Gravesham

No Boundary Changes: Gravesham remains coterminous with Gravesham Borough Council.

Profile: A seat in North-West Kent. Gravesend itself is a Labour stronghold, it is one of the poorer towns in Kent with the largest proportion of ethnic minorities and the highest proportion of council housing of any of the Kent constituencies. Like other areas in North Kent the area is undergoing large scale development, including in the Ebsfleet valley to the West of Gravesend, close to the planned channel raillink station, and in the run-down industrial area of Northfleet along the Thames waterfront.Labour voting Gravesend is balanced out by the Southern part of the constituency, south of the A2, which is made up of picturesque (and solidly Conservative) villages and hamlets such as Cobham, Sole Street and Meopham.

Until 2005 Gravesham was the classic bellwether seat – it had been won by the party that went on to form the government at every general election since World War One with the exceptions of 1929 and 1951 – and in both of those cases Gravesend was won by the party that got the largest national share of the vote. In 2005 the trend was broken as Gravesham fell to the Conservatives, leaving Dartford, Chorley or one of the Luton seats as the most reliable bellwethers.

Current MP: Adam Holloway (Conservative) born 1965. Educated at Cambridge University and Imperial College. A former Grenadier Guards Officer, seeing service in the Gulf War, and television journalist. Worked for Newsnight, ITN and World In Action, including living homeless for three months as part of the “No Fixed Abode” series. First elected for Gravesham in 2005 (more information at They work for you)

2010 election candidates:
Adam Holloway (Conservative) born 1965. Educated at Cambridge University and Imperial College. A former Grenadier Guards Officer, seeing service in the Gulf War, and television journalist. Worked for Newsnight, ITN and World In Action, including living homeless for three months as part of the “No Fixed Abode” series. First elected for Gravesham in 2005 (more information at They work for you)
Kathryn Smith (Labour) born 1959. Public affairs consultant. Member of the Co-op national baord. Bexley councillor 1994-2006. Contested Merton and Wandsworth in 2004 London elections.
Anna Arrowsmith (Liberal Democrat) Educated at St Martins School of Art. Porn director.
Richard Crawford (Green) Postman.
Geoffrey Clark (UKIP)
Steven Uncles (English Democrat) Born 1964, Blackheath. Educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. Business consultant. Contested South East region in 2004 European elections region. Contested Bromley and Chislehurst by-election 2006. Contested South Wales West 2007 Welsh elections. Contested Londonwide list in 2008 London elections. Contested South East region in 2009 European elections.
Alice Sakura Dartnell (Independent) Born Gravesend. Educated at Gravesend Grammar and Sheffield University.