Rochester and Strood | ProjectParly

Earnings

Median gross annual earnings (residence-based).

£23,492

2011

£28,213

2021

+£4,721

£ change

+20.1%

% change

Real-terms comparison

2011 at 2021 prices: £30,234 Real change: −£2,021

Election history

LAB Lauren Edwards Gain

2024-07-04

Majority 2,930 Turnout 57.4% Votes 42,598

Candidate	Party	Count	Share	Swing
✓ Lauren Edwards	LAB	15,403	36.2%	+8.1pp
Kelly Tolhurst	CON	12,473	29.3%	-29.2pp
Daniel Dabin	REF	9,966	23.4%	—
Cat Jamieson	GRN	2,427	5.7%	+3.1pp
Graham Colley	LD	1,894	4.5%	-2.7pp
John Innes	WOR	245	0.6%	—
Peter Burch		190	0.5%	—

Candidate	Party	Count	Share	Swing
✓ Kelly Tolhurst	CON	31,151	60.0%	+5.6pp
Teresa Murray	LAB	14,079	27.1%	-8.9pp
Graham Colley	LD	3,717	7.2%	+5.0pp
Sonia Hyner	GRN	1,312	2.5%	+1.1pp
Roy Freshwater		1,080	2.1%	-3.3pp
Chris Spalding		587	1.1%	—

Candidate	Party	Count	Share	Swing
✓ Kelly Tolhurst	CON	29,232	54.4%	+10.3pp
Teresa Murray	LAB	19,382	36.1%	+16.3pp
David Allen		2,893	5.4%	-25.1pp
Bart Ricketts	LD	1,189	2.2%	-0.2pp
Sonia Hyner	GRN	781	1.5%	-1.4pp
Steve Benson		163	0.3%	—
Primerose Chiguri		129	0.2%	—

Candidate	Party	Count	Share	Swing
✓ Kelly Tolhurst	CON	23,142	44.1%	-5.1pp
Mark Reckless		16,009	30.5%	—
Naushabah Khan	LAB	10,396	19.8%	-8.7pp
Clive Gregory	GRN	1,516	2.9%	+1.4pp
Prue Bray	LD	1,251	2.4%	-13.9pp
Daniel Burn		202	0.4%	—

Candidate	Party	Count	Share	Swing
✓ Mark Reckless	CON	23,604	49.2%	+6.6pp
Teresa Murray	LAB	13,651	28.5%	-13.1pp
Geoffrey Juby	LD	7,800	16.3%	+3.9pp
Ron Sands		2,182	4.6%	—
Simon Marchant	GRN	734	1.5%	—

