# South East Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)

South East Cornwall is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Anna Gelderd, a Labour politician.

## Boundaries

1983–2010: The District of Caradon, the Borough of Restormel wards of Fowey, Lostwithiel, St Blaise, and Tywardreath, and the District of North Cornwall ward of Stoke Climsland.
2010–2024: The District of Caradon, and the Borough of Restormel ward of Lostwithiel.
2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following electoral divisions of Cornwall (as they existed on 4 May 2021):
* Callington & St Dominic; Calstock; Liskeard Central; Liskeard South & Dobwalls; Looe East & Deviock; Looe West, Pelynt, Lansallos & Lanteglos; Lostwithiel & Lanreath; Lynher; Rame Peninsula & St Germans; St Cleer & Menheniot; Saltash Essa; Saltash Tamar; Saltash Trematon & Landrake; Torpoint.
Very small change to align with revised electoral division boundaries.
The current constituency territory contains the location of several former borough constituencies which were abolished as 'rotten boroughs' by the Reform Act 1832:
* Callington
* East Looe
* Fowey
* Lostwithiel
* Saltash
* St Germans
* West Looe and Polperro

## History

The predecessor county division, Bodmin, serving the area from 1885 until 1983 had (during those 98 years) 15 members (two of whom had broken terms of office serving the area), seeing twelve shifts of preference between the Liberal, Liberal Unionist and Conservative parties, spread quite broadly throughout that period. Consistent with this, since 1983 the preference for an MP has alternated between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. Having moved into second place in 2017 for the first time in the history of both constituencies, this trend ceased with the Labour Party capturing the seat at the 2024 general election.

## Constituency profile

The villages and towns in the South East of Cornwall often serve as a commuter base to the city of Plymouth, over the border in Devon. Farming and tourism are important.
Workless claimants were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Robert Hicks | Conservative |
| 1997 | Colin Breed | Liberal Democrat |
| 2010 | Sheryll Murray | Conservative |
| 2024 | Anna Gelderd | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Anna Gelderd | 15,670 | 31.8 | +11.5 |
| | Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 13,759 | 27.9 | –31.1 |
| | Reform UK | Paul Wadley | 9,311 | 18.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Martin | 8,284 | 16.8 | +0.5 |
| | Green | Martin Corney | 1,999 | 4.1 | +1.4 |
| | Heritage | Graham Cowdry | 263 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,911 | 3.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,286 | 67.8 | –5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 72,728 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 21.3 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 30,839 | 59.0 |
| | Labour | 10,614 | 20.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 8,520 | 16.3 |
| | Green | 1,405 | 2.7 |
| | Others | 869 | 1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 52,247 | 72.8 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 71,734 |
General election 2019: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 31,807 | 59.3 | +3.9 |
| | Labour | Gareth Derrick | 10,836 | 20.2 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Martin | 8,650 | 16.1 | −3.3 |
| | Green | Martha Green | 1,493 | 2.8 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal | Jay Latham | 869 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,971 | 39.1 | +6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,655 | 74.7 | +0.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 | |
General election 2017: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 29,493 | 55.4 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | Gareth Derrick | 12,050 | 22.6 | +13.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Phil Hutty | 10,346 | 19.4 | +2.5 |
| | Green | Martin Corney | 1,335 | 2.5 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,443 | 32.8 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,224 | 74.0 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.2 | |
General election 2015: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 25,516 | 50.5 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Phil Hutty | 8,521 | 16.9 | −21.7 |
| | UKIP | Bradley Monk | 7,698 | 15.2 | +9.0 |
| | Labour | Declan Lloyd | 4,692 | 9.3 | +2.2 |
| | Green | Martin Corney | 2,718 | 5.4 | +3.7 |
| | Mebyon Kernow | Andrew Long | 1,003 | 2.0 | +0.7 |
| | Independent | George Trubody | 350 | 0.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,995 | 33.6 | +28.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,498 | 71.1 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +13.6 | |
General election 2010: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 22,390 | 45.1 | +10.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Karen Gillard | 19,170 | 38.6 | −8.1 |
| | Labour | Michael Sparling | 3,507 | 7.1 | −3.4 |
| | UKIP | Stephanie McWilliam | 3,083 | 6.2 | +1.1 |
| | Green | Roger Creagh-Osborne | 826 | 1.7 | N/A |
| | Mebyon Kernow | Roger Holmes | 641 | 1.3 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,220 | 6.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,617 | 68.7 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +9.1 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Breed | 24,986 | 46.7 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative | Ashley Gray | 18,479 | 34.6 | −0.9 |
| | Labour | Colin Binley | 6,069 | 11.4 | −1.0 |
| | UKIP | David Lucas | 2,693 | 5.0 | +1.2 |
| | Mebyon Kernow | Graham Sandercock | 769 | 1.4 | −0.9 |
| | Veritas | Anne Assheton-Salton | 459 | 0.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,507 | 12.1 | +1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,455 | 66.2 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +0.9 | |
General election 2001: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Breed | 23,756 | 45.9 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative | Ashley Gray | 18,381 | 35.5 | −0.3 |
| | Labour | William Stevens | 6,429 | 12.4 | −0.4 |
| | UKIP | Graham Palmer | 1,978 | 3.8 | +1.3 |
| | Mebyon Kernow | Kenneth George | 1,209 | 2.3 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,375 | 10.4 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,753 | 65.4 | −10.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −0.5 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Breed | 27,044 | 47.1 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Warwick Lightfoot | 20,564 | 35.8 | −15.1 |
| | Labour | Dorothy M. Kirk | 7,358 | 12.8 | +3.6 |
| | UKIP | James Wonnacott | 1,428 | 2.5 | N/A |
| | Mebyon Kernow | Paul Dunbar | 573 | 1.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Bill Weights | 268 | 0.5 | −0.6 |
| | Natural Law | Margot Hartley | 197 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,480 | 11.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,400 | 75.7 | −6.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.0 | |
General election 1992: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Hicks | 30,565 | 51.0 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Teverson | 22,861 | 38.1 | −1.6 |
| | Labour Co-op | Linda Gilroy | 5,536 | 9.2 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal | Maureen Cook | 644 | 1.1 | N/A |
| | Anti-Federalist League | Anthony Quick | 227 | 0.4 | N/A |
| | Natural Law | Rosaleen Allen | 155 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,704 | 12.9 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,988 | 82.1 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Hicks | 28,818 | 51.6 | −3.7 |
| | Liberal | Ian Tunbridge | 22,211 | 39.7 | +0.8 |
| | Labour | Paul Clark | 4,847 | 8.7 | +3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,607 | 11.9 | −4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55.876 | 79.5 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3 | |
General election 1983: South East Cornwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Hicks | 28,326 | 55.3 | |
| | Liberal | David Blunt | 19,972 | 38.9 | |
| | Labour | Andrew Bebb | 2,507 | 4.9 | |
| | Ecology | John Chadwick | 337 | 0.7 | |
| | Independent | Joy Dent | 94 | 0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,354 | 16.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,236 | 78.6 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |