Yeovil (UK Parliament constituency)
Yeovil | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Somerset |
Electorate | 82,771 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Yeovil, Chard |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1918 |
Member of Parliament | Marcus Fysh (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | South Somerset and East Somerset (parts of) |
Yeovil is a constituency[n 1] in Somerset created in 1918 and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It has been represented since 2015 by Marcus Fysh, a Conservative.[n 2]
Boundaries
1918–1974: The Municipal Boroughs of Yeovil and Chard, the Urban Districts of Crewkerne and Ilminster, the Rural Districts of Chard, Langport, Yeovil.
1974–1983: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.
1983–1997: The District of Yeovil wards of Blackdown, Chard North East, Chard North West, Chard Parish, Chard South East, Chard South West, Chinnock, Coker, Crewkerne Town, Dowlish, Egwood, Hazelbury, Houndstone, Ilminster Town, Lynches, Mudford, Neroche, St Michael's, South Petherton, Stoke, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil North, Yeovil Preston, Yeovil South, Yeovil West.
1997–2010: The District of South Somerset wards of Blackdown, Chard Avishayes, Chard Combe, Chard Crimchard, Chard Holyrood, Chard Jocelyn, Coker, Crewkerne, Egwood, Hamdon, Houndstone, Ilminster, Mudford, Neroche, Parrett, St Michael's, South Petherton, Tatworth and Forton, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil Preston, Yeovil South, Yeovil West, Yeovil Without.
2010–present: The District of South Somerset wards of Blackdown, Brympton, Chard Avishayes, Chard Combe, Chard Crimchard, Chard Holyrood, Chard Jocelyn, Coker, Crewkerne, Egwood, Hamdon, Ilminster, Ivelchester, Neroche, Parrett, St Michael's, South Petherton, Tatworth and Forton, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil South, Yeovil West, Yeovil Without.
Main settlements
The seat covers the towns of Yeovil, Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster in the county.
History
From 1918 until 1983, Yeovil always returned a Conservative MP (though by only narrow margins over Labour in the 1940s and 1950s). There then followed a period of over 30 years during which the seat was represented by a member of the Liberal Party or their successors, the Liberal Democrats; firstly former leader Paddy Ashdown (1983–2001) and then former Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Laws (2001 to 2015).[3] At the 2015 election, the seat returned to its former Conservative allegiance as Marcus Fysh defeated Laws by over 5,000 votes.[4]
The South Somerset district voted 57% to leave the European Union, and academic analysis estimates that Yeovil itself voted 59% to leave.[5] There was a swing of 7.7% away from the pro-Remain Liberal Democrats towards the pro-Leave Conservatives, which made the seat much safer in 2017, Marcus Fysh's majority increasing to just under 15,000. In 2019 the voters slightly increased this majority (to over 16,000).
