Gravesend was a county constituency centred on the town of Gravesend, Kent which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election. It is most notable for being a bellwether, with the winner of Gravesend (and its successor Gravesham) winning every election from 1918 through to the present day except for 1929, 1951, and 2005.
Contents
Boundaries
1868–1885: The parishes of Gravesend, Milton, and Northfleet.
1918–1950: The Borough of Gravesend, the Urban District of Northfleet, and the Rural Districts of Hoo and Strood.
1950–1955: The Borough of Gravesend, the Urban Districts of Northfleet and Swanscombe, and the Rural District of Strood.
1955–1983: The Borough of Gravesend, the Urban District of Northfleet, and the Rural District of Strood.
Election results
Elections in the 1880s
The 1880 election was declared void on account of bribery, whereby Bevan had "given his men a holiday and paid them their wages".
Elections in the 1890s
Palmer resigned, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1910s
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: Gilbert Parker
Liberal:
Elections in the 1920s
* Davies stood for election as an 'Anti-Waste' candidate, but was not officially supported by the Anti-Waste League