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Kent is getting a big shake-up of its political map ahead of the general election on 4 July.

The Boundary Commission for England has re-shaped the county's constituencies - and added a new one called Weald of Kent - to ensure each MP represents roughly the same number of voters.

It means that from 5 July Kent will have an additional MP.

Many residents going into the election will find the constituency they live in has changed geographically or in name.

This seat is a brand new constituency, formed from parts of four old constituencies - Maidstone and the Weald, Faversham and Mid Kent, Ashford, and Folkestone and Hythe.

It is rural and includes Tenterden, Cranbrook, Headcorn and Yalding.

Right in the heart of Kent, these are towns and villages long considered a Tory heartland, which is why many of the main political parties are not considering this a target constituency.

Due to the newly created Weald of Kent seat, Maidstone and Malling will see big changes to its boundaries and will now cover a much smaller area.

It takes in West Malling and Kings Hill from the old Tonbridge and Malling seat, which becomes just Tonbridge.

Equally Maidstone and Malling will pick up part of the old Chatham and Aylesford constituency which will be incorporated to form Maidstone and Malling.

Like some other seats in Kent, Ashford will now be much smaller geographically than it used to be.

However, Ashford will now pick up voters in Hawkinge from, what was until this election, part of the Folkestone and Hythe constituency.

However, Ashford will lose villages in the west including Tenterden, which some have said makes the seat a more difficult place for Conservatives to win.

The previous North Thanet seat will now become known as Herne Bay and Sandwich.

The constituency loses Margate, but picks up Sandwich as part of the new boundary changes.

South Thanet as it was previously known, will instead become East Thanet, and include the towns of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. A target seat for Labour.

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