Elections to the UK Parliament
Elections to the House of Commons take place up to every five years, although they can be called earlier by the prime minister. Since the Great Reform Act in 1832, there have been 49 general elections.
There have also been 12 parliamentary by-elections in Medway since 1832, following the death or resignation of a sitting member of parliament.
The Great Reform Act, officially the Representation of the People Act 1832, introduced changes to make constituencies contain roughly the same number of votes. Prior to the Great Reform Act, constituencies varied in size from as little as a dozen to as many as 12,000 voters. The act also extended voting rights to adult males who rented propertied land of a certain value, giving approximately one in seven males in the UK the right to vote.
The right to vote was extended to all men over the age of 21 in 1918, to women over the age of 21 in 1928 and to everyone over the age of 18 in 1969.
All of Medway's constituencies have been represented by one MP, with the exception of the constituency of Rochester, which elected two MPs until 1885.
The next general election must be held by 15 August 2029.
Elections
The following elections to the UK Parliament have taken place in Medway since 1832:
General election 4 July 2024 |
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Labour gain Chatham and Aylesford | |||||
Labour gain Gillingham and Rainham | |||||
Labour gain Rochester and Strood |
General election 8 June 2017 |
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Conservative hold Chatham and Aylesford | |||||
Conservative hold Gillingham and Rainham | |||||
Conservative hold Rochester and Strood |
General election 5 May 2005 |
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Labour hold Gillingham | |||||
Labour hold Medway | |||||
Labour hold Chatham and Aylesford |
General election 1 May 1997 |
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Labour gain Gillingham | |||||
Labour gain Medway | |||||
Labour win Chatham and Aylesford |
General election 11 June 1987 |
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Conservative hold Gillingham | |||||
Conservative hold Medway | |||||
Conservative hold Mid Kent |
General election 3 May 1979 |
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Conservative hold Gillingham | |||||
Conservative gain Gravesend | |||||
Conservative gain Rochester and Chatham |
General election 28 February 1974 |
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Conservative hold Gillingham | |||||
Labour gain Gravesend | |||||
Conservative hold Rochester and Chatham |
General election 31 March 1966 |
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Conservative hold Gillingham | |||||
Labour hold Gravesend | |||||
Labour hold Rochester and Chatham |
General election 8 October 1959 |
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Conservative hold Gillingham | |||||
Conservative hold Gravesend | |||||
Conservative gain Rochester and Chatham |
General election 25 October 1951 |
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Conservative hold Gillingham | |||||
Labour hold Gravesend | |||||
Labour hold Rochester and Chatham |
General election 14 November 1935 |
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Conservative hold Chatham | |||||
Conservative hold Gillingham | |||||
Conservative hold Gravesend |
General election 6 December 1923 |
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Unionist hold Chatham | |||||
Unionist hold Gillingham | |||||
Labour gain Gravesend |
General election 14 December 1918 |
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Unionist hold Chatham | |||||
Unionist win Gillingham | |||||
Unionist win Gravesend |
General election 15 January - 10 February 1910 |
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Conservative gain Rochester | |||||
Conservative gain Chatham | |||||
Conservative hold Medway |
General election 13 July - 7 August 1895 |
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Conservative hold Rochester | |||||
Conservative hold Chatham | |||||
Conservative hold Medway |
General election 4 - 26 July 1892 |
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Conservative gain Rochester | |||||
Conservative hold Chatham | |||||
Conservative hold Medway |
General election 1 - 27 July 1886 |
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Conservative hold Rochester | |||||
Conservative hold Chatham | |||||
Conservative hold Medway |
General election 31 January - 17 February 1874 |
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Liberal hold Rochester | |||||
Liberal hold Rochester | |||||
Conservative gain Chatham |
General election 17 November - 7 December 1868 |
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Liberal hold Rochester | |||||
Liberal hold Rochester | |||||
Liberal hold Chatham |
General election 28 April - 18 May 1859 |
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Liberal gain Rochester | |||||
Liberal gain Rochester | |||||
Conservative hold Chatham |
General election 7 - 31 July 1852 |
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Conservative gain Rochester | |||||
Conservative gain Rochester | |||||
Conservative gain Chatham |
General election 29 June - 22 July 1841 |
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Conservative gain Rochester | |||||
Conservative gain Rochester | |||||
Whig hold Chatham |
General election 6 January - 6 February 1835 |
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Whig hold Rochester | |||||
Whig gain Rochester | |||||
Conservative gain Chatham |
To view the results for each election, click on the election date above.