Lab took this seat from Con after 4 consecutive elections.
MP News Approval i
+50
Sojan Joseph
Labour PartySojan Joseph is the Labour MP for Ashford, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
Vote on an amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that would prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the Bill solely because they have voluntarily stopped eating and drinking. This matters because without the amendment, a person could potentially use voluntary starvation to meet the terminal illness threshold and access an assisted death.
Vote on whether to add a provision to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ensuring that if an independent doctor dies or becomes too ill to complete their assessment before signing off on an assisted dying request, a further referral can be made to another doctor — mirroring an existing provision in the Bill for the attending doctor.
A procedural vote on whether to allow New Clause 16 to be formally considered as part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Report Stage, after proceedings had been interrupted on 13 June when an objection was raised. The debate excerpts do not reveal the substantive content of New Clause 16.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Ashford has been mixed for Sojan across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Older people without a Blue Badge may be able to use disabled parking spaces” — Daily Record
“Developer behind huge Kent housing project goes into administration” — Kent Online
A marginal seat — won by just 1,779 votes (3.8%) in 2024. Covers Ashford (Ashford), Hawkinge and Wye. Population 110,427.
NatWest to close 37 branches including two in Greater Manchester
Manchester Evening News · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£30,300
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£38,100
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
3,800
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
44
33 primary, 5 secondary, 6 other
Total Income Tax▼
£341m
from 58,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£3,150
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£5,930
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
48.4
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
69.7%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
1 city, 2 towns, 4 villages, rural areas — 108,352 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
29 councillors across 23 wards · Last elections: May 2023
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aylesford East Stour | Green Party of England and Wales | Al Arnold | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Sojan Joseph | May 2023 | |
| Beaver | Labour Party | Kate Leavey | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Lyn Suddards | May 2023 | |
| Bircholt | Ashford Independent | Simon Bower Betty | May 2023 |
| Bockhanger | Labour Party | Diccon Jeremy Spain | May 2023 |
| Bybrook | Labour Party | Alan Edward Dean | May 2023 |
| Conningbrook Little Burton Farm | Ashford Independent | Katy Pauley | May 2023 |
| Furley | Conservative and Unionist Party | Andrew Buchanan | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Euan Fergus Anckorn | May 2023 | |
| Godinton | Conservative and Unionist Party | Peter Feacey | May 2023 |
| Highfield | Green Party of England and Wales | Dawnie Nilsson | May 2023 |
| Kennington | Conservative and Unionist Party | Nathan Iliffe | May 2023 |
| Mersham Sevington South With Finberry | Conservative and Unionist Party | Paul Bartlett | May 2023 |
| Norman | Green Party of England and Wales | Jo Gambling | May 2023 |
| Park Farm North | Ashford Independent | Ben Townend | May 2023 |
| Park Farm South | Green Party of England and Wales | Katrina Giles | May 2023 |
| Repton | Conservative and Unionist Party | Bernard Heyes | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Matthew Forest | May 2023 | |
| Roman | Ashford Independent | Heather Angela Hayward | May 2023 |
| Singleton East | Conservative and Unionist Party | Bill Barrett | May 2023 |
| Singleton West | Labour Party | Sally Ann Gathern | May 2023 |
| Stanhope | Labour Party | Brendan Chilton | May 2023 |
| Victoria | Labour Party | Charles Suddards | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Tania Gauder | May 2023 | |
| Washford | Labour Party | Clive John Hallett | May 2023 |
| Willesborough | Green Party of England and Wales | Liz Wright | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Steven Campkin | May 2023 | |
| Wye With Hinxhill | Ashford Independent | Noel Ovenden | May 2023 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab | 15,262 | 32.5% | |
Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 13,483 | 28.7% |
| Ref | 10,141 | 21.6% | |
| Green | 4,355 | 9.3% | |
| LD | 2,445 | 5.2% | |
| Ind | 1,289 | 2.7% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 37,270 | 62.1% |
| Lab | 13,241 | 22.1% | |
| LD | 6,048 | 10.1% | |
| Green | 2,638 | 4.4% | |
| Ind | 862 | 1.4% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 35,318 | 59.0% |
| Lab | 17,840 | 29.8% | |
| LD | 3,101 | 5.2% | |
| Ind | 2,218 | 3.7% | |
| Green | 1,402 | 2.3% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 30,094 | 52.5% |
| Ind | 10,798 | 18.8% | |
| Lab | 10,580 | 18.4% | |
| LD | 3,433 | 6.0% | |
| Green | 2,467 | 4.3% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 29,878 | 54.1% |
| LD | 12,581 | 22.8% | |
| Lab | 9,204 | 16.7% | |
| Ind | 2,508 | 4.5% | |
| Green | 1,014 | 1.8% |
Sojan Joseph has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
17 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
NatWest is closing 37 UK branches over the next year, with one branch located in Ashford, Middlesex, scheduled to close on May 12. The closure is part of a broader shift toward digital banking, with many branches being replaced by banking hubs offering limited face-to-face services.
A Croatian lorry driver has pleaded guilty to causing the death of Arran McManus, a 36-year-old dad-of-two and youth football coach from Ashford, in a fatal M20 crash on November 25 last year. The incident occurred near Lenham during a traffic jam with a 50mph speed restriction in place, and the driver will be sentenced on May 18.
