It is currently the longest-running bellwether constituency in the U.K., having voted for an MP of the ‘winning’ Party (i.e. the Party that formed the government) in every General Election from 1964 onwards.
The seat was created under theRedistribution 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. InKent the Act finally abolished theSandwich 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, theNorth-Western Division of Kent orNorth 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 ofGreater London, which adjoins Dartford. These seats wereBexley, created in 1945, andErith & Crayford, created in 1955.
Political history
In the early 20th century, the Dartford constituency was very much abellwether. Dartford's results later shifted towards theleft: in a by-election in 1938 and then in the general elections from 1951 to 1959, aLabour candidate won, going against the national result.
Since1964, 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.[2] Candidates for the largest two parties nationally have also polled first and second since 1923 in Dartford.
This was the first constituency contested by futurePrime MinisterMargaret Thatcher (then Margaret Roberts). She was the Conservative candidate at the 1950 and 1951 general elections, unsuccessful on both occasions.
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.[3]
The electorate was reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring the District of Sevenoaks ward of Hartley and Hodsoll Street toTonbridge and the Dartford Borough ward of Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone & Hawley toSevenoaks.
As its name suggests, the main settlement in the constituency is the town ofDartford, but it also includes a number of other towns and villages, includingSwanscombe,Longfield andGreenhithe. These all add up to create a diverse constituency which covers urban and rural areas.
The population of the constituency currently comprises the bulk of theBorough of Dartford. It is on the border with theLondon Borough of Bexley, with which at one time it shared an MP.
Health and wealth of its residents is around average for the UK.[4]
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;
18.1
