Yeovil (UK Parliament constituency)

Template:UK constituency infobox Yeovil is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Boundaries

The constituency covers the towns of Yeovil, Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster in Somerset. Until 1983 Somerset was split into four constituencies and Yeovil constitency also contained the towns of Ilchester, Martock and Somerton but they were moved into the newly created constituency of Somerton and Frome. From the next election, Yeovil constituency will contain Ilchester once again to equalise the populations of the Somerset constituencies.

The Boundary Commission for England estimate the electorate of Yeovil constituency after the pending boundary changes to be 77,049.

Yeovil 31,812, Chard 11,455, Crewkerne 6,103, Ilminster 3,825, Ilchester 2,177

The remaining 21,677 electors live in various villages between the aforementioned towns.

History

From 1918 until 1983, Yeovil always returned a Conservative MP. However since then the seat has always been held by a member of the Liberal Democrats, firstly former leader Paddy Ashdown (1983 - 2001) and then David Laws (2001 onwards).

Members of Parliament

• Constituency created (1918)

Election		Member	Party
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	1918	Aubrey Herbert	Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	1923	Sir George Davies	Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	1945	William Kingsmill	Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	1951	John Peyton	Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	1983	Rt Hon Paddy Ashdown	Liberal
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color" |	1988		Liberal Democrat
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color" |	2001	David Laws	Liberal Democrat

Election results

Confirmed candidates for the next UK general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Kevin Davis
	UKIP	Eric Edmond
	Liberal Democrats	David Laws
	Labour	Lee Skevington

General Election 2005: Yeovil

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Laws	25,658	51.4	+7.2
	Conservative	Ian Jenkins	17,096	34.3	−1.7
	Labour	Colin Rolfe	5,256	10.5	−4.2
	UKIP	Graham Livings	1,903	3.8	+1.5
Majority			8,562	17.2
Turnout			49,913	64.3	0.1
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+4.5

General Election 2001: Yeovil

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Laws	21,266	44.2	−4.6
	Conservative	Marco Forgione	17,338	36.0	+8.4
	Labour	Joe Conway	7,077	14.7	−0.2
	UKIP	Neil Boxall	1,131	2.3	N/A
	Green	Alex Begg	786	1.6	+0.3
	Liberal	Anthony Prior	534	1.1	N/A
Majority			3,928	8.2	−12.8
Turnout			48,132	64.2	−8.5
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	-6.5

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Yeovil

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Paddy Ashdown	26,349	48.7	−2.9
	Conservative	Nick Cambrook	14,946	27.7	−9.3
	Labour	Joe Conway	8,053	14.9	+5.3
	Referendum	John Beveridge	3,574	6.6	N/A
	Green	David Taylor	728	1.3	+0.2
	Independent	John Archer	306	0.6	N/A
	Rainbow Dream Ticket	Christopher Hudson	97	0.2	N/A
Majority			11,403	21.0
Turnout			53,747	72.3	−9.7
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+3.2

General Election 1992: Yeovil

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	N/A
	Monster Raving Loony	Screaming Lord Sutch	338	0.6	N/A
	Independent	Reginald Simmerson	70	0.1	N/A
Majority			8,833	14.7	+4.6
Turnout			59,895	82.0	+2.3
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+2.4

Elections in the 1970s

General Election October 1974: Yeovil

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Peyton	25,658	43.0
	Labour	M. T. McVicar	17,330	29.0
	Liberal	G. F. Taylor	17,298	29.0
	Independent	J. E. Tippett	332	0.6
Majority			7379
Turnout			59,669	79.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Somerset