Lab took this seat from Con after 4 consecutive elections.
MP News Approval i
+59
Tony Vaughan
Labour PartyTony Vaughan is the Labour MP for Folkestone and Hythe, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Folkestone and Hythe has been mixed for Tony across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Everything you need to know about the revolt brewing over Labour's migration reforms” — inews.co.uk
“Ministers working with Labour backbenchers to temper Mahmood immigration plans” — AOL.com
Represented by Lab since 2024. Covers Folkestone, Hythe and Littlestone-on-Sea. Population 93,577, notably older (median age 47 vs 41 nationally). Median income £25K (below average).
BBC Radio 4 - Lifeboat at the End of the World by Dominic Gregory, Episode 4
BBC · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£25,400
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£33,900
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
3,025
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
39
27 primary, 6 secondary, 6 other
Total Income Tax▼
£217m
from 44,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,390
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£4,960
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▼
41.3
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
55.6%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
1 large town, 2 towns, 6 villages, rural areas — 91,378 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
21 councillors across 9 wards · Last elections: May 2023
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadmead | Labour Party | Belinda Walker | May 2023 |
| Cheriton | Green Party of England and Wales | Mike Blakemore | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Polly Blakemore | May 2023 | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Rebecca Tamsin Shoob | May 2023 | |
| East Folkestone | Labour Party | Adrian Ashley Lockwood | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Connor Andrew McConville | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Jackie Meade | May 2023 | |
| Folkestone Central | Labour Party | Abena Akuffo-Kelly | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Laura Davison | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Liz McShane | May 2023 | |
| Hythe | Green Party of England and Wales | Anita Jones | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Jim Martin | May 2023 | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Rich Holgate | May 2023 | |
| Hythe Rural | Green Party of England and Wales | Jeremy Speakman | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | John Wing | May 2023 | |
| New Romney | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | David Wimble | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Paul David Thomas | May 2023 | |
| Sandgate West Folkestone | Liberal Democrats | Gary Fuller | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Tim Prater | May 2023 | |
| Walland Denge Marsh | Conservative and Unionist Party | Alan Martin | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Clive Goddard | 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 | 15,020 | 34.7% | |
Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 11,291 | 26.1% |
| Ref | 10,685 | 24.7% | |
| Green | 3,954 | 9.1% | |
| LD | 1,736 | 4.0% | |
| Ind | 249 | 0.6% | |
| Ind | 240 | 0.6% | |
| Ind | 71 | 0.2% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 35,483 | 60.1% |
| Lab | 14,146 | 24.0% | |
| LD | 5,755 | 9.8% | |
| Green | 2,706 | 4.6% | |
| Ind | 576 | 1.0% | |
| Ind | 190 | 0.3% | |
| Ind | 80 | 0.1% | |
| Ind | 69 | 0.1% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 32,197 | 54.7% |
| Lab | 16,786 | 28.5% | |
| LD | 4,222 | 7.2% | |
| Ind | 2,565 | 4.4% | |
| Green | 2,498 | 4.2% | |
| Ind | 493 | 0.8% | |
| Ind | 114 | 0.2% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 26,323 | 47.9% |
| Ind | 12,526 | 22.8% | |
| Lab | 7,939 | 14.4% | |
| LD | 4,882 | 8.9% | |
| Green | 2,956 | 5.4% | |
| Ind | 244 | 0.4% | |
| Ind | 72 | 0.1% | |
| Ind | 68 | 0.1% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 26,109 | 49.5% |
| LD | 15,987 | 30.3% | |
| Lab | 5,719 | 10.8% | |
| Ind | 2,439 | 4.6% | |
| Ind | 1,662 | 3.1% | |
| Green | 637 | 1.2% | |
| Ind | 247 | 0.5% |
Tony Vaughan appeared in 1 national article across 2 topics (13 Apr 2026 – 13 Apr 2026)
Mixed (+0.20)Ranked #120 of 286 MPs mentioned in national coverage
Organised a letter signed by over 100 Labour MPs expressing concern about the asylum reforms, showing grassroots party opposition though his individual influence is limited.
10 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation follows Dominic Gregory's account of volunteering with the RNLI lifeboat crew at Dungeness, chronicling their rescue operations and the challenges they face, including migrant rescue at sea. The programme highlights the extraordinary work of this volunteer-led service based in this Kent coastal community.
The Hythe Ferry service, suspended since August 2024 due to pontoon damage, has gone into voluntary liquidation after the operating company exhausted all options to secure funding or find a new operator. The service, which has connected Hythe and Southampton since medieval times, will no longer operate.
The historic Hythe Ferry has been placed into voluntary liquidation after 18 months of failed rescue efforts, including attempts to secure funding, grants, and new operators. This closure represents a significant loss for the local community who relied on the ferry as an important transport link.
The EU's new biometric entry and exit system (EES) becomes fully operational on April 10, requiring UK travellers to be photographed and fingerprinted at EU borders, with predicted delays of up to four hours. Folkestone is identified as one of three dual British-French border locations where UK travellers will undergo these checks before crossing to the continent.
