Tiverton and Honiton
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Tiverton and Honiton in Devon
Outline map
Location of Devon within England
CountyDevon
Electorate75,839 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsTiverton, Honiton, Axminster, Seaton and Cullompton
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentRichard Foord (Liberal Democrat)
SeatsOne
Created fromTiverton, Honiton

Tiverton and Honiton is a constituency[n 1] in Devon, England. The current MP is Richard Foord of the Liberal Democrats, elected at a by-election on 23 June 2022.

Prior to the by-election, the constituency had always returned a Conservative MP since its creation in 1997. The by-election was held following the resignation of Neil Parish after he was caught watching pornography in the House of Commons chamber (Parish himself admitted to doing so on two separate occasions).[2]

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be abolished, with the majority, including the towns of Axminster, Cullompton, Honiton and Seaton, being included in the new constituency of Honiton and Sidmouth, to be first contested at the next general election. The town of Tiverton and surrounding rural areas will be included in the newly created cross-county boundary seat of Tiverton and Minehead.[3]

Constituency profile

This is a mostly rural constituency covering a broad sweep between Exmoor to the north and Lyme Bay to the south, including the towns of Tiverton and Honiton and their surrounding villages (which include extensive farmland, rivers popular with kayakers and part of the Blackdown Hills). Some residents commute to Exeter.[4] Residents' wealth is around average for the UK.[5]

Boundaries

1997–2010: The District of Mid Devon except the wards of Taw, Taw Vale, and West Creedy, and the District of East Devon wards of Broadclyst, Clystbeare, Clyst Valley, Exe Valley, Honiton St Michael's, Honiton St Paul's, Otterhead, Ottery St Mary Rural, Ottery St Mary Town, Patteson, and Tale Vale.

2010–present: The District of Mid Devon wards of Canonsleigh, Castle, Clare and Shuttern, Cranmore, Cullompton North, Cullompton Outer, Cullompton South, Halberton, Lower Culm, Lowman, Upper Culm, and Westexe, and the District of East Devon wards of Axminster Rural, Axminster Town, Beer and Branscombe, Coly Valley, Dunkeswell, Feniton and Buckerell, Honiton St Michael's, Honiton St Paul's, Newbridges, Otterhead, Seaton, Tale Vale, Trinity, and Yarty.

Boundary changes for 2010

Parliament accepted the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which slightly altered this constituency for the 2010 general election, and gave Devon 12 seats instead of 11. Some wards of Mid Devon District in this seat were transferred to the new Central Devon constituency; however, parts of the East Devon constituency, including the towns of Axminster and Seaton, were gained in return.

History

The seat came about when the town of Honiton from the Honiton constituency was added to the Tiverton constituency in 1997. Both were long-established seats, with the former having existed from 1640 and the latter from 1615. Both elected two Members of Parliament until the 1884 Reform Act reduced the number for both to one and their area was widened to cover two divisions of the county under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.

Prominent holders of the seats in the 19th century included Whig politician Joseph Locke, a railway pioneer, who was MP for Honiton, and Lord Palmerston, who, while MP for Tiverton, served as the first Prime Minister from the newly formed Liberal Party (1855–1858 and 1859–1865).

The area served by the constituency had not been represented by a party other than the Conservative Party in Westminster since 1923. Following the 2022 Tiverton and Honiton by-election, the Liberal Democrats gained the seat from the Conservatives.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[6]Party
1997 Angela Browning Conservative
2010 Neil Parish Conservative
2022 Independent
2022 by-election Richard Foord Liberal Democrats

Elections

Results over time by percentage
Results over time by number of votes

Elections in the 2020s

2022 Tiverton and Honiton by-election[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Richard Foord 22,537 52.9 +38.1
Conservative Helen Hurford 16,393 38.5 −21.7
Labour Liz Pole 1,562 3.7 −15.8
Green Gill Westcott 1,064 2.5 −1.3
Reform UK Andy Foan 481 1.1 New
UKIP Ben Walker 241 0.6 −1.0
Heritage Jordan Donoghue-Morgan 167 0.4 New
For Britain Frankie Rufolo 146 0.3 New
Majority 6,144 14.4 N/A
Turnout 42,593 52.3 −19.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +29.9

