This seat has swung with the country at every general election since 1964 and, following boundary changes, surprisingly did so at the last election.
Although there is a small rural element to this seat, Dartford is far better known for its commuters and industry. Commuters particularly are associated with the area, thanks to the presence of the M25 as well as the Dartford bridge and tunnel - the latter becoming a byword for traffic congestion.
It is in the shadow of the bridge, in the north of the seat, that the industrial territory is to be found, among which engineering and pharmaceuticals companies are the most prominent, including GlaxoSmithKline.
The seat has been the beneficiary of a great deal of construction work in recent times, not the least of which is the huge Bluewater Shopping Centre. The country’s second PFI-funded hospital opened in Darent Valley in August 2000, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link will pass through here with a terminus constructed at Ebsfleet to open within the next 10 years.