Gillingham and Rainham (UK Parliament constituency)

Gillingham and Rainham
Gillingham and Rainham
Borough constituency; for the House of Commons
	Boundaries since 2010
	Boundary of Gillingham and Rainham in South East England
County	Kent
Electorate	73,951 (2023)
Major settlements	Gillingham; Rainham; Twydall;
Current constituency
Created	2010
Member of Parliament	Naushabah Khan (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Gillingham

Gillingham and Rainham is a constituency^{[n 1]} in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Naushabah Khan of the Labour Party.^[2]^{[n 2]} It was previously represented since its 2010 creation by Rehman Chishti of the Conservative Party and replaced the previous constituency of Gillingham.

Boundaries[edit]

2010–present: The Borough of Medway wards of: Gillingham North (nearly all); Gillingham South; Hempstead & Wigmore (nearly all); Rainham North; Rainham South East; Rainham South West; Twydall; Watling.^[3]

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the 2024 general election remained unchanged.^[4]

Constituency profile[edit]

The constituency is generally suburban and centred on Gillingham, historically a small port, which is within the London Commuter Belt. Local retail, industry, business parks, trades and professions provide constituents with a high level of employment, mostly on moderate to middle incomes;^[5] however, the area is not wholly resilient to unemployment. Registered claimants who were registered jobseekers were marginally lower than the national average of 3.8% at 3.5% of the population, according to a statistical compilation by The Guardian.^[6]

Residents' wealth is around average for the UK, but below average for the South East region.^[7] The predecessor constituency of Gillingham was a Labour-Conservative marginal seat though prior to 1997 was a safe Conservative seat. The current constituency had been considered a safe Conservative seat until 2024.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Gillingham prior to 2010

Election		Member^[8]	Party
	2010	Rehman Chishti	Conservative
	2024	Naushabah Khan	Labour

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 2020s[edit]

General election 2024: Gillingham and Rainham ^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Naushabah Khan	15,562	37.8	+9.4
	Conservative	Rehman Chishti	11,590	28.2	−33.1
	Reform UK	Rizvi Rawoof	8,792	21.4	+21.4
	Green	Kate Belmonte	2,318	5.6	+3.3
	Liberal Democrats	Stuart Bourne	2,248	5.5	+0.1
	Independent	Peter Cook - UCAT	344	0.8	+0.3
	CPA	Roger Peacock	175	0.4	+0.1
	SDP	Peter Wheeler	111	0.3	N/A
Majority			3,972	9.6	N/A
Turnout			41,140	55.9	−6.1
Registered electors			73,523
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	21.3

Elections in the 2010s[edit]

General election 2019: Gillingham and Rainham^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rehman Chishti	28,173	61.3	+5.9
	Labour	Andy Stamp	13,054	28.4	–7.7
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Bullion	2,503	5.4	+2.6
	Green	George Salomon	1,043	2.3	+1.2
	UKIP	Rob Martin	837	1.8	–2.5
	Independent	Peter Cook	229	0.5	N/A
	CPA	Roger Peacock	119	0.3	0.0
Majority			15,119	32.9	+13.6
Turnout			45,958	62.5	–4.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.8

General election 2017: Gillingham and Rainham
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rehman Chishti	27,091	55.4	+7.4
	Labour	Andy Stamp	17,661	36.1	+10.5
	UKIP	Martin Cook	2,097	4.3	–15.2
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Chaplin	1,372	2.8	–0.8
	Green	Clive Gregory	520	1.1	–1.3
	CPA	Roger Peacock	127	0.3	N/A
Majority			9,430	19.3	–3.1
Turnout			48,868	66.9	+2.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	–1.5

General election 2015: Gillingham and Rainham^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rehman Chishti	22,590	48.0	+1.8
	Labour	Paul Clark	12,060	25.6	–2.1
	UKIP	Mark Hanson	9,199	19.5	+16.3
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Chaplin^[12]	1,707	3.6	–14.5
	Green	Neil Williams	1,133	2.4	+1.6
	TUSC	Jacqui Berry^[13]	273	0.6	N/A
	Independent	Roger Peacock	72	0.1	N/A
	Independent	Mike Walters	44	0.1	N/A
Majority			10,530	22.4	+3.9
Turnout			47,078	64.8	–1.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.9

