East Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

East Devon
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of East Devon in Devon for the 2010 general election.

Outline map

Location of Devon within England.
County Devon
Electorate 72,406 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Exmouth, Ottery St Mary, Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth
Current constituency
Created 1997
Member of parliament Hugo Swire (Conservative)
Number of members One
1868–1885
Number of members Two
Type of constituency County constituency
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South West England

East Devon is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by Hugo Swire of the Conservative Party.[n 2] It is considered a safe Conservative seat.

Boundaries

1997-2010: The District of East Devon wards of Axminster Hamlets, Axminster Town, Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Colyton, Edenvale, Exmouth Brixington, Exmouth Halsdon, Exmouth Littleham Rural, Exmouth Littleham Urban, Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth Withycombe Urban, Lympstone, Newbridges, Newton Poppleford and Harpford, Raleigh, Seaton, Sidmouth Rural, Sidmouth Town, Sidmouth Woolbrook, Trinity, Upper Axe, Woodbury, and Yarty.

2010-present: The District of East Devon wards of Broadclyst, Budleigh, Clyst Valley, Exmouth Brixington, Exmouth Halsdon, Exmouth Littleham, Exmouth Town, Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh, Newton Poppleford and Harpford, Ottery St Mary Rural, Ottery St Mary Town, Raleigh, Sidmouth Rural, Sidmouth Sidford, Sidmouth Town, Whimple, Woodbury, and Lympstone; and the City of Exeter wards of St Loyes and Topsham.

The constituency is in the county of Devon, directly east of Exeter and has a shoreline on the Jurassic Coast.

Following a review of parliamentary representation in Devon by the Boundary Commission for England, which has increased the number of seats in the county from 11 to 12, East Devon is subject to significant boundary changes at the 2010 general election.[2] In particular, the towns of Axminster and Seaton have been transferred to the Tiverton and Honiton constituency. Also, two wards from the City of Exeter are now part of the East Devon seat.

Constituency profile

The main settlements in the constituency are the seaside resorts of Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth, and the inland town of Ottery St Mary.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1868-1885

ElectionFirst member[3] First partySecond member[3]Second party
1868 Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt Conservative Lord Courtenay Conservative
1870 Sir John Henry Kennaway, Bt Conservative
1880 William Hood Walrond Conservative
1885 Constituency abolished

The two-seat constituency of East Devon was abolished at the 1885 general election.

MPs 1997-present

At the 1997 general election a new constituency of East Devon was established. Sir Peter Emery, MP for Honiton since a 1967 by-election, represented the new East Devon seat until standing down in 2001, when Hugo Swire was elected.

ElectionMember[3] Party
1997 Sir Peter Emery Conservative
2001 Hugo Swire Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: East Devon[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UKIP Andrew Chapman
Liberal Democrat Stuart Mole
Labour Steve Race[5]
Conservative Hugo Swire
Independent Claire Wright
General Election 2010: East Devon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugo Swire 25,662 48.3 +1.1
Liberal Democrat Paull Robathan 16,548 31.2 +3.1
Labour Gareth Manson 5,721 10.8 -7.5
UKIP Mike Amor 4,346 8.2 +2.6
Green Sharon Pavey 815 1.5 +1.5
Majority 9,114 17.2
Turnout 53,092 72.6 +4.6
Conservative hold Swing -1.0

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: East Devon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugo Swire 23,075 46.9 -0.5
Liberal Democrat Tim Dumper 15,139 30.7 +0.4
Labour James Court 7,598 15.4 -1.3
UKIP Colin McNamee 3,035 6.2 +0.6
Independent (politician) Christopher Way 400 0.8 +0.8
Majority 7,936 16.1
Turnout 49,247 69.4 0.6
Conservative hold Swing -0.5
General Election 2001: East Devon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugo Swire 22,681 47.4 +4.0
Liberal Democrat Tim Dumper 14,486 30.3 +1.2
Labour Phil Starr 7,974 16.7 -1.0
UKIP David Wilson 2,696 5.6 +4.8
Majority 8,195 17.1
Turnout 47,837 68.8 -7.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: East Devon[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 22,797 43.38 N/A
Liberal Democrat R Trethewey 15,308 29.13 N/A
Labour A Siantonas 9,292 17.68 N/A
Referendum Party W Dixon 3,200 6.09 N/A
Liberal G Halliwell 1,363 2.59 N/A
UKIP C Giffard 459 0.87 N/A
National Democrats Gary Needs 131 0.25 N/A
Majority 7,489 14.25 N/A
Turnout 52,550 76 N/A

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Final recommendations for Parliamentary constituencies in the counties of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay". Boundary Commission for England. 2004-11-24. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
  4. ↑ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/devoneast/
  5. ↑ https://twitter.com/EastDevonLabour/status/567482751293857792
  6. ↑ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/constit/312.htm

Sources