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Tiverton and Honiton[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Neil Parish 35,893 60.2 ―1.2
Labour Liz Pole 11,654 19.5 ―7.6
Liberal Democrats John Timperley 8,807 14.8 +6.8
Green Colin Reed 2,291 3.8 +0.3
UKIP Margaret Dennis 968 1.6 New
Majority 24,239 40.7 +6.4
Turnout 59,613 71.9 +0.4
Conservative hold Swing +3.3
General election 2017: Tiverton and Honiton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Neil Parish 35,471 61.4 +7.4
Labour Caroline Kolek 15,670 27.1 +14.4
Liberal Democrats Matthew Wilson 4,639 8.0 ―2.5
Green Gill Westcott 2,035 3.5 ―2.9
Majority 19,801 34.3 ―3.2
Turnout 57,815 71.5 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing ―3.5
General election 2015: Tiverton and Honiton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Neil Parish 29,030 54.0 +3.7
UKIP Graham Smith 8,857 16.5 +10.5
Labour Caroline Kolek 6,835 12.7 +3.8
Liberal Democrats Stephen Kearney 5,626 10.5 ―22.8
Green Paul Edwards 3,415 6.4 +4.9
Majority 20,173 37.5 +20.5
Turnout 53,763 70.5 ―1.0
Conservative hold Swing ―3.4
General election 2010: Tiverton and Honiton[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Neil Parish 27,614 50.3 +3.6
Liberal Democrats Jon Underwood 18,294 33.3 +4.2
Labour Vernon Whitlock 4,907 8.9 ―4.4
UKIP Daryl Stanbury 3,277 6.0 +1.2
Green Cathy Connor 802 1.5 ―1.3
Majority 9,320 17.0 +0.6
Turnout 54,894 71.5 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing ―0.3

Elections prior to the 2010s

General election 2005: Tiverton and Honiton[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angela Browning 27,838 47.9 +0.8
Liberal Democrats David Nation 16,787 28.9 ―6.9
Labour Fiona Bentley 7,944 13.7 +1.8
UKIP Bob Edwards 2,499 4.3 +2.0
Liberal Roy Collins 1,701 2.9 +1.8
Green Colin Matthews 1,399 2.4 +0.6
Majority 11,051 19.0 +7.7
Turnout 58,168 69.8 +0.6
Conservative hold Swing +3.8
General election 2001: Tiverton and Honiton[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angela Browning 26,258 47.1 +5.8
Liberal Democrats James Barnard 19,974 35.8 ―2.7
Labour Isabel Owen 6,647 11.9 ―0.9
UKIP Alan Langmaid 1,281 2.3 New
Green Matthew Burgess 1,030 1.8 +1.0
Liberal Jennifer Roach 594 1.1 0.0
Majority 6,284 11.3 +8.5
Turnout 55,784 69.2 ―8.4
Conservative hold Swing +4.2
General election 1997: Tiverton and Honiton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angela Browning 24,438 41.3
Liberal Democrats James Barnard 22,785 38.5
Labour John King 7,598 12.8
Referendum Stephen Lowings 2,952 5.0
Liberal Jennifer Roach 635 1.1
Green Emily McIvor 485 0.8
National Democrats Del Charles 236 0.4
Majority 1,653 2.8
Turnout 59,129 77.6
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)

References

  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ Ambrose, Tom (30 April 2022). "Tory Neil Parish to resign as MP after porn 'moment of madness'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  4. ↑ UK Polling Report http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/tivertonandhoniton/
  5. ↑ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Tiverton+and+Honiton
  6. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)
  7. ↑ "The results". Mid Devon District Council. June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "Tiverton and Honiton turnout 52%". Sky News. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "2017 general election candidates in Devon". Devon Live. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017.
  11. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ↑ Finan, Kevin (20 April 2010). "Statement of Persons Nominated - Tiverton & Honiton" (MS Word). Acting Returning Officer, Mid Devon District Council. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

50°49′37″N 3°20′56″W / 50.827°N 3.349°W / 50.827; -3.349

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