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Canterbury — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Canterbury was won by Labour at the 2024 general election, with a majority of 8,653 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Canterbury from 1832 to 2024.

This constituency elected more than one MP at once in some years. Before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (and in a shrinking number of boroughs through 1948), most UK constituencies elected two or more MPs together by "multi-member plurality" (block vote): each elector could cast one vote per available seat, and the top vote-getters overall were all elected. In those elections below, "Elected" lists every MP returned, "Votes" is the count that secured the last seat, and "Majority" is the gap between that seat and the first candidate who missed out.

Full Election History, 1832–2024

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1832 Richard Watson (Whig); George Augustus Frederick Cowper (Whig) 802 41.5% (top seat) William Percy Honeywood Courtenay (No label) 427 (21.2 pts) 68.5%
1835 Albert Conyngham (Whig); Frederick Villiers (Whig) 660 36.4% (top seat) Stephen Rumbold Lushington (Conservative) 2 (0.1 pts) 70.7%
1837 James Bradshaw (Conservative); Albert Conyngham (Whig) 755 25.7% (top seat) Henry Plumptre Gipps (Conservative) 4 (0.1 pts) 80.8%
1841 George Smythe (Conservative); James Bradshaw (Conservative) 729 36.2% (top seat) Thomas Twisden Hodges (Whig) 9 (0.4 pts) 59.2%
1847 Albert Denison Denison (Whig); George Smythe (Conservative) 782 28.1% (top seat) John Vance (Conservative) 139 (4.8 pts) 71.5%
1852 Henry Plumptre Gipps (Conservative); Henry Butler-Johnstone (Conservative) 758 29.1% (top seat) William Meredyth Somerville (Whig) 188 (7.1 pts) 70.3%
1857 Henry Butler-Johnstone (Conservative); William Meredyth Somerville (Whig) 759 39.7% (top seat) Charles Purton Cooper (Whig) 282 (13.8 pts) 54.7%
1859 Henry Butler-Johnstone (Conservative); William Meredyth Somerville (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1865 Henry Alexander Munro-Butler-Johnstone (Conservative); John Walter Huddleston (Conservative) 737 27.8% (top seat) William Lyon (Liberal) 94 (3.4 pts) 86.1%
1868 Henry Alexander Munro-Butler-Johnstone (Independent Conservative); Theodore Henry Brinckman (Liberal) 1,236 31.9% (top seat) John Walter Huddleston (Conservative) 79 (1.7 pts) 75.9%
1874 Henry Alexander Munro Butler-Johnstone (Conservative); Lewis Ashurst Majendie (Conservative) 1,406 31.7% (top seat) Theodore Henry Brinckman (Liberal) 472 (10.0 pts) 75.7%
1880 Alfred Erskine Gathorne-Hardy (Conservative); Robert Peter Laurie (Conservative) 1,425 27.1% (top seat) Charles Edwards (Liberal) 131 (2.4 pts) 73.6%
1885 John Henniker Heaton (Conservative) 1,804 68.6% William Hickman Smith Aubrey (Liberal) 979 (37.2 pts) 84.6%
1886 John Henniker Heaton (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1892 John Henniker Heaton (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1895 John Henniker Heaton (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1900 John Henniker Heaton (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1906 John Henniker Heaton (Conservative) 2,210 63.7% William James Fisher (Liberal) 948 (27.3 pts) 89.8%
Jan 1910 John Henniker Heaton (Conservative) 1,371 38.8% Francis Bennett-Goldney (Independent Conservative) 21 (0.6 pts) 92.2%
