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]
Boundaries
Map of current 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.
Context: 1832-1868. Extract from 1837 result: the main striped area at centre
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 lost the seat 23 years later.
^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
^"The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
^"The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
^"Representation of the People Act 1867" (PDF). London. 1867. pp. 1165–1198. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 7 South West region.
^ abcLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
^ abcdefghiStooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 62, 70. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
^Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 80. Retrieved 5 April 2019 – via Google Books.
^Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. pp. 68–69. Retrieved 5 April 2019 – via Google Books.
^Beckett, Ian F. W. (3 January 2008) [2004]. "Buller, Sir Redvers Henry (1839–1908)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32165. Retrieved 31 July 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^"Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
^Selaine Saxby [@SelaineSaxby] (18 February 2023). "I am delighted to have been readopted to be the parliamentary candidate, for the next General Election (when we get there) to represent lovely #NDevon" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"North Devon Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
^"Steve Crowther to stand for UKIP in North Devon at 2015 general election". North Devon Journal. 2 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^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.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrsCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 376–377. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^"North Devon Election". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 30 June 1885. p. 1. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Sources
The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945.
The Times House of Commons 1950. 1950.
The Times House of Commons 1955. 1955.
External links
North Devon UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
North Devon UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK