North Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)
North Somerset | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Somerset |
Electorate | 78,469 (2018) |
Major settlements | Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead |
Current constituency | |
Created | 2010 |
Member of Parliament | Liam Fox (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Woodspring |
1950–1983 | |
Created from | Frome and Weston-super-Mare |
Replaced by | Woodspring, Wansdyke and Wells |
1885–1918 | |
Created from | East Somerset |
Replaced by | Frome and Weston-super-Mare |
North Somerset is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Liam Fox, a Conservative who served as Secretary of State for International Trade, a new position in the Cabinet, from 2016 to 2019.
History
Earlier versions of the seat existed in 1885–1918 and 1950–1983.
- First creation
Parliament passed the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 creating the larger constituency of North Somerset from the 1885 general election, which was later abolished for the 1918 general election.
- Second creation
North Somerset was re-established for the 1950 general election, and abolished again for the 1983 general election.
- Third creation
Following the review of parliamentary representation in the North Somerset district by the Boundary Commission for England, the former Woodspring constituency was renamed as North Somerset without substantial boundary changes.
Boundaries
1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Keynsham, Long Ashton, and Temple Cloud, and the civil parishes of Binegar, Chilcompton, and Midsomer Norton.
1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Keynsham, Norton Radstock, and Portishead, the Rural Districts of Bathavon and Clutton, and part of the Rural District of Long Ashton.
2010–present: The District of North Somerset wards of Backwell, Clevedon Central, Clevedon East, Clevedon North, Clevedon South, Clevedon Walton, Clevedon West, Clevedon Yeo, Easton-in-Gordano, Gordano, Nailsea East, Nailsea North and West, Pill, Portishead Central, Portishead Coast, Portishead East, Portishead Redcliffe Bay, Portishead South and North Weston, Portishead West, Winford, Wraxall and Long Ashton, Wrington, and Yatton.
Constituency profile
This is essentially the former Woodspring seat with a new name. A coastal strip between the Severn Estuary and the M5 motorway includes the towns of Clevedon and Portishead, while inland from the motorway is the town of Nailsea and a predominantly rural area dotted with villages. This is a fairly affluent constituency with average incomes and low proportion of unemployment claimants – about a third of the population commute to work, mostly in Bristol and Bath.
The Woodspring seat returned Conservative MPs, and had been held by Fox since 1992. Fox won the new constituency by nearly 14 percentage points over the Liberal Democrats in 2010, while Labour took second place in 2015 and 2017.
Members of Parliament
Year | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 | Evan Henry Llewellyn | Conservative | |
1892 | Courtenay Warner | Liberal | |
1895 | Evan Henry Llewellyn | Conservative | |
1906 | William Henry Bateman Hope | Liberal | |
1910 | Joseph King | Liberal | |
1918 | constituency abolished | ||
1950 | Sir Ted Leather | Conservative | |
1964 | Paul Dean | Conservative | |
1983 | constituency abolished: see Woodspring | ||
2010 | Liam Fox | Conservative |
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Liam Fox | 32,801 | 52.9 | –1.3 | |
Labour | Hannah Young | 15,265 | 24.6 | –2.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Ashley Cartman | 11,051 | 17.8 | +8.2 | |
Green | Phil Neve | 2,938 | 4.7 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 17,536 | 28.3 | +0.7 | ||
Turnout | 62,055 | 77.4 | +0.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Liam Fox | 33,605 | 54.2 | +0.7 | |
Labour | Greg Chambers | 16,502 | 26.6 | +12.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Richard Foord | 5,982 | 9.6 | -3.1 | |
Independent | Donald Davies | 3,929 | 6.3 | New | |
Green | Charley Pattison | 1,976 | 3.2 | -3.3 | |
Majority | 17,103 | 27.6 | -11.6 | ||
Turnout | 61,994 | 76.9 | +3.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -5.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Liam Fox | 31,540 | 53.5 | +4.2 | |
Labour | Greg Chambers | 8,441 | 14.3 | +3.2 | |
UKIP | Ian Kealey | 7,669 | 13.0 | +9.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Marcus Kravis | 7,486 | 12.7 | −23.0 | |
Green | David Derbyshire | 3,806 | 6.5 | +6.5 | |
Majority | 23,099 | 39.2 | +25.6 | ||
Turnout | 58,942 | 73.6 | −1.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Liam Fox | 28,549 | 49.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Brian Mathew | 20,687 | 35.7 | ||
Labour | Steve Parry-Hearn | 6,448 | 11.1 | ||
UKIP | Sue Taylor | 2,257 | 3.9 | ||
Majority | 7,862 | 13.6 | |||
