| Exeter | |
| Parliament: | uk |
| Year: | 1295 |
| Type: | Borough |
| Elects Howmany: | 1295–1885: Two 1885–present: One |
| Electorate: | 71,713 (2023)[1] |
| Party: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Region: | England |
| European: | South West England |
| Towns: | Exeter |
Exeter is a constituency composed of the cathedral city and county town of Devon represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Steve Race of the Labour Party. The constituency has had a history of representatives from 1900 of Conservative, Liberal Party, Independent and Labour representation.
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies concluded that the electoral wards of Pinhoe, St Loyes and Topsham (which incorporates part of the Countess Wear area) would move into the new constituency of Exmouth and Exeter East.[2]
The constituency has been held by Labour since 1997.
The Labour Party currently has a majority of over 10,000, suggesting this is a safe seat for the party.
The constituency covers the majority of the city, including the University and the Met Office which are significant employers.[3], median gross weekly in pay for full-time workers is below the figure for Great Britain as a whole but above that for South West England. Median hourly pay, however, is below that for both the region and for Great Britain. There are a large number of students for a small city.[4]
The constituency covers most of the city of Exeter in Devon. It covered the entire city from 1918 until 2010, when, under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which increased the number of seats in the county from 11 to 12, two wards of the City of Exeter (St Loyes and Topsham) were transferred to the neighbouring East Devon constituency.[5]
1918–1950: The County Borough of Exeter.
1950–1974: As prior but with redrawn boundaries.
1974–1983: As prior but with redrawn boundaries.
1983–2010: The City of Exeter.
2010–2024: The City of Exeter wards of Alphington, Cowick, Duryard, Exwick, Heavitree, Mincinglake, Newtown, Pennsylvania, Pinhoe, Polsloe, Priory, St David's, St James, St Leonard's, St Thomas, and Whipton and Barton.
2024–present: The City of Exeter wards of Alphington, Duryard & St James, Exwick, Heavitree, Mincinglake & Whipton, Newtown & St Leonard's, Pennsylvania, Priory, St David's, and St Thomas.[6]
After adjustments to align with revised ward boundaries, the Pinhoe, St Loyes and Topsham wards were transferred to the new constituency of Exmouth and Exeter East, to bring the electorate within the permitted range.
Two members
| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1660 | John Maynard | ||||||
| 1661 | < | -- party --> | |||||
| 1673 | Thomas Walker | ||||||
| 1679 | William Glyde | Malachi Pyne | |||||
| 1681 | Sir Thomas Carew | Thomas Walker | |||||
| 1685 | James Walker | Tory < | -- (to 1695) 1633 17 Feb 1708 --> | ||||
| Jan 1689 | Sir Henry Pollexfen | ||||||
| Jun 1689 | Christopher Bale | ||||||
| 1695 | Edward Seyward | Sir Joseph Tily | |||||
| 1698 | Tory < | -- (to Apr 1708) 1633 17 Feb 1708 --> | Sir Bartholomew Shower | ||||
| 1702 | |||||||
| Apr 1708 | John Harris | ||||||
| May 1708 | Nicholas Wood | Tory | |||||
| 1710 | Sir Coplestone Bampfylde | Tory | Tory | ||||
| 1713 | John Rolle | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1715 | |||||||
| 1722 | |||||||
| 1727 | |||||||
| 1728 | |||||||
| 1734 | John King | Thomas Balle | < | -- party --> | |||
| 1735 | < | -- party --> | |||||
| 1741 | < | -- party --> | |||||
| 1743 | |||||||
| 1747 | John Tuckfield | < | -- party --> | ||||
| 1754 | < | -- party --> | |||||
| 1767 | William Spicer | ||||||
| 1768 | |||||||
| 1774 | Whig[11] < | -- 23 Jan 1753 19 Apr 1823 (to 1790) --> | |||||
| 1776 | < | -- party --> | |||||
| 1790 | James Buller | ||||||
| 1796 | Whig < | -- 23 Jan 1753 19 Apr 1823 (to 1812) --> | |||||
| 1802 | James Buller | Tory< | -- (to 1818) 14 May 1766 18 Aug 1827 --> | ||||
| 1812 | Tory < | -- (to Feb 1826) 19 Jun 1777 19 Mar 1859 --> | |||||
| 1818 | Whig < | -- later [1836] 1st baronet (to Jun 1826) 18 Aug 1776 24 Jan 1848 --> | |||||
| Feb 1826 | Tory < | -- (to 1830) 1796 1 Jun 1873 --> | |||||
| Jun 1826 | Tory < | -- (to 1832) 1784 25 Apr 1858 --> | |||||
| 1830 | Whig < | -- (to 1835) 1 Oct 1798 13 Mar 1865 --> | |||||
| 1832 | Radical[12] [13] < | -- (to 1864) d. 25 Jul 1864 --> | |||||
| 1835 | |||||||
| 1845 | |||||||
| 1857 | Conservative< | -- (to 1865) 1797 16 Dec 1868 --> | |||||
| 1864 | Conservative < | -- (to 1868) --> | |||||
| 1865 | Liberal< | -- (to 1873) --> | |||||
| 1868 | Liberal < | -- (to 1874) --> | |||||
| 1873 | Conservative < | -- (to 1880) --> | |||||
| 1874 | John George Johnson | Conservative | |||||
| 1880 | Edward Johnson | Liberal | Henry Northcote | Conservative | |||
| 1885 | representation reduced to one member | ||||||
| Election | Member | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Henry Northcote | Conservative | ||
| 1899 by-election | Sir Edgar Vincent | Conservative | ||
| 1906 | Sir George Kekewich | Liberal | ||
| January 1910 | Henry Duke | Conservative | ||
| December 1910[14] | Harold St Maur | |||
| 1911 | Henry Duke | Conservative | ||
| 1918 | Sir Robert Newman | Conservative | ||
| 1929 | Independent | |||
| 1931 | Arthur Reed | Conservative | ||
| 1945 | John Maude | Conservative | ||
| 1951 | Sir Rolf Dudley-Williams, Bt | Conservative | ||
| 1966 | Gwyneth Dunwoody | Labour | ||
| 1970 | Sir John Hannam | Conservative | ||
| 1997 | Sir Ben Bradshaw | Labour | ||
| 2024 | Steve Race | Labour | ||
| 2019 notional result[15] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| 26,500 | 54.8 | ||
| 15,512 | 32.1 | ||
| 4,516 | 9.3 | ||
| 1,257 | 2.6 | ||
| Others | 565 | 1.1 | |
| 8 | <0.1 | ||
| Turnout | 48,358 | 67.4 | |
| Electorate | 71,713 | ||
General Election 1939–40: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;
Rafe Temple Cotton
Upon petition, this election was subject to a recount due to the closeness of the results. On the first count, St. Maur led with 4,786 votes to Duke's 4,782. On a second count, St. Maur again led with 4,782 votes to Duke's 4,778. Closer scrutiny led to the above count, allowing Duke to retain the seat.
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;
Duke is appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, prompting a by-election.
Duke is appointed Lord Justice of Appeal and resigns, prompting a by-election.
Coleridge was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
Coleridge resigned after being appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas
Follett was appointed Solicitor General of England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
Follett was appointed Attorney General of England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
Follett's death caused a by-election.
Divett's death caused a by-election.