North Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

North Devon
County constituency
for the House of Commons
South West England - North Devon constituency.svg
Boundary of North Devon in South West England
County Devon
Electorate 76,455 (2023) [1]
Major settlements Barnstaple and Ilfracombe
Current constituency
Created 1950
Member of Parliament Ian Roome (Liberal Democrats)
SeatsOne
Created from Barnstaple and South Molton
1832–1885
SeatsTwo
Type of constituency County constituency
Created from Devon
Replaced by South Molton
Barnstaple
Tiverton
Honiton

North Devon is a constituency [n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Ian Roome of the Liberal Democrats.

Contents

Boundaries

North Devon (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of current boundaries

1832–1868: The Hundreds of Bampton, Black Torrington, Braunton, Crediton, Fremington, Halberton, Hartland, Hayridge, Hemyock, North Tawton and Winkleigh, Shebbear, Sherwill, South Molton, Tiverton, Witheridge, and West Budleigh. [2]

1868–1885: The Hundreds of Bampton, Braunton, Crediton, Fremington, Halberton, Hartland, Hayridge, Hemyock, North Tawton, Shebbear, Sherwill, South Molton, Tiverton, Winkleigh, Witheridge, and West Budleigh. [3]

1950–1974: The Boroughs of Barnstaple and South Molton, the Urban Districts of Ilfracombe and Lynton, and the Rural Districts of Barnstaple and South Molton.

1974–1983: The Boroughs of Barnstaple and Bideford, the Urban Districts of Ilfracombe, Lynton, and Northam, and the Rural Districts of Barnstaple, Bideford, and South Molton.

1983–2010: The District of North Devon, and the District of Mid Devon wards of Taw, Taw Vale, and West Creedy.

2010–present: The District of North Devon.

The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies left the boundaries unchanged. [4]

History

United Kingdom general election 1837.svg
United Kingdom general election 1837.svg
Context: 1832-1868. Extract from 1837 result: the main striped area at centre

A two-seat constituency of the same name existed from 1832 to 1885, formally titled the 'Northern Division of Devon'.

This began at the 1832 general election, when the Reform Act 1832 divided the former two-seat Devon into Northern and Southern divisions, each of which elected two MPs using the bloc vote system of election. The constituency was abolished for the 1885 general election, when the Redistribution of Seats Act split the county into smaller single-seat divisions. Its second creation is current, and began at the 1950 general election (covering a smaller area than before). Prior to 1950, its territory was split between the old constituencies of Barnstaple and South Molton.

In the 20th century this area had a prominent national MP, Jeremy Thorpe, who led a Liberal Party revival countrywide, with particular strength in the south-west. The Liberal Democrats and its predecessor the Liberal Party have, since the Second World War, performed strongly in this seat; it was held for twenty years by Thorpe as the Liberal leader. He lost it in the 1979 general election, amid a scandal as a married man in love with Norman Scott and Thorpe's alleged involvement in a plot to murder him, of which he was found not guilty the same year.

At the 1992 general election Liberal Democrat Nick Harvey regained the seat from the Conservatives. He held the seat for 23 years until he lost it at the 2015 general election. Conservatives Peter Heaton-Jones, then Selaine Saxby held the seat for the next nine years, until it switched back to the Liberal Democrats in 2024, with the election of Ian Roome.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1885

ElectionFirst member [5] First partySecond member [5] Second party
1832 Viscount Ebrington Whig [6] [7] Hon. Newton Fellowes Whig [6] [8]
1837 Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, Bt Conservative [6]
1839 by-election Lewis William Buck Conservative [6]
1857 James Wentworth Buller Whig [6] [9] Charles Trefusis Conservative
1859 Liberal
1865 by-election Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, Bt Liberal
1866 by-election Sir Stafford Northcote, Bt Conservative
1885 by-election John Moore-Stevens Conservative
1885 constituency abolished by Redistribution of Seats Act

MPs since 1950

The Member of Parliament for the constituency is Ian Roome of the Liberal Democrats who succeeded the previous Conservative MP Selaine Saxby at the 2024 general election.

