Central Devon

Central Devon
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Boundary of Central Devon in South West England
CountyDevon
Population88,926 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate73,491 (2023) [2]
Major settlementsOkehampton, Crediton, Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentMel Stride (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromNorth Devon, Teignbridge, Tiverton and Honiton, Torridge and West Devon, Totnes

Central Devon is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Mel Stride of the Conservative Party.[n 2]

Constituency profile

Central Devon is a large rural constituency that covers part of Devon to the west of the city of Exeter. The constituency includes part of Dartmoor, an upland area and National Park. The largest settlement is the town of Okehampton, with a population of around 9,000.[3] The constituency contains many other small market towns and villages, including Crediton, Bradninch, North Tawton, Hatherleigh, Exminster, Chagford, Moretonhampstead, Chudleigh, Ashburton and Buckfastleigh. The constituency is primarily agricultural and many of its towns grew from the wool trade in mediaeval times.[4]

Residents of Central Devon are considerably older than the national average and have average levels of income, education and professional employment.[5] The areas closer to Exeter are generally more affluent than the western, more inland parts of the constituency.[6] White people make up 98% of the population.[5] At the local county council, the constituency is divided between Liberal Democrat support in its east and Reform UK support in its west, with district councils generally having a mixture of Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors. Voters were evenly split in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership, with an estimated result of 50% voting for each option.[5]

History

The constituency was created for the 2010 general election, following a review of parliamentary representation in Devon by the Boundary Commission for England, which increased seats in the county from 11 to 12.[7] Central Devon covers parts of the East Devon, Mid Devon, Teignbridge and West Devon districts.

The wards from the last election presented a notional Conservative majority of just over 1,700, making it a marginal seat at the first election. Despite this, Mel Stride's majority over the Liberal Democrats was 17.1 percentage points with an absolute majority.[8] Stride held the seat comfortably at the next three elections (2015, 2017 and 2019), but only just held on at the 2024 general election with a majority of 0.1% (61 votes) over the Labour Party candidate.

Boundaries

2010–2024

The constituency contained electoral wards from four districts.[7]

  • From East Devon: Exe Valley;
  • From Mid Devon: Boniface, Bradninch, Cadbury, Lawrence, Newbrooke, Sandford and Creedy, Silverton, Taw, Taw Vale, Upper Yeo, Way, Yeo;
  • From Teignbridge: Ashburton and Buckfastleigh, Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh, Haytor, Kenn Valley, Moorland, Teignbridge North, Teign Valley;
  • From West Devon: Chagford, Drewsteignton, Exbourne, Hatherleigh, Lew Valley, North Tawton, Okehampton East, Okehampton West, South Tawton.

2024–present

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, and a local government boundary review in Mid Devon District which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency is composed of the following:[9]

  • The District of Mid Devon wards of: Bradninch (nearly all); Cadbury; Crediton Boniface; Crediton Lawrence; Sandford & Creedy; Silverton; Taw Vale; Upper Yeo & Taw; Way; Yeo.
  • The District of Teignbridge wards of: Ashburton & Buckfastleigh; Bovey; Chudleigh; Haytor; Kenn Valley; Moretonhampstead; Teign Valley.
  • The Borough of West Devon wards of: Chagford; Drewsteignton; Exbourne; Hatherleigh; Okehampton North; Okehampton South; South Tawton.

The East Devon ward of Exe Valley was included in the new constituency of Exmouth and Exeter East. Otherwise, only a very minor change to the boundary in the District of Teignbridge.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[10] Party
2010 Mel Stride Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Central Devon[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mel Stride 16,831 31.5 −23.8
Labour Ollie Pearson 16,770 31.4 +6.6
Liberal Democrats Mark Wooding 8,232 15.4 +0.4
Reform UK Jeffrey Leeks 7,784 14.6 N/A
Green Gill Westcott 3,338 6.2 +1.3
Independent Arthur Price 477 0.9 N/A
Majority 61 0.1 −30.4
Turnout 53,432 70.9 −6.3
Registered electors 75,385
Conservative hold Swing −15.2

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[12]
Party Vote %
Conservative 31,366 55.3
Labour 14,066 24.8
Liberal Democrats 8,503 15.0
Green 2,789 4.9
Turnout 56,724 77.2
Electorate 73,491
General election 2019: Central Devon[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mel Stride 32,095 55.3 +1.2
Labour Lisa Webb 14,374 24.8 −2.2
Liberal Democrats Alison Eden 8,770 15.1 +3.4
Green Andy Williamson 2,833 4.9 +2.3
Majority 17,721 30.5 +3.4
Turnout 58,072 77.5 −1.1
Conservative hold Swing +1.7
General election 2017: Central Devon[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mel Stride 31,278 54.1 +1.9
Labour Lisa Webb 15,598 27.0 +14.2
Liberal Democrats Alex White 6,770 11.7 −0.5
Green Andy Williamson 1,531 2.6 −6.3
UKIP Tim Matthews 1,326 2.3 −10.9
NHA John Dean 871 1.5 N/A
Liberal Lloyd Knight 470 0.8 N/A
Majority 15,680 27.1 −11.9
Turnout 57,844 78.6 +3.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2015: Central Devon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mel Stride 28,436 52.2 +0.7
UKIP John Conway 7,171 13.2 +7.9
Labour Lynne Richards[16] 6,985 12.8 +5.9
Liberal Democrats Alex White 6,643 12.2 −22.2
Green Andy Williamson 4,866 8.9 +7.0
Independent Arthur Price 347 0.6 N/A
Majority 21,265 39.0 +11.9
Turnout 54,448 74.9 −0.8
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Central Devon[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mel Stride 27,737 51.5 +7.7
Liberal Democrats Phil Hutty 18,507 34.4 −4.4
Labour Moira Macdonald 3,715 6.9 −4.7
UKIP Bob Edwards 2,870 5.3 −0.5
Green Colin Matthews 1,044 1.9 N/A
Majority 9,230 17.1 +12.1
Turnout 53,873 75.7 +5.8
Conservative hold Swing +6.1[n 3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Notional

References

  1. ^ "Central Devon: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Okehampton (Devon, South West England, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  4. ^ The medieval wool trade Archived 4 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine. World Timelines. Retrieved on 5 March 2011.
  5. ^ a b c "Seat Detail - Devon Central". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  6. ^ "Constituency data: Deprivation in England". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Final recommendations for Parliamentary constituencies in the counties of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay". Boundary Commission for England. 24 November 2004. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  8. ^ Devon Central, UK Polling report, Retrieved 29 May 2010
  9. ^ "New Seat Details - Devon Central". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  10. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)
  11. ^ "Central Devon - General election results 2024" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF).
  14. ^ "Devon Central parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "DEVON CENTRAL 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

50°42′N 3°54′W / 50.7°N 3.9°W / 50.7; -3.9

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