General election 2010: Gillingham and Rainham^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rehman Chishti	21,624	46.2	+5.5
	Labour	Paul Clark	12,944	27.7	–13.1
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Stamp	8,484	18.1	+2.8
	UKIP	Robert Oakley	1,515	3.2	+0.6
	BNP	Brian Ravenscroft	1,149	2.5	N/A
	English Democrat	Dean Lacey	464	1.0	N/A
	Green	Trish Marchant	356	0.8	N/A
	Independent	Gordon Bryan	141	0.3	N/A
	Medway Independent Party	George Meegan	109	0.2	N/A
Majority			8,680	18.5	N/A
Turnout			46,786	66.0	+2.0
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+9.3

Paul Clark was the incumbent MP for Gillingham.

Notes[edit]

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

References[edit]

^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
^ "Gillingham and Rainham - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
^ "New Seat Details - Gillingham and Rainham". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
^ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk.
^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Gillingham+and+Rainham
^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 1)
^ "General election 2024 candidates". Medway Council. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^ "General Election 2019 candidates". www.medway.gov.uk.
^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ "General Election Candidates". Liberal Democrats. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
^ "MORE TUSC CANDIDATES IN PLACE AS ELECTION CHALLENGE GROWS". www.tusc.org.uk.
^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

External links[edit]

Gillingham and Rainham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
Gillingham and Rainham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

51°22′N 0°34′E / 51.367°N 0.567°E / 51.367; 0.567

[2] A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)

[4] As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

[1] "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 24 June 2024.

[3] "Gillingham and Rainham - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 9 July 2024.

[5] "New Seat Details - Gillingham and Rainham". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.

[6] "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.

[7] "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk.

[8] Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian

[9] Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Gillingham+and+Rainham

[rayment-10] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 1)

[11] "General election 2024 candidates". Medway Council. Retrieved 20 June 2024.

[12] "General Election 2019 candidates". www.medway.gov.uk.

[electoralcalculus2015-13] "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

[14] "General Election Candidates". Liberal Democrats. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2021.

[tusc.org.uk-15] "MORE TUSC CANDIDATES IN PLACE AS ELECTION CHALLENGE GROWS". www.tusc.org.uk.

[electoralcalculus2010-16] "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

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v t e Constituencies in South East England (91)
Labour (36)	Aldershot Ashford Aylesbury Banbury Basingstoke Bracknell Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven Buckingham and Bletchley Canterbury Chatham and Aylesford Crawley Dartford Dover and Deal Earley and Woodley East Thanet East Worthing and Shoreham Folkestone and Hythe Gillingham and Rainham Gravesham Hastings and Rye Hove and Portslade Isle of Wight West Milton Keynes Central Milton Keynes North Oxford East Portsmouth North Portsmouth South Reading Central Reading West and Mid Berkshire Rochester and Strood Sittingbourne and Sheppey Slough Southampton Itchen Southampton Test Worthing West Wycombe
Conservative (30)	Arundel and South Downs Beaconsfield Bexhill and Battle Bognor Regis and Littlehampton East Grinstead and Uckfield East Hampshire East Surrey Fareham and Waterlooville Farnham and Bordon Faversham and Mid Kent Godalming and Ash Gosport Hamble Valley Havant Herne Bay and Sandwich Isle of Wight East Maidstone and Malling Mid Buckinghamshire New Forest East New Forest West North West Hampshire Reigate Romsey and Southampton North Runnymede and Weybridge Sevenoaks Spelthorne Sussex Weald Tonbridge Weald of Kent Windsor
Liberal Democrats (24)	Bicester and Woodstock Chesham and Amersham Chichester Didcot and Wantage Dorking and Horley Eastbourne Eastleigh Epsom and Ewell Esher and Walton Guildford Henley and Thame Horsham Lewes Maidenhead Mid Sussex Newbury North East Hampshire Oxford West and Abingdon Surrey Heath Tunbridge Wells Winchester Witney Woking Wokingham
Green (1)	Brighton Pavilion