Members of Parliament
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Fysh | 34,588 | 58.4 | 3.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mick Clark | 18,407 | 31.1 | 1.4 | |
Labour | Terence Ledlie | 3,761 | 6.3 | 6.2 | |
Green | Diane Wood | 1,629 | 2.7 | 0.9 | |
Independent | Tony Capozzoli | 689 | 1.2 | New | |
Constitution and Reform | Tom Fox | 186 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 16,181 | 27.3 | 2.5 | ||
Turnout | 59,260 | 71.9 | 0.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | 1.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Fysh | 32,369 | 54.5 | +12.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jo Roundell Greene | 17,646 | 29.7 | –3.4 | |
Labour | Ian Martin | 7,418 | 12.5 | +5.4 | |
Green | Robert Wood | 1,052 | 1.8 | –2.0 | |
Independent | Katy Pritchard | 919 | 1.5 | New | |
Majority | 14,723 | 24.8 | +15.4 | ||
Turnout | 59,404 | 71.6 | +2.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +7.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Marcus Fysh | 24,158 | 42.5 | +9.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Laws | 18,865 | 33.1 | −22.6 | |
UKIP | Simon Smedley | 7,646 | 13.4 | +9.3 | |
Labour | Sheena King | 4,053 | 7.1 | +1.9 | |
Green | Emily McIvor | 2,191 | 3.8 | New | |
Majority | 5,293 | 9.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 56,933 | 69.1 | −0.3 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +16.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | David Laws | 31,843 | 55.7 | +4.2 | |
Conservative | Kevin Davis | 18,807 | 32.9 | −1.2 | |
Labour | Lee Skevington | 2,991 | 5.2 | −5.3 | |
UKIP | Nigel Pearson | 2,357 | 4.1 | +0.3 | |
BNP | Robert Baehr | 1,162 | 2.0 | New | |
Majority | 13,036 | 22.8 | +5.6 | ||
Turnout | 57,160 | 69.4 | +5.6 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +2.7 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | David Laws | 25,658 | 51.4 | +7.1 | |
Conservative | Ian Jenkins | 17,096 | 34.3 | −1.8 | |
Labour | Colin Rolfe | 5,256 | 10.5 | −4.2 | |
UKIP | Graham Livings | 1,903 | 3.8 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 8,562 | 17.1 | +8.9 | ||
Turnout | 49,913 | 64.3 | +0.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +4.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | David Laws | 21,266 | 44.3 | −4.4 | |
Conservative | Marco Forgione | 17,338 | 36.1 | +8.4 | |
Labour | Joe Conway | 7,077 | 14.7 | −0.2 | |
UKIP | Neil Boxall | 1,131 | 2.3 | New | |
Green | Alex Begg | 786 | 1.6 | +0.3 | |
Liberal | Anthony Prior | 534 | 1.1 | New | |
Majority | 3,928 | 8.2 | −12.8 | ||
Turnout | 48,032 | 64.2 | −8.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −6.5 |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Paddy Ashdown | 26,349 | 48.7 | −2.9 | |
Conservative | Nicholas Cambrook | 14,946 | 27.7 | −9.3 | |
Labour | Patrick Conway | 8,053 | 14.9 | +5.3 | |
Referendum | John Beveridge | 3,574 | 6.6 | New | |
Green | David Taylor | 728 | 1.3 | +0.2 | |
Independent | John Archer | 306 | 0.6 | New | |
Rainbow Dream Ticket | Christopher Hudson | 97 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 11,403 | 21.0 | +6.3 | ||
Turnout | 54,053 | 72.3 | −9.7 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +3.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Paddy Ashdown | 30,958 | 51.7 | +0.3 | |
Conservative | Julian Davidson | 22,125 | 36.9 | −4.4 | |
Labour | Vivien Elson | 5,765 | 9.6 | +2.3 | |
Green | Jay Risbridger | 639 | 1.1 | New | |
Monster Raving Loony | Screaming Lord Sutch | 338 | 0.6 | New | |
Anti-Paddy Ashdown Keep Britain Independent | Reginald Simmerson | 70 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 8,833 | 14.8 | +4.7 | ||
Turnout | 59,895 | 82.0 | +2.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +2.4 |
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Paddy Ashdown | 28,841 | 51.4 | +0.9 | |
Conservative | George Sandeman | 23,141 | 41.3 | −2.7 | |
Labour | John Fitzmaurice | 4,099 | 7.3 | +1.7 | |
