Kent
Kent, known as the Garden of England, sits in the southeastern corner of the country and combines agriculture, coastal towns, and key transport links to Europe. Major centres include Canterbury, Maidstone, Dover, and Ashford. The county also includes the unitary authority of Medway, centred around the towns of Rochester and Chatham. The rest of the county is governed by Kent County Council and its district councils.
Local Authorities in Kent
- Kent County Council (County Council)
- Ashford Borough Council (District Council)
- Canterbury City Council (District Council)
- Dartford Borough Council (District Council)
- Dover District Council (District Council)
- Folkestone and Hythe District Council (District Council)
- Gravesham Borough Council (District Council)
- Maidstone Borough Council (District Council)
- Sevenoaks District Council (District Council)
- Swale Borough Council (District Council)
- Thanet District Council (District Council)
- Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council (District Council)
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (District Council)
- Medway Council (Unitary Authority)
Kent, in England’s South East region, has a two-tier system of local government with Kent County Council providing county-wide services such as education, transport, and social care, supported by 12 district and borough councils that manage local responsibilities like planning, housing, and waste collection. These are Ashford Borough Council, Canterbury City Council, Dartford Borough Council, Dover District Council, Folkestone and Hythe District Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Maidstone Borough Council, Sevenoaks District Council, Swale Borough Council, Thanet District Council, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. In addition, the Medway area operates separately as a unitary authority under Medway Council, independent of the county council, covering the urban centres of Chatham, Rochester, and Gillingham. Together, these councils provide governance across a county known for its cathedral city of Canterbury, historic castles, coastal towns, the White Cliffs of Dover, and expansive countryside, balancing strategic county-wide functions with local services.
Districts in Kent
- Ashford
- Canterbury
- Dartford
- Dover
- Folkestone and Hythe
- Gravesham
- Maidstone
- Medway
- Sevenoaks
- Swale
- Thanet
- Tonbridge and Malling
- Tunbridge Wells
(ITL 1) South East
(ITL 2) ⇒ Kent
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Medway ⁞ Kent Thames Gateway ⁞ East Kent ⁞ Mid Kent ⁞ West Kent
Constituencies in Kent
- Ashford
- Canterbury
- Chatham and Aylesford
- Dartford
- Dover and Deal
- East Thanet
- Faversham and Mid Kent
- Folkestone and Hythe
- Gillingham and Rainham
- Gravesham
- Herne Bay and Sandwich
- Maidstone and Malling
- Rochester and Strood
- Sevenoaks
- Sittingbourne and Sheppey
- Tonbridge
- Tunbridge Wells
- Weald of Kent
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 18 of them are in Kent.