North Devon (UK Parliament constituency)
North Devon | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of North Devon in Devon. | |
Location of Devon within England. | |
County | Devon |
Electorate | 75,098 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Barnstaple and Ilfracombe |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1950 |
Member of parliament | Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative) |
Number of members | One |
Created from | Barnstaple and South Molton |
1832β1885 | |
Number of members | Two |
Type of constituency | County constituency |
Created from | Devon |
Overlaps | |
European Parliament constituency | South West England |
North Devon is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Peter Heaton-Jones of the Conservative Party.[n 2]
Boundaries
1950-1974: The Municipal 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 Municipal Boroughs of Barnstaple and Bideford, the Urban Districts of Ilfracombe, Lynton, and Northam, and the Rural Districts of Barnstaple, Bideford, and South Molton. (All these Districts had been abolished in 1974).
1983-2010: The District of North Devon, and the District of Mid Devon wards of Taw, Taw Vale, and West Creedy.
2010βpresent: The District of North Devon.
History
A previous two-seat constituency of the same name existed from 1832 to 1885, formally titled the 'Northern Division of Devon'. In the 20th century this area had a prominent national MP, Jeremy Thorpe, who led a Liberal revival countrywide, with particular strength in the South West.
The North Devon constituency was first created for 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.
The Liberal Democrats and their predecessors the Liberal Party have, since World War II, shown a strong performance in this seat, which was held for twenty years by Thorpe as the Liberal leader. He lost it in the 1979 general election amid a scandal surrounding his relationship with homosexual Norman Scott and 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. Harvey lost the seat 23 years later.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1832β1885
Election | 1st Member[2] | 1st Party | 2nd Member[2] | 2nd Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1832 | Viscount Ebrington | Whig | Hon. Newton Fellowes | Whig | ||
1837 | Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, Bt | Conservative | ||||
1839 by-election | Lewis William Buck | Conservative | ||||
1857 | James Wentworth Buller | Liberal | Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 20th Baron Clinton | Conservative | ||
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 since 2015 is Peter Heaton-Jones of the Conservatives.
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Heaton-Jones | 25,517 | 45.8 | +3.1 | |
Liberal Democrat | Nick Harvey | 21,185 | 38.0 | +8.6 | |
Labour | Mark Cann | 7,063 | 12.7 | +5.6 | |
UKIP | Steve Crowther | 1,187 | 2.1 | β12.6 | |
Green | Ricky Knight | 753 | 1.4 | β4.4 | |
Majority | 4,332 | 7.8 | -5.5 | ||
Turnout | 55,705 | 73.2 | +3.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Heaton-Jones[5] | 22,341 | 42.7 | +6.7 | |
Liberal Democrat | Nick Harvey[6] | 15,405 | 29.4 | β17.9 | |
UKIP | Steve Crowther[7] | 7,719 | 14.8 | +7.5 | |
Labour | Mark Cann[5] | 3,699 | 7.1 | +1.9 | |
Green | Ricky Knight[5] | 3,018 | 5.8 | +4.4 | |
Communist | Gerry Sables | 138 | 0.3 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 6,936 | 13.3 | +2.0 | ||
Turnout | 52,453 | 70.2 | +1.3 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat | Swing | +12.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Nick Harvey | 24,305 | 47.4 | +0.9 | |
Conservative | Philip Milton | 18,484 | 36.0 | +0.3 | |
UKIP | Steve Crowther | 3,720 | 7.2 | +2.0 | |
Labour | Mark Cann | 2,671 | 5.2 | β3.7 | |
Green | L'Anne Knight | 697 | 1.4 | -2.3 | |
BNP | Gary Marshall | 614 | 1.2 | N/A | |
Independent | Rodney Cann | 588 | 1.1 | N/A | |
English Democrat | Nigel Vidler | 146 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Communist | Gerry Sables | 96 | 0.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 5,821 | 11.3 | |||
Turnout | 51,321 | 68.9 | +0.6 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | +0.6 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Nick Harvey | 23,840 | 45.9 | +1.7 | |
Conservative | Orlando Fraser | 18,868 | 36.3 | β1.9 | |
Labour | Mark Cann | 4,656 | 9.0 | β1.1 | |
UKIP | John Browne | 2,740 | 5.3 | +0.3 | |
Green | Ricky Knight | 1,826 | 3.5 | +1.1 | |
Majority | 4,972 | 9.6 | +3.5 | ||
Turnout | 51,930 | 68.1 | β0.2 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | +1.8 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Nick Harvey | 21,784 | 44.2 | β6.6 | |
Conservative | Clive E.J. Allen | 18,800 | 38.2 | β1.3 | |
Labour | Vivian G. Gale | 4,995 | 10.1 | +0.3 | |
UKIP | Roger Knapman | 2,484 | 5.0 | +5.0 | |
Green | Anthony J. Bown | 1,191 | 2.4 | +2.4 | |
Majority | 2,984 | 6.1 | β5.2 | ||
Turnout | 49,254 | 68.3 | β9.4 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | -5.8%[n 3] | |||
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Nick Harvey | 27,824 | 50.8 | +3.7 | |
Conservative | Richard Ashworth | 21,643 | 39.5 | β6.2 | |
Labour | Eithne "Annie" Brenton | 5,347 | 9.8 | +3.9 | |
Majority | 6,181 | 11.3 | +9.9 | ||
Turnout | 54,814 | 77.7 | -6.7 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | +5.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Nick Harvey | 27,414 | 47.1 | +4.3 | |
Conservative | Antony Speller | 26,620 | 45.7 | β5.2 | |
Labour | Paul Donner | 3,410 | 5.9 | β0.4 | |
Green | Cathrine Simmons | 658 | 1.1 | N/A | |
Natural Law | Gray Treadwell | 107 | 0.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 794 | 1.4 | β6.7 | ||
Turnout | 58,209 | 84.4 | +2.7 | ||
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.7 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Antony Speller | 28,071 | 50.9 | β4.2 | |
Liberal | Michael Pinney | 23,602 | 42.8 | +4.9 | |
Labour | Ann Marjoram | 3,467 | 6.3 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 4,469 | 8.1 | β9.1 | ||
Turnout | 55,140 | 81.7 | +1.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Antony Speller | 28,066 | 55.1 | +4.7 | |
Liberal | Roger Blackmore | 19,339 | 37.9 | +1.5 | |
Labour | Peter James | 2,893 | 5.7 | β5.6 | |
Ecology | Roger Joanes | 669 | 1.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 8,727 | 17.2 | +3.2 | ||
Turnout | 50,967 | 80.1 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Antony Speller | 31,811 | 50.1 | +13.5 | |
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 23,338 | 36.7 | β11.4 | |
Labour | Antony John Saltern | 7,108 | 11.2 | β3.0 | |
Ecology | Tony Whittaker | 729 | 1.2 | N/A | |
National Front | John Morley Price | 237 | 0.4 | N/A | |
English National | Frank Hansford-Miller | 142 | 0.2 | β0.8 | |
Dog Lover's Party | Auberon Waugh | 79 | 0.1 | N/A | |
Wessex Regionalist | Henrietta Elizabeth Rous | 50 | 0.1 | N/A | |
Democratic Monarchist Public Safety White Resident | Bill Boaks | 20 | 0.0 | N/A | |
Majority | 8,473 | 13.3 | |||
Turnout | 63,514 | 81.7 | |||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 28,209 | 48.1 | β5.8 | |
Conservative | Antony Speller | 21,488 | 36.6 | +0.2 | |
Labour | Alexandra Jessie Golant | 8,536 | 14.2 | +4.5 | |
English National | Frank Hansford-Miller | 568 | 1.0 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,721 | 11.5 | |||
Turnout | 58,621 | 74.58 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 34,052 | 53.9 | ||
Conservative | Timothy Carleton Keigwin | 22,980 | 36.4 | ||
Labour | Terence Kendrick Marston | 6,140 | 9.7 | ||
Majority | 11,072 | 17.5 | |||
Turnout | 63,172 | 86.49 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 18,893 | 44.1 | ||
Conservative | Timothy Carleton Keigwin | 18,524 | 43.2 | ||
Labour | Chris Mullin | 5,268 | 12.3 | ||
Democratic Party | Barry Gray Morris | 175 | 0.4 | ||
Majority | 369 | 0.9 | |||
Turnout | 42,860 | 84.9 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 16,797 | 43.57 | ||
Conservative | Timothy Carlton Keigwin | 15,631 | 40.54 | ||
Labour | James H. Rayner | 6,127 | 15.89 | ||
Majority | 1,166 | 3.02 | |||
Turnout | 38,555 | 85.31 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 19,031 | 50.71 | ||
Conservative | Michael Henry Basil Peto | 13,895 | 37.02 | ||
Labour | Frank Paton | 4,603 | 12.27 | ||
Majority | 5,136 | 13.69 | |||
Turnout | 37,529 | 84.32 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 15,831 | 42.94 | ||
Conservative | James Lindsay | 15,469 | 41.96 | ||
Labour | Geoffrey W. Pitt | 5,567 | 15.10 | ||
Majority | 362 | 0.98 | |||
Turnout | 36,867 | 84.78 | |||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Lindsay | 16,784 | 47.13 | ||
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 11,558 | 32.45 | ||
Labour | Harold Heslop | 7,272 | 20.42 | ||
Majority | 5,226 | 14.67 | |||
Turnout | 35,614 | 81.11 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Christopher Peto | 19,780 | 52.41 | ||
Labour | William H. Wilkey | 10,632 | 28.17 | ||
Liberal | G. Alexander Halse | 7,326 | 19.41 | ||
Majority | 9,148 | 24.24 | |||
Turnout | 35,614 | 81.11 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Β± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Christopher Peto | 17,724 | 46.33 | N/A | |
Liberal | Guy Naylor | 11,640 | 30.43 | N/A | |
Labour | W.A. Barker | 8,892 | 23.24 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,084 | 15.90 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 38,256 | 85.69 | N/A | ||
Conservative win (new seat) | |||||
See also
Notes
- β A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- β 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.
- β This was in 2001 the largest two-party swing locally, (LD-UKIP)
References
- β "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- 1 2 3 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs β Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
- β "2017 General Election candidates in Devon". Devon Live. 11 May 2017.
- β "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Ricky is Green's 2015 candidate". North Devon Journal. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- β "UK ELECTION RESULTS". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
- β "Steve Crowther to stand for UKIP in North Devon at 2015 general election". North Devon Journal. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- β "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- β 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.
- β "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- β "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- β "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- β "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- β "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- β "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- β "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- β The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.
Sources
- The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945.
- The Times House of Commons 1950. 1950.
- The Times House of Commons 1955. 1955.