East Thanet — UK General Election Results
East Thanet was won by Labour at the 2024 general election, with a majority of 6,971 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in East Thanet from Feb 1974 to 2024.
Full Election History, Feb 1974–2024
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1974 | Jonathan Aitken (Conservative) | 17,944 | 46.9% | Robert Bean (Labour) | 6,597 (17.2 pts) | 80.5% |
| Oct 1974 | Jonathan Aitken (Conservative) | 15,813 | 46.1% | Suzanne Molly Bartlett (Labour) | 4,503 (13.1 pts) | 71.6% |
| 1979 | Jonathan Aitken (Conservative) | 20,367 | 57.2% | Ian Douglas Kilberry (Labour) | 10,239 (28.7 pts) | 72.7% |
| 2024 | Polly Billington (Labour) | 17,054 | 39.9% | Helen Harrison (Conservative) | 6,971 (16.3 pts) | 57.2% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
Feb 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Aitken | Conservative | 17,944 | 46.9% | Yes |
| Robert Bean | Labour | 11,347 | 29.6% | No |
| John Gregory Cox | Liberal | 8,997 | 23.5% | No |
Oct 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Aitken | Conservative | 15,813 | 46.1% | Yes |
| Suzanne Molly Bartlett | Labour | 11,310 | 33.0% | No |
| Andrew Cecil Hogarth | Liberal | 6,472 | 18.9% | No |
| Kevin Munson | National Front | 708 | 2.1% | No |
1979
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Aitken | Conservative | 20,367 | 57.2% | Yes |
| Ian Douglas Kilberry | Labour | 10,128 | 28.4% | No |
| Barry Charles John Hesketh | Liberal | 4,755 | 13.3% | No |
| Brian Dobing | National Front | 376 | 1.1% | No |
2024
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polly Billington | Labour | 17,054 | 39.9% | Yes |
| Helen Harrison | Conservative | 10,083 | 23.6% | No |
| Paul Webb | Reform UK | 8,591 | 20.1% | No |
| Steve Roberts | Green | 4,590 | 10.7% | No |
| Jai Singh | Liberal Democrat | 1,365 | 3.2% | No |
| Grahame Birchall | Independent | 563 | 1.3% | No |
| Paul Holton | Independent | 369 | 0.9% | No |
| Mo Shafaei | Independent | 98 | 0.2% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
East Thanet has been contested at 4 general elections on record since Feb 1974. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Conservative, Labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won East Thanet in the 2024 general election?
Labour won East Thanet in 2024 with 17,054 votes (39.9%), a majority of 6,971 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won East Thanet since Feb 1974?
Since Feb 1974, East Thanet has been won by: Conservative, Labour.
What was the closest result in East Thanet?
The closest result on record for East Thanet was Oct 1974, when Conservative beat Labour by just 4,503 votes (13.1 percentage points).