The younger brother of Dover, Folkestone and Hythe’s prominence as a cross channel port has diminished somewhat since the opening of the Eurotunnel. The constituency lies seven miles to the west of Dover on the Kent Coast.
The seat contains two of the old medieval Cinque ports: Hythe and Romney. The role of these ports was to provide ships and men for protection against invasion at a time when England had no permanent navy. Folkestone and Hythe is still represented by someone who seeks to protect Britain from European incursions: the Conservative MP and former Home Secretary Michael Howard. The Referendum Party’s John Aspinall also succeeded in gaining 8% of the vote in this seat in 1997.
Flamboyant former residents include the late Conservative MP Alan Clark whose medieval Saltwood Castle residency, where his wife Jane still lives, lies in the area. Derek Jarman, the late gay film director, also lived here. The constituency also includes Romney Marsh country, Lydd and the Elham Valley.