Tonbridge is a parliamentary constituency in Kent, centred on the town of Tonbridge. It returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is currently held by Conservative Thomas Tugendhat, who was MP for the predecessor seat of Tonbridge and Malling from 2015 to 2024.
The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, replacing the previous Tunbridge constituency. It was abolished for the February 1974 general election, when it was replaced by the new Tonbridge and Malling constituency.
Following the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established and was first contested in the 2024 general election, formed primarily from the previous and largely overlapping constituency of Tonbridge and Malling.
Boundaries Historic 1918–1950: The Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Urban Districts of Tonbridge and Southborough, and Tonbridge Rural District.
1950–1974: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.
Current The re-established constituency id defined as being composed of the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:
The District of Sevenoaks wards of: Ash and New Ash Green; Cowden and Hever; Edenbridge North and East; Edenbridge South and West; Hartley and Hodsoll Street; Leigh and Chiddingstone Causeway; Penshurst, Fordcombe and Chiddingstone. The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Borough Green and Long Mill; Cage Green; Castle; Downs and Mereworth; Hadlow and East Peckham; Higham; Hildenborough; Judd; Medway; Trench; Vauxhall; Wateringbury; Wrotham, Ightham and Stansted.
Following a local government boundary review in Tonbridge and Malling which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency is now composed of the following from the 2024 general election:
The District of Sevenoaks wards of: Ash and New Ash Green; Cowden and Hever; Edenbridge North and East; Edenbridge South and West; Hartley and Hodsoll Street; Leigh and Chiddingstone Causeway; Penshurst, Fordcombe and Chiddingstone. The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling wards of: Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh (part); Borough Green & Platt; Bourne; Cage Green & Angel; East and West Peckham, Mereworth & Wateringbury; East Malling, West Malling & Offham (small part); Higham; Hildenborough; Judd; Pilgrims with Ightham; Trench; Vauxhall.
The reformed constituency comprises the bulk of the preceding Tonbridge and Malling seat (excluding East and West Malling), plus an additional two District of Sevenoaks wards to the north - Ash and New Ash Green, and Hartley and Hodsoll Street, from the constituencies of Sevenoaks and Dartford respectively.
Constituency profile The seat includes the commuter town of Tonbridge and its hinterland to the north, plus the smaller town of Edenbridge further west. Electoral Calculus characterises this area as "Strong Right", with right-wing economic and social views, high home ownership levels and strong support for Brexit.Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/calcwork23.py?seat=Tonbridge
Members of Parliament MPs 1918–1974 Tunbridge prior to 1918
ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1918 Herbert Spender-Clay Conservative Died 1937 1937 by-election Sir Adrian Baillie, Bt Conservative 1945 Gerald Williams Conservative Resigned 1956 1956 by-election Richard Hornby ConservativeFeb 1974 constituency abolished
MPs since 2024 Tonbridge and Malling prior to 2024
ElectionMemberParty 2024 Tom Tugendhat Conservative
Elections Elections in the 2020s
2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 35,262 64.8 Labour 8,210 15.1 Liberal Democrats 6,690 12.3 Green 4,288 7.9Turnout54,45073.9Electorate73,692
Election results 1918–1974 Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1939–40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected; Conservative: Adrian Baillie Labour: R. E. L. Bowyer"Parliamentary candidates' protest", The Times, 6 April 1939 Liberal: Richard MatthewsThe Liberal Magazine, 1939 British Union: E J Crawford
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1970s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Kent List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)
Notes
References
External links Tonbridge UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK