BarreyJohn Moore1586 Richard BarreyJohn Moore1588 Thomas Fane Edward Stephens1593 Thomas Fane Thomas Elwood1597 Thomas Fane William Leonard1601 George Fane George Newman1604 Sir Thomas Waller George Bing1614 Sir George Fane Sir Robert Brett1621 Sir Henry Mainwaring Sir Richard Young1624 Sir Edward CecilDictionary of National Biography, later editions, and Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Sir Richard Young1625 Sir John Hippisley William Beecher1626 Sir John Hippisley John Pringle 1628 Sir John Hippisley Edward Nicholas No parliament called between 1629 and 1640
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member1640 (Apr)Sir Edward Boys Sir Peter Heyman1640 (Nov)Sir Edward Boys Benjamin Weston1645 John Dixwell Benjamin Weston1648 John Dixwell Benjamin Weston1653Dover not represented in Barebones Parliament1654 William Cullenone seat only1656 Thomas Kelseyone seat only1658 John Dixwell Thomas Kelsey1659 John Dixwell Benjamin Weston
MPs 1660–1885 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1660 Edward Montagu Arnold Braemes August 1660 George Montagu 1661 Sir Francis Vincent, Bt 1670 Edward Montagu 1673 Admiral Sir Edward SpraggeOn petition Spragge's election was declared void 1674 Thomas Papillon 1679 William Stokes 1685 Arthur Herbert William Chapman 1689 Sir Basil Dixwell, Bt Thomas Papillon 1690 James Chadwick 1695 Sir Basill Dixwell, Bt 1697 Admiral Matthew Aylmer January 1701 Sir Charles Hedges November 1701 Philip Papillon 1710 Sir William Hardres, Bt 1715 Admiral Matthew AylmerCreated Baron Aylmer (in the Peerage of Ireland), 1718 1720 George Berkeley Henry Furnese 1734 David Papillon Thomas Revell 1741 Lord George Sackville 1752 William Cayley 1755 Peter Burrell 1756 Hugh Valence Jones 1759 Sir Edward SimpsonKnighted 1761 1761 Hon. Sir Joseph Yorke 1765 John Campbell 1766 John Bindley 1768 George Villiers 1770 Sir Thomas Hales, Bt 1773 Thomas Barret 1774 John Henniker John Trevanion 1784 Robert Preston Captain the Hon. James Luttrell 1789 John Trevanion 1790 Charles Pybus 1802 John Spencer Smith 1806 John Jackson Charles Jenkinson 1818 Edward Bootle-Wilbraham 1820 Joseph Butterworth 1826 Charles Poulett ThomsonThomson was re-elected in 1832 but had also been elected for Manchester, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Dover 1828 William Henry Trant 1830 Sir John Reid, Bt 1831 Robert Henry Stanhope 1832 Sir John Reid, Bt 1833 John Halcomb 1834 1835 John Minet Fector 1837 Edward Royd Rice 1847 Sir George Clerk, Bt 1852 Henry Cadogan 1857 Ralph Bernal Osborne Sir William Russell, Bt 1859 Sir Henry Leeke William Nicol 1865 Alexander George Dickson Charles Freshfield 1868 George Jessel 1873 Edward William Barnett 1874 Charles Freshfield 1885 Representation reduced to one member
MPs 1885–1918 YearMemberPartyNotes1885 Alexander George Dickson Died July 1889 1889 by-election George Wyndham Died June 1913 1913 by-election Vere Ponsonby Contested Dover (county) following redistribution1918 Constituency abolished – name transferred to county constituency
County constituency 1918–present YearMemberPartyNotes 1918 Vere Ponsonby Succeeded to the peerage as 9th Earl of Bessborough 1921 by-election Sir Thomas Polson 1922 John Jacob Astor 1945 John Thomas 1950 John Arbuthnot 1964 David Ennals 1970 Peter Rees Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1983–1985) 1987 David Shaw 1997 Gwyn Prosser 2010Charlie Elphicke 2017 2018 July 2019 Dec 2019 Natalie Elphicke May 2024 Jul 2024 Mike Tapp Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Migration and Citizenship (2025–2026)
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 29,117 56.9 Labour 16,696 32.6 Liberal Democrats 2,927 5.7 Green 1,404 2.7 Others 1,053 2.1Turnout51,19767.5Electorate75,855
Elections in the 2010s
2005 notional result Party Vote % Labour 21,833 45.3 Conservative 16,828 35.0 Liberal Democrats 7,605 15.8 UKIP 1,273 2.6 Others 606 1.3Turnout48,14567.3Electorate71,518
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
1992 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 25,443 44.1 Labour 24,583 42.6 Liberal Democrats 6,234 10.8 Others 1,422 2.5Turnout57,68282.8Electorate69,646
Elections in the 1980s
1979 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 25,974 48.3 Labour 20,799 38.7 Liberal 6,067 11.3 Others 896 1.7Turnout53,736Electorate
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
withdrew on 16 October
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Election results 1885–1918 Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
Election results 1832–1885 Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1840s
Elections in the 1830s
Elections before 1832 Elections in the 1830s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Kent List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)
Notes
References
Sources Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913) F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989) F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949 (Glasgow: Political Reference Publications, 1969)
External links Dover UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Dover UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Dover and Deal UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK