Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)

Canterbury is a constituency^{[n 1]} 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.^{[n 2]}

Canterbury
County constituency for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Boundary of Canterbury in South East England
County	Kent
Population	109,280 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate	75,499 (2023)[2]
Major settlements	Canterbury, Whitstable, Swalecliffe, Chestfield
Current constituency
Created	1295
Member of Parliament	Rosie Duffield (Independent)
Seats	One
1295–1918
Seats	1295–1885: Two 1885–present: One
Type of constituency	Borough constituency

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 seat takes in the cathedral and university city of Canterbury, rural villages to the south, and the seaside resort of Whitstable to the north. Full time students make up around a quarter of the electorate.^[3]

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.^[4]

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. ^[5]

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

Map of boundaries 2010-2024

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.^[6]

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

Parliament	First member	Second member
1386	Thomas Holt	John Symme[7]
1388 (February)	John Mendham	William Ellis[7]
1388 (September)	John Creking	John Wimpole[7]
1390 (January)	Thomas Lincoln	Thomas Ickham[7]
1390 (November)
1391	Edmund Horne	John Proude[7]
1393	John Sexton	Richard Gervays[7]
1394	John Proude	Robert Farthing[7]
1395	William Ellis	Thomas Ickham[7]
1397 (January)	Richard Gervays	John Sexton[7]
1397 (September)	Edmund Horne	Robert Farthing[7]
1399	John Sheldwich I	Thomas Lane[7]
1401	Thomas Ickham	John Pirie[7]
1402	John Sheldwich I	Robert Cooper[7]
1404 (January)	Thomas Chicche	John Sexton[7]
1404 (October)	John Umfray	John Haute[7]
1406	Edmund Horne	Richard Water[7]
1407	John Sexton	Richard Water[7]
1410	Thomas Lane	Henry Lynde[7]
1411	William Ickham	William Rose[7]
1413 (February)	William Lane	John Sheldwich II[7]
1413 (May)	Thomas Lane	William Emery[7]
1414 (April)	Richard Water	John Sheldwich II[7]
1414 (November)	Thomas Lane	John Sheldwich II[7]
1415	John Sheldwich II[7]
1416 (March)	Henry Lynde	John Sheldwich II[7]
1416 (October)	William Ickham	William Benet[7]
1417	John Sheldwich II	Henry Lynde[7]
1419	John Monyn	John Sheldwich II[7]
1420	William Benet	William Ickham[7]
1421 (May)	John Sheldwich II	William Lane[7]
1421 (December)	Thomas Langdon	Thomas Norman[7]
1425	William Benet[8]
1435	William Benet[8]
1450	William Benet[8]
1483	Sir George Browne (died 1483)
1489	John Crysp[9]
1504	Thomas Atwode
1510	William Crump	Thomas Atwode[10]
1512	Thomas Wainfleet	John Hales I[10]
1515	Thomas Atwode	John Hales I[10]
1523	Christopher Hales	John Bridges[10]
1529	Thomas Atwode, died and replaced February 1535 by Robert Darknall	John Bridges[10]
1536	Robert Darknall	John Bridges[10]
1539	John Starkey	Robert Lewis[10]
1542	Robert Darknall	Walter Hendley[10]
1545	Robert Lewis	?[10]
1547	Robert Darknall	Thomas Hales[10]
1553 (March)	Robert Darknall	George Webbe[10]
1553 (October)	John Twyne	William Coppyn[10]
1554 (April)	John Twyne	William Coppyn[10]
1554 (November)	Nicholas Fish	Richard Railton[10]
1558	Sir Henry Crispe	William Roper[10]
1558/59	Sir Thomas Finch	George Maye[11]
1562/63	William Lovelace	Robert Alcock[11]
1571	William Lovelace}	Robert Alcock[11]
1572	Anthony Webbe, died and replaced 1582 by Sir George Carey	William Lovelace, died and replaced 1578 by ?[11]
1584	Simon Brome	John Rose[11][12]
1586	Simon Brome	John Rose[11]
1588	Simon Brome	Bartholomew Brome[11]
1593	Richard Lee	Sir Henry Finch[11]
1597	John Boys	Sir Henry Finch[11]
1601	John Boys	John Rogers II[11]
1604	John Boys	Matthew Hadde
1614	George Newman	Sir William Lovelace
1621–1622	John Finch	Sir Robert Newington
1624	Thomas Scott	Thomas Denn
1625	John Fisher	Sir Thomas Wilsford
1626	Sir John Finch	James Palmer
1628–1629	Sir John Finch	Thomas Scott
1629–1640	No Parliaments summoned
1640 (April)	Edward Masters	John Nutt
1640 (November)	Sir Edward Masters	John Nutt
1645	Sir Edward Masters	John Nutt
1648	Sir Edward Masters	John Nutt
1653	Canterbury not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654	Thomas Scot	Francis Butcher
1656	Thomas St Nicholas	Vincent Denne
1659	Thomas St Nicholas	Robert Gibbon
1659	Sir Edward Masters	John Nutt

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MPs 1660–1880

Election		First member[13]	Party		Second member[13]	Party
1660		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, Bt[14]
1734[14]					Thomas May
1735[14]		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[15]		Samuel Elias Sawbridge	Whig[15]
Election declared void 2 March 1797
March 1797 by-election		John Baker	Whig[15]		Samuel Elias Sawbridge	Whig[15]
May 1797		Sir John Honywood, Bt	Tory[15]		George Gipps	Tory[15]
1800 by-election					George Watson
1802		John Baker	Whig[15]
1806					James Simmons
February 1807 by-election					Samuel Elias Sawbridge	Whig[15]
May 1807					Edward Taylor	Whig[15]
1812					Stephen Rumbold Lushington	Tory[15]
1818		Edward Bligh	Whig[15]
1830		Richard Watson	Whig[15]		George Cowper	Whig[15]
Jan 1835		Albert Denison	Whig[15][16][17][18][19]		Frederick Villiers	Whig[15]
March 1835					Stephen Rumbold Lushington	Conservative[15]
1837[20]					James Bradshaw	Conservative[15]
1841 by-election[21]		George Smythe	Conservative[15]
1847 by-election					Albert Denison	Whig[15][16][17][18][19]
1850 by-election					Frederick Romilly	Radical[22][23][24]
1852		Henry Plumptre Gipps	Conservative		Henry Butler-Johnstone	Conservative
1853	Constituency representation suspended
1854 by-election		Charles Manners Lushington	Peelite[25][26][27]		Sir William Somerville, Bt[28]	Whig[25][27][29]
1857		Henry Butler-Johnstone	Conservative
1859						Liberal
1862 by-election		Henry Munro-Butler-Johnstone	Conservative
1865[30]					John Walter Huddleston	Conservative
1868			Independent Conservative		Theodore Brinckman	Liberal
1874			Conservative		Lewis Majendie	Conservative
1878 by-election		Hon. Alfred Gathorne-Hardy	Conservative
1879 by-election					Robert Peter Laurie	Conservative
1880	Constituency representation suspended

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MPs 1885–1918

• Constituency representation restored and reduced to one (1885)

Election		Member[13][31]	Party
	1885	John Heaton	Conservative
	December 1910	Francis Bennett-Goldney	Independent Unionist
	1918 by-election	George Anderson	Conservative
	1918	Parliamentary borough abolished, name transferred to a new county division

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Canterbury county constituency

MPs 1918–present

Election		Member[13][31]	Party
	1918	Ronald McNeill	Conservative
	1927 by-election	Sir William Wayland	Conservative
	1945	John Baker White	Conservative
	1953 by-election	Sir Leslie Thomas	Conservative
	1966	Sir David Crouch	Conservative
	1987	Sir Julian Brazier	Conservative
	2017	Rosie Duffield	Labour
	2024		Independent

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Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Canterbury^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rosie Duffield	19,531	41.4	−7.2
	Conservative	Louise Harvey-Quirke	10,878	23.0	−21.8
	Reform UK	Bridget Porter	6,805	14.4	N/A
	Green	Henry Stanton	5,920	12.5	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Russ Timpson	3,812	8.1	+2.4
	SDP	Luke Buchanan-Hodgman	285	0.6	N/A
Majority			8,653	18.4	+9.1
Turnout			47,426	66.7	−9.3
Registered electors			71,171
	Labour hold		Swing	+7.3

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[33]
Party		Vote	%
	Labour	27,782	48.6
	Conservative	25,622	44.8
	Liberal Democrats	3,257	5.7
	Others	505	0.9
Turnout		57,166	75.7
Electorate		75,499

General election 2019: Canterbury^[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rosie Duffield	29,018	48.3	+3.3
	Conservative	Anna Firth	27,182	45.2	+0.5
	Liberal Democrats	Claire Malcomson	3,408	5.7	−2.3
	Independent	Michael Gould	505	0.8	N/A
Majority			1,836	3.1	+2.8
Turnout			60,113	75.0	+2.3
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.4

General election 2017: Canterbury^[35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rosie Duffield	25,572	45.0	+20.5
	Conservative	Julian Brazier	25,385	44.7	+1.8
	Liberal Democrats	James Flanagan	4,561	8.0	−3.6
	Green	Henry Stanton	1,282	2.3	−4.7
Majority			187	0.3	N/A
Turnout			56,800	72.7	+8.7
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+9.3

General election 2015: Canterbury^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Brazier[37]	22,918	42.9	−1.9
	Labour	Hugh Lanning[37]	13,120	24.5	+8.4
	UKIP	Jim Gascoyne[37]	7,289	13.6	+9.7
	Liberal Democrats	James Flanagan[37]	6,227	11.6	−20.9
	Green	Stuart Jeffery[38]	3,746	7.0	+4.7
	Socialist (GB)	Robert Cox[39]	165	0.3	N/A
Majority			9,798	18.4	+6.1
Turnout			53,465	64.0	−0.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.2

General election 2010: Canterbury^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Brazier	22,050	44.8	+0.3
	Liberal Democrats	Guy Voizey	16,002	32.5	+11.1
	Labour	Jean Samuel	7,940	16.1	−12.0
	UKIP	Howard Farmer[41]	1,907	3.9	+1.9
	Green	Geoff Meaden	1,137	2.3	−1.0
	Money Reform	Anne Belsey	173	0.4	N/A
Majority			6,048	12.3	−3.5
Turnout			49,209	64.1	−2.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.4

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Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Brazier	21,113	44.4	+2.9
	Labour	Alex Hilton	13,642	28.7	−8.2
	Liberal Democrats	Jenny Barnard-Langston	10,059	21.1	+3.3
	Green	Geoffrey Meaden	1,521	3.2	+1.2
	UKIP	John Moore	926	1.9	+0.1
	Legalise Cannabis	Rocky van de Benderskum	326	0.7	N/A
Majority			7,471	15.7	+11.1
Turnout			47,587	66.1	+5.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.5

General election 2001: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Brazier	18,711	41.5	+2.9
	Labour	Emily Thornberry	16,642	36.9	+5.6
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Wales	8,056	17.8	−6.0
	Green	Hazel Dawe	920	2.0	+0.9
	UKIP	Lisa Moore	803	1.8	+1.3
Majority			2,069	4.6	−2.7
Turnout			45,132	60.9	−11.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.4

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Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Canterbury^[42]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Brazier	20,913	38.6	−11.8
	Labour	Cheryl Hall	16,949	31.3	+15.9
	Liberal Democrats	Martin Vye	12,854	23.8	−8.8
	Referendum	James Osborne	2,460	4.5	N/A
	Green	Geoffrey Meaden	588	1.1	N/A
	UKIP	John Moore	281	0.5	N/A
	Natural Law	Andrew Pringle	64	0.1	N/A
Majority			3,964	7.3	−11.1
Turnout			54,109	72.4	−5.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	−13.9

General election 1992: Canterbury^[43]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Brazier	29,827	50.8	−3.0
	Liberal Democrats	M. J. Vye	19,022	32.4	+5.1
	Labour Co-op	Fred Whitemore	8,936	15.2	−1.7
	Green	W. J. Arnall	747	1.3	−0.4
	Natural Law	S. E. Curphey	203	0.3	N/A
Majority			10,805	18.4	−8.1
Turnout			58,735	78.1	+4.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.0

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Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Canterbury^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Brazier	30,273	53.8	−2.7
	Liberal	John Purchese	15,382	27.3	+1.4
	Labour	Linda A. Keen	9,494	16.9	+1.5
	Green	Steve Dawe	947	1.68	−0.2
	Independent Canterbury Nationalist	Joan White	157	0.3	N/A
Majority			14,891	26.5	−4.1
Turnout			56,255	74.0	+4.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.1

General election 1983: Canterbury^[45]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Crouch	29,029	56.5	−1.8
	Liberal	John Purchese	13,287	25.9	+9.9
	Labour	Jeannette Gould	7,906	15.4	−8.9
	Ecology	David Conder	962	1.9	N/A
	Independent Nationalist	Joan White	226	0.4	N/A
Majority			15,742	30.6	−3.4
Turnout			51,410	70.0	−4.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.8

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Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Canterbury^[46]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Crouch	38,805	58.28	+8.47
	Labour	RP Spencer	16,168	24.28	−1.82
	Liberal	John Purchese	10,665	16.02	−6.31
	National Front	Joan White	941	1.41	−0.35
Majority			22,637	34.00	+11.29
Turnout			66,578	74.72	+2.11
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.15

General election October 1974: Canterbury^[47]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Crouch	31,002	49.81	−0.53
	Labour	MF Fuller	16,247	26.10	+3.01
	Liberal	SE Goulden	13,898	22.33	−3.13
	National Front	Kenneth McKilliam	1,096	1.76	+0.54
Majority			14,755	23.71	−1.27
Turnout			62,239	72.61	−7.63
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.77

General election February 1974: Canterbury^[48]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Crouch	34,341	50.34	−5.08
	Liberal	S Goulden	17,300	25.36	+6.09
	Labour	MF Fuller	15,751	23.09	−2.22
	National Front	Kenneth McKilliam	831	1.22	N/A
Majority			17,041	24.98	−5.13
Turnout			68,220	80.24	+5.67
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.59

General election 1970: Canterbury^[49]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Crouch	33,222	55.42	+5.58
	Labour	Henry Gordon N Clother	15,172	25.31	−2.90
	Liberal	David C P Gracie	11,553	19.27	−2.68
Majority			18,050	30.11	+8.48
Turnout			59,950	74.57	−1.53
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.24

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Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Crouch	27,160	49.84	−2.13
	Labour	B Sawbridge	15,372	28.21	−1.26
	Liberal	Edwin W Moss	11,962	21.95	+3.39
Majority			11,788	21.63	−0.87
Turnout			54,494	76.10	−0.22
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.70

General election 1964: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Leslie Thomas	26,827	51.97	−14.23
	Labour	George Selous Cobbett	15,211	29.47	−4.33
	Liberal	Edwin W Moss	9,582	18.56	N/A
Majority			11,616	22.50	−9.90
Turnout			51,620	76.32	+1.18
	Conservative hold		Swing	−9.28

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Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Leslie Thomas	30,846	66.20	−0.35
	Labour	George E Peters	15,746	33.80	+0.35
Majority			15,100	32.40	−0.70
Turnout			46,592	75.14	+2.48
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.35

General election 1955: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Leslie Thomas	28,739	66.55	+5.46
	Labour	Reginald George Ward	14,444	33.45	+2.42
Majority			14,295	33.10	+3.04
Turnout			43,183	72.66	−7.40
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.94

1953 Canterbury by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Leslie Thomas	19,400	66.99	+5.90
	Labour	John A E Jones	9,560	33.01	+1.98
Majority			9,840	33.98	+3.92
Turnout			28,960
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.94

General election 1951: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Baker White	28,632	61.09	+5.14
	Labour	John A E Jones	14,543	31.03	+0.27
	Liberal	Thomas H Payne	3,695	7.88	−5.42
Majority			14,089	30.06	+4.87
Turnout			46,870	80.06	−2.42
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.71

General election 1950: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Baker White	26,491	55.95	−6.66
	Labour	Jackson Newman	14,563	30.76	−5.05
	Liberal	Kenneth Graham Jupp	6,296	13.30	N/A
Majority			11,928	25.19	−3.61
Turnout			47,350	82.48	+13.70
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.86

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Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Baker White	24,282	61.61	−11.73
	Labour	Joseph Denis Milburn Bell	14,115	35.81	+10.15
	Common Wealth	Catherine Williamson	1,017	2.58	N/A
Majority			10,167	25.80	−22.88
Turnout			39,414	68.78	+4.33
	Conservative hold		Swing

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Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Wayland	26,552	74.34	−9.33
	Labour	Richard Adams	9,164	25.66	+9.33
Majority			17,388	48.68	−18.66
Turnout			35,716	64.45	−1.77
	Conservative hold		Swing	−9.33

General election 1931: Canterbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Wayland	30,328	83.67	+27.0
	Labour	Paul Winterton	5,921	16.33	+2.4
Majority			24,407	67.34	+40.0
Turnout			36,249	66.22	−2.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

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Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Canterbury^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William Wayland	19,181	56.7	−13.6
	Liberal	David Carnegie	9,937	29.4	−0.3
	Labour	Philip Sidney Eastman	4,706	13.9	N/A
Majority			9,244	27.3	−13.3
Turnout			33,825	68.3	+2.4
Registered electors			49,499
	Unionist hold		Swing	−6.7

1927 Canterbury by-election^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William Wayland	13,657	57.3	−13.0
	Liberal	David Carnegie	10,175	42.7	+13.0
Majority			3,482	14.6	−26.0
Turnout			23,832	60.8	−5.1
Registered electors			39,229
	Unionist hold		Swing	−13.0

General election 1924: Canterbury^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Ronald McNeill	16,693	70.3	+11.9
	Liberal	David Carnegie	7,061	29.7	−11.9
Majority			9,632	40.6	+23.8
Turnout			23,754	65.9	+9.4
Registered electors			36,045
	Unionist hold		Swing	+11.9

General election 1923: Canterbury^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Ronald McNeill	12,017	58.4	−12.8
	Liberal	William Robertson Heatley	8,561	41.6	N/A
Majority			3,456	16.8	−25.6
Turnout			20,578	59.3	+2.5
Registered electors			34,715
	Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1922: Canterbury^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Ronald McNeill	13,954	71.2	−9.6
	Labour	J.H.L. Sims	5,639	28.8	+9.6
Majority			8,315	42.4	−19.2
Turnout			19,593	56.8	+11.9
Registered electors			34,488
	Unionist hold		Swing	−9.6

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Elections in the 1910s

Woodcock

General election January 1910: Canterbury^[50][51]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Henniker Heaton	1,371	38.8	−24.9
	Ind. Conservative	Francis Bennett-Goldney	1,350	38.2	N/A
	Liberal	H. B. D. Woodcock	815	23.0	−13.3
Majority			21	0.6	−26.8
Turnout			3,536	92.2	+2.4
Registered electors			3,836
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.8

Bennett-Goldney

General election December 1910: Canterbury^[50][51]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ind. Conservative	Francis Bennett-Goldney	1,635	47.8	+9.6
	Conservative	John Howard	1,163	34.0	−4.8
	Liberal	William James Fisher	623	18.2	−4.8
Majority			472	13.8	N/A
Turnout			3,421	89.2	−3.0
Registered electors			3,836
	Ind. Conservative gain from Conservative		Swing	+7.2

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;

• Unionist: Francis Bennett-Goldney
• Liberal: D. Roland Thomas^[52]

1918 Canterbury by-election^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	George Knox Anderson	Unopposed
	Unionist gain from Ind. Unionist

General Election 1918: Canterbury^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	Ronald McNeill	11,408	80.8	+46.8
	Labour	Edward Timothy Palmer	2,719	19.2	N/A
Majority			8,689	61.6	N/A
Turnout			14,127	44.9	−44.3
Registered electors			31,453
	Unionist gain from Ind. Unionist		Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

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Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Canterbury^[50][53][54]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Henniker Heaton	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1906: Canterbury^[50][53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Henniker Heaton	2,210	63.7	N/A
	Liberal	William James Fisher	1,262	36.3	N/A
Majority			948	27.4	N/A
Turnout			3,472	89.8	N/A
Registered electors			3,868
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

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Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Canterbury^[50][53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Henniker Heaton	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1895: Canterbury^[50][53][54]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Henniker Heaton	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

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Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Gathorne-Hardy	1,467	27.1	−4.6
	Conservative	Robert Peter Laurie	1,425	26.4	−3.5
	Liberal	Charles Edwards[56]	1,294	23.9	+4.0
	Liberal	Henry Butler-Johnstone	1,218	22.5	+3.9
Majority			131	2.5	−7.5
Turnout			2,702 (est)	73.6 (est)	−2.1
Registered electors			3,671
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−3.7

After findings of corruption, the writ for Canterbury was suspended and the election result voided. The constituency was reconstituted in 1885.

Heaton

General election 1885: Canterbury^[53][57][58]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Henniker Heaton	1,804	68.6	+15.1
	Liberal	William Aubrey	825	31.4	−15.0
Majority			979	37.2	+34.7
Turnout			2,629	84.6	+11.0 (est)
Registered electors			3,107
	Conservative hold		Swing	+15.1

General election 1886: Canterbury^[50][53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Henniker Heaton	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

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Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Butler-Johnstone	1,488	31.7	−0.2
	Conservative	Lewis Majendie	1,406	29.9	+4.5
	Liberal	Theodore Brinckman	934	19.9	+6.3
	Liberal	Robert John Biron[59]	873	18.6	+5.0
Majority			472	10.0	N/A
Turnout			2,351 (est)	75.7 (est)	−20.8
Registered electors			3,103
	Conservative gain from Ind. Conservative		Swing	N/A
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	−0.9

Butler-Johnstone resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 2 Mar 1878: Canterbury^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Gathorne-Hardy	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Majendie resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 8 May 1879: Canterbury^[55][60]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Peter Laurie	1,159	51.2	−10.4
	Liberal	Charles Edwards[56]	1,103	48.8	+10.3
Majority			56	2.4	−7.6
Turnout			2,262	73.2	−2.5
Registered electors			3,089
	Conservative hold		Swing	−10.4

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Elections in the 1860s

Johnstone resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 6 Mar 1862: Canterbury (1 seat)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Butler-Johnstone	694	50.1	N/A
	Liberal	William Lyon[61]	691	49.9	N/A
Majority			3	0.2	N/A
Turnout			1,385	74.9	N/A
Registered electors			1,850
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1865: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Butler-Johnstone	767	27.8	N/A
	Conservative	John Walter Huddleston	737	26.7	N/A
	Liberal	William Lyon[61]	643	23.3	N/A
	Liberal	Robert Adair	614	22.2	N/A
Majority			94	3.4	N/A
Turnout			1,381 (est)	86.1 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			1,603
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A

General election 1868: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ind. Conservative	Henry Butler-Johnstone[62]	1,453	31.9	+4.1
	Liberal	Theodore Brinckman	1,236	27.1	+3.8
	Conservative	John Walter Huddleston	1,157	25.4	−1.3
	Conservative	Henry James Lee Warner[63]	709	15.6	−22.2
Turnout			2,896 (est)	96.5 (est)	+10.4
Registered electors			3,001
Majority			744	16.3	N/A
	Ind. Conservative gain from Conservative		Swing	N/A
Majority			79	1.7	N/A
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.6

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Elections in the 1850s

Denison was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Londesborough, and causing a by-election.

By-election, 4 March 1850: Canterbury^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	Frederick Romilly	Unopposed
	Radical gain from Whig

General election 1852: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Plumptre Gipps	766	29.1	N/A
	Conservative	Henry Butler-Johnstone	758	28.8	N/A
	Whig	William Somerville	570	21.6	−6.5
	Radical	Frederick Romilly	533	20.2	N/A
	Conservative	George Smythe	7	0.3	−26.9
Majority			188	7.2	N/A
Turnout			1,317 (est)	70.3 (est)	−1.2
Registered electors			1,874
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	N/A

• Smythe retired before polling.^[64] The election was declared void on petition, due to bribery, and the writ suspended on 21 February 1853.^[65] A by-election was called to replace both MPs in August 1854.

By-election, 18 August 1854: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Peelite	Charles Manners Lushington	727	28.6	−0.5
	Whig	William Somerville	699	27.5	+5.9
	Conservative	Charles Lennox Butler[66]	671	26.4	−2.4
	Whig	Charles Purton Cooper[67][68]	406	16.0	N/A
	Radical	Edward Glover[69][70]	41	1.6	−18.6
Turnout			1,272 (est)	64.5 (est)	−5.8
Registered electors			1,973
Majority			56	2.2	N/A
	Peelite gain from Conservative		Swing	−3.2
Majority			28	1.1	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+3.7

General election 1857: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Butler-Johnstone	815	39.7	−28.5
	Whig	William Somerville	759	37.0	+26.2
	Whig	Charles Purton Cooper[67][68]	477	23.3	+12.5
Majority			56	2.7	−4.5
Turnout			1,026 (est)	54.7 (est)	−15.6
Registered electors			1,876
	Conservative hold		Swing	−23.9
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+20.2

General election 1859: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Butler-Johnstone	Unopposed
	Liberal	William Somerville	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,831
	Conservative hold
	Liberal hold

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Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: Canterbury (2 seats)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Albert Denison	808	28.1	−3.6
	Conservative	George Smythe	782	27.2	−9.0
	Conservative	John Vance	643	22.4	N/A
	Conservative	Thomas Charles Pelham-Clinton	641	22.3	N/A
Majority			165	5.7	N/A
Turnout			1,437 (est)	71.5 (est)	−4.2
Registered electors			2,010
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+0.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.5

By-election, 15 March 1847: Canterbury (1 seat)^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Albert Denison	Unopposed
	Whig gain from Conservative

• Caused by Bradshaw's death

General election 1841: Canterbury (2 seats)^[15][55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Smythe	823	36.2	+10.5
	Conservative	James Bradshaw	729	32.1	+6.8
	Whig	Thomas Twisden Hodges	720	31.7	−17.3
Majority			103	4.5	N/A
Turnout			1,451	75.7	−6.4
Registered electors			1,918
	Conservative hold		Swing	+9.6
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+7.7

By-election, 3 February 1841: Canterbury^[15][55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Smythe	772	54.5	+3.5
	Whig	John Wright Henniker Wilson[71]	628	44.3	−4.7
	Whig	Thomas Twisden Hodges	17	1.2	N/A
Majority			144	10.2	N/A
Turnout			1,417	73.9	−8.2
Registered electors			1,918
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+4.1

• Caused by Denison's resignation

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Canterbury (2 seats)^[15][55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Bradshaw	761	25.7	+9.9
	Whig	Albert Conyngham	755	25.5	−10.9
	Conservative	Henry Plumptre Gipps	751	25.3	+9.5
	Whig	Frederick Villiers	698	23.5	−8.3
Turnout			1,507	82.1	−7.0
Registered electors			1,835
Majority			63	2.2	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+9.8
Majority			4	0.2	+0.1
	Whig hold		Swing	−10.3

General election 1835: Canterbury (2 seats)^[15][55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Albert Conyngham	755	36.4	−5.1
	Whig	Frederick Villiers	660	31.8	−8.1
	Conservative	Stephen Rumbold Lushington	658	31.7	N/A
Majority			2	0.1	−21.1
Turnout			1,307	89.1	+9.5
Registered electors			1,467
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• On petition, Villiers was declared unduly elected and Lushington declared elected.

General election 1832: Canterbury (2 seats)^[15][55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Richard Watson	834	41.5	N/A
	Whig	George Cowper	802	39.9	N/A
	No label	William Percy Honeywood Courtenay	375	18.6	N/A
Majority			427	21.2	N/A
Turnout			1,203	79.6	N/A
Registered electors			1,467
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1831: Canterbury (2 seats)^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Richard Watson	Unopposed
	Whig	George Cowper	Unopposed
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

General election 1830: Canterbury (2 seats)^[15][72]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Richard Watson	1,334	41.9
	Whig	George Cowper	1,101	34.6
	Tory	Henry Bingham Baring	731	23.0
	No label	Samuel Elias Sawbridge	8	0.3
	No label	George Milles	8	0.3
Majority			370	11.6	N/A
Turnout			1,988
Registered electors
	Whig hold		Swing
	Whig gain from Tory		Swing

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See also

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

Notes

1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least once every five years.