Rochester and Chatham (UK Parliament constituency)

Rochester and Chatham was a parliamentary constituency in Kent which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.

Rochester and Chatham
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Rochester and Chatham in Kent, showing boundaries used from 1983 to 1997
1950–1983
Number of membersOne
Replaced byMedway, Mid Kent[1]

It largely replaced the former Chatham constituency, which had taken some of the previous Rochester seat in 1918. In turn it gave way to the Medway constituency in 1983, which was renamed Rochester and Strood in 2010.

Boundaries

The Boroughs of Rochester and Chatham.

History

This constituency was a Labour-Tory marginal seat throughout its 33-year existence.

The seat disappeared at the 1983 general election, and its territory was split between two new constituencies; 55.23% of it went to Medway, and 44.77% to Mid Kent.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1950Arthur BottomleyLabour
1959Julian CritchleyConservative
1964Anne KerrLabour
1970Peggy FennerConservative
Oct 1974Robert BeanLabour
1979Peggy FennerConservative
1983 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Rochester and Chatham[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Arthur Bottomley 24,855 50.48
Conservative Robert Mathew 24,378 49.52
Majority 477 0.97
Turnout 84.17
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Rochester and Chatham[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Arthur Bottomley 26,390 50.82
Conservative Robert Mathew 25,543 49.18
Majority 847 1.63
Turnout 85.52
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Rochester and Chatham[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Arthur Bottomley 26,645 52.41
Conservative John D Campbell 24,198 47.59
Majority 2,447 4.81
Turnout 82.24
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Rochester and Chatham
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Julian Critchley 26,510 50.98
Labour Arthur Bottomley 25,487 49.02
Majority 1,023 1.97
Turnout 80.76
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Rochester and Chatham
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Anne Kerr 26,161 50.99
Conservative Julian Critchley 25,148 49.01
Majority 1,013 1.97
Turnout 76.42
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1966: Rochester and Chatham
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Anne Kerr 27,938 52.09
Conservative Julian Critchley 25,692 47.91
Majority 2,246 4.19
Turnout 78.11
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Rochester and Chatham
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Peggy Fenner 30,263 54.84
Labour Anne Kerr 24,922 45.16
Majority 5,341 9.68
Turnout 71.41
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election February 1974: Rochester and Chatham
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Peggy Fenner 24,326 38.76
Labour Roger R Kenward 23,483 37.42
Liberal C Fellowes 14,945 23.83
Majority 843 1.34
Turnout 79.33
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Rochester and Chatham
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Robert Bean 26,467 43.38
Conservative Peggy Fenner 23,049 39.27
Liberal M Black 9,035 15.39
National Front G Hazelden 1,150 1.96
Majority 2,418 4.12
Turnout 73.56
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1979: Rochester and Chatham
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Peggy Fenner 27,574 47.46
Labour Robert Bean 24,886 42.84
Liberal M Black 5,219 8.98
National Front J King 417 0.72
Majority 2,688 4.63
Turnout 72.74
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

References
  1. "'Rochester and Chatham', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  2. The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1950.
  3. The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1951.
  4. The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.

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