South Hams (UK Parliament constituency)

South Hams
Former County constituency for the House of Commons
County	Devon
Major settlements	Totnes, Ivybridge, Brixham, part of Paignton
1983–1997
Number of members	One
Replaced by	Totnes and Devon South West
Created from	Totnes

South Hams was a county constituency based on the South Hams district of Devon. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created for the 1983 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election.

History

This was a safe seat for the Conservative Party. During the fourteen years and three parliaments of its existence, it was held by a single member, Anthony Steen.

In the 1987 general election the well-known Labour MP and staunch republican Willie Hamilton contested the seat, finishing third.

Boundaries

The District of South Hams wards of Avon and Harbourne, Avonleigh, Bickleigh and Shaugh, Brixton, Charterlands, Cornwood and Harford, Dart Valley, Dartington, Dartmouth Clifton, Dartmouth Hardness, Erme Valley, Garabrook, Ivybridge, Kingsbridge, Kingswear, Malborough, Marldon, Modbury, Newton and Noss, Salcombe, Saltstone, Skerries, South Brent, Sparkwell, Stoke Gabriel, Stokenham, Thurlestone, Totnes, Totnes Bridgetown, Ugborough, West Dart, Wembury, and Yealmpton; and the Borough of Torbay wards of Blatchcombe, Furzeham-with-Churston, and St Peter's-with-St Mary's.

The main towns of this South Devon constituency were Totnes and Ivybridge. It was divided in 1997 to form parts of the new constituencies of Totnes and Devon South West.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member^[1]	Party
	1983	Anthony Steen	Conservative
	1997	constituency abolished: see Totnes and Devon South West

Elections

Elections Results

General Election 1992: South Hams^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Anthony Steen	35,951	53.4	−2.0
	Liberal Democrat	RV Evans	22,240	33.0	−1.1
	Labour	Ms. E Cohen	8,091	12.0	+3.8
	Green	CG Titmuss	846	1.3	−0.6
	Natural Law	Mrs LJ Somerville	227	0.3	+0.3
Majority			13,711	20.4	−0.9
Turnout			67,355	81.0	+2.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.5

General Election 1987: South Hams
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Anthony Steen	34,218	55.36
	Liberal	RF Chave	21,072	34.09
	Labour	WW Hamilton	5,060	8.19
	Green	CG Titmuss	1,178	1.91
	Monster Raving Loony	TC Langsford	277	0.45
Majority			13,146	21.27
Turnout				78.65
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1983: South Hams
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Anthony Steen	31,855	57.24
	Liberal	A Rogers	19,454	34.96
	Labour	GJ Morris	3,824	6.87
	Ecology	W Morgan	518	0.93
Majority			12,401	22.28
Turnout				74.92
	Conservative hold		Swing

Notes and references

↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)
↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 Dec 2010.