# Torridge and West Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

Torridge and West Devon was a constituency in Devon represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.
Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was abolished. Subject to minor boundary changes, it was reformed as Torridge and Tavistock, which was first contested at the 2024 general election.

## Boundaries

1983–1997: The District of Torridge, and the Borough of West Devon.
1997–2010: The District of Torridge, and the Borough of West Devon except the ward of Buckland Monachorum.
2010–2024: The District of Torridge, and the Borough of West Devon wards of Bere Ferrers, Bridestowe, Buckland Monachorum, Burrator, Lydford, Mary Tavy, Milton Ford, Tamarside, Tavistock North, Tavistock South, Tavistock South West, Thrushel, and Walkham.
Before the 2010 general election, the constituency comprised Torridge District and almost all of West Devon District. However, in the redistribution of that year, when the number of seats in the county rose from 11 to 12, the town of Okehampton and scattered small settlements surrounding it transferred to the new Central Devon seat.
The constituency area contained the former borough constituencies of Bere Alston (abolished 1832, settlement part of Bere Ferrers) and Tavistock (abolished 1885).

## History

The constituency was created in 1983, largely from the abolished West Devon seat, but with additions then and later from North Devon which was formed in 1950.

### Political history

The seat unusually saw its second member, (Emma Nicholson), who attained the second absolute majority in its history, a Conservative, defect or "cross the floor" in 1995 to the Liberal Democrats. After the 1997 election she was appointed to the House of Lords.
At 1997 election the seat was won by the Liberal Democrat candidate John Burnett. He also was elevated to the peerage, and after standing down, the seat was gained by Geoffrey Cox of the Conservative Party who attained a majority of 3,236 votes in 2005. In 2010 he won with a majority of 2,957, boundary changes making the reduced majority notionally a 0.2% swing from the Liberal Democrats – compared with a 2.3% swing between the two parties nationally.
In 2015 the Liberal Democrat vote collapsed and they came third behind UKIP and the Conservatives. Cox was elected with an absolute majority.
In 2017 the absence of UKIP saw Labour come second behind the Conservatives. Cox further increased his absolute majority, which became the largest in Devon and Cornwall.
In 2019, Cox was re-elected with 60.1% of the vote and a majority of 24,992 (41.8%), the highest vote share ever recorded in the seat, and once again the largest majority in Devon and Cornwall.

## Constituency profile

The economy of the area is dominated by sectors such as agriculture, food processing, defence, hospitality, construction, maintenance and engineering and from Bideford and Northam a small amount of fishing; it also includes tourism, such as the island of Lundy, and sandy resort of Westward Ho!, to the small, centrally pedestrianised, cobbled, museum-dotted village of Clovelly. Great Torrington and Buckland Monachorum are among the archetypal rural villages, in an area with tranquil retreats, relatively close to the edge of Dartmoor.
Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 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 | Peter Mills | Conservative |
| 1987 | Emma Nicholson | Conservative |
| 1995 | Emma Nicholson | Liberal Democrat |
| 1997 | John Burnett | Liberal Democrat |
| 2005 | Geoffrey Cox | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Cox | 35,904 | 60.1 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Chalmers | 10,912 | 18.3 | +0.6 |
| | Labour | Siobhan Strode | 10,290 | 17.2 | ―4.5 |
| | Green | Chris Jordan | 2,077 | 3.5 | +0.8 |
| | Independent | Bob Wootton | 547 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,992 | 41.8 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,730 | 74.8 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
General election 2017: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Cox | 33,612 | 56.5 | +5.6 |
| | Labour Co-op | Vince Barry | 12,926 | 21.7 | +11.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Chalmers | 10,526 | 17.7 | +4.5 |
| | Green | Chris Jordan | 1,622 | 2.7 | ―4.3 |
| | Independent | Robin Julian | 794 | 1.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,686 | 34.8 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,616 | 74.0 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | ―2.4 | |
General election 2015: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Cox | 28,774 | 50.9 | +5.2 |
| | UKIP | Derek Sargent | 10,371 | 18.3 | +12.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paula Dolphin | 7,483 | 13.2 | –27.1 |
| | Labour | Mike Sparling | 6,015 | 10.6 | +5.3 |
| | Green | Cathrine Simmons | 3,941 | 7.0 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,403 | 32.6 | +28.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,786 | 72.2 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –3.8 | |
General election 2010: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Cox | 25,230 | 45.7 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adam Symons | 22,273 | 40.3 | +3.4 |
| | UKIP | Robin Julian | 3,021 | 5.5 | –0.9 |
| | Labour | Darren Jones | 2,917 | 5.3 | –5.3 |
| | Green | Cathrine Simmons | 1,050 | 1.9 | –2.0 |
| | BNP | Nick Baker | 766 | 1.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,957 | 5.4 | –0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,257 | 71.4 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 0.0 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Cox | 25,013 | 42.7 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Walter | 21,777 | 37.2 | –5.0 |
| | Labour | Rebecca Richards | 6,001 | 10.2 | –0.5 |
| | UKIP | Matthew Jackson | 3,790 | 6.5 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Peter Christie | 2,003 | 3.4 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,236 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,584 | 70.2 | –0.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +3.9 | |
General election 2001: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Burnett | 23,474 | 42.2 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Cox | 22,280 | 40.0 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | David Brenton | 5,959 | 10.7 | –1.7 |
| | UKIP | Bob Edwards | 2,674 | 4.8 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Martin Quinn | 1,297 | 2.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,194 | 2.2 | –1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,684 | 70.5 | –7.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | –0.6 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Burnett | 24,744 | 41.8 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | Ian Liddell-Grainger | 22,787 | 38.5 | –8.8 |
| | Labour | David Brenton | 7,319 | 12.4 | +2.8 |
| | Referendum | Roger Lea | 1,946 | 3.3 | New |
| | UKIP | Matthew Jackson | 1,841 | 3.1 | New |
| | Liberal | Michael Pithouse | 508 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,957 | 3.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,148 | 77.9 | –1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.6 | |
General election 1992: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Emma Nicholson | 29,627 | 47.3 | –3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David McBride | 26,013 | 41.5 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | David Brenton | 5,997 | 9.6 | +1.1 |
| | Green | Frank Williamson | 898 | 1.4 | –0.6 |
| | Natural Law | David Collins | 141 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,614 | 5.8 | –5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,676 | 81.5 | +2.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –2.6 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Emma Nicholson | 29,484 | 50.3 | –7.7 |
| | Liberal | John Burnett | 23,016 | 39.2 | +4.2 |
| | Labour | David Brenton | 4,990 | 8.5 | +1.9 |
| | Green | Frank Williamson | 1,168 | 2.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,468 | 11.1 | –11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,658 | 78.7 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –6.0 | |
General election 1983: Torridge and West Devon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Mills | 31,156 | 58.0 | |
| | Liberal | Victor Howell | 18,805 | 35.0 | |
| | Labour | William Tupman | 3,531 | 6.6 | |
| | Independent | Michael Beale | 116 | 0.2 | |
| | Wessex Regionalist | Henrietta Rous | 113 | 0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,351 | 23.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,721 | 76.0 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |