Kensington (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids
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Kensington is a special area in Greater London. It's called a "constituency" because it's a specific area that elects someone to represent its people in the UK Parliament. This area first existed between 1974 and 1997. It was then created again in 2010.
Since 2019, the person representing Kensington in the House of Commons (which is part of the UK Parliament) has been Felicity Buchan. She is a member of the Conservative Party.
In the 2017 general election, something exciting happened! Emma Dent Coad from the Labour Party won the seat. She beat the Conservative MP, Victoria Borwick, by only 20 votes. This was the smallest difference in votes in all of England! It was also the first time Kensington had a Labour MP. However, in the 2019 election, Felicity Buchan won the seat back for the Conservatives. She won by a very close 150 votes.
Kensington is known for being the richest parliamentary area in the entire United Kingdom.
Soon, the Kensington area will change a bit. It will include two more parts of the City of Westminster: Bayswater and Lancaster Gate. Because of this, the area will be renamed Kensington and Bayswater. This new name will be used in the next general election.
Contents
Understanding Kensington's Area
A "constituency" is like a special district. People living in that district vote for one person to represent them in Parliament. The Kensington constituency covers the northern and central parts of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It includes areas like Kensington itself.
The constituency is made up of several smaller areas called "electoral wards." These are like local neighborhoods. For the election in 2010, the wards included:
- Abingdon
- Brompton
- Campden
- Colville
- Courtfield
- Earls Court
- Golborne
- Holland
- Norland
- Notting Dale
- Pembridge
- Queen's Gate
- St Helens
The boundaries of Kensington have changed over time. From 1974 to 1983, it included different wards. Then, from 1983 to 1997, the wards changed again.
Kensington's Political Journey
The First Kensington Constituency (1974-1997)
The first time there was a "Kensington" constituency was for the election in February 1974. It was created from parts of two older constituencies: Kensington North (which often voted Labour) and Kensington South (which mostly voted Conservative).
This first Kensington constituency was removed in 1997. Its area was mostly replaced by two new constituencies: Regent's Park and Kensington North and Kensington and Chelsea.
During its first time around, Kensington always elected Conservative MPs. Even in a special election in 1988, the Conservative candidate won, but by a very small number of votes.
The Second Kensington Constituency (2010-Present)
The Kensington constituency was brought back for the 2010 general election. It combined parts of the two constituencies that had replaced it earlier.
In 2015, the Conservative Party won the seat again, but with a smaller lead than in 2010. The Labour Party came in second place.
The 2017 election was incredibly close! The counting of votes had to be done three times because the results were so tight. Finally, it was announced that the Labour Party had won by just 20 votes. This made Kensington the Labour Party's most "vulnerable" seat, meaning it was the easiest for another party to win next time.
In the 2019 election, the Conservative Party won the seat back. Felicity Buchan became the new MP, winning by a narrow margin of 150 votes.
What Kensington is Like
Kensington is mostly a place where people live. The homes here are very different. You can find super expensive apartments with beautiful gardens in South Kensington. This area has some of the most exclusive and costly homes in the world.
On the other hand, North Kensington and Ladbroke Grove have many social housing buildings and tall apartment blocks. These areas are not as wealthy.
Kensington High Street is a fancy shopping area. Kensington Palace is a home for members of the Royal Family. Kensington Palace Gardens has many embassies (offices for other countries) and homes of very rich people.
South Kensington is also close to Hyde Park. It's home to famous museums like the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Other areas like Earls Court, Brompton, Holland Park, and Notting Hill each have their own feel. Earls Court is becoming more modern and expensive, but it still has some older hotels. Notting Hill is a lively and diverse area. It's famous for hosting the Notting Hill Carnival, a big street festival led by the area's Afro-Caribbean community. Notting Hill used to be a less wealthy area, but it has become much more expensive and popular over time.
Who Has Represented Kensington?
Here are the people who have been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kensington:
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1974 | Sir Brandon Rhys-Williams | Conservative | |
| 1988 by-election | Dudley Fishburn | Conservative | |
| 1997 | constituency abolished: see Kensington and Chelsea | ||
| 2010 | Sir Malcolm Rifkind | Conservative | |
| 2015 | Victoria Borwick | Conservative | |
| 2017 | Emma Dent Coad | Labour | |
| 2019 | Felicity Buchan | Conservative | |
Recent Election Highlights
Elections in Kensington have often been very close, especially in recent years.
2019 General Election
In the 2019 election, Felicity Buchan (Conservative) won the seat.
- Felicity Buchan (Conservative): 16,768 votes (38.3%)
- Emma Dent Coad (Labour): 16,618 votes (38.0%)
- Sam Gyimah (Liberal Democrats): 9,312 votes (21.3%)
Felicity Buchan won by only 150 votes.
2017 General Election
The 2017 election was incredibly tight and needed three recounts!
- Emma Dent Coad (Labour): 16,333 votes (42.2%)
- Victoria Borwick (Conservative): 16,313 votes (42.2%)
- Annabel Mullin (Liberal Democrats): 4,724 votes (12.2%)
Emma Dent Coad won by just 20 votes, making it one of the closest elections in the UK.
2015 General Election
In 2015, Victoria Borwick (Conservative) won the seat.
- Victoria Borwick (Conservative): 18,199 votes (52.3%)
- Rod Abouharb (Labour): 10,838 votes (31.1%)
- Robin McGhee (Liberal Democrats): 1,962 votes (5.6%)
The Conservatives kept the seat, but their lead was smaller than in 2010.
2010 General Election
This was the first election for the recreated Kensington constituency.
- Malcolm Rifkind (Conservative): 17,595 votes (50.1%)
- Sam Gurney (Labour): 8,979 votes (25.5%)
- Robin Meltzer (Liberal Democrats): 6,872 votes (19.6%)
The Conservative Party won this new seat.
See also
