North Devon (UK Parliament constituency)
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950 onwards From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
North Devon is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Ian Roome from the Liberal Democrats. Before that it was represented since 2019 by Selaine Saxby of the Conservative Party.[n 2]
North Devon | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundary of North Devon in South West England | |
County | Devon |
Electorate | 76,455 (2023)[1] |
Major settlements | Barnstaple and Ilfracombe |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1950 |
Member of Parliament | Ian Roome (Liberal Democrats) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Barnstaple and South Molton |
1832–1885 | |
Seats | Two |
Type of constituency | County constituency |
Created from | Devon |
Replaced by | South Molton Barnstaple Tiverton Honiton |
Boundaries
1832–1868: The Hundreds of Bampton, Black Torrington, Braunton, Crediton, Fremington, Halberton, Hartland, Hayridge, Hemyock, North Tawton and Winkleigh, Shebbear, Sherwill, South Molton, Tiverton, Witheridge, and West Budleigh.[2]
1868–1885: The Hundreds of Bampton, Braunton, Crediton, Fremington, Halberton, Hartland, Hayridge, Hemyock, North Tawton, Shebbear, Sherwill, South Molton, Tiverton, Winkleigh, Witheridge, and West Budleigh.[3]
1950–1974: The 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 Boroughs of Barnstaple and Bideford, the Urban Districts of Ilfracombe, Lynton, and Northam, and the Rural Districts of Barnstaple, Bideford, and South Molton.
1983–2010: The District of North Devon, and the District of Mid Devon wards of Taw, Taw Vale, and West Creedy.
2010–present: The District of North Devon.
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies left the boundaries unchanged.[4]
History
Summarize
Perspective
A two-seat constituency of the same name existed from 1832 to 1885, formally titled the 'Northern Division of Devon'.
This began at 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.
In the 20th century this area had a prominent national MP, Jeremy Thorpe, who led a Liberal Party revival countrywide, with particular strength in the south-west. The Liberal Democrats and its predecessor the Liberal Party have, since the Second World War, performed strongly in this seat; it was held for twenty years by Thorpe as the Liberal leader. He lost it in the 1979 general election, amid a scandal as a married man in love with Norman Scott and Thorpe's 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. He held the seat for 23 years until he lost it at the 2015 general election. Conservatives Peter Heaton-Jones, then Selaine Saxby held the seat for the next nine years, until it switched back to the Liberal Democrats in 2024, with the election of Ian Roome.
Members of Parliament
Summarize
Perspective
MPs 1832–1885
Election | First member[5] | First party | Second member[5] | Second party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1832 | Viscount Ebrington | Whig[6][7] | Hon. Newton Fellowes | Whig[6][8] | ||
1837 | Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, Bt | Conservative[6] | ||||
1839 by-election | Lewis William Buck | Conservative[6] | ||||
1857 | James Wentworth Buller | Whig[6][9] | Charles Trefusis | Conservative | ||
1859 | Liberal | |||||
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 is Ian Roome of the Liberal Democrats who succeeded the previous Conservative MP Selaine Saxby at the 2024 general election.
Elections
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Elections in the 2020s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Ian Roome[11] | 21,820 | 42.4 | +12.4 | |
Conservative | Selaine Saxby[12] | 15,076 | 29.3 | −27.3 | |
Reform UK | Nigel James[13] | 8,137 | 15.8 | N/A | |
Labour | Nicky Edwards | 3,216 | 6.3 | −2.9 | |
Green | Cassius Lay[14] | 2,348 | 4.6 | +1.4 | |
Independent | Steve Cotten | 820 | 1.6 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 6,744 | 13.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 51,417 | 65.0 | −7.7 | ||
Registered electors | 79,068 | ||||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +19.9 |
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Selaine Saxby | 31,479 | 56.5 | +10.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Alex White | 16,666 | 29.9 | −8.1 | |
Labour | Finola O'Neill | 5,097 | 9.1 | −3.6 | |
Green | Robbie Mack | 1,759 | 3.2 | +1.8 | |
Independent | Steve Cotten | 580 | 1.0 | N/A | |
Majority | 14,813 | 26.6 | +18.8 | ||
Turnout | 55,581 | 73.3 | +0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Heaton-Jones | 25,517 | 45.8 | +3.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Nick Harvey | 21,185 | 38.0 | +8.6 | |
Labour | Mark Cann | 7,063 | 12.7 | +5.6 | |
UKIP | Steve Crowther | 1,187 | 2.1 | −12.7 | |
Green | Ricky Knight | 753 | 1.4 | −4.4 | |
Majority | 4,332 | 7.8 | −5.5 | ||
Turnout | 55,705 | 73.2 | +3.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Heaton-Jones[18] | 22,341 | 42.7 | +6.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Nick Harvey[19] | 15,405 | 29.4 | −18.0 | |
UKIP | Steve Crowther[20] | 7,719 | 14.8 | +7.6 | |
Labour | Mark Cann[18] | 3,699 | 7.1 | +1.9 | |
Green | Ricky Knight[18] | 3,018 | 5.8 | +4.4 | |
Communist | Gerry Sables | 138 | 0.3 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 6,936 | 13.3 | +1.9 | ||