ElectionMember [5] Party
1950 Christopher Peto Conservative
1955 James Lindsay Conservative
1959 Jeremy Thorpe Liberal
1979 Tony Speller Conservative
1992 Nick Harvey Liberal Democrats
2015 Peter Heaton-Jones Conservative
2019 Selaine Saxby Conservative
2024 Ian Roome Liberal Democrats

Elections

North Devon historical election results North Devon historical election results.png
North Devon historical election results

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North Devon [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Roome 21,820 42.4 +12.4
Conservative Selaine Saxby 15,07629.3−27.3
Reform UK Nigel James8,13715.8N/A
Labour Nicky Edwards3,2166.3−2.9
Green Cassius Lay2,3484.6+1.4
Independent Steve Cotten8201.6+0.6
Majority 6,74413.1N/A
Turnout 51,41765.0−7.7
Registered electors 79,068
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +19.9

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: North Devon [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Selaine Saxby 31,479 56.5 +10.7
Liberal Democrats Alex White16,66629.9−8.1
Labour Finola O'Neill5,0979.1−3.6
Green Robbie Mack1,7593.2+1.8
Independent Steve Cotten5801.0N/A
Majority 14,81326.6+18.8
Turnout 55,58173.3+0.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2017: North Devon [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Heaton-Jones 25,517 45.8 +3.1
Liberal Democrats Nick Harvey 21,18538.0+8.6
Labour Mark Cann7,06312.7+5.6
UKIP Steve Crowther 1,1872.1−12.7
Green Ricky Knight7531.4−4.4
Majority 4,3327.8−5.5
Turnout 55,70573.2+3.0
Conservative hold Swing −2.7
General election 2015: North Devon [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Heaton-Jones [14] 22,341 42.7 +6.7
Liberal Democrats Nick Harvey [15] 15,40529.4−18.0
UKIP Steve Crowther [16] 7,71914.8+7.6
Labour Mark Cann [14] 3,6997.1+1.9
Green Ricky Knight [14] 3,0185.8+4.4
Communist Gerry Sables1380.3+0.1
Majority 6,93613.3+1.9
Turnout 52,45370.2+1.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +12.3
General election 2010: North Devon [17] [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Nick Harvey 24,305 47.4 +0.9
Conservative Philip Milton18,48436.0+0.3
UKIP Steve Crowther 3,7207.2+2.0
Labour Mark Cann2,6715.2−3.7
Green L'Anne Knight6971.4−2.3
BNP Gary Marshall6141.2N/A
Independent Rodney Cann5881.1N/A
English Democrat Nigel Vidler1460.3N/A
Communist Gerry Sables960.2N/A
Majority 5,82111.4+1.8
Turnout 51,32168.9+0.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +0.6

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North Devon [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Nick Harvey 23,840 45.9 +1.7
Conservative Orlando Fraser18,86836.3−1.9
Labour Mark Cann4,6569.0−1.1
UKIP John Browne 2,7405.3+0.3
Green Ricky Knight1,8263.5+1.1
Majority 4,9729.6+3.6
Turnout 51,93068.1−0.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +1.8
General election 2001: North Devon [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Nick Harvey 21,784 44.2 −6.6
Conservative Clive Allen18,80038.2−1.3
Labour Vivian Gale4,99510.1+0.3
UKIP Roger Knapman 2,4845.0N/A
Green Anthony Bown1,1912.4N/A
Majority 2,9846.0−5.3
Turnout 49,25468.3−9.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing −5.8 [n 2]

