Tonbridge & Malling
Conservative hold

Still a safe Conservative seat in Kent, here in the orchards and fields of the west of the county, the only development of note in 1997 was the move forward by Labour to second place, overtaking the Liberal Democrats; but they seem even less likely ever to be able to disturb the electoral pattern, with councillors only in the Trench ward of Tonbridge and one in Edenbridge South ward, in that small part of the seat borrowed from the Sevenoaks local authority for parliamentary purposes.

Sir John Stanley, Margaret Thatcher's former protégé as PPS and seller-off of council houses, served her as a middle rank minister at Housing, Defence and Northern Ireland, until leaving office in 1988 with a reputation for abrasiveness. Born 1942 and educated at Repton and Lincoln College Oxford, and formerly with Rio Tinto Zinc, he was first elected here in 1974. Seen as wooden and humourless, following his exit from government he criticised his patroness's poll tax, in 1997 - despite hostility to Euro-federalism - backed Kenneth Clarke for leader, and later praised Tony Blair's resolution in Kosovo.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 35.11% 14.99% 234.20 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.55% 2.13% 25.89 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 1.82% 2.49% 73.18 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 5.21% 4.43% 117.65 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 9.16% 7.27% 125.93 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.94% 2.56% 36.58 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 1.28% 2.04% 62.79 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.34% 3.94% 8.59 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 20.51% 13.04% 157.33 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 5.64% 12.70% 44.40 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 10.25% 8.14% 125.84 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 2.25% 4.02% 56.03 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 1.34% 3.19% 41.98 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 5.16% 11.31% 45.63 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.00% 3.06% 0.00 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 0.39% 2.52% 15.57 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.05% 0.06% 72.36

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 6.36% 9.41% 67.56 £5-10K 11.96% 16.63% 71.89 £10-15K 13.34% 16.58% 80.48 £15-20K 12.25% 13.58% 90.20 £20-25K 10.40% 10.39% 100.08 £25-30K 8.53% 7.77% 109.70 £30-35K 6.88% 5.79% 118.85 £35-40K 5.52% 4.33% 127.46 £40-45K 4.42% 3.27% 135.50 £45-50K 3.55% 2.48% 143.00 £50-55K 2.86% 1.90% 149.97 £55-60K 2.31% 1.47% 156.45 £60-65K 1.87% 1.15% 162.48 £65-70K 1.52% 0.91% 168.10 £70-75K 1.25% 0.72% 173.34 £75-80K 1.02% 0.57% 178.24 £80-85K 0.85% 0.46% 182.82 £85-90K 0.70% 0.37% 187.11 £90-95K 0.58% 0.31% 191.14 £95-100K 0.49% 0.25% 194.93 £100K + 2.88% 1.34% 214.09