Majority | 5,700 | 10.1 | +3.6 | ||
Turnout | 56,081 | 79.7 | −0.1 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +2.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Paddy Ashdown | 26,608 | 50.5 | +20.0 | |
Conservative | David Martin | 23,202 | 44.0 | −3.9 | |
Labour | Peter Brushett | 2,928 | 5.6 | −16.0 | |
Majority | 3,406 | 6.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 52,738 | 79.8 | −2.3 | ||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.0 |
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 31,321 | 47.9 | +4.9 | |
Liberal | Paddy Ashdown | 19,939 | 30.5 | +1.5 | |
Labour | Ian Luder | 14,098 | 21.6 | −7.4 | |
Majority | 11,382 | 17.4 | +3.4 | ||
Turnout | 65,358 | 82.1 | +2.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 25,658 | 43.0 | +1.47 | |
Labour | M. T. McVicar | 17,330 | 29.0 | +1.22 | |
Liberal | Geoffrey F. Taylor | 17,298 | 29.0 | −0.04 | |
Independent | J. E. Tippett | 332 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 7,379 | 14.0 | +2.02 | ||
Turnout | 60,618 | 79.3 | −4.56 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.12 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 25,955 | 41.53 | −8.16 | |
Liberal | Geoffrey F. Taylor | 18,465 | 29.54 | +16.23 | |
Labour | M.T. McVicar | 17,362 | 27.78 | −9.22 | |
Democratic Conservative | J.E. Tippett | 720 | 1.15 | New | |
Majority | 7,490 | 11.99 | −0.7 | ||
Turnout | 62,542 | 83.86 | +4.52 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -12.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 27,689 | 49.69 | +6.52 | |
Labour | John A Elswood | 20,621 | 37.00 | −2.21 | |
Liberal | David E Evans | 7,418 | 13.31 | −4.31 | |
Majority | 7,068 | 12.69 | +8.73 | ||
Turnout | 55,728 | 79.34 | −4.24 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.36 |
Elections in the 1960s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 22,664 | 43.17 | +0.62 | |
Labour | John A Elswood | 20,584 | 39.21 | +5.88 | |
Liberal | David E Evans | 9,248 | 17.62 | −6.50 | |
Majority | 2,080 | 3.96 | −5.26 | ||
Turnout | 52,496 | 83.63 | +0.32 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.25 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 21,919 | 42.55 | −4.16 | |
Labour | Albert C Reed | 17,171 | 33.33 | −1.33 | |
Liberal | Geoffrey F. Taylor | 12,426 | 24.12 | +6.48 | |
Majority | 4,748 | 9.22 | −2.83 | ||
Turnout | 51,516 | 83.31 | −1.88 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.75 |
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 23,771 | 46.71 | −1.5 | |
Labour | W. Alex Baker | 17,638 | 34.66 | −5.0 | |
Liberal | Geoffrey Fawsitt Taylor | 9,484 | 18.64 | +6.4 | |
Majority | 6,133 | 12.05 | +3.5 | ||
Turnout | 50,893 | 85.19 | +0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 24,059 | 48.17 | +1.33 | |
Labour | Moss Murray | 19,793 | 39.63 | −0.43 | |
Liberal | Geoffrey Fawsitt Taylor | 6,089 | 12.19 | +0.10 | |
Majority | 4,266 | 8.54 | +2.77 | ||
Turnout | 49,941 | 85.06 | −2.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.88 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Peyton | 23,701 | 46.84 | +4.27 | |
Labour | Moss Murray | 20,780 | 41.07 | +1.74 | |
Liberal | Marguerite L Winsor | 6,118 | 12.09 | −6.01 | |
Majority | 2,921 | 5.77 | +2.53 | ||
Turnout | 50,599 | 87.96 | +0.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Kingsmill | 21,145 | 42.57 | +4.81 | |
Labour | Maurice Shinwell | 19,532 | 39.33 | +1.95 | |
Liberal | Leon MacLaren | 8,990 | 18.10 | −6.74 | |
Majority | 1,613 | 3.24 | +2.84 | ||
Turnout | 49,867 | 87.46 | +12.20 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.38 |
Election in the 1940s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Kingsmill | 16,815 | 37.78 | −9.02 | |
Labour | Malcolm MacPherson | 16,641 | 37.38 | +17.28 | |
Liberal | James Douglas Bateman | 11,057 | 24.84 | −8.26 | |
Majority | 174 | 0.40 | −13.30 | ||
Turnout | 44,513 | 75.26 | −3.04 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -13.15 |
