South East · England · 71,155Boundary · 2023

Canterbury

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

Represented by Lab since 2024. Covers Canterbury, Whitstable and Bridge. Population 101,471. Recorded crime is 42% above the national average.

One of Parliament's more distinctive independent voices, Rosie Duffield resigned the Labour whip in September 2024 -- just 85 days after winning re-election -- citing what she described as "sleaze, nepotism and greed," and anger over the withdrawal of the winter fuel payment. Since then she has carved out a clearly anti-government voting pattern: in March 2026 she opposed the Courts and Tribunals Bill, backed Lords amendments on free school meals, social media age bans, and sibling protections for looked-after children, and in April she broke with the independent majority on three Crime and Policing Bill votes. Her participation rate is low -- 32%, well below the Commons average -- which limits the practical impact of her dissent.

When she does vote, the picture is ideologically mixed. She aligns strongly with pro-climate and pro-workers'-rights positions (89% and 82% respectively), but votes almost entirely against progressive taxation and housing development -- deviating sharply from other independents. She supports rail nationalisation and public ownership consistently, and backs Lords scrutiny of government legislation at a high rate. Her 41 recent speech contributions cluster around health, social care, the economy, and crime -- consistent with her membership of the Women and Equalities Committee, where gender-related dimensions of those issues often surface.

154
Commons votes
This parliament
£30k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
71.2k
Electorate
2024 GE

Votes less often than 95% of MPs.

Current Member of Parliament

Rosie Duffield

Rosie Duffield

Independent

Rosie Duffield is the Independent MP for Canterbury, and has been an MP continually since 8 June 2017.

Notable Votes

MPs voted on whether to reject Lords Amendment 11 to the Crime and Policing Bill. The Government moved to disagree with this Lords change, meaning the Commons would override what the unelected House of Lords had added to the Bill.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

The government voted to reject a Lords amendment that would have proscribed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. The Conservative opposition argued the IRGC poses a direct threat to people in the UK and that proscription was overdue, while the government maintained it preferred existing measures such as the foreign influence registration scheme.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

The Commons voted to reject a Lords amendment that would have completely abolished non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs). The government argued the Lords amendment was unnecessary because it had already moved to scrap the existing NCHI code of practice and accepted a College of Policing review recommending a tougher new national standard instead.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

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Voting at a Glance

Represented by Lab since 2024. Covers Canterbury, Whitstable and Bridge. Population 101,471. Recorded crime is 42% above the national average.

2024 General Election

§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Duffield’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.158 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Duffield has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Taxation
19
Education
18
Welfare and Benefits
17
Employment
15
Constitution and Democracy
14
Economy
14
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 1114 Apr 2026 · free vote
Aye
Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 35914 Apr 2026 · free vote
No
Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 33414 Apr 2026 · free vote
No
§ 08The local picture.13 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
BartonConnie Nolan1,476Labour P
BartonPat Edwards1,405Labour P
BartonPaul Stephen Leonard Prentice1,257Labour P
Blean ForestAlex Ricketts1,214Liberal
Blean ForestDan Smith944Liberal
Blean ForestSteph Jupe1,035Liberal
Chartham Stone StreetAlister Brady1,169Labour P
Chartham Stone StreetMike Bland1,153Labour P
ChestfieldJames Flanagan1,358Liberal
ChestfieldPeter John Old1,381Liberal
GorrellChris Cornell1,643Labour P
GorrellClare Margaret Turnbull2,045Green Pa
Population (2021 Census)
101,471
Electorate 71,155 · 2024 register
Median income
£30,400
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
24.8%
England average 20.0%
Schools
49
24 primary · 8 secondary
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More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.