Turnout | 57,941 | 75.0 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Paul Dean | 43,173 | 54.34 | +9.4 | |
Labour | AJ Smith | 22,122 | 27.85 | -3.8 | |
Liberal | D Sanders | 12,898 | 16.23 | -6.7 | |
Ecology | R Carder | 1,254 | 1.58 | New | |
Majority | 21,051 | 26.49 | +13.26 | ||
Turnout | 79,447 | 82.24 | +1.81 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Paul Dean | 32,146 | 44.88 | ||
Labour | HR White | 22,671 | 31.65 | ||
Liberal | JM Bourne | 16,428 | 22.93 | ||
United Democratic Party | JK Polling | 387 | 0.54 | New | |
Majority | 9,475 | 13.23 | |||
Turnout | 71,632 | 80.43 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Paul Dean | 34,576 | 46.09 | ||
Labour | HR White | 22,421 | 29.89 | ||
Liberal | JM Bourne | 18,023 | 24.02 | New | |
Majority | 12,155 | 16.20 | |||
Turnout | 75,020 | 85.06 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Paul Dean | 38,975 | 58.1 | +11.7 | |
Labour | John T Mitchard | 28,121 | 41.9 | -0.8 | |
Majority | 10,854 | 16.2 | +12.5 | ||
Turnout | 67,096 | 79.1 | -6.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Paul Dean | 28,824 | 46.4 | 0.0 | |
Labour | Brian Tilley | 26,526 | 42.7 | +2.9 | |
Liberal | Mark E Willies | 6,745 | 10.9 | -2.9 | |
Majority | 2,298 | 3.7 | -2.9 | ||
Turnout | 62,095 | 85.3 | -0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Paul Dean | 27,814 | 46.4 | -9.9 | |
Labour | DT White | 23,896 | 39.8 | -3.9 | |
Liberal | Mark E Willies | 8,253 | 13.8 | New | |
Majority | 3,918 | 6.6 | -6.0 | ||
Turnout | 59,963 | 85.4 | -0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ted Leather | 30,432 | 56.3 | +2.1 | |
Labour | E Fraser Wilde | 23,649 | 43.7 | -2.1 | |
Majority | 6,783 | 12.6 | +4.2 | ||
Turnout | 54,081 | 85.5 | +0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ted Leather | 26,985 | 54.2 | +1.8 | |
Labour | David Llewellyn | 22,802 | 45.8 | -1.8 | |
Majority | 4,183 | 8.4 | +3.6 | ||
Turnout | 54,081 | 85.4 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ted Leather | 27,465 | 52.4 | +6.8 | |
Labour | Robert J Hurst | 24,917 | 47.6 | +3.8 | |
Majority | 2,548 | 4.8 | +3.0 | ||
Turnout | 52,382 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ted Leather | 23,953 | 45.6 | ||
Labour | Xenia Field | 23,050 | 43.8 | ||
Liberal | Albert Ernest Whitcher | 5,573 | 10.6 | ||
Majority | 903 | 1.8 | |||
Turnout | 52,576 | 87.7 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Election results 1885–1918
Elections in the 1880s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Evan Henry Llewellyn | 4,170 | 54.4 | ||
Liberal | Edward Strachey | 3,491 | 45.6 | ||
Majority | 679 | 8.8 | |||
Turnout | 7,661 | 75.0 | |||
Registered electors | 10,209 | ||||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Evan Henry Llewellyn | 4,252 | 67.1 | +12.7 | |
Liberal | James Dormer Marshall | 2,087 | 32.9 | -12.7 | |
Majority | 2,165 | 34.2 | +25.4 | ||
Turnout | 6,339 | 62.1 | -12.9 | ||
Registered electors | 10,209 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +12.7 |
Elections in the 1890s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Courtenay Warner | 3,920 | 50.1 | +17.2 | |
Conservative | Evan Henry Llewellyn | 3,901 | 49.9 | −17.2 | |
Majority | 19 | 0.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,821 | 77.5 | +15.4 | ||
Registered electors | 10,086 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Evan Henry Llewellyn | 4,652 | 54.0 | +4.1 | |
Liberal | Courtenay Warner | 3,966 | 46.0 | -4.1 | |
Majority | 686 | 8.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,618 | 84.4 | +6.9 | ||
Registered electors | 10,208 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.1 |
Elections in the 1900s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Even Llewellyn | 4,530 | 53.0 | −1.0 | |
Liberal | William Hope | 4,014 | 47.0 | +1.0 | |
Majority | 516 | 6.0 | −2.0 | ||
Turnout | 8,544 | 80.0 | −4.4 | ||
Registered electors | 10,682 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Hope | 6,626 | 60.2 | +13.2 | |
Conservative | William Mason | 4,380 | 39.8 | -13.2 | |
Majority | 2,246 | 20.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 11,006 | 88.9 | +8.9 | ||
Registered electors | 12,381 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.2 |
Elections in the 1910s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph King | 6,568 | 53.2 | -7.0 | |
Conservative | Frank Beachim Beauchamp | 5,768 | 46.8 | +7.0 | |
Majority | 800 | 6.4 | -14.0 | ||
Turnout | 12,336 | 91.4 | +2.5 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | -7.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph King | 6,299 | 53.9 | +0.7 | |
Conservative | Frank Beachim Beauchamp | 5,378 | 46.1 | -0.7 | |
Majority | 921 | 7.8 | +1.4 | ||
Turnout | 11,677 | 86.5 | -4.9 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +0.7 |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Liberal: Joseph King
- Unionist: J Windsor Levis