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North Devon [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Nick Harvey 27,824 50.8 +3.7
Conservative Richard Ashworth 21,64339.5−6.2
Labour Eithne "Annie" Brenton5,3479.8+3.9
Majority 6,18111.3+9.9
Turnout 54,81477.7−6.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +5.0
General election 1992: North Devon [22] [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Nick Harvey 27,414 47.1 +4.3
Conservative Tony Speller 26,62045.7−5.2
Labour Paul Donner3,4105.9−0.4
Green Cathrine Simmons6581.1N/A
Natural Law Gray Treadwell1070.2N/A
Majority 7941.4N/A
Turnout 58,20984.4+2.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +4.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: North Devon [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Tony Speller 28,071 50.9 −4.2
Liberal Michael Pinney23,60242.8+4.9
Labour Ann Marjoram3,4676.3+0.6
Majority 4,4698.1−9.1
Turnout 55,14081.7+1.6
Conservative hold Swing −4.6
General election 1983: North Devon [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Tony Speller 28,066 55.1 +4.7
Liberal Roger Blackmore 19,33937.9+1.5
Labour Peter James2,8935.7−5.6
Ecology Roger Joanes6691.3−0.1
Majority 8,72717.2+3.2
Turnout 50,96780.1−1.6
Conservative hold Swing +1.6

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Tony Speller 31,811 50.1 +13.5
Liberal Jeremy Thorpe 23,33836.7−11.4
Labour Antony John Saltern7,10811.2−3.0
Ecology Tony Whittaker 7291.2N/A
National Front John Morley Price2370.4N/A
English National Frank Hansford-Miller 1420.2−0.8
Dog Lover's Party Auberon Waugh 790.1N/A
Wessex Regionalist Henrietta Elizabeth Rous500.1N/A
Democratic Monarchist Public Safety White Resident Bill Boaks 200.0N/A
Majority 8,47313.4N/A
Turnout 63,51481.7+7.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +12.45
General election October 1974: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jeremy Thorpe 28,209 48.1 −5.8
Conservative Tony Speller 21,48836.6+0.2
Labour Alexandra Jessie Golant8,53614.2+4.5
English National Frank Hansford-Miller 5681.0N/A
Majority 6,72111.5−6.0
Turnout 58,62174.58−11.9
Liberal hold Swing −3.0
General election February 1974: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jeremy Thorpe 34,052 53.9 +9.8
Conservative Timothy Carleton Keigwin22,98036.4−5.8
Labour Terence Kendrick Marston6,1409.7−2.6
Majority 11,07217.5+16.6
Turnout 63,17286.49+1.6
Liberal hold Swing +7.8
General election 1970: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jeremy Thorpe 18,893 44.1 +0.5
Conservative Timothy Carleton Keigwin18,52443.2+2.7
Labour Chris Mullin 5,26812.3−3.6
Democratic Party Barry Gray Morris1750.4N/A
Majority 3690.9−2.2
Turnout 42,86084.9−0.4
Liberal hold Swing +1.1

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jeremy Thorpe 16,797 43.6 −7.1
Conservative Timothy Carleton Keigwin15,63140.5+3.5
Labour James H. Rayner6,12715.9+3.6
Majority 1,1663.1−10.6
Turnout 38,55585.3+1.0
Liberal hold Swing +5.3
General election 1964: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jeremy Thorpe 19,031 50.71 +7.77
Conservative Michael Peto13,89537.02−4.94
Labour Frank Paton4,60312.27−2.83
Majority 5,13613.69+12.71
Turnout 37,52984.32−0.46
Liberal hold Swing +6.35

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jeremy Thorpe 15,831 42.94 +10.49
Conservative James Lindsay 15,46941.96−5.17
Labour Geoffrey W. Pitt5,56715.10−5.32
Majority 3620.98N/A
Turnout 36,86784.78+3.67
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.88
General election 1955: North Devon [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative James Lindsay 16,784 47.13 −5.18
Liberal Jeremy Thorpe 11,55832.45+13.04
Labour Harold Heslop 7,27220.42−7.65
Majority 5,22614.68−9.56
Turnout 35,61481.1100.00
Conservative hold Swing +9.11
General election 1951: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Christopher Peto 19,780 52.41 +6.08
Labour William H. Wilkey10,63228.17+4.93
Liberal G. Alexander Halse7,32619.41−11.02
Majority 9,14824.24+8.34
Turnout 35,61481.11−4.58
Conservative hold Swing +0.51
General election 1950: North Devon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Christopher Peto 17,724 46.33
Liberal Guy Naylor11,64030.43
Labour W.A. Barker8,89223.24
Majority 6,08415.90
Turnout 38,25685.69
Conservative win (new seat)

Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 2 Jul 1885: North Devon (1 seat) [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Moore-Stevens [28] Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1880: North Devon (2 seats) [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Conservative Stafford Northcote Unopposed
Registered electors 9,496
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s

By-election, 18 Mar 1874: North Devon (1 seat) [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stafford Northcote Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1874: North Devon (2 seats) [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Conservative Stafford Northcote Unopposed
Registered electors 9,829
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: North Devon (2 seats) [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stafford Northcote 3,967 34.8 N/A
Liberal Thomas Dyke Acland 3,898 34.2 N/A
Conservative John Walrond 3,52030.9N/A
Turnout 7,642 (est)82.5 (est)N/A
Registered electors 9,260
Majority 690.6N/A
Conservative hold
Majority 3783.3N/A
Liberal hold
By-election, 18 March 1867: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stafford Northcote Unopposed
Conservative hold
By-election, 14 July 1866: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stafford Northcote Unopposed
Conservative hold
By-election, 9 May 1866: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stafford Northcote Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1865: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Conservative Charles Trefusis Unopposed
Registered electors 8,746
Liberal hold
Conservative hold
By-election, 1 April 1865: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal James Wentworth Buller Unopposed
Conservative Charles Trefusis Unopposed
Registered electors 8,764
Liberal hold
Conservative hold
General election 1857: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig James Wentworth Buller 3,652 45.2 N/A
Conservative Charles Trefusis 2,322 28.7 N/A
Conservative Stafford Northcote 2,10526.1N/A
Majority 1,54719.1N/A
Turnout 5,866 (est)80.7 (est)N/A
Registered electors 7,264
Whig gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1852: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Lewis William Buck Unopposed
Conservative Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Registered electors 8,064
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Lewis William Buck Unopposed
Conservative Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Registered electors 8,597
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1841: North Devon [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Lewis William Buck Unopposed
Conservative Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Registered electors 8,869
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Whig

Elections in the 1830s

By-election, 18 March 1839: North Devon [27] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative Lewis William Buck 3,720 53.4
Whig James Wentworth Buller 3,24046.6
Majority4806.8
Turnout 6,96088.4
Registered electors 7,871
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1837: North Devon [27] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Hugh Fortescue Unopposed
Conservative Thomas Dyke Acland Unopposed
Registered electors 7,757
Whig hold
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1835: North Devon [27] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Hugh Fortescue Unopposed
Whig Newton Fellowes Unopposed
Registered electors 6,236
Whig hold
Whig hold
General election 1832: North Devon [27] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Hugh Fortescue Unopposed
Whig Newton Fellowes Unopposed
Registered electors 5,368
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ This was in 2001 the largest two-party swing locally, (LD-UKIP)

References

  1. ↑ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "Representation of the People Act 1867" (PDF). London. 1867. pp. 1165–1198. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 7 South West region.
  5. 1 2 3 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp.  62, 70. ISBN   0-900178-13-2.
  7. ↑ Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 80. Retrieved 5 April 2019– via Google Books.
  8. ↑ Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. pp. 68–69. Retrieved 5 April 2019– via Google Books.
  9. ↑ Beckett, Ian F. W. (3 January 2008) [2004]. "Buller, Sir Redvers Henry (1839–1908)" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32165 . Retrieved 31 July 2018.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  10. ↑ North Devon constituency
  11. ↑ "Parliamentary election 12 December 2019". www.northdevon.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  12. ↑ "Parliamentary election 8 June 2017". North Devon Council. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 "Ricky is Green's 2015 candidate". North Devon Journal. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  15. ↑ "UK ELECTION RESULTS". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
  16. ↑ "Steve Crowther to stand for UKIP in North Devon at 2015 general election". North Devon Journal. 2 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ↑ Pratt, D J (20 April 2010). "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (MS Word). Acting Returning Officer, North Devon Council. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  19. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  24. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ↑ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 376–377. ISBN   978-1-349-02349-3.
  28. ↑ "North Devon Election" . Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 30 June 1885. p. 1. Retrieved 19 December 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.