Constituency
Rochester and Strood
At a glance
The MP for Rochester and Strood is Lauren Edwards (Labour), who has held the seat since 2024. At the 2024 general election the seat was a Lab gain from Con: she took 36.2% of the vote for a majority of 2,930, on a 57.4% turnout. Compared with the 2019 general election, the Labour share of the vote was up 9.1 points, and turnout fell from 63.3%.
2024 general election result
Majority 2,930 · Turnout 57.4% · Electorate 74,257
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Edwards | Labour | 15,403 | 36.2% |
| Kelly Tolhurst | Conservative | 12,473 | 29.3% |
| Daniel Dabin | Reform UK | 9,966 | 23.4% |
| Cat Jamieson | Green Party | 2,427 | 5.7% |
| Graham Colley | Liberal Democrat | 1,894 | 4.4% |
| John Innes | Workers Party of Britain | 245 | 0.6% |
| Peter Burch | Heritage Party | 190 | 0.4% |
Past election results
Every General Election and by-election in this seat, newest first. Open one for the full candidate list.
| Election | Winner | Result | Majority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lauren Edwards (Lab) | Lab gain from Con | 2,930 |
| 2019 | Kelly Tolhurst (Con) | Con hold | 17,072 |
| 2017 | Kelly Tolhurst (Con) | Con hold | 9,850 |
| 2015 | Kelly Tolhurst (Con) | Con hold | 7,133 |
| 2014 by-election | Mark Reckless (UKIP) | UKIP gain from Con | 2,920 |
| 2010 | Mark Reckless (Con) | Con hold | 9,953 |
Members for this seat
Everyone who has won the seat at the elections in our records, which begin with the 2010 general election. Members before then are not shown.
| Member | Party | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Lauren Edwards | Labour | 2024 to present |
| Kelly Tolhurst | Conservative | 2015 to 2024 |
| Mark Reckless | UK Independence Party | 2010 to 2015 |
Source: 2024 general election result from the official Parliament constituency profile.