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: John Fox-Strangways[18]
- Liberal: James Bateman
- Labour: Malcolm MacPherson
Elections in the 1930s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Davies | 17,640 | 46.8 | −4.1 | |
Liberal | James Douglas Bateman | 12,482 | 33.1 | −2.4 | |
Labour | Albert Edward Millett | 7,567 | 20.1 | +6.5 | |
Majority | 5,158 | 13.7 | −1.7 | ||
Turnout | 37,689 | 78.3 | −5.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Davies | 20,165 | 50.9 | +9.8 | |
Liberal | Percy Holt Heffer | 14,046 | 35.5 | −3.3 | |
Labour | Hamilton Fyfe | 5,377 | 13.6 | −6.5 | |
Majority | 6,119 | 15.4 | +13.1 | ||
Turnout | 39,588 | 84.1 | +0.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.6 |
Elections in the 1920s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | George Davies | 15,526 | 41.1 | −7.2 | |
Liberal | Percy Holt Heffer | 14,679 | 38.8 | +7.7 | |
Labour | Francis Douglas | 7,609 | 20.1 | −0.5 | |
Majority | 847 | 2.3 | −14.9 | ||
Turnout | 37,814 | 83.4 | −0.2 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -7.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | George Davies | 14,477 | 48.3 | +3.8 | |
Liberal | Charles Waley Cohen | 9,320 | 31.1 | −6.5 | |
Labour | James Lievsley George | 6,179 | 20.6 | +2.8 | |
Majority | 5,157 | 17.2 | +10.2 | ||
Turnout | 29,976 | 83.6 | |||
Unionist hold | Swing | +5.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | George Davies | 12,690 | 44.5 | −17.3 | |
Liberal | Charles Waley Cohen | 10,715 | 37.6 | N/A | |
Labour | William Kelly | 5,080 | 17.8 | −20.5 | |
Majority | 1,975 | 6.9 | −16.6 | ||
Turnout | 28,485 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | -7.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | George Davies | 13,205 | 46.6 | −15.2 | |
Labour | William Kelly | 8,140 | 28.7 | −9.6 | |
Liberal | Charles Waley Cohen | 7,024 | 24.8 | New | |
Majority | 5,065 | 17.9 | −5.6 | ||
Turnout | 28,369 | 80.8 | +7.8 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -2.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Aubrey Herbert | 15,468 | 61.8 | +11.3 | |
Labour | William Kelly | 9,581 | 38.3 | +1.9 | |
Majority | 5,887 | 23.5 | +9.4 | ||
Turnout | 25,049 | 73.0 | +11.2 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +4.7 |
Elections in the 1910s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Aubrey Herbert | 10,522 | 50.5 | |
Labour | William Kelly | 7,589 | 36.4 | ||
Liberal | J. R. Brough | 2,743 | 13.2 | ||
Majority | 2,933 | 14.1 | |||
Turnout | 20,854 | 61.8 | |||
Unionist win (new seat) | |||||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
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.
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ Fifth periodical report — Volume 4 Mapping for the Non-Metropolitan Counties and the Unitary Authorities, The Stationery Office, 26 February 2007, ISBN 0-10-170322-8
- ^ "Yeovil". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ "Yeovil parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Hanretty, Chris (6 February 2017). "Ward level results from the EU referendum". Medium.
- ^ "Yeovil (UK Parliament Constituency)". Altius Directory. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF).
- ^ "Yeovil parliamentary constituency - Election 2019" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Statement as to persons nominated and notice of poll" (PDF). South Somerset District Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ "Yeovil". BBC. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Yeovil parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Yeovil". BBC News Online. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Parliamentary Elections — Yeovil Constituency" (PDF). South Somerset Council. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Yeovil". Guardian. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ Western Gazette, 4 Feb 1938
- ^ a b c d e f g h F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949