Torbay | |
---|---|
Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Devon |
Electorate | 76,219 (December 2010) [1] |
Major settlements | Paignton and Torquay |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1974 |
Member of Parliament | Kevin Foster ( Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Torquay |
Torbay is a constituency in Devon represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Kevin Foster, a Conservative. He defeated Adrian Sanders of the Liberal Democrats, who had held the seat since 1997.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Torbay.
1983–2010: The Borough of Torbay wards of Cockington with Chelston, Coverdale, Ellacombe, Preston, St Marychurch, St Michael's with Goodrington, Shiphay, Tormohun, and Torwood.
2010–present: The Borough of Torbay wards of Clifton with Maidenway, Cockington with Chelston, Ellacombe, Goodrington with Roselands, Preston, Roundham with Hyde, St Marychurch, Shiphay with the Willows, Tormohun, Watcombe, and Wellswood.
The constituency covers the majority of the Torbay unitary authority in Devon, including the seaside resorts of Torquay and most of Paignton. The remainder of the borough is covered by the Totnes constituency.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
Minor changes following re-organisation of local authority wards.
After being held for several Parliaments (taking together various predecessor areas) by Conservatives, from 1997 the seat was held by Liberal Democrats until 2015 when a Conservative re-took it.
Sir Frederic Bennett did not achieve his own ministry nationally, but he chaired in the European Parliament the European Democrats group.
Consisting almost entirely of coastal towns and villages, the constituency has a range of tourist facilities, and a few nearby luxury resorts. In November 2012, unemployment was 5%, compared to the national average of 3.8%. [3]
The seat is home to the Plainmoor football ground, home to Torquay United.
Election | Member [4] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
Feb 1974 | Sir Frederic Bennett | Conservative | |
1987 | Rupert Allason | Conservative | |
1993 | Independent [a] | ||
1994 | Conservative | ||
1997 | Adrian Sanders | Liberal Democrat | |
2015 | Kevin Foster | Conservative |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Steve Darling [6] | ||||
Conservative | Kevin Foster [7] | ||||
Reform UK | Gordon Scott [8] | ||||
Green | Charlie West [9] | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout | |||||
Registered electors | |||||
Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Kevin Foster | 29,863 | 59.2 | +6.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Lee Howgate | 12,114 | 24.0 | ―1.1 | |
Labour | Michele Middleditch | 6,562 | 13.0 | ―5.2 | |
Green | Sam Moss | 1,239 | 2.5 | +1.2 | |
Independent | James Channer | 648 | 1.3 | New | |
Majority | 17,749 | 35.2 | +7.3 | ||
Turnout | 50,426 | 67.2 | ―0.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.65 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Kevin Foster | 27,141 | 53.0 | +12.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Deborah Brewer | 12,858 | 25.1 | ―8.7 | |
Labour | Paul Raybould | 9,310 | 18.2 | +9.5 | |
UKIP | Tony McIntyre | 1,213 | 2.4 | ―11.2 | |
Green | Sam Moss | 652 | 1.3 | ―1.9 | |
Majority | 14,283 | 27.9 | +21.0 | ||
Turnout | 51,174 | 67.4 | +4.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +10.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Kevin Foster | 19,551 | 40.7 | +2.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Sanders | 16,265 | 33.8 | ―13.2 | |
UKIP | Anthony McIntyre | 6,540 | 13.6 | +8.3 | |
Labour | Su Maddock | 4,166 | 8.7 | +2.1 | |
Green | Paula Hermes | 1,557 | 3.2 | +2.2 | |
Majority | 3,286 | 6.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 48,079 | 63.0 | ―1.6 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +7.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Sanders | 23,126 | 47.0 | +5.2 | |
Conservative | Marcus Wood | 19,048 | 38.7 | +2.9 | |
Labour | David Pedrick-Friend | 3,231 | 6.6 | ―7.9 | |
UKIP | Julien Parrott | 2,628 | 5.3 | ―2.7 | |
BNP | Ann Conway | 709 | 1.4 | New | |
Green | Sam Moss | 468 | 1.0 | New | |
Majority | 4,078 | 8.3 | +4.0 | ||
Turnout | 49,210 | 64.6 | +4.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +1.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Sanders | 19,317 | 40.8 | ―9.7 | |
Conservative | Marcus Wood | 17,288 | 36.5 | +0.1 | |
Labour | David Pedrick-Friend | 6,972 | 14.7 | +5.3 | |
UKIP | Graham Booth | 3,726 | 7.9 | +4.7 | |
Majority | 2,029 | 4.3 | ―9.8 | ||
Turnout | 47,303 | 61.9 | ―0.6 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | ―4.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Sanders | 24,015 | 50.5 | +10.9 | |
Conservative | Christian Sweeting | 17,307 | 36.4 | ―3.1 | |
Labour | John MacKay | 4,484 | 9.4 | ―5.5 | |
UKIP | Graham Booth | 1,512 | 3.2 | ―0.5 | |
Independent | Pam Neale | 251 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 6,708 | 14.1 | +14.0 | ||
Turnout | 47,569 | 62.5 | ―11.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +7.05 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Sanders | 21,094 | 39.6 | ―0.2 | |
Conservative | Rupert Allason | 21,082 | 39.5 | ―10.4 | |
Labour | Michael Morey | 7,923 | 14.9 | +5.3 | |
UKIP | Graham Booth | 1,962 | 3.7 | New | |
Liberal | Bruce Cowling | 1,161 | 2.2 | New | |
Rainbow Dream Ticket | Paul Wild | 100 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 12 | 0.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 53,322 | 73.8 | ―6.8 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.1 |
The 12 vote majority in Torbay was originally the second smallest in any of the 659 constituencies contested at the 1997 general election, with only the Liberal Democrats' majority of 2 in Winchester being smaller. However the Winchester result was subsequently challenged and declared void resulting in a by-election. [20]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rupert Allason | 28,624 | 49.9 | ―4.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Sanders | 22,837 | 39.8 | +2.2 | |
Labour | Peter Truscott | 5,503 | 9.6 | +1.2 | |
National Front | Robert Jones | 268 | 0.5 | New | |
Natural Law | Alison Thomas | 157 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 5,787 | 10.1 | ―6.3 | ||
Turnout | 57,389 | 80.6 | +4.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ―3.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rupert Allason | 29,029 | 54.0 | +1.4 | |
Liberal | Nicholas Bye | 20,209 | 37.6 | ―1.6 | |
Labour | Gerald Taylor | 4,538 | 8.4 | +1.2 | |
Majority | 8,820 | 16.4 | +3.0 | ||
Turnout | 53,776 | 76.4 | +3.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Frederic Bennett | 25,721 | 52.6 | ―1.5 | |
Liberal | Michael Mitchell | 19,166 | 39.2 | +16.1 | |
Labour | Philip Rackley | 3,521 | 7.2 | ―12.4 | |
Independent | Anne Murray | 500 | 1.0 | New | |
Majority | 6,555 | 13.4 | ―18.2 | ||
Turnout | 48,908 | 72.6 | ―2.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +8.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Frederic Bennett | 36,099 | 54.1 | +5.7 | |
Liberal | Michael Mitchell | 15,231 | 23.1 | ―5.4 | |
Labour | Elaine Fear | 12,919 | 19.6 | ―3.5 | |
Ecology | David Abrahams | 1,161 | 1.8 | New | |
National Front | June Spry | 647 | 1.0 | New | |
Majority | 20,868 | 31.0 | +11.1 | ||
Turnout | 66,057 | 75.1 | +2.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +5.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Frederic Bennett | 30,208 | 48.4 | ―0.2 | |
Liberal | John Goss | 17,770 | 28.5 | ―1.9 | |
Labour | Jack Tench | 14,441 | 23.1 | +2.0 | |
Majority | 12,438 | 19.9 | +1.7 | ||
Turnout | 62,419 | 72.9 | ―7.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ―1.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Frederic Bennett | 33,163 | 48.6 | ||
Liberal | Bridget Trethewey | 20,755 | 30.4 | ||
Labour | Jack Tench | 14,389 | 21.1 | ||
Majority | 12,408 | 18.2 | |||
Turnout | 68,307 | 80.3 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |