Sevenoaks

[sirbenjamin]

As long ago as c.750 AD, there grew seven oak trees in sufficiently close proximity to one another for a Jute-Saxon settlement to be named 'Seouenaca', or in modern English, Sevenoaks. If sketchy historical records are to be believed.

The trees themselves have been replaced several times, and at various times have numbered more or fewer than seven. In the great storm of 1987 six were blown asunder, but new acorns were planted rather than rename the town 'Onlyoneoakthesedays', which was probably the policy of the LD group on Sevenoaks District Council...

The current version of the Sevenoaks constituency consists of about five sixths of the district - an orphaned ward in the North East of the District is currently in the Dartford seat, while five wards in the south around Edenbridge and Chddingstone are in Tonbridge and Malling and include the Westernmost point in Kent. (If the boundary commission get their way, a slightly unsatisfactory boundary situation will become a deeply unsatisfactory one, as the proposed Sevenoaks seat will not only continue to exclude parts of Sevenoaks but will also take in wards from Dartford.)

However many oaks it may or may not boast, Sevenoaks town is home to around 30,000 people and has much in common with other towns in the South East outside of, but close enough to That London. Somewhat less compact and 'designed' than other towns in the region, the residents benefit from a unique 'on demand' bus service, as well as three railway stations including the delightfully named 'Bat and Ball'. Local employment opportunities aren't entirely restricted to transport or high street retail - the town is also home to the headquarters of the Active group, one of the largest residential care providers in the country, and (guitar) string manufacturer Rotosound.

In addition to the town of Sevenoaks itself, the most notable settlements are Swanley and Westerham; the former a convenient commuter base just beyond the Greater London border and with a fairly rapid train service into the capital; the latter a sleepy backwater that lost its train service in 1961 (the branchline from Dunton Green now lies largely underneath the M25) and which is probably best known for its eponymous brewery these days.

Sevenoaks has been a Tory seat for almost 100 years, even in 1997 and 2001 the majority was five figures, and current MP Laura Trott who succeeded Michael Fallon whose 22 year tenure was perhaps a little too 'hands on' for some. The Lib Dems regained their traditional second place in 2019, following successive elections when UKIP then Labour were the runners-up.

As one might expect in a Conservative seat with a divided opposition, there appears little chance of the Tories ever losing it, and even in 1997 the majority was over 10,000, with Labour and the Lib Dems almost inseparable with a little over 12,000 votes each.

And with that, I eagerly await the all-important statistics.

[peterl]

2019 General Election Result

Laura Trott Conservative 30,932 60.7% −3.0%
Gareth Willis Liberal Democrats 10,114 19.8% +11.4
Seamus McCauley Labour 6,946 13.6% −7.3%
Paul Wharton Green 1,974 3.9% +0.6%
Paulette Furse Independent 695 1.4% +1.4%
Sean Finch Libertarian 295 0.6% +0.6%

[batman]

Dec 7, 2021 22:34:58 GMT sirbenjamin said:

As long ago as c.750 AD, there grew seven oak trees in sufficiently close proximity to one another for a Jute-Saxon settlement to be named 'Seouenaca', or in modern English, Sevenoaks. If sketchy historical records are to be believed.

The trees themselves have been replaced several times, and at various times have numbered more or fewer than seven. In the great storm of 1987 six were blown asunder, but new acorns were planted rather than rename the town 'Onlyoneoakthesedays', which was probably the policy of the LD group on Sevenoaks District Council...

The current version of the Sevenoaks constituency consists of about five sixths of the district - an orphaned ward in the North East of the District is currently in the Dartford seat, while five wards in the south around Edenbridge and Chddingstone are in Tonbridge and Malling and include the Westernmost point in Kent. (If the boundary commission get their way, a slightly unsatisfactory boundary situation will become a deeply unsatisfactory one, as the proposed Sevenoaks seat will not only continue to exclude parts of Sevenoaks but will also take in wards from Dartford.)

However many oaks it may or may not boast, Sevenoaks town is home to around 30,000 people and has much in common with other towns in the South East outside of, but close enough to That London. Somewhat less compact and 'designed' than other towns in the region, the residents benefit from a unique 'on demand' bus service, as well as three railway stations including the delightfully named 'Bat and Ball'. Local employment opportunities aren't entirely restricted to transport or high street retail - the town is also home to the headquarters of the Active group, one of the largest residential care providers in the country, and (guitar) string manufacturer Rotosound.

In addition to the town of Sevenoaks itself, the most notable settlements are Swanley and Westerham; the former a convenient commuter base just beyond the Greater London border and with a fairly rapid train service into the capital; the latter a sleepy backwater that lost its train service in 1961 (the branchline from Dunton Green now lies largely underneath the M25) and which is probably best known for its eponymous brewery these days.

Sevenoaks has been a Tory seat for almost 100 years, even in 1997 and 2001 the majority was five figures, and current MP Laura Trott who succeeded Michael Fallon whose 22 year tenure was perhaps a little too 'hands on' for some. The Lib Dems regained their traditional second place in 2019, following successive elections when UKIP then Labour were the runners-up.

As one might expect in a Conservative seat with a divided opposition, there appears little chance of the Tories ever losing it, and even in 1997 the majority was over 10,000, with Labour and the Lib Dems almost inseparable with a little over 12,000 votes each.

And with that, I eagerly await the all-important statistics.

