Yeovil (UK Parliament constituency)

Yeovil
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Yeovil in Somerset.

Location of Somerset within England.
County Somerset
Electorate 82,771 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1918 (1918)
Member of Parliament David Laws (Liberal Democrat)
Number of members One
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South West England

Yeovil is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Contents

Boundaries

The constituency covers the towns of Yeovil, Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster in Somerset. Until 1983 Somerset was split into four constituencies and Yeovil constitency also contained the towns of Ilchester, Martock and Somerton but they were transferred to the newly created constituency of Somerton and Frome.

As part of minor changes implemented following the review by the Boundary Commission for England, the town of Ilchester was returned to the Yeovil constituency at the 2010 general election.[2]

History

From 1918 until 1983, Yeovil always returned a Conservative MP. However since then the seat has always been held by a member of the Liberal Party or their successors, the Liberal Democrats: firstly former leader Paddy Ashdown (1983–2001) and then former Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Laws (2001 onwards).

Members of Parliament

Election Member [3] Party
1918 Aubrey Herbert Conservative
1923 George Davies Conservative
1945 William Kingsmill Conservative
1951 John Peyton Conservative
1983 Paddy Ashdown Liberal
1988 Liberal Democrats
2001 David Laws Liberal Democrats

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Yeovil[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat David Laws 31,843 55.7 +4.2
Conservative Kevin Davis 18,807 32.9 -1.2
Labour Lee Skevington 2,991 5.2 -5.3
UKIP Nigel Pearson 2,357 4.1 +0.3
BNP Robert Baehr 1,162 2.0 +2.0
Majority 13,036 22.8
Turnout 57,160 69.4 +5.6
Liberal Democrat hold Swing +2.7

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Yeovil
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat David Laws 25,658 51.4 +7.2
Conservative Ian Jenkins 17,096 34.3 -1.7
Labour Colin Rolfe 5,256 10.5 -4.2
UKIP Graham Livings 1,903 3.8 +1.5
Majority 8,562 17.2
Turnout 49,913 64.3 0.1
Liberal Democrat hold Swing +4.5
General Election 2001: Yeovil
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat David Laws 21,266 44.2 -4.6
Conservative Marco Forgione 17,338 36.0 +8.4
Labour Joe Conway 7,077 14.7 -0.2
UKIP Neil Boxall 1,131 2.3 N/A
Green Alex Begg 786 1.6 +0.3
Liberal Anthony Prior 534 1.1 N/A
Majority 3,928 8.2 -12.8
Turnout 48,132 64.2 -8.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing -6.5

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Yeovil
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Paddy Ashdown 26,349 48.7 -2.9
Conservative Nick Cambrook 14,946 27.7 -9.3
Labour Joe Conway 8,053 14.9 +5.3
Referendum Party John Beveridge 3,574 6.6 N/A
Green David Taylor 728 1.3 +0.2
Independent John Archer 306 0.6 N/A
Rainbow Dream Ticket Christopher Hudson 97 0.2 N/A
Majority 11,403 21.0
Turnout 53,747 72.3 -9.7
Liberal Democrat hold Swing +3.2
General Election 1992: Yeovil[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Paddy Ashdown 30,958 51.7 +0.3
Conservative Julian Davidson 22,125 36.9 -4.4
Labour Vivien Elson 5,765 9.6 +2.3
Green Jay Risbridger 639 1.1 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch 338 0.6 N/A
Independent Reginald Simmerson 70 0.1 N/A
Majority 8,833 14.7 +4.6
Turnout 59,895 82.0 +2.3
Liberal Democrat hold Swing +2.4

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Yeovil
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Paddy Ashdown 28,841 51.4 +0.3
Conservative G.D. Sandeman 23,141 41.3 -4.4
Labour J.F. Fitzmaurice 4,099 7.3 +2.3
Majority 5,700 10.1 +3.8
Turnout 56,081 79.7 -0.1
Liberal hold Swing +2.4
General Election 1983: Yeovil
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Paddy Ashdown 26,608 50.5 +20.0
Conservative David Martin 23,202 44.0 -3.9
Labour Peter Brushett 2,928 5.6 -16.1
Majority 3,406 6.3
Turnout 52,738 79.8
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +12.0

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 3 May 1979: Yeovil
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Peyton 31,321 47.92
Liberal Paddy Ashdown 19,939 30.51
Labour Ian Luder 14,098 21.57
Majority 11,382 17.41
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 10 October 1974: Yeovil
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Peyton 25,658 43.0
Labour M. T. McVicar 17,330 29.0
Liberal Col. Geoffrey F. Taylor 17,298 29.0
Independent J. E. Tippett 332 0.5
Majority 7,379
Turnout 60,618 79.3
Conservative hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/electoral-figures/electoral-figures.htm. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 
  2. ^ Fifth periodical report - Volume 4 Mapping for the Non-Metropolitan Counties and the Unitary Authorities, The Stationery Office, 26 February 2007, ISBN 0101703228, http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm70/7032/7032_iv.asp 
  3. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "Y"
  4. ^ "Yeovil". BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/f36.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-07. 
  5. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 
Conservative (36)
Liberal Democrats (15)
Labour (4)