North Dorset (UK Parliament constituency) explained

Parliament:uk
Year:1885
Type:County
Elects Howmany:One
Electorate:72,109 (2023)[1]
Region:England
European:South West England

North Dorset is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Simon Hoare of the Conservative Party.

History

This seat was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, since which it has been won at elections by candidates from only two parties. For nineteen of the years between 1885 and 1950, North Dorset was represented by Liberals, and at all other times since 1885 it has been represented by Conservatives. It is historically one of Labour's weakest seats in the country - for example, it gave the party its lowest vote share out of all the seats it contested in 1950 and 1951.

Constituency profile

The constituency covers North Dorset local government district and most (geographically) of East Dorset. It is largely rural, with a lower than average proportion of social housing and five small towns shown in the infobox. The largest town is Verwood, and the most central is the market town of Blandford Forum, north of the port of Poole.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Shaftesbury, the Sessional Divisions of Blandford, Shaftesbury, and Sturminster, and part of the Sessional Division of Sherborne.

1918–1950: The Boroughs of Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, the Urban District of Sherborne, the Rural Districts of Blandford, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, and Sturminster, and part of the Rural District of Wimborne and Cranborne.

1950–1974: The Boroughs of Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, the Urban District of Wimborne Minster, and the Rural Districts of Blandford, Shaftesbury, Sturminster, and Wimborne and Cranborne.

1974–1983: As 1950 but with redrawn boundaries.

1983–1997: The District of North Dorset, the District of Wimborne wards of Colehill, Corfe Mullen Central, Corfe Mullen North, Corfe Mullen South, Crane, Holt, Sixpenny Handley, Sturminster Marshall, Vale of Allen, and Wimborne Minster, and the District of Purbeck wards of Lytchett Matravers and Lytchett Minster.

1997–2010: The District of North Dorset, and the District of East Dorset wards of Colehill, Crane, Holt, Longham, Sixpenny Handley, Stapehill, Sturminster Marshall, Vale of Allen, and Wimborne Minster.

2010–2024: The District of North Dorset, and the District of East Dorset wards of Alderholt, Crane, Handley Vale, Holt, Stour, Three Cross and Potterne, Verwood Dewlands, Verwood Newtown, and Verwood Stephen's Castle.

2024-Present: The District of Dorset wards of Beacon, Blackmore Vale, Blandford, Cranborne & Alderholt, Cranborne Chase, Gillingham, Hill Forts & Upper Tarrants, Puddletown & Lower Winterborne, Shaftesbury Town, Stalbridge & Marnhull, Sturminster Newton, Verwood, and Winterborne North.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1885Edwin Berkeley PortmanLiberal
1892John Wingfield DigbyConservative
1905 by-electionArthur Walters WillsLiberal
January 1910Sir Randolf BakerConservative
1918Philip ColfoxUnionist
1922John Emlyn-JonesLiberal
1924Sir Cecil HanburyUnionist
1937 by-electionAngus HambroConservative
1945Frank ByersLiberal
1950Robert CrouchConservative
1957 by-electionRichard GlynConservative
1970David JamesConservative
1979Sir Nicholas BakerConservative
1997Robert WalterConservative
2015Simon HoareConservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[2]
PartyVote%
34,085 63.8
10,890 20.4
6,379 11.9
2,110 3.9
Turnout53,46474.1
Electorate72,109

Elections in the 1940s

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;

Elections in the 1880s

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West . Boundary Commission for England . 28 June 2024 . dmy .
  2. Web site: Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019 . 11 July 2024 . Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News . UK Parliament.
  3. The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  4. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939