The EU's new entry-exit system (EES) will require British travellers to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics at Schengen borders from October 2025, replacing manual passport stamping. The article details how the system will affect UK citizens and notes that Folkestone's Eurotunnel terminal is one of three UK locations with juxtaposed border controls where French officials conduct checks on British soil.
Joe Bennett, from Folkestone in Kent, is urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to raise the cases of his parents Lindsay and Craig Foreman during diplomatic talks in the Middle East, following their detention in Iran on spying charges since January 2025. The family hopes the recent US-Iran ceasefire provides an opportunity for intervention similar to the successful French efforts that secured the release of other detainees.
A 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of burglary at the long-closed Folkestone Sports Centre following a break-in on 4 April. The facility, shut since July 2024 and subject to previous vandalism, is currently being renovated by The Sports Trust charity, which plans to reopen it this summer.
Folkestone and Hythe District Council's licensing subcommittee approved Love on the Leas music festival for May despite residents' complaints about excessive noise from last year's event. Organisers have committed to noise management measures including lowering speakers and better communication with residents.
Hampshire Police are seeking to identify a woman caught on CCTV in connection with two shoplifting incidents at Waitrose in Hythe on March 19-20. The incidents involved the theft of alcohol and meat products, with the suspect fleeing when confronted by staff.
The EU's Entry Exit System (EES) launches on April 10, 2026, replacing passport stamps with digital border checks for UK travellers. The system will affect departures from UK ports including Eurotunnel Le Shuttle at Folkestone, where passengers will complete checks before leaving the UK rather than on arrival in Europe.
The article explains the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric border checks that begin on 10 April 2025 for non-EU travellers. Notably, EES checks will not begin at Folkestone's Eurotunnel terminal or Dover on the April deadline due to technical difficulties, with car passengers continuing to have passports stamped rather than undergoing biometric screening.
The EU's entry-exit system (EES) is experiencing implementation difficulties across European borders, with particular problems at three UK-France juxtaposed locations including Folkestone's Eurotunnel terminal where biometric registration equipment remains idle due to French-side connectivity issues. The article details chaos in the rollout, long queues at airports, and delays to the complementary ETIAS system.
The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) began on 12 October 2025, requiring British citizens to register biometric data when travelling to the Schengen area. Eurotunnel Le Shuttle at Folkestone has developed a purpose-built pre-registration area for UK passengers, with the UK government providing £3.5 million in support to prepare the port.
EasyJet warns passengers of longer queues at European airports this Easter due to the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) rollout by April 10, 2026. The article notes implementation challenges at Folkestone's Eurotunnel LeShuttle terminal among other locations, with delays potentially reaching two hours at peak times.
Vandals and trespassing 'explorers' have caused significant damage to Folkestone Sports Centre, which has been closed since July 2024. TikTok videos show youths accessing the site and further damaging equipment, though a £2.4 million council grant was recently approved to reopen the centre under The Sports Trust's operation.
Former Ipswich Town striker Joe Pigott has won the Isthmian Premier title with Folkestone Invicta FC in his debut season, helping the Kent club secure promotion to the National League South for the first time. Pigott, who dropped five divisions after leaving League One side Leyton Orient, has scored 17 goals in 33 games for the local non-league club.
A 6.5-acre plot at Lympne Industrial Estate near Hythe has been listed for sale at £3.2 million with outline planning permission for industrial development. The site offers potential for employment creation and is strategically positioned near the M20 and Channel Tunnel access.
Nigel Cann, CEO of Sizewell C nuclear power station project, is profiled for leading one of Britain's largest infrastructure projects. Raised in Folkestone and Romney Marsh, Cann emphasizes the project's commitment to apprenticeships, local employment, and community engagement while acknowledging construction disruption.
A Folkestone Magistrates' Court case involving Karl Newnham, who stalked his ex-partner for five months by planting a tracker on her car, bombarding her with messages, and making unwanted visits. Newnham was sentenced to a community order with 200 hours unpaid work and a 10-year restraining order after admitting stalking.
Marshall Smith won the Folkestone 10-Mile Road Race, with 764 participants finishing the event. The article provides results and photographs from the local sporting competition.
A travel feature highlighting Folkestone as an attractive coastal destination for Londoners, showcasing its five beaches, local attractions, and convenient 58-minute train access from London. The article presents the town positively as a 'gem' with diverse activities and amenities.
Local running club HY Runners competed in the Folkestone 10 mile race and Lee Valley Hammer School throwing event, with several athletes achieving personal bests and strong performances. The article celebrates community sporting achievement and invites new members to join the club's training sessions.
Labour's immigration reforms led by Home Office Minister Shabhana Mahmood are facing significant internal party revolt, with over 100 Labour MPs, peers, and union leaders opposing changes to asylum and settlement policies. Folkestone and Hythe MP Tony Vaughan has organised a letter signed by 100 colleagues opposing the reforms, which he argues undermine integration commitments and move the goalposts for migrants already working in the UK.
Tony Vaughan, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, is among 100 Labour backbenchers opposing the government's immigration settlement changes, which would extend the waiting period for indefinite leave to remain from 5 to 10 years. Vaughan faced negative media attacks for his previous work as a human rights barrister, with the article highlighting tensions between the Home Office and dissenting Labour MPs over the proposed immigration reforms.
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