South East · England · 76,406Boundary · 2023

Dover & Deal

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Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing Dover.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Dover, Deal and Whitfield (Dover). Population 100,228. Median income £26K (below average).

A near-perfect party loyalist with three notable exceptions, Mike Tapp broke from Labour twice on the assisted dying bill in June 2025 -- supporting new clauses at Report Stage that the party majority rejected -- and earlier voted against a Liberal Democrat motion on proportional representation, bucking Labour on electoral reform. Beyond those deviations, he has been vocal on constituency matters, publicly condemning an antisemitic art exhibition in his area as "completely unacceptable" and drawing on his own military background to champion the Armed Forces housing provisions affecting Dover and Deal.

Tapp votes in 78% of divisions -- slightly below the Commons average -- and aligns with Labour 99.2% of the time, making his rebel votes stand out as genuine exceptions rather than a pattern of dissent. His speeches concentrate heavily on immigration (41 contributions), crime (24), and social care (15), reflecting Dover and Deal's position as a frontline constituency for Channel crossings. His stance scores show strong alignment with workers' rights and progressive taxation but low scores on climate action (42%), welfare expansion (40%), and parliamentary scrutiny (5%). He sits noticeably above his party average on consumer protection and criminal justice reform, and below it on pension protection.

379
Commons votes
This parliament
£26k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
76.4k
Electorate
2024 GE

A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review.

Current Member of Parliament

Mike Tapp

Mike Tapp

Labour Party

Mike Tapp is the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. He currently holds the Government post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office).

Notable Votes

Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance, devolution, and regulatory consultation. The excerpts focus on New Clause 20, which would require the Secretary of State to issue guidance (consulting chief medical officers and palliative/hospice care providers) and enable Welsh Ministers to issue guidance on devolved health matters.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

Vote on New Clause 1 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a private member's bill on assisted dying. Based on available debate context, this was one of several amendments considered at Report Stage, with the bill's sponsor Kim Leadbeater presenting changes developed with government legal and health officials to make the legislation workable.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

A vote on whether to allow a Bill to be introduced that would replace the current first-past-the-post voting system with proportional representation (specifically single transferable vote) for UK parliamentary and English local government elections. The Bill was proposed by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney, arguing the current system produces large parliamentary majorities on small vote shares.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

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Voting at a Glance

Won by Lab in its first election in 2024. Covers Dover, Deal and Whitfield (Dover). Population 100,228. Median income £26K (below average).

2024 General Election

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.394 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Tapp 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
90
Economy
82
Employment
46
Welfare and Benefits
30
Crime & Policing
29
Education
28
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 213 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 113 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Elections (proportional representation): Ten Minute Rule Motion 03 Dec 2024 · free vote
No
§ 08The local picture.15 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Alkham Capel Le FerneMartin Hibbert428Conserva
Aylesham Eythorne ShepherdswellCharles Woodgate1,423Labour P
Aylesham Eythorne ShepherdswellJamie Luke Pout1,410Labour P
Aylesham Eythorne ShepherdswellMaria Shaz Mamjan1,260Labour P
BucklandCharlotte Zosseder615Labour P
BucklandKevin Mills692Labour P
Dover Downs RiverDave Beaney845Conserva
Dover Downs RiverMark Rose761Conserva
Eastry RuralNick Kenton776Conserva
Eastry RuralSteve Manion698Conserva
Guston Kingsdown St Margarets At CliffeMartin Bates960Conserva
Guston Kingsdown St Margarets At CliffeOliver Richardson941Conserva
Population (2021 Census)
100,228
Electorate 76,406 · 2024 register
Median income
£25,800
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
19.7%
England average 20.0%
Schools
53
35 primary · 7 secondary
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