Turnout | 52,453 | 70.2 | +1.3 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +12.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | 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 | −3.7 | |
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 | 11.4 | +1.8 | ||
Turnout | 51,321 | 68.9 | +0.6 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +0.6 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Nick Harvey | 23,840 | 45.9 | +1.7 | |
Conservative | Orlando Fraser | 18,868 | 36.3 | −1.9 | |
Labour | Mark Cann | 4,656 | 9.0 | −1.1 | |
UKIP | John Browne | 2,740 | 5.3 | +0.3 | |
Green | Ricky Knight | 1,826 | 3.5 | +1.1 | |
Majority | 4,972 | 9.6 | +3.6 | ||
Turnout | 51,930 | 68.1 | −0.2 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +1.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Nick Harvey | 21,784 | 44.2 | −6.6 | |
Conservative | Clive Allen | 18,800 | 38.2 | −1.3 | |
Labour | Vivian Gale | 4,995 | 10.1 | +0.3 | |
UKIP | Roger Knapman | 2,484 | 5.0 | N/A | |
Green | Anthony Bown | 1,191 | 2.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 2,984 | 6.0 | −5.3 | ||
Turnout | 49,254 | 68.3 | −9.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −5.8[n 3] |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Nick Harvey | 27,824 | 50.8 | +3.7 | |
Conservative | Richard Ashworth | 21,643 | 39.5 | −6.2 | |
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 Democrats hold | Swing | +5.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Nick Harvey | 27,414 | 47.1 | +4.3 | |
Conservative | Tony Speller | 26,620 | 45.7 | −5.2 | |
Labour | Paul Donner | 3,410 | 5.9 | −0.4 | |
Green | Cathrine Simmons | 658 | 1.1 | N/A | |
Natural Law | Gray Treadwell | 107 | 0.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 794 | 1.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 58,209 | 84.4 | +2.7 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.7 |
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tony Speller | 28,071 | 50.9 | −4.2 | |
Liberal | Michael Pinney | 23,602 | 42.8 | +4.9 | |
Labour | Ann Marjoram | 3,467 | 6.3 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 4,469 | 8.1 | −9.1 | ||
Turnout | 55,140 | 81.7 | +1.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −4.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tony Speller | 28,066 | 55.1 | +4.7 | |
Liberal | Roger Blackmore | 19,339 | 37.9 | +1.5 | |
Labour | Peter James | 2,893 | 5.7 | −5.6 | |
Ecology | Roger Joanes | 669 | 1.3 | −0.1 | |
Majority | 8,727 | 17.2 | +3.2 | ||
Turnout | 50,967 | 80.1 | −1.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 |
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Tony Speller | 31,811 | 50.1 | +13.5 | |
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 23,338 | 36.7 | −11.4 | |
Labour | Antony John Saltern | 7,108 | 11.2 | −3.0 | |
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 | −0.8 | |
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 | 13.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 63,514 | 81.7 | +7.1 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +12.45 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 28,209 | 48.1 | −5.8 | |
Conservative | Tony 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 | −6.0 | ||
Turnout | 58,621 | 74.58 | −11.9 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | −3.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 34,052 | 53.9 | +9.8 | |
Conservative | Timothy Carleton Keigwin | 22,980 | 36.4 | −5.8 | |
Labour | Terence Kendrick Marston | 6,140 | 9.7 | −2.6 | |
Majority | 11,072 | 17.5 | +16.6 | ||
Turnout | 63,172 | 86.49 | +1.6 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +7.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 18,893 | 44.1 | +0.5 | |
Conservative | Timothy Carleton Keigwin | 18,524 | 43.2 | +2.7 | |
Labour | Chris Mullin | 5,268 | 12.3 | −3.6 | |
Democratic Party | Barry Gray Morris | 175 | 0.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 369 | 0.9 | −2.2 | ||
Turnout | 42,860 | 84.9 | −0.4 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +1.1 |
Elections in the 1960s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 16,797 | 43.6 | −7.1 | |
Conservative | Timothy Carleton Keigwin | 15,631 | 40.5 | +3.5 | |
Labour | James H. Rayner | 6,127 | 15.9 | +3.6 | |
Majority | 1,166 | 3.1 | −10.6 | ||
Turnout | 38,555 | 85.3 | +1.0 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +5.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 19,031 | 50.71 | +7.77 | |
Conservative | Michael Peto | 13,895 | 37.02 | −4.94 | |
Labour | Frank Paton | 4,603 | 12.27 | −2.83 | |
Majority | 5,136 | 13.69 | +12.71 | ||
Turnout | 37,529 | 84.32 | −0.46 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +6.35 |
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 15,831 | 42.94 | +10.49 | |
Conservative | James Lindsay | 15,469 | 41.96 | −5.17 | |
Labour | Geoffrey W. Pitt | 5,567 | 15.10 | −5.32 | |
Majority | 362 | 0.98 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 36,867 | 84.78 | +3.67 | ||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.88 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Lindsay | 16,784 | 47.13 | −5.18 | |
Liberal | Jeremy Thorpe | 11,558 | 32.45 | +13.04 | |
Labour | Harold Heslop | 7,272 | 20.42 | −7.65 | |
Majority | 5,226 | 14.68 | −9.56 | ||
Turnout | 35,614 | 81.11 | 00.00 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +9.11 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Christopher Peto | 19,780 | 52.41 | +6.08 | |
Labour | William H. Wilkey | 10,632 | 28.17 | +4.93 | |
Liberal | G. Alexander Halse | 7,326 | 19.41 | −11.02 | |
Majority | 9,148 | 24.24 | +8.34 | ||
Turnout | 35,614 | 81.11 | −4.58 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.51 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Christopher Peto | 17,724 | 46.33 | ||
Liberal | Guy Naylor | 11,640 | 30.43 | ||
Labour | W.A. Barker | 8,892 | 23.24 | ||
Majority | 6,084 | 15.90 | |||
Turnout | 38,256 | 85.69 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Elections in the 1880s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Moore-Stevens[32] | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
- Caused by Northcote's appointment as First Lord of the Treasury and elevation to the peerage, becoming Earl of Iddesleigh.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Thomas Dyke Acland | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Stafford Northcote | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 9,496 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1870s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stafford Northcote | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
- Caused by Northcote's appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Thomas Dyke Acland | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Stafford Northcote | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 9,829 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1860s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stafford Northcote | 3,967 | 34.8 | N/A | |
Liberal | Thomas Dyke Acland | 3,898 | 34.2 | N/A | |
Conservative | John Walrond | 3,520 | 30.9 | N/A | |
Turnout | 7,642 (est) | 82.5 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 9,260 | ||||
Majority | 69 | 0.6 | N/A | ||
Conservative hold | |||||
Majority | 378 | 3.3 | N/A | ||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stafford Northcote | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
- Caused by Northcote's appointment as Secretary of State for India
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stafford Northcote | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
- Caused by Northcote's appointment as President of the Board of Trade
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stafford Northcote | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
- Caused by Trefusis' elevation to the peerage, becoming Lord Clinton.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Thomas Dyke Acland | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Charles Trefusis | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 8,746 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Thomas Dyke Acland | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
- Caused by Buller's death.
Elections in the 1850s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Wentworth Buller | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Charles Trefusis | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 8,764 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | James Wentworth Buller | 3,652 | 45.2 | N/A | |
Conservative | Charles Trefusis | 2,322 | 28.7 | N/A | |
Conservative | Stafford Northcote | 2,105 | 26.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,547 | 19.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,866 (est) | 80.7 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 7,264 | ||||
Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lewis William Buck | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Thomas Dyke Acland | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 8,064 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1840s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lewis William Buck | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Thomas Dyke Acland | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 8,597 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lewis William Buck | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Thomas Dyke Acland | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 8,869 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
Elections in the 1830s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lewis William Buck | 3,720 | 53.4 | ||
Whig | James Wentworth Buller | 3,240 | 46.6 | ||
Majority | 480 | 6.8 | |||
Turnout | 6,960 | 88.4 | |||
Registered electors | 7,871 | ||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
- Caused by Fortescue's succession to the peerage as 2nd Earl Fortescue
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Hugh Fortescue | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Thomas Dyke Acland | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 7,757 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Hugh Fortescue | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Newton Fellowes | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 6,236 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Hugh Fortescue | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Newton Fellowes | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,368 | ||||
Whig win (new seat) | |||||
Whig win (new seat) |
See also
Notes
- A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- 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.
- This was in 2001 the largest two-party swing locally, (LD-UKIP)
References
Sources
External links
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