Demographics

Changes shown vs 2001 Census

📊 Age

0 to 17

23.4%

35 to 49

21.1%

50 to 64

18.5%

65 and over

15.8%

25 to 34

14.1%

18 to 24

7.1%

🌍 Ethnicity

White

85.9%

Asian or Asian British

5.1%

Black, African, Caribbean or Black British

5.1%

Other ethnic group

4.0%

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups

2.8%

📊 Age

65 and over

16.1%

18 to 24

7.7%

⛪ Religion

Christian

44.7%

No religion

44.0%

Not answered

5.4%

Other religion

2.7%

Muslim

2.1%

Sikh

1.5%

Hindu

1.0%

Buddhist

0.5%

Jewish

0.1%

🎓 Education

Level 4 qualifications or above

26.9%

No qualifications

18.7%

Level 3 qualifications

18.0%

Level 2 qualifications

15.8%

Level 1 and entry level qualifications

11.8%

Apprenticeship

5.9%

Other qualifications

2.8%

🏠 Housing

Owner-occupiers

66.6%

Private renters

18.4%

Social renters

14.9%

Rent free

0.0%

🌍 Ethnicity

White

90.4%

Asian or Asian British

5.0%

Black, African, Caribbean or Black British

2.1%

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups

1.9%

Other ethnic group

0.6%

📊 Age

45 to 64

25.6%

Under 18

22.3%

30 to 44

20.8%

18 to 29

16.7%

65 and over

14.6%

⛪ Religion

Christian

58.5%

No religion

29.2%

Not answered

6.8%

Sikh

1.7%

Muslim

1.6%

Hindu

1.0%

Other religion

0.7%

Buddhist

0.4%

Jewish

0.1%

🎓 Education

No qualifications

22.3%

Level 4 qualifications or above

20.5%

Level 2 qualifications

18.2%

Level 1 and entry level qualifications

16.6%

Level 3 qualifications

12.6%

Other qualifications

5.1%

Apprenticeship

4.8%

🏠 Housing

Owner-occupiers

69.5%

Private renters

15.6%

Social renters

13.8%

Rent free

1.1%

🌍 Ethnicity

White

94.7%

Asian or Asian British

2.9%

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups

1.0%

Other ethnic group

0.8%

Black, African, Caribbean or Black British

0.7%

⛪ Religion

Christian

72.8%

No religion

16.2%

Not answered

7.4%

Sikh

1.4%

Muslim

0.9%

Hindu

0.6%

Other religion

0.4%

Buddhist

0.3%

Jewish

0.1%

🎓 Education

No qualifications

29.8%

Level 2 qualifications

21.1%

Level 1 and entry level qualifications

20.9%

Level 4 qualifications or above

13.1%

Other qualifications

8.2%

Level 3 qualifications

6.9%

🏠 Housing

Owner-occupiers

76.2%

Social renters

14.2%

Private renters

9.3%

Rent free

1.6%

Demographic change (2001–2021)

Measured change only. No assumptions or interpretation.

🌍 Ethnicity

Group	2001 %	2011 %	2021 %	01→11	11→21	01→21
Other ethnic group	0.8%	0.6%	4.0%	-0.2pp	+3.4pp	+3.2pp
Asian or Asian British	2.9%	5.0%	5.1%	+2.1pp	+0.1pp	+2.2pp
Black, African, Caribbean or Black British	0.7%	2.1%	5.1%	+1.4pp	+2.9pp	+4.4pp
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups	1.0%	1.9%	2.8%	+0.9pp	+0.9pp	+1.8pp
White	94.7%	90.4%	85.9%	-4.3pp	-4.5pp	-8.8pp

⛪ Religion

Group	2001 %	2011 %	2021 %	01→11	11→21	01→21
Buddhist	0.3%	0.4%	0.5%	+0.1pp	+0.1pp	+0.2pp
Christian	72.8%	58.5%	44.7%	-14.2pp	-13.8pp	-28.1pp
Hindu	0.6%	1.0%	1.0%	+0.4pp	+0.1pp	+0.4pp
Jewish	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%	0.0pp	0.0pp	0.0pp
Muslim	0.9%	1.6%	2.1%	+0.7pp	+0.5pp	+1.3pp
Sikh	1.4%	1.7%	1.5%	+0.3pp	-0.3pp	+0.1pp
No religion	16.2%	29.2%	44.0%	+13.0pp	+14.8pp	+27.8pp
Other religion	0.4%	0.7%	2.7%	+0.3pp	+2.1pp	+2.3pp
Not answered	7.4%	6.8%	5.4%	-0.7pp	-1.4pp	-2.0pp

🎓 Education

Group	2001 %	2011 %	2021 %	01→11	11→21	01→21
Apprenticeship	—	4.8%	5.9%	—	+1.1pp	—
Level 4 qualifications or above	13.1%	20.5%	26.9%	+7.4pp	+6.4pp	+13.8pp
Level 1 and entry level qualifications	20.9%	16.6%	11.8%	-4.3pp	-4.7pp	-9.0pp
Level 2 qualifications	21.1%	18.2%	15.8%	-2.9pp	-2.4pp	-5.3pp
Level 3 qualifications	6.9%	12.6%	18.0%	+5.6pp	+5.5pp	+11.1pp
No qualifications	29.8%	22.3%	18.7%	-7.4pp	-3.7pp	-11.1pp
Other qualifications	8.2%	5.1%	2.8%	-3.1pp	-2.3pp	-5.4pp

🏠 Housing

Group	2001 %	2011 %	2021 %	01→11	11→21	01→21
Owner-occupiers	76.2%	69.5%	66.6%	-6.7pp	-2.9pp	-9.6pp
Private renters	9.3%	15.6%	18.4%	+6.3pp	+2.8pp	+9.1pp
Rent free	1.6%	1.1%	0.0%	-0.5pp	-1.1pp	-1.6pp
Social renters	14.2%	13.8%	14.9%	-0.4pp	+1.1pp	+0.7pp

Previous MPs

2

MP	Party	From	To
Kelly Tolhurst	CON	2015-05-07	2024-05-30
Mark Reckless	UK	2014-11-20	2015-03-30