Quite possibly Westerham would be relatively well-known for its association with Sir Winston Churchill, whose Chartwell home is very nearby.

[sirbenjamin]

Dec 7, 2021 23:28:29 GMT batman said:

Quite possibly Westerham would be relatively well-known for its association with Sir Winston Churchill, whose Chartwell home is very nearby.

I would've bet money that Chartwell was a few miles further south and in the Tonbridge & Malling constituency, but, no, you are right. It is indeed close to Westerham.

Mind-maps can be strange places.

[yellowperil]

Feb 4, 2022 9:53:35 GMT sirbenjamin said:

Dec 7, 2021 23:28:29 GMT batman said:

Quite possibly Westerham would be relatively well-known for its association with Sir Winston Churchill, whose Chartwell home is very nearby.

I would've bet money that Chartwell was a few miles further south and in the Tonbridge & Malling constituency, but, no, you are right. It is indeed close to Westerham.

Mind-maps can be strange places.

I always find geography of perception interesting.

Westerham is very much the Chartwell/ Churchill place, I would say; it is also the Quebec House/JamesWolfe place, and there are statues of both men at each end of the Green. Westerham is the very epitome of Imperialism, one might think.

[carlton43]

Feb 4, 2022 11:23:59 GMT yellowperil said:

Feb 4, 2022 9:53:35 GMT sirbenjamin said:

I would've bet money that Chartwell was a few miles further south and in the Tonbridge & Malling constituency, but, no, you are right. It is indeed close to Westerham.

Mind-maps can be strange places.

I always find geography of perception interesting.

Westerham is very much the Chartwell/ Churchill place, I would say; it is also the Quebec House/JamesWolfe place, and there are statues of both men at each end of the Green. Westerham is the very epitome of Imperialism, one might think.

And a very fine restaurant (decades since I used to go there) titled the 'Maquis de Montcalm'.

[yellowperil]

Feb 4, 2022 12:19:00 GMT carlton43 said:

Feb 4, 2022 11:23:59 GMT yellowperil said:

I always find geography of perception interesting.

Westerham is very much the Chartwell/ Churchill place, I would say; it is also the Quebec House/JamesWolfe place, and there are statues of both men at each end of the Green. Westerham is the very epitome of Imperialism, one might think.

And a very fine restaurant (decades since I used to go there) titled the 'Maquis de Montcalm'.

I think there might be some resistance to that.

[No Offence Alan]

Feb 4, 2022 13:00:06 GMT yellowperil said:

Feb 4, 2022 12:19:00 GMT carlton43 said:

And a very fine restaurant (decades since I used to go there) titled the 'Maquis de Montcalm'.

I think there might be some resistance to that.

That is just your partisan view.

[Robert Waller]

2011 Census

Age 65+ 18.5% 207/650
Owner-occupied 72.9% 134/650
Private rented 10.9% 534/650
Social rented 13.1% 430/650
White 95.5% 309/650
Black 0.9% 289/650
Asian 1.9% 366/650
Managerial & professional 40.1%
Higher managerial & professional 15.0% 75/650
Lower managerial & professional 25.1% 80/650
Routine & Semi-routine 18.5% 550/650
Degree level 32.5% 128/650
No qualifications 19.0% 500/650
Students 6.3% 421/650


2021 Census

Owner occupied 73.3% 84/573
Private rented 13.8% 494/573
Social rented 13.0% 384/573
White 91.6%
Black 1.8%
Asian 3.1%
Managerial & professional 42.1% 72/573
Routine & Semi-routine 16.8% 491/573
Degree level 37.9% 136/573
No qualifications 15.5% 399/573




General election 2019: Sevenoaks

Party Candidate Votes % ±%

Conservative Laura Trott 30,932 60.7 −3.0
Liberal Democrats Gareth Willis 10,114 19.8 +11.4
Labour Seamus McCauley 6,946 13.6 −7.3
Green Paul Wharton 1,974 3.9 +0.6
Independent Paulette Furse 695 1.4 New
Libertarian Sean Finch 295 0.6 New

C Majority 20,818 40.9 −1.9

Turnout 50,956 71.0 −1.1

Conservative hold

Swing 7.2 C to LD

[listener]

Years ago, I was acquainted with the then Conservative county councillor for Sevenoaks West, who canvassed a house in Westerham. The occupant said that he was sympathetic, but was prevented from any more positive support by his politically restricted job. He turned out to be Bernard Weatherill, the Speaker of the House of Commons.

[Deleted]

Feb 18, 2022 2:40:58 GMT listener said:

Years ago, I was acquainted with the then Conservative county councillor for Sevenoaks West, who canvassed a house in Westerham. The occupant said that he was sympathetic, but was prevented from any more positive support by his politically restricted job. He turned out to be Bernard Weatherill, the Speaker of the House of Commons.

I wonder whether he actually voted.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

I once phone-canvassed Sir Gordon Downey (the ex Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, who was responsible for ruling on the original Cash for Questions scandal).

[Pete Whitehead]

The revised plans of the Boundary Commission in Kent stuck with the initial proposals except in relation to the new Weald of Kent seat and a couple of its neighbours.

Sevenoaks loses Ash and New Ash Green to Tonbridge & Malling and gains the Dartford wards of Darenth and Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone & Hawley

2019 Notional result

Con	34317	62.0%
LD	10062	18.2%
Lab	8014	14.5%
Grn	1990	3.6%
Oth	932	1.7%
Majority	24255	43.8%