Sittingbourne and Sheppey

Boundary changes: Gains most of Teynham and Lynstead ward.

Profile: A north Kent seat, one of the string of ultra-marginals there, this covers Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey. Sheppey is divided from the mainland by the Swale (after which the local authority is named), though it is accessible by bridge, a new four lane bridge linking it to the mainland was opened in 2006. Sheppey itself is largely marshland (there are three prisons in the isolation of the marshes) and nature reserves for birdlife. Along the northern coast are a string of villages like Minster, Warden and Leysdown-on-Sea, with popular beaches. To the west the island is more industrial Sheerness, a major commerical port and the main route for imported cars coming into the UK.

The other, more populus, part of the seat consists of Sittingbourne.and surrounding villages like Newington, Borden, Bapchild, Teynham, Iwade and Milton Regis, an area of agriculture and commuters that tends to be more Conservative than Labour voting Sheerness.

In 2005 this was one of the most marginal seats in the country, held by Labour`s Derek Wyatt by only 79 votes. The boundary changes make it notionally a Conservative seat next time round, but it remains a super-marginal amongst many in this county.

Current MP: Gordon Henderson (Conservative) Works as operations manager to a gift manufacturer and has two retail shops in Sheerness. Former Swale District and Kent County Councillor. Contested Luton South 2001, Sittingbourne & Sheppey 2005.

2010 election candidates:
Gordon Henderson (Conservative) Works as operations manager to a gift manufacturer and has two retail shops in Sheerness. Former Swale District and Kent County Councillor. Contested Luton South 2001, Sittingbourne & Sheppey 2005.
Angela Harrison (Labour) Swale councillor since 1984. Kent county councillor 2004-2009.
Keith Nevols (Liberal Democrat)
Ian Davison (UKIP)
Lawrence Tames (BNP)
Mad Mike Young (Official Monster Raving Loony)
David Cassidy (Independent)