| South Devon | |
| Parliament: | uk |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Year2: | 1832 |
| Abolished2: | 1885 |
| Type2: | County |
| Elects Howmany2: | Two |
| Electorate: | 71,691 (2023)[1] |
| Type: | County |
| Elects Howmany: | One |
| Region: | England |
| County: | Devon |
South Devon, formerly known as the Southern Division of Devon, is a parliamentary constituency in the county of Devon in England. From 1832 to 1885 it returned two Knights of the Shire to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election.[2]
In 1832 the county of Devon, in south western England, was divided for Parliamentary purposes between this constituency and North Devon. In 1868 the Devon county constituencies were re-arranged into North, South and East Devon divisions. Each of these divisions returned two members of Parliament.
In 1885 the three constituencies were again redrawn, so that Devon was represented by eight single member County constituencies (there were also three borough constituencies, two of which returned two members and the third one member). The county was split between the new smaller constituencies of Ashburton (alternatively the Mid Division), Barnstaple (the North-Western Division), Honiton (the Eastern Division), South Molton (the Northern Division), Tavistock (the Western Division), Tiverton (the North-Eastern Division), Torquay and Totnes (the Southern Division). The constituencies in this redistribution are normally referred to by the distinctive place name rather than the alternative compass point designation, so the South Devon division is considered to have been abolished in 1885.
1832–1868: The Hundreds of Axminster, Clyston, Colyton, Ottery St. Mary, East Budleigh, Lifton, Exminster, Teignbridge, Haytor, Coleridge, Stanborough, Ermington, Plympton, Roborough, and Tavistock, and Exeter Castle, and the parts of the hundred of Wonford that are not included in the city of Exeter.[3]
1868–1885: The Hundreds of Black Torrington, Ermington, Lifton, Plympton, Roborough, Stanborough and Coleridge, and Tavistock.[4]
2024-present: The re-established constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
It will be formed from the current seat of Totnes, with only minor changes to its boundaries.
| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | Whig[6] [7] | Whig | |||||
| 1835 | Conservative | ||||||
| May 1835 by-election | Montague Parker | Conservative | |||||
| 1841 | Conservative | ||||||
| 1849 by-election | Conservative | ||||||
| 1854 by-election | Conservative | ||||||
| 1858 by-election | Conservative | ||||||
| 1868 | Conservative | ||||||
| 1873 by-election | Conservative | ||||||
| 1884 by-election | Conservative | ||||||
| 1885 | Constituency abolished | ||||||
| 2019 notional result[8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| 29,027 | 53.6 | ||
| 15,308 | 28.2 | ||
| 9,228 | 17.0 | ||
| 544 | 1.0 | ||
| 82 | 0.2 | ||
| Turnout | 54,189 | 75.6 | |
| Electorate | 71,691 | ||
Garnier resigned, triggering a by-election.
Lopes was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, triggering a by-election.
Kekewich's death triggered a by-election.
Buller was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Churston, triggering a by-election.
Lopes' death triggered a by-election.
Courtenay resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, triggering a by-election.
Russell was appointed Home Secretary, triggering a by-election.