South Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox UK constituency main South Thanet was a constituency^{[n 1]} in Kent.^{[n 2]}

The 2023 review of Westminster constituencies made moderate boundary changes to the constituency, which was renamed East Thanet, taking effect at the 2024 general election.^[1]

Boundaries

Template:Maplink 1983–2010: The District of Thanet wards of Beacon Road, Bradstowe, Central Eastcliff, Central Westcliff, Kingsgate, Minster Parish, Newington, Northwood, Pierremont, St Lawrence, St Peter's, Sir Moses Montefiore, Southwood, and Upton, and the District of Dover wards of Ash, Little Stour, Sandwich, Woodnesborough with Staple, and Worth.

2010–2024: The District of Thanet wards of Beacon Road, Bradstowe, Central Harbour, Cliffsend and Pegwell, Cliftonville East, Cliftonville West, Eastcliff, Kingsgate, Nethercourt, Newington, Northwood, St Peter's, Sir Moses Montefiore, and Viking, and the District of Dover wards of Little Stour and Ashstone, and Sandwich.

South Thanet consisted of the southern and eastern part of Thanet district (the towns of Ramsgate and Broadstairs, the Cliftonville area of Margate and the village of Cliffsend) together with the northern part of Dover district, comprising the ancient Cinque Port of Sandwich and surrounding villages.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member^[2]	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1983	Jonathan Aitken	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1997	Stephen Ladyman	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	2010	Laura Sandys	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	2015	Craig Mackinlay	Conservative
	2024	constituency abolished

Electoral spending criminal investigation following the 2015 general election

In 2016 an investigation by Channel 4 News revealed that the Conservative Party had spent many thousands of pounds centrally on battlebuses to transport activists, and hotel accommodation for the activists, who went to campaign in marginal constituencies, including South Thanet. The expenditure on the buses was declared by the Conservative Party on its national declaration of "Campaign Spending", but in some cases the hotel accommodation was not declared at all as election spending when it should have been. In addition, there is controversy about whether the expenditure, both on the buses and the accommodation, should have been declared on the declarations of expenditure for the constituency made by each candidate's election agent. Kent Police began an investigation into the spending returns of Craig Mackinlay following the Channel 4 report.^[3]

In a court case on 1 June 2016, brought against Mackinlay and his election agent Nathan Gray,^[4] District Judge Barron granted more time for investigation saying "In this case, the allegations are far-reaching and the consequences of a conviction would be of a local and national significance with the potential for election results being declared void."^[5]

On 14 March 2017, it was reported that Mackinlay had been interviewed under caution by officers investigating the allegations.^[6] On 2 June 2017, six days before the 2017 general election, Mackinlay and two Conservative party officials were charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983. They were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 4 July 2017.^[7]

On 9 January 2019, Mackinlay was cleared of election expenses fraud.^[8] One of the other defendants, Marion Little, was found guilty of two charges and given a nine-month suspended sentence and £5000 fine.^[9] She retained the OBE she had been awarded for political service in 2015.^[10]