Torbay (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 50°27′36″N 3°32′17″W / 50.460°N 3.538°W

Torbay
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Torbay in Devon.
Location of Devon within England.
County	Devon
Electorate	76,219 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements	Paignton and Torquay
Current constituency
Created	1974
Member of parliament	Kevin Foster (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Torquay
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	South West England

Torbay is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Kevin Foster, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

Boundaries

1974-1983: The County Borough of Torbay.

1983-2010: The Borough of Torbay wards of Cockington with Chelston, Coverdale, Ellacombe, Preston, St Marychurch, St Michael's with Goodrington, Shiphay, Tormohun, and Torwood.

2010-present: The Borough of Torbay wards of Clifton with Maidenway, Cockington with Chelston, Ellacombe, Goodrington with Roselands, Preston, Roundham with Hyde, St Marychurch, Shiphay with the Willows, Tormohun, Watcombe, and Wellswood.

The constituency covers the majority of the Torbay unitary authority in Devon, including the seaside resorts of Torquay and most of Paignton. The remainder of the borough is covered by the Totnes constituency.

History

Political history

After being held for several Parliaments (taking together various predecessor areas) by Conservatives, from 1997 the seat was held by Liberal Democrats until 2015 when a Conservative re-took it. The majority in 1997 was the most marginal of that election, and the majority of 2,029 in 2005 was the lowest to date.

Prominent frontbenchers

Sir Frederic Bennett did not achieve his own ministry nationally, but he chaired in the European Parliament the European Democrats group.

Constituency profile

Consisting almost entirely of coastal towns and villages, the constituency has a range of shopping, tourist and visitor facilities from Paignton Zoo, safe bathing and boating to mini-golf, as well as a few nearby luxury resorts. Perhaps owing to the seasonal rise in employment, workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly higher than the national average of 3.8%, at 5.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.^[2]

The seat is home to the Plainmoor football ground, home to Torquay United. Past MP Adrian Sanders is a notable supporter of the football club.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[3]	Party
	Feb 1974	Sir Frederic Bennett	Conservative
	1987	Rupert Allason	Conservative
	1997	Adrian Sanders	Liberal Democrat
	2015	Kevin Foster	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Torbay^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Kevin Foster[5]	19,551	40.7	+2.0
	Liberal Democrat	Adrian Sanders	16,265	33.8	−13.2
	UKIP	Anthony McIntyre[6]	