Kent firefighters have been battling a fire at an industrial waste site near Brunswick Road in Ashford since Tuesday evening, with ongoing operations involving multiple fire engines and specialist equipment. Residents have been advised to keep windows and doors shut due to smoke, with warnings that smoke levels may increase as crews work to extinguish the fire.
Labour MP Sojan Joseph asked the UK Government whether disabled parking eligibility could be extended to pensioners with mobility issues who don't qualify for the higher rate of disability benefits. The Local Transport Minister confirmed that councils have powers to create dedicated parking spaces for this group through local schemes, though implementation would be decided locally.
A viral social media trend featuring Highland cows has led to dangerous overcrowding at nature reserves, including Hothfield Heathlands in Ashford, Kent. Park rangers were forced to remove the cows due to visitor distress and welfare concerns after people repeatedly ignored safety warnings.
A large fire broke out at Green Box Recycling on Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate in Ashford on Tuesday afternoon, with thick black smoke visible and residents advised to keep doors and windows closed. Ten fire engines and specialist equipment were deployed to tackle the blaze.
A significant fire broke out at a recycling centre on Ashford's Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate, producing thick black smoke visible across miles of the area. Emergency services were responding to the incident on Tuesday evening.
A husband in Smarden, near Ashford, is seeking Ashford Borough Council approval to build a bungalow with an integrated care suite so he can bring his wife home from a care facility where she has lived for over two years due to dementia and Parkinson's disease. This is his third planning application for the site, with previous schemes refused; the new single-storey proposal has mixed local support and raises drainage concerns from some residents.
Mountfield Industrial Estate in New Romney has expanded with a new 17-unit commercial development (Brocade Court) expected to create 80-100 jobs. The expansion is part of ongoing efforts to boost employment in Romney Marsh, particularly to offset future job losses from nuclear power station decommissioning at Dungeness.
Ashford Borough Council is proceeding with construction of 14 affordable homes on a fire-damaged brownfield site in Kennington, with work starting in autumn 2024. The development includes sustainable design features and addresses local housing demand for social and affordable rental properties.
NHS Kent and Medway is requesting £3 million in developer contributions to upgrade healthcare services if 815 homes are built at Ashford's Newtown railway works site, following the collapse of Netflix film studio plans. The health authority warns that the housing development could overwhelm local services, particularly William Harvey Hospital, without adequate infrastructure investment.
Highland cows at Hothfield Heathlands nature reserve near Ashford have been hidden from public view due to social media-driven overcrowding and distress to the animals. The Kent Wildlife Trust removed the cattle after viral TikTok videos attracted influencers attempting to take selfies and stroke the animals despite warnings.
A 38-year-old man from Ashford has been charged with 55 sexual offences against young girls, including rape, production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, and blackmail. The case is progressing through Swindon Crown Court with the next hearing scheduled for June 1, 2025.
Hodson Developments, the lead developer of Chilmington Green, a 5,750-home garden town project on Ashford's outskirts, has gone into administration, jeopardizing key infrastructure including a £30m A28 dualling project and three planned primary schools. The collapse follows the developer's failed legal appeal to avoid over £50m in agreed obligations, raising serious questions about the completion of promised community facilities and services for the 5,000+ remaining homes.
Adult social care costs in Kent have nearly doubled in five years, rising from £438m to £787.5m at KCC, driven by an ageing population and inflated provider fees that exceed national averages. Both Kent County Council and Medway Council are struggling to manage unprecedented demand and cost pressures, with significant budget overruns and concerns that aggressive cost-cutting measures could destabilise the already fragile care provider market.
A profile piece on Saurap Sampang, a young footballer from Ashford, Kent who has progressed through Arsenal's academy system. The article highlights his South Asian heritage, his journey from Sunday League football with Ashford United to Arsenal scholar status, and his aspirations in professional football.
Matches sports bar has closed at Ashford's Elwick Place leisure complex after being asked to relocate by Ashford Borough Council, which is shifting the site toward family-oriented entertainment. Owner Jon Shephard, who invested over £300,000, refused the relocation offer and held an emotional final weekend that drew hundreds of customers; the council spent £900,000 buying back his lease as part of plans to introduce bowling, arcade, diner, and mini golf.
Jerry Dyer, the viral aviation content creator behind Big Jet TV, has returned home after suffering heart valve surgery followed by two strokes. The article highlights the community support he received and thanks to NHS teams at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals, where he received specialist cardiac and stroke care during his recovery.
A Kent father-of-two, Lloyd Starley, has launched The Huddle, a men's support group based in Ashford that tackles loneliness and improves mental wellbeing through peer support and social connection. The group, which already has over 300 members, meets weekly at various venues across Ashford and plans to expand to surrounding areas.
A 25-year-old Ashford woman, Danielle Tuohy, died by suicide after being turned away from William Harvey Hospital and receiving insufficient mental health support despite expressing suicidal intent. The inquest highlighted failures in coordination between NHS trusts and gaps in her care, though the coroner rejected some conclusions about service disconnect. MP Sojan Joseph backed a subsequent campaign to raise M20 bridge barriers.
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