Faversham & Mid Kent
Conservative hold

When Kent was granted an extra seat by the Boundary Commission in 1995, this was it. Be not fooled by the name. This constituency does not contain the bulk of either the former seats of Faversham or Mid Kent. Rather it contains territory from four old seats, of which the greatest single element was one not mentioned in the title, Maidstone. The eastern part of that town contains the council housing flavoured wards of Park Wood and Shepway, which Ann Widdecombe will be glad to lose from Maidstone, but they are outvoted by the town of Faversham (most of the seat of that name is in Sittingbourne and Sheppey) and the villages of Mid Kent (most of the former seat of that name is now in Chatham and Aylesford). Labour did well to get within just over 4,000 of the retiring MP Andrew Rowe in 1997, but further progress is unlikely.

New Conservative candidate Hugh Robertson, as a former officer in the Life Guards (1985-95) comes with a traditional pedigree. Born 1962, he attended King's School Canterbury and Sandhurst, and qualified in land management at Reading University. With service in Northern Ireland, the Gulf War, Bosnia and Cyprus, he quit the Army to find a parliamentary seat, joining the Tories in 1995. Currently with Schroeder Investment Management, in 1993 he commanded the Household Cavalry at Trooping the Colour and at the State Opening of Parliament, and will make a suitable, soldierly chum for Julian Brazier next door in Canterbury.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 26.91% 14.99% 179.51 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.70% 2.13% 32.90 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 1.07% 2.49% 42.93 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 8.67% 4.43% 195.84 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 7.78% 7.27% 106.96 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.04% 2.56% 1.58 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.09% 3.94% 2.22 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 22.78% 13.04% 174.71 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 8.78% 12.70% 69.10 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 8.71% 8.14% 106.95 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 2.51% 4.02% 62.51 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 2.31% 3.19% 72.38 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 6.29% 11.31% 55.64 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.72% 3.06% 23.65 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 2.64% 2.52% 104.64 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.00% 0.06% 7.22

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 7.74% 9.41% 82.25 £5-10K 14.08% 16.63% 84.64 £10-15K 14.92% 16.58% 89.98 £15-20K 13.05% 13.58% 96.06 £20-25K 10.61% 10.39% 102.05 £25-30K 8.36% 7.77% 107.60 £30-35K 6.52% 5.79% 112.58 £35-40K 5.07% 4.33% 116.98 £40-45K 3.94% 3.27% 120.81 £45-50K 3.08% 2.48% 124.11 £50-55K 2.42% 1.90% 126.94 £55-60K 1.91% 1.47% 129.35 £60-65K 1.51% 1.15% 131.39 £65-70K 1.21% 0.91% 133.10 £70-75K 0.97% 0.72% 134.53 £75-80K 0.78% 0.57% 135.71 £80-85K 0.63% 0.46% 136.68 £85-90K 0.51% 0.37% 137.46 £90-95K 0.42% 0.31% 138.08 £95-100K 0.35% 0.25% 138.55 £100K + 1.86% 1.34% 138.23