# East Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

East Devon was a UK parliamentary constituency, represented most recently in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Simon Jupp of the Conservative Party.
A report by the Electoral Reform Society found the seat (and its precursors) had been held by the Conservative Party since 1835, meaning it had been held for 186 years, the longest held seat by one party anywhere in the country.
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies abolished the constituency with the majority of the electorate, including Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton, being absorbed into Exmouth and Exeter East, which was first contested at the 2024 general election. Sidmouth and Ottery St Mary were transferred to the new seat of Honiton and Sidmouth.

## Boundaries

1868–1885: The Hundreds of Axminster, Cliston, Colyton, East Budleigh, Exminster, Ottery St. Mary, Haytor, and Teignbridge, and Exeter Castle, and the parts of the hundred of Wonford that are not included in the city of Exeter.
1997–2010: The District of East Devon wards of Axminster Hamlets, Axminster Town, Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Colyton, Edenvale, Exmouth Brixington, Exmouth Halsdon, Exmouth Littleham Rural, Exmouth Littleham Urban, Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth Withycombe Urban, Lympstone, Newbridges, Newton Poppleford and Harpford, Raleigh, Seaton, Sidmouth Rural, Sidmouth Town, Sidmouth Woolbrook, Trinity, Upper Axe, Woodbury, and Yarty.
2010–2024: The District of East Devon wards of Broadclyst, Budleigh, Clyst Valley, Exmouth Brixington, Exmouth Halsdon, Exmouth Littleham, Exmouth Town, Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh, Newton Poppleford and Harpford, Ottery St Mary Rural, Ottery St Mary Town, Raleigh, Sidmouth Rural, Sidmouth Sidford, Sidmouth Town, Whimple, and Woodbury and Lympstone, and the City of Exeter wards of St Loyes and Topsham.
The constituency was in the county of Devon, including eastern wards of Exeter City, and had a shoreline on the Jurassic Coast. It was bounded on the west by the constituencies of Central Devon and Exeter and on the east by Tiverton and Honiton.
Following a review of parliamentary representation in Devon by the Boundary Commission for England, which increased the number of seats in the county from 11 to 12, East Devon was subject to significant boundary changes at the 2010 general election. In particular, the towns of Axminster and Seaton were transferred to the Tiverton and Honiton constituency. In addition, two wards from the City of Exeter became part of the East Devon seat.

## Constituency profile

The main settlements in the constituency were the City Of Exeter Ward, St Loyes and neighbouring Topsham, the resorts of Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth, and the inland towns of Ottery St Mary and Cranbrook.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1868–1885

* Constituency created – two seats (1868)
| Election | Election | Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| | | 1868 | Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt | Conservative | Edward Courtenay | Conservative |
| | | 1870 by-election | Sir Lawrence Palk, Bt | Conservative | Sir John Kennaway, Bt | Conservative |
| | | 1880 | William Walrond | Conservative | Sir John Kennaway, Bt | Conservative |
| 1885 | 1885 | 1885 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |
The two-seat constituency of East Devon was abolished at the 1885 general election.

### MPs 1997–2024

At the 1997 general election a new constituency of East Devon was established. Sir Peter Emery, MP for Honiton since a 1967 by-election, represented the new East Devon seat until standing down in 2001, when Hugo Swire was elected.
In 2015, 2017 and 2019, the seat saw an unusually strong Independent performance, by the anti-austerity candidate Claire Wright, a Devon county councillor. She won 24% of the vote in 2015, 35.2% in 2017 and 40.4% in 2019, coming second (and significantly ahead of any other candidate) each time.
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1997 | Sir Peter Emery | Conservative |
| 2001 | Sir Hugo Swire | Conservative |
| 2019 | Simon Jupp | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2010s

In 2019, East Devon was one of five English constituencies (the others being Cheltenham, Esher and Walton, Westmorland and Lonsdale and Winchester) where Labour failed to obtain over 5% of the vote, and thus lost its deposit.
General election 2019: East Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Simon Jupp | 32,577 | 50.8 | +2.3 |
| | Independent | Claire Wright | 25,869 | 40.4 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | Dan Wilson | 2,870 | 4.5 | −6.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eleanor Rylance | 1,771 | 2.8 | +0.4 |
| | Green | Henry Gent | 711 | 1.1 | New |
| | Independent | Peter Faithfull | 275 | 0.4 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,708 | 10.4 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 64,073 | 73.8 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 2017: East Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugo Swire | 29,306 | 48.5 | +2.1 |
| | Independent | Claire Wright | 21,270 | 35.2 | +11.2 |
| | Labour | Jan Ross | 6,857 | 11.4 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Eden | 1,468 | 2.4 | −4.4 |
| | UKIP | Brigitte Graham | 1,203 | 2.0 | −10.5 |
| | Independent | Peter Faithfull | 150 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Independent | Michael Davies | 128 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,036 | 13.3 | −9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,382 | 73.3 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 2015: East Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugo Swire | 25,401 | 46.4 | −1.9 |
| | Independent | Claire Wright | 13,140 | 24.0 | New |
| | UKIP | Andrew Chapman | 6,870 | 12.5 | +4.3 |
| | Labour | Steve Race | 5,591 | 10.2 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Mole | 3,715 | 6.8 | −24.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,261 | 22.4 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,717 | 73.7 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.4 | |
General election 2010: East Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugo Swire | 25,662 | 48.3 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paull Robathan | 16,548 | 31.2 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Gareth Manson | 5,721 | 10.8 | −7.5 |
| | UKIP | Mike Amor | 4,346 | 8.2 | +2.6 |
| | Green | Sharon Pavey | 815 | 1.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,114 | 17.1 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,092 | 72.6 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.0 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: East Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugo Swire | 23,075 | 46.9 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Dumper | 15,139 | 30.7 | +0.4 |
| | Labour | James Court | 7,598 | 15.4 | −1.3 |
| | UKIP | Colin McNamee | 3,035 | 6.2 | +0.6 |
| | Independent | Christopher Way | 400 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,936 | 16.2 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,247 | 69.4 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
General election 2001: East Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugo Swire | 22,681 | 47.4 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Dumper | 14,486 | 30.3 | +1.2 |
| | Labour | Phil Starr | 7,974 | 16.7 | −1.0 |
| | UKIP | David Wilson | 2,696 | 5.6 | +4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,195 | 17.1 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,837 | 68.8 | −7.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: East Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Emery | 22,797 | 43.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rachel Trethewey | 15,308 | 29.1 | |
| | Labour | Andrew Siantonas | 9,292 | 17.7 | |
| | Referendum | William Dixon | 3,200 | 6.1 | |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Halliwell | 1,363 | 2.6 | |
| | UKIP | Colin Giffard | 459 | 0.9 | |
| | National Democrats | Gary Needs | 131 | 0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,494 | 14.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,550 | 76.0 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 4 Jul 1885: East Devon (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Walrond | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Walrond's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.
General election 1880: East Devon (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Kennaway | 4,501 | 36.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William Walrond | 4,457 | 35.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Barton Sterling | 3,487 | 28.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 970 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,988 (est) | 76.7 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,416 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: East Devon (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Kennaway | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | William Walrond | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,246 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
By-election, 9 Apr 1870: East Devon (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Walrond | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Courtenay's resignation.

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: East Devon (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lawrence Palk | 4,034 | 35.1 | |
| | Conservative | Edward Courtenay | 4,016 | 34.9 | |
| | Liberal | Charles Joseph Wade | 3,457 | 30.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 559 | 4.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,482 (est) | 75.3 (est) | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,933 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |