Yeovil (UK Parliament constituency)

Boundaries

Historic

1918–1974: The Municipal Boroughs of Yeovil and Chard, the Urban Districts of Crewkerne and Ilminster, the Rural Districts of Chard, Langport, Yeovil.

1974–1983: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.

1983–1997: The District of Yeovil wards of Blackdown, Chard North East, Chard North West, Chard Parish, Chard South East, Chard South West, Chinnock, Coker, Crewkerne Town, Dowlish, Egwood, Hazelbury, Houndstone, Ilminster Town, Lynches, Mudford, Neroche, St Michael's, South Petherton, Stoke, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil North, Yeovil Preston, Yeovil South, Yeovil West.

The communities of Martock, Somerton and Ilchester were now included in the new seat of Somerton and Frome.

1997–2010: The District of South Somerset wards of Blackdown, Chard Avishayes, Chard Combe, Chard Crimchard, Chard Holyrood, Chard Jocelyn, Coker, Crewkerne, Egwood, Hamdon, Houndstone, Ilminster, Mudford, Neroche, Parrett, St Michael's, South Petherton, Tatworth and Forton, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil Preston, Yeovil South, Yeovil West, Yeovil Without.

2010–2024: The District of South Somerset wards of Blackdown, Brympton, Chard Avishayes, Chard Combe, Chard Crimchard, Chard Holyrood, Chard Jocelyn, Coker, Crewkerne, Egwood, Hamdon, Ilminster, Ivelchester, Neroche, Parrett, St Michael's, South Petherton, Tatworth and Forton, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil South, Yeovil West, Yeovil Without.

Current

Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was defined as being composed of the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:

• The District of South Somerset wards of: Blackdown & Tatworth; Brympton; Chard Avishayes; Chard Combe; Chard Crimchard; Chard Holyrood; Chard Jocelyn; Coker; Crewkerne; Eggwood; Ilminster; Neroche; Parrett; South Petherton; Windwhistle; Yeovil College; Yeovil Lyde; Yeovil Summerlands; Yeovil Westland; Yeovil Without. With effect from 1 April 2023, the District of South Somerset was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of Somerset. Consequently, the constituency now comprises the following electoral divisions of Somerset from the 2024 general election:
• Brympton (most); Chard North; Chard South; Coker (most); Crewkerne; Ilminster; South Petherton and Islemoor (most); Yeovil Central; Yeovil East; Yeovil South; Yeovil West. In order to bring the electorate within the permitted range, rural areas to the north of the town of Yeovil were transferred to the new constituency of Glastonbury and Somerton.

The seat covers the towns of Yeovil, Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster in the county of Somerset.

History

From 1918 until 1983, Yeovil always returned a Conservative MP (though by only narrow margins over Labour in the 1940s and 1950s). There then followed a period of over 30 years during which the seat was represented by a member of the Liberal Party or their successors, the Liberal Democrats; firstly former leader Paddy Ashdown (1983–2001) and then former Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Laws (2001 to 2015). At the 2015 election, the seat returned to its former Conservative allegiance as Marcus Fysh defeated Laws by over 5,000 votes.

The South Somerset district voted 57% to leave the European Union, and academic analysis estimates that Yeovil itself voted 59% to leave. There was a swing of 7.7% away from the pro-Remain Liberal Democrats towards the pro-Leave Conservatives, which made the seat much safer in 2017, Marcus Fysh's majority increasing to just under 15,000. In 2019 the voters slightly increased this majority (to over 16,000).

In the 2024 General Election, the seat returned to the Liberal Democrats, with Adam Dance defeating the existing Conservative MP, Marcus Fysh, by over 12,000 votes.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

|reg. electors = 79,918

Elections in the 2010s

| access-date = 6 June 2017 | url-status = dead

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm|title=Politics Resources|date=9 April 1992|work=Election 1992|publisher=Politics Resources|access-date=2010-12-06}} }}

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Election in the 1940s

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;

• Conservative: John Fox-Strangways
• Liberal: James Bateman
• Labour: Malcolm MacPherson

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

Notes

References

References

1. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
2. "The Somerset (Structural Changes) Order 2022".
3. "New Seat Details - Yeovil".
4. "Yeovil". Telegraph.
5. "Yeovil parliamentary constituency - Election 2017".
6. Hanretty, Chris. (6 February 2017). "Ward level results from the EU referendum".
7. "Yeovil (UK Parliament Constituency)". Altius Directory.
8. (7 June 2024). "UK Parliamentary Election for the YEOVIL County Constituency Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Somerset Council.
9. "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". [[UK Parliament]].
10. "Statement of Persons Nominated".
11. "Yeovil parliamentary constituency - Election 2019".
12. "Yeovil". BBC.
13. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
14. "Yeovil parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
15. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
16. "Yeovil". [[BBC News Online]].
17. "Yeovil". Guardian.
18. "Parliamentary Elections — Yeovil Constituency". South Somerset Council.
19. Western Gazette, 4 Feb 1938
20. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949