Dec 1910 Francis Bennett-Goldney (Independent Conservative) 1,635 47.8% John Howard (Conservative) 472 (13.8 pts) 89.2%
1918 Ronald John McNeill (Unionist) 11,408 80.8% Edward Timothy Palmer (Labour) 8,689 (61.5 pts) 44.9%
1922 Ronald John McNeill (Unionist) 13,954 71.2% John Henry Lang Sims (Labour) 8,315 (42.4 pts) 56.8%
1923 Ronald John McNeill (Unionist) 12,017 58.4% William Robertson Heatley (Liberal) 3,456 (16.8 pts) 59.3%
1924 Ronald John McNeill (Unionist) 16,693 70.3% David Carnegie (Liberal) 9,632 (40.6 pts) 65.9%
1929 William Abraham Edward Wayland (Unionist) 19,181 56.7% David Carnegie (Liberal) 9,244 (27.3 pts) 68.3%
1931 William Abraham Edward Wayland (Conservative) 30,328 83.7% Paul Winterton (Labour) 24,407 (67.3 pts) 66.2%
1935 William Abraham Edward Wayland (Conservative) 26,552 74.3% Harold Richard Adams (Labour) 17,388 (48.7 pts) 64.4%
1945 John Baker White (Conservative) 24,282 61.6% Joseph Denis Milburn Bell (Labour) 10,167 (25.8 pts) 68.7%
1950 John Baker White (Conservative) 26,491 55.9% Jackson Newman (Labour) 11,928 (25.2 pts) 82.5%
1951 John Baker White (Conservative) 28,632 61.1% John Jones (Labour) 14,089 (30.1 pts) 80.1%
1955 Leslie Montagu Thomas (Conservative) 28,739 66.6% Reginald George Ward (Labour) 14,295 (33.1 pts) 72.7%
1959 Leslie Montagu Thomas (Conservative) 30,846 66.2% George E Peters (Labour) 15,100 (32.4 pts) 75.1%
1964 Leslie Montagu Thomas (Conservative) 26,827 52.0% George Selous Cobbett (Labour) 11,616 (22.5 pts) 76.3%
1966 David Crouch (Conservative) 27,160 49.8% Ben Sawbridge (Labour) 11,788 (21.6 pts) 76.1%
1970 David Crouch (Conservative) 33,222 55.4% Henry Gordon Nansen Clother (Labour) 18,050 (30.1 pts) 74.6%
Feb 1974 David Crouch (Conservative) 34,341 50.3% Sarah Elizabeth Goulden (Liberal) 17,041 (25.0 pts) 80.2%
Oct 1974 David Crouch (Conservative) 31,002 49.8% Michael Frederick Fuller (Labour) 14,755 (23.7 pts) 72.6%
1979 David Crouch (Conservative) 38,805 58.3% Robin Paul Spencer (Labour) 22,637 (34.0 pts) 74.7%
1983 David Crouch (Conservative) 29,029 56.5% John Purchese (SDP-Liberal Alliance) 15,742 (30.6 pts) 70.0%
1987 Julian Brazier (Conservative) 30,273 53.8% John Purchese (SDP-Liberal Alliance) 14,891 (26.5 pts) 74.0%
1992 Julian Brazier (Conservative) 29,827 50.8% Martin John Vye (Liberal Democrat) 10,805 (18.4 pts) 78.1%
1997 Julian Brazier (Conservative) 20,913 38.6% Cheryl Hall (Labour) 3,964 (7.3 pts) 72.6%
2001 Julian Brazier (Conservative) 18,711 41.5% Emily Thornberry (Labour) 2,069 (4.6 pts) 60.9%
2005 Julian Brazier (Conservative) 21,113 44.4% Alex Hilton (Labour) 7,471 (15.7 pts) 66.1%
2010 Julian Brazier (Conservative) 22,050 44.8% Guy Voizey (Liberal Democrat) 6,048 (12.3 pts) 66.5%
2015 Julian Brazier (Conservative) 22,918 42.9% Hugh Lanning (Labour) 9,798 (18.3 pts) 66.0%
2017 Rosie Duffield (Labour) 25,572 45.0% Julian Brazier (Conservative) 187 (0.3 pts) 72.9%
2019 Rosemary Duffield (Labour) 29,018 48.3% Anna Firth (Conservative) 1,836 (3.0 pts) 75.3%
2024 Rosie Duffield (Labour) 19,531 41.4% Louise Harvey-Quirke (Conservative) 8,653 (18.3 pts) 66.6%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1832 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Watson Whig 83441.5% Yes
George Augustus Frederick Cowper Whig 80239.9% Yes
William Percy Honeywood Courtenay No label 37518.6% No

1835 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Albert Conyngham Whig 75536.4% Yes
Frederick Villiers Whig 66031.8% Yes
Stephen Rumbold Lushington Conservative 65831.7% No

1837 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Bradshaw Conservative 76125.7% Yes
Albert Conyngham Whig 75525.5% Yes
Henry Plumptre Gipps Conservative 75125.3% No
Frederick Villiers Whig 69823.5% No

1841 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Smythe Conservative 82336.2% Yes
James Bradshaw Conservative 72932.1% Yes
Thomas Twisden Hodges Whig 72031.7% No

1847 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Albert Denison Denison Whig 80828.1% Yes
George Smythe Conservative 78227.2% Yes
John Vance Conservative 64322.4% No
Thomas Charles Pelham-Clinton Conservative 64122.3% No

1852 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Henry Plumptre Gipps Conservative 76629.1% Yes
Henry Butler-Johnstone Conservative 75828.8% Yes
William Meredyth Somerville Whig 57021.6% No
Frederick Romilly Radical 53320.2% No
George Smythe Conservative 70.3% No

1857 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Henry Butler-Johnstone Conservative 81539.7% Yes
William Meredyth Somerville Whig 75937.0% Yes
Charles Purton Cooper Whig 47723.3% No

1859 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Henry Butler-Johnstone Conservative Unopposed Yes
William Meredyth Somerville Liberal Unopposed Yes

1865 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Henry Alexander Munro-Butler-Johnstone Conservative 76727.8% Yes
John Walter Huddleston Conservative 73726.7% Yes
William Lyon Liberal 64323.3% No
Robert Alexander Shafto Adair Liberal 61422.2% No

1868 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Henry Alexander Munro-Butler-Johnstone Independent Conservative 1,45331.9% Yes
Theodore Henry Brinckman Liberal 1,23627.1% Yes
John Walter Huddleston Conservative 1,15725.4% No
Henry James Lee Warner Conservative 70915.6% No

1874 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Henry Alexander Munro Butler-Johnstone Conservative 1,48831.7% Yes
Lewis Ashurst Majendie Conservative 1,40629.9% Yes
Theodore Henry Brinckman Liberal 93419.9% No
Robert John Biron Liberal 87318.6% No

1880 (2 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alfred Erskine Gathorne-Hardy Conservative 1,46727.1% Yes
Robert Peter Laurie Conservative 1,42526.4% Yes
Charles Edwards Liberal 1,29423.9% No
Henry Alexander Munro Butler-Jonstone Liberal 1,21822.5% No

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henniker Heaton Conservative 1,80468.6% Yes
William Hickman Smith Aubrey Liberal 82531.4% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henniker Heaton Conservative Unopposed Yes

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henniker Heaton Conservative Unopposed Yes

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henniker Heaton Conservative Unopposed Yes

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henniker Heaton Conservative Unopposed Yes

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henniker Heaton Conservative 2,21063.7% Yes
William James Fisher Liberal 1,26236.3% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Henniker Heaton Conservative 1,37138.8% Yes
Francis Bennett-Goldney Independent Conservative 1,35038.2% No
Hubert Bayley Drysdale Woodcock Liberal 81523.0% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Francis Bennett-Goldney Independent Conservative 1,63547.8% Yes
John Howard Conservative 1,16334.0% No
William James Fisher Liberal 62318.2% No

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Ronald John McNeill Unionist 11,40880.8% Yes
Edward Timothy Palmer Labour 2,71919.2% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Ronald John McNeill Unionist 13,95471.2% Yes
John Henry Lang Sims Labour 5,63928.8% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Ronald John McNeill Unionist 12,01758.4% Yes
William Robertson Heatley Liberal 8,56141.6% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Ronald John McNeill Unionist 16,69370.3% Yes
David Carnegie Liberal 7,06129.7% No

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Abraham Edward Wayland Unionist 19,18156.7% Yes
David Carnegie Liberal 9,93729.4% No
Philip Sidney Eastman Labour 4,70613.9% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Abraham Edward Wayland Conservative 30,32883.7% Yes
Paul Winterton Labour 5,92116.3% No

