North Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)

North Dorset is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Simon Hoare of the Conservative Party.^{[n 2]}

North Dorset
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of North Dorset in South West England
County	Dorset
Electorate	72,109 (2023)[1]
Major settlements	Blandford Forum, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Sturminster Newton and Verwood
Current constituency
Created	1885
Member of Parliament	Simon Hoare (Conservative)
Seats	One

History

This seat was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, since which it has been won at elections by candidates from only two parties. For nineteen of the years between 1885 and 1950, North Dorset was represented by Liberals, and at all other times since 1885 it has been represented by Conservatives. It is historically one of Labour's weakest seats in the country - for example, it gave the party its lowest vote share out of all the seats it contested in 1950 and 1951.

Constituency profile

The constituency covers North Dorset local government district and most (geographically) of East Dorset. It is largely rural, with a lower than average proportion of social housing and five small towns shown in the infobox. The largest town is Verwood, and the most central is the market town of Blandford Forum, north of the port of Poole.

Boundaries

Map of current boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Shaftesbury, the Sessional Divisions of Blandford, Shaftesbury, and Sturminster, and part of the Sessional Division of Sherborne.

1918–1950: The Boroughs of Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, the Urban District of Sherborne, the Rural Districts of Blandford, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, and Sturminster, and part of the Rural District of Wimborne and Cranborne.

1950–1974: The Boroughs of Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, the Urban District of Wimborne Minster, and the Rural Districts of Blandford, Shaftesbury, Sturminster, and Wimborne and Cranborne.

1974–1983: As 1950 but with redrawn boundaries.

1983–1997: The District of North Dorset, the District of Wimborne wards of Colehill, Corfe Mullen Central, Corfe Mullen North, Corfe Mullen South, Crane, Holt, Sixpenny Handley, Sturminster Marshall, Vale of Allen, and Wimborne Minster, and the District of Purbeck wards of Lytchett Matravers and Lytchett Minster.

1997–2010: The District of North Dorset, and the District of East Dorset wards of Colehill, Crane, Holt, Longham, Sixpenny Handley, Stapehill, Sturminster Marshall, Vale of Allen, and Wimborne Minster.

2010–2024: The District of North Dorset, and the District of East Dorset wards of Alderholt, Crane, Handley Vale, Holt, Stour, Three Cross and Potterne, Verwood Dewlands, Verwood Newtown, and Verwood Stephen's Castle.

2024–present: The District of Dorset wards of Beacon, Blackmore Vale, Blandford, Cranborne & Alderholt, Cranborne Chase, Gillingham, Hill Forts & Upper Tarrants, Puddletown & Lower Winterborne, Shaftesbury Town, Stalbridge & Marnhull, Sturminster Newton, Verwood, and Winterborne North.^[2]

Minor changes following re-organisation of local authorities and wards in Dorset.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[3]	Party
	1885	Edwin Berkeley Portman	Liberal
	1892	John Wingfield Digby	Conservative
	1905 by-election	Arthur Walters Wills	Liberal
	January 1910	Sir Randolf Baker	Conservative
	1918	Philip Colfox	Unionist
	1922	John Emlyn-Jones	Liberal
	1924	Sir Cecil Hanbury	Unionist
	1937 by-election	Angus Hambro	Conservative
	1945	Frank Byers	Liberal
	1950	Robert Crouch	Conservative
	1957 by-election	Richard Glyn	Conservative
	1970	David James	Conservative
	1979	Sir Nicholas Baker	Conservative
	1997	Robert Walter	Conservative
	2015	Simon Hoare	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North Dorset^[4][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Simon Hoare	18,208	36.6	−27.2
	Liberal Democrats	Gary Jackson	16,619	33.5	+13.1
	Reform UK	Ash Leaning	7,894	15.9	N/A
	Labour	James Coldwell	4,370	8.8	−3.1
	Green	Ken Huggins	2,082	4.2	+0.3
	Independent	Si Adams	317	0.6	N/A
	UKIP	Jeff Taylor	119	0.2	N/A
	SDP	Daniel Woodruffe	74	0.1	N/A
Majority			1,589	3.1	−40.2
Turnout			49,683	68.3	−5.8
Registered electors			72,690
	Conservative hold		Swing	–20.2

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[6]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	34,085	63.8
	Liberal Democrats	10,890	20.4
	Labour	6,379	11.9
	Green	2,110	3.9
Turnout		53,464	74.1
Electorate		72,109

General election 2019: North Dorset^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Simon Hoare	35,705	63.6	−1.3
	Liberal Democrats	David Chadwick	11,404	20.3	+6.8
	Labour	Pat Osborne	6,737	12.0	−6.6
	Green	Ken Huggins	2,261	4.0	+1.1
Majority			24,301	43.3	−3.0
Turnout			56,107	73.9	−0.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2017: North Dorset^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Simon Hoare	36,169	64.9	+8.3
	Labour	Pat Osborne	10,392	18.6	+9.6
	Liberal Democrats	Thomas Panton	7,556	13.6	+1.9
	Green	John Tutton	1,607	2.9	−2.8
Majority			25,777	46.3	+6.8
Turnout			55,724	74.0	+2.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.7

General election 2015: North Dorset^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Simon Hoare[10]	30,227	56.6	+5.5
	UKIP	Steve Unwin[11]	9,109	17.1	+11.9
	Liberal Democrats	Hugo Miéville[12]	6,226	11.7	−25.3
	Labour	Kim Fendley[13]	4,785	9.0	+3.6
	Green	Richard Barrington [14]	3,038	5.7	+4.7
Majority			21,118	39.5	+25.4
Turnout			53,385	71.6	−1.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2010: North Dorset^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Walter	27,640	51.1	+4.6
	Liberal Democrats	Emily Gasson	20,015	37.0	−0.9
	Labour	Mike Bunney	2,910	5.4	−4.2
	UKIP	Jeremy Nieboer	2,812	5.2	+1.3
	Green	Anna Hayball	546	1.0	−1.3
	Monster Raving Loony	Roger Monksummers	218	0.4	N/A
Majority			7,625	14.1	+9.9
Turnout			54,141	73.5	+4.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.8

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North Dorset^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Walter	23,714	44.9	−1.8
	Liberal Democrats	Emily Gasson	21,470	40.7	+2.0
	Labour	John Yarwood	4,596	8.7	−2.5
	UKIP	Richard Hobbs	1,918	3.6	+1.5
	Green	Ralph Arliss	1,117	2.1	N/A
Majority			2,244	4.2	−3.8
Turnout			52,815	71.1	+4.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.9

General election 2001: North Dorset^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Walter	22,314	46.7	+2.4
	Liberal Democrats	Emily Gasson	18,517	38.7	−0.4
	Labour	Mark Wareham	5,334	11.2	+1.0
	UKIP	Peter Jenkins	1,019	2.1	+0.6
	Lower Excise Duty Party	Joseph Duthie	391	0.8	N/A
	Independent	Cora Bone	246	0.5	N/A
Majority			3,797	8.0	+2.8
Turnout			47,821	66.3	−10.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.4

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North Dorset^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Walter	23,294	44.3	−10.3
	Liberal Democrats	Paula Yates	20,548	39.1	+0.6
	Labour	John Fitzmaurice	5,380	10.2	+3.3
	Referendum	Margaret Evans	2,564	4.9	N/A
	UKIP	David Wheeler	801	1.5	N/A
Majority			2,746	5.2	−10.9
Turnout			52,587	76.3	−5.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	-5.5

General election 1992: Dorset North^[19][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nicholas Baker	34,234	54.6	−2.5
	Liberal Democrats	LE Siegle	24,154	38.5	+2.2
	Labour	JF Fitzmaurice	4,360	6.9	+0.3
Majority			10,080	16.1	−4.5
Turnout			62,748	81.8	+2.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.3

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Dorset North^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nicholas Baker	32,854	57.0	−1.1
	Liberal	Geoffrey William Tapper	20,947	36.4	+0.3
	Labour	Joseph Hanley	3,819	6.6	+1.4
Majority			11,907	20.6	−1.4
Turnout			57,620	79.1	+2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.7

General election 1983: Dorset North^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nicholas Baker	30,058	58.1	−4.1
	Liberal	Geoffrey W Tapper	18,678	36.1	+10.1
	Labour	Jennifer Fox	2,710	5.2	−6.5
	Wessex Regionalist	David Fox	294	0.6	N/A
Majority			11,380	22.0	−14.2
Turnout			51,740	76.6	−3.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	-7.1

