Plymouth Devonport (UK Parliament constituency)

Plymouth, Devonport
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Plymouth, Devonport in Devon for the 2005 general election.

Location of Devon within England.
County Devon
1832 (1832)–2010 (2010)
Number of members One
Replaced by Plymouth Moor View, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Created from Devon

Plymouth, Devonport was, from 1832 until 2010, a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It covered part of the city of Plymouth in South West England, including the former borough of Devonport.

Contents

History

The constituency was created as Devonport in 1832, and elected two members until 1918, when the number was reduced to one. Following the amalgamation of Devonport into Plymouth, the constituency was renamed as Plymouth, Devonport.

Devonport has had a number of prominent MPs, including Leslie Hore-Belisha, Michael Foot (who began his Commons career in the seat), and the former SDP leader David Owen. One of its longest serving MPs was the Conservative Dame Joan Vickers, who held the seat from 1955 until her defeat at the General Election of February 1974.

Abolition

Following a review of parliamentary representation in Devon by the Boundary Commission for England, constituencies in Plymouth have been reorganised, with both Plymouth Devonport and Plymouth Sutton being replaced by new constituencies of Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and Plymouth Moor View.[1]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1918

Election First member[2] First party Second member[2] Second party
1832 Sir Edward Codrington Liberal Sir George Grey Liberal
1840 by-election Henry Tufnell Liberal
1847 Sir John Romilly Liberal
1852 Sir George Berkeley Conservative
1854 by-election Thomas Erskine Perry Liberal
1857 James Wilson Liberal
1859 by-election Sir Michael Seymour Liberal
1859 by-election Sir Arthur William Buller Liberal
1863 by-election William Ferrand Conservative
Jun 1865 by-election Thomas Brassey Liberal
Jul 1865 John Fleming Conservative
1866 by-election Lord Eliot Liberal Montague Chambers Liberal
1868 John Delaware Lewis Liberal
1874 Sir John Henry Puleston Conservative George Edward Price Conservative
1892 Edward John Chalmers Morton Liberal Hudson Kearley Liberal
1902 by-election John Lockie Conservative
1904 by-election John Williams Benn Liberal
1910 Sir John Jackson Conservative Clement Kinloch-Cooke Conservative
1918 reduced to one seat

MPs 1918–2010

Election Member[2] Party
1918 Clement Kinloch-Cooke Coalition Conservative
1922 Conservative
1923 Leslie Hore-Belisha Liberal
1931 National Liberal
1942 National Independent
1945 Michael Foot Labour
1955 Joan Vickers National Liberal
1964 Conservative
Feb 1974 David Owen Labour
1981 Social Democrat
1988 Social Democrat (1988)
1990 Independent
1992 David Jamieson Labour
2005 Alison Seabeck Labour
2010 Constituency abolished: see Plymouth Moor View and Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Elections

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Plymouth, Devonport[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alison Seabeck 18,612 44.3 -14.0
Conservative Richard Cuming 10,509 25.0 -2.1
Liberal Democrat Judith Jolly 8,000 19.1 +8.3
UKIP Bill Wakeham 3,324 7.9 +5.6
Independent Keith Greene 747 1.8 N/A
Socialist Labour Rob Hawkins 445 1.1 +0.4
Respect Tony Staunton 376 0.9 N/A
Majority 8,101 19.3
Turnout 41,982 57.6 +1.0
Labour hold Swing -6.0
General Election 2001: Plymouth, Devonport[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Jamieson 24,322 58.3 -2.6
Conservative John Glen 11,289 27.1 +2.9
Liberal Democrat Keith Baldry 4,513 10.8 +0.1
UKIP Michael Parker 958 2.3 +1.4
Socialist Alliance Tony Staunton 334 0.8 N/A
Socialist Labour Rob Hawkins 303 0.7 N/A
Majority 13,033 31.2
Turnout 41,719 56.6 -13.1
Labour hold Swing -2.7

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Plymouth, Devonport[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Jamieson 31,629 60.9 +13.8
Conservative Anthony Johnson 12,562 24.2 -11.4
Liberal Democrat Richard Corpus 5,570 10.7 -2.5
Referendum Party Clive Norsworthy 1,486 2.9 N/A
UKIP Caroline Farrand 478 0.9 N/A
National Democrats Stephen Ebbs 238 0.4 N/A
Majority 19,067 36.7
Turnout 51,963 69.8
Labour hold Swing +12.6

This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1992 and 1997 general elections and thus change in share of vote is based on a notional calculation.

General Election 1992: Plymouth, Devonport[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Jamieson 24,953 48.7 +20.3
Conservative Keith Simpson 17,541 34.3 +5.0
Liberal Democrat M. MacTaggart 6,315 12.3 −30.0
Social Democrat H. M. Luscombe 2,152 4.2 −38.1
Natural Law F. A. Lyons 255 0.5 N/A
Majority 7,412 14.4 +1.4
Turnout 51,216 77.8 +0.6
Labour gain from Independent Swing +7.7

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Plymouth, Devonport[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Democrat David Owen 21,039 42.3 -2.0
Conservative T. F. R. Jones 14,569 29.3 -4.5
Labour I. Flintoff 14,166 28.4 +7.4
Majority 6,470 13.0
Turnout 49,774 77.2
Social Democrat hold Swing
General Election 1983: Plymouth, Devonport[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Democrat David Owen 20,843 44.3
Conservative Ann Widdecombe 15,907 33.8
Labour Julian G. Priestley 9,845 21.0
Independent Conservative James E. Sullivan 292 0.6
BNP Robert E. D. Bearsford-Walker 72 0.2
Christian Democrat Mrs Faith Hill 51 0.1
Majority 4,936 10.5
Turnout 47,010 76.1
Social Democrat gain from Labour Swing

This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1979 and 1983 general elections and thus calculation of change in vote share is not possible.

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Plymouth, Devonport[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Owen 16,545 47.4 +0.1
Conservative K. Hughes 15,544 44.6 +3.5
Liberal M James 2,360 6.8 -3.9
National Front L. Bearsford-Walker 243 0.7 N/A
Independent R. Stoner 203 0.6 N/A
Majority 1,001 2.9
Turnout 34,895 72.3 -1.2
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Plymouth, Devonport[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Owen 17,398 47.3 +5.1
Conservative Joan Vickers 15,139 41.1 +0.1
Liberal N E Westbrook 3,953 10.7 -6.1
Independent Liberal J N Hill 312 0.9 N/A
Majority 2,259 6.1
Turnout 73.5 -1.8
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Plymouth, Devonport[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Owen 15,819 42.2
Conservative Joan Vickers 15,382 41.0
Liberal N E Westbrook 6,298 16.8
Majority 437 1.2
Turnout 75.3
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Final recommendations for Parliamentary constituencies in the counties of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay". Boundary Commission for England. 2004-11-24. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/review_areas/downloads/FR_NR_Devon_Plymouth_Torbay.doc. Retrieved 2010-04-25. 
  2. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
  3. ^ Election result, 2005
  4. ^ a b Election results, 1997 - 2001
  5. ^ a b c Election results, 1983 - 1992
  6. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 
  7. ^ a b c Election results, 1974 - 1979
Conservative (36)
Liberal Democrats (15)
Labour (4)