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Abraham Edward Wayland Conservative 26,55274.3% Yes
Harold Richard Adams Labour 9,16425.7% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Baker White Conservative 24,28261.6% Yes
Joseph Denis Milburn Bell Labour 14,11535.8% No
Catherine Ellis Williamson Common Wealth 1,0172.6% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Baker White Conservative 26,49155.9% Yes
Jackson Newman Labour 14,56330.8% No
Kenneth Graham Jupp Liberal 6,29613.3% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Baker White Conservative 28,63261.1% Yes
John Jones Labour 14,54331.0% No
Thomas Payne Liberal 3,6957.9% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Leslie Montagu Thomas Conservative 28,73966.6% Yes
Reginald George Ward Labour 14,44433.4% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Leslie Montagu Thomas Conservative 30,84666.2% Yes
George E Peters Labour 15,74633.8% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Leslie Montagu Thomas Conservative 26,82752.0% Yes
George Selous Cobbett Labour 15,21129.5% No
Edwin W Moss Liberal 9,58218.6% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Crouch Conservative 27,16049.8% Yes
Ben Sawbridge Labour 15,37228.2% No
Edwin William Moss Liberal 11,96222.0% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Crouch Conservative 33,22255.4% Yes
Henry Gordon Nansen Clother Labour 15,17225.3% No
David Campbell Paterson Gracie Liberal 11,55319.3% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Crouch Conservative 34,34150.3% Yes
Sarah Elizabeth Goulden Liberal 17,30025.4% No
Michael Frederick Fuller Labour 15,75123.1% No
Kenneth McKilliam National Front 8311.2% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Crouch Conservative 31,00249.8% Yes
Michael Frederick Fuller Labour 16,24726.1% No
Sarah Elizabeth Goulden Liberal 13,89822.3% No
Kenneth McKilliam National Front 1,0961.8% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Crouch Conservative 38,80558.3% Yes
Robin Paul Spencer Labour 16,16824.3% No
John Purchese Liberal 10,66516.0% No
Joan White National Front 9411.4% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Crouch Conservative 29,02956.5% Yes
John Purchese SDP-Liberal Alliance 13,28725.8% No
Jeannette Gould Labour 7,90615.4% No
David Reynolds Conder Green 9621.9% No
Joan White Irish Nationalist 2260.4% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julian Brazier Conservative 30,27353.8% Yes
John Purchese SDP-Liberal Alliance 15,38227.3% No
Linda Keen Labour 9,49416.9% No
Steve Dawe Green 9471.7% No
Joan White Independent Canterbury Nationalist 1570.3% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julian Brazier Conservative 29,82750.8% Yes
Martin John Vye Liberal Democrat 19,02232.4% No
Malcolm Frederick Whitemore Labour 8,93615.2% No
Wendy Jocelyn Arnall Green 7471.3% No
Sally Eileen Curphey Natural Law 2030.3% No

1997

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julian Brazier Conservative 20,91338.6% Yes
Cheryl Hall Labour 16,94931.3% No
Martin Vye Liberal Democrat 12,85423.8% No
James Osborne Referendum Party 2,4604.5% No
Geoffrey Meaden Green 5881.1% No
John Moore UKIP 2810.5% No
Andrew Pringle Natural Law 640.1% No

2001

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julian Brazier Conservative 18,71141.5% Yes
Emily Thornberry Labour 16,64236.9% No
Peter Wales Liberal Democrat 8,05617.8% No
Hazel Dawe Green 9202.0% No
Lisa Moore UKIP 8031.8% No

2005

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julian Brazier Conservative 21,11344.4% Yes
Alex Hilton Labour 13,64228.7% No
Jenny Barnard-Langston Liberal Democrat 10,05921.1% No
Geoffrey Meaden Green 1,5213.2% No
John Moore UKIP 9261.9% No
Rocky van de Benderskum Legalise Cannabis 3260.7% No

2010

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julian Brazier Conservative 22,05044.8% Yes
Guy Voizey Liberal Democrat 16,00232.5% No
Jean Samuel Labour 7,94016.1% No
Howard Farmer UKIP 1,9073.9% No
Geoff Meaden Green 1,1372.3% No
Anne Belsey Money Reform Party 1730.4% No

2015

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Julian Brazier Conservative 22,91842.9% Yes
Hugh Lanning Labour 13,12024.5% No
Jim Gascoyne UKIP 7,28913.6% No
James Flanagan Liberal Democrat 6,22711.6% No
Stuart Jeffery Green 3,7467.0% No
Robert Cox The Socialist Party of Great Britain 1650.3% No

2017

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Rosie Duffield Labour 25,57245.0% Yes
Julian Brazier Conservative 25,38544.7% No
James Flanagan Liberal Democrat 4,5618.0% No
Henry Stanton Green 1,2822.3% No

2019

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Rosemary Duffield Labour 29,01848.3% Yes
Anna Firth Conservative 27,18245.2% No
Claire Malcomson Liberal Democrat 3,4085.7% No
Michael Gould Independent 5050.8% No

2024

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Rosie Duffield Labour 19,53141.4% Yes
Louise Harvey-Quirke Conservative 10,87823.0% No
Bridget Porter Reform UK 6,80514.4% No
Henry Stanton Green 5,92012.5% No
Russ Timpson Liberal Democrat 3,8128.1% No
Luke Buchanan-Hodgman Social Democratic Party 2850.6% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1832: Whig margin 21.2 pts 1835: Whig margin 0.1 pts 1837: Conservative margin 0.1 pts 1841: Conservative margin 0.4 pts 1847: Whig margin 4.8 pts 1852: Conservative margin 7.1 pts 1857: Conservative margin 13.8 pts 1865: Conservative margin 3.4 pts 1868: Independent Conservative margin 1.7 pts 1874: Conservative margin 10.0 pts 1880: Conservative margin 2.4 pts 1885: Conservative margin 37.2 pts 1906: Conservative margin 27.3 pts Jan 1910: Conservative margin 0.6 pts Dec 1910: Independent Conservative margin 13.8 pts 1918: Unionist margin 61.5 pts 1922: Unionist margin 42.4 pts 1923: Unionist margin 16.8 pts 1924: Unionist margin 40.6 pts 1929: Unionist margin 27.3 pts 1931: Conservative margin 67.3 pts 1935: Conservative margin 48.7 pts 1945: Conservative margin 25.8 pts 1950: Conservative margin 25.2 pts 1951: Conservative margin 30.1 pts 1955: Conservative margin 33.1 pts 1959: Conservative margin 32.4 pts 1964: Conservative margin 22.5 pts 1966: Conservative margin 21.6 pts 1970: Conservative margin 30.1 pts Feb 1974: Conservative margin 25.0 pts Oct 1974: Conservative margin 23.7 pts 1979: Conservative margin 34.0 pts 1983: Conservative margin 30.6 pts 1987: Conservative margin 26.5 pts 1992: Conservative margin 18.4 pts 1997: Conservative margin 7.3 pts 2001: Conservative margin 4.6 pts 2005: Conservative margin 15.7 pts 2010: Conservative margin 12.3 pts 2015: Conservative margin 18.3 pts 2017: Labour margin 0.3 pts 2019: Labour margin 3.0 pts 2024: Labour margin 18.3 pts 1832 1835 1837 1841 1847 1852 1857 1865 1868 1874 1880 1885 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024

Trend

Canterbury has been contested at 49 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Liberal, Independent Conservative, Unionist, Labour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Canterbury in the 2024 general election?

Labour won Canterbury in 2024 with 19,531 votes (41.4%), a majority of 8,653 votes over Conservative in second place.

Which parties have won Canterbury since 1832?

Since 1832, Canterbury has been won by: Conservative, Independent Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Unionist, Whig.

What was the closest result in Canterbury?

The closest result on record for Canterbury was 1835, when Whig beat Conservative by just 2 votes (0.1 percentage points).

Did Canterbury ever elect more than one MP at a time?

Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Canterbury elected multiple MPs at once in some elections on this page (a system called multi-member plurality, or 'block vote'), each voter casting one vote per available seat.

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