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nicholas Baker	40,046	62.2	+11.0
	Liberal	G Court	16,750	26.0	−10.0
	Labour	MC Rowlands	7,543	11.7	−1.1
Majority			23,296	36.2	+21.0
Turnout			64,339	79.7	+0.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David James	28,891	51.2	+0.4
	Liberal	Philip Watkins	20,350	36.0	−3.2
	Labour	TG Jones	7,245	12.8	+2.7
Majority			8,541	15.2	+3.7
Turnout			56,486	79.2	−5.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David James	30,288	50.7
	Liberal	Philip Watkins	23,405	39.2
	Labour	TG Smith	6,032	10.1
Majority			6,883	11.5
Turnout			59,725	84.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1970: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David James	28,471	57.9	+9.7
	Liberal	Philip Watkins	12,095	24.6	−10.6
	Labour	Haydn R White	8,626	17.5	+0.9
Majority			16,376	33.3	+20.4
Turnout			49,192	78.5	−2.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Glyn	20,520	48.2	−0.6
	Liberal	Richard Anthony Lamb	15,005	35.2	−0.9
	Labour	Jack R Rutland	7,090	16.6	+1.3
Majority			5,515	13.0	+0.5
Turnout			42,615	81.3	−0.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1964: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Glyn	19,898	48.6	−4.2
	Liberal	Richard Anthony Lamb	14,768	36.1	+5.9
	Labour	John F Armstrong	6,253	15.3	−1.7
Majority			5,130	12.5	−10.0
Turnout			40,919	81.7	−0.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Glyn	20,255	52.8	+0.7
	Liberal	John Emlyn-Jones	11,604	30.2	−2.2
	Labour	Herbert J Dutfield	6,548	17.0	+1.5
Majority			8,651	22.6	+2.9
Turnout			38,407	82.0	−0.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

1957 North Dorset by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Glyn	15,513	45.1	−7.0
	Liberal	John Emlyn-Jones	12,411	36.1	+3.7
	Labour	Herbert J Dutfield	6,278	18.3	+2.8
	Independent	H C Wright	170	0.5	N/A
Majority			3,102	9.0	−10.7
Turnout			34,372
	Conservative hold		Swing	-5.4

General election 1955: Dorset North ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Crouch	18,906	52.1	+5.1
	Liberal	Michael Portman	11,747	32.4	−12.6
	Labour	Herbert J Dutfield	5,633	15.5	+7.5
Majority			7,159	19.7	+17.7
Turnout			36,286	82.2	−4.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1951: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Crouch	17,392	47.0	+3.7
	Liberal	Frank Byers	16,645	45.0	+1.9
	Labour	J. R. Tudor Griffith	2,946	8.0	−5.6
Majority			747	2.0	+1.8
Turnout			36,983	86.4	+1.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1950: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Crouch	15,324	43.3	−3.0
	Liberal	Frank Byers	15,227	43.1	−10.6
	Labour	J. R. Tudor Griffith	4,807	13.6	N/A
Majority			97	0.2	N/A
Turnout			35,358	85.0	+10.0
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Dorset Northern

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Frank Byers	14,444	53.7	+15.8
	Conservative	Richard Glyn	12,479	46.3	−3.8
Majority			1,965	7.40	N/A
Turnout			26,923	75.04	−4.9
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

General Election 1939–40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: Angus Hambro
• Liberal: Frank Byers^[24]
• Labour: CL Lander^[25]

Elections in the 1930s

1937 North Dorset by-election^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Angus Hambro	12,247	51.1	+1.0
	Liberal	William Borthwick	11,704	48.9	+11.0
Majority			543	2.2	−10.0
Turnout			23,951	73.4	−6.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	-5.0

General election 1935: North Dorset ^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cecil Hanbury	13,055	50.1	−9.1
	Liberal	William Borthwick	9,871	37.9	−2.9
	Independent Agriculturalist	George Pitt-Rivers	1,771	6.8	N/A
	Labour	M M Whitehead	1,360	5.2	n/a
Majority			3,184	12.2	−6.2
Turnout			26,057	79.7	−2.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.1

General election 1931: North Dorset ^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cecil Hanbury	15,499	59.2	+11.9
	Liberal	William Borthwick	10,682	40.8	−3.0
Majority			4,817	18.4	+14.9
Turnout			26,181	82.1	+0.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+7.5

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: North Dorset ^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Cecil Hanbury	12,203	47.3	−6.0
	Liberal	William Borthwick	11,281	43.8	−2.9
	Labour	Colin Clark	2,298	8.9	N/A
Majority			922	3.5	−3.1
Turnout			25,782	81.4	−5.1
Registered electors			31,684
	Unionist hold		Swing	−1.6

J. Emlyn-Jones

General election 1924: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Cecil Hanbury	11,819	53.3	+5.1
	Liberal	John Emlyn-Jones	10,341	46.7	−5.1
Majority			1,478	6.6	N/A
Turnout			22,160	86.5	+2.2
Registered electors			25,616
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+5.1

General election 1923:North Dorset

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Emlyn-Jones	10,992	51.8	−0.5
	Unionist	Cecil Hanbury	10,211	48.2	+0.5
Majority			781	3.6	−1.0
Turnout			21,203	84.3	+0.1
Registered electors			25,160
	Liberal hold		Swing	−0.5

General election 1922:North Dorset

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Emlyn-Jones	10,805	52.3	+3.0
	Unionist	Cecil Hanbury	9,869	47.7	−3.0
Majority			936	4.6	N/A
Turnout			20,674	84.2	+23.2
Registered electors			24,539
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing	+3.0

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Dorset North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	Philip Colfox	7,532	50.7	+0.5
	Liberal	John Emlyn-Jones	7,320	49.3	−0.5
Majority			212	1.4	+1.0
Turnout			14,852	61.0	−29.6
Registered electors			24,334
	Unionist hold		Swing	+0.5
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

General election December 1910: Dorset North ^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Randolf Baker	3,919	50.2	−0.7
	Liberal	Arthur Wills	3,887	49.8	+0.7
Majority			32	0.4	−1.4
Turnout			7,806	90.6	−2.7
Registered electors			8,616
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.7

General election January 1910: Dorset North ^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Randolf Baker	4,093	50.9	+5.1
	Liberal	Arthur Wills	3,944	49.1	−5.1
Majority			149	1.8	N/A
Turnout			8,037	93.3	+3.1
Registered electors			8,616
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+5.1

Elections in the 1900s

General election January 1906: Dorset North ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Arthur Wills	4,153	54.2	+8.1
	Conservative	Randolf Baker	3,508	45.8	−8.1
Majority			645	8.4	N/A
Turnout			7,661	90.2	+7.6
Registered electors			8,490
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+8.1

1905 North Dorset by-election^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Arthur Wills	4,239	56.0	+9.9
	Conservative	Randolf Baker	3,330	44.0	−9.9
Majority			909	12.0	N/A
Turnout			7,569	90.8	+8.2
Registered electors			8,338
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+9.9

General election January 1900: Dorset North ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Kenelm Wingfield Digby	3,705	53.9	N/A
	Liberal	George Hamilton-Gordon	3,165	46.1	N/A
Majority			540	7.8	N/A
Turnout			6,870	82.6	N/A
Registered electors			8,318
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Dorset North ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Kenelm Wingfield Digby	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1892: Dorset North ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Kenelm Wingfield Digby	3,981	53.5	+5.2
	Liberal	Arthur Arnold	3,456	46.5	−5.2
Majority			525	7.0	N/A
Turnout			7,437	85.3	+4.3
Registered electors			8,714
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+5.2

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1886: Dorset North ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edwin Berkeley Portman	3,571	51.7	−8.2
	Liberal Unionist	Evelyn Ashley[29]	3,336	48.3	+8.2
Majority			235	3.4	−16.4
Turnout			6,907	81.0	−7.6
Registered electors			8,522
	Liberal hold		Swing	−8.2

General election 1885: Dorset North ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edwin Berkeley Portman	4,520	59.9
	Conservative	Humphrey Sturt[30]	3,031	40.1
Majority			1,489	19.8
Turnout			7,551	88.6
Registered electors			8,522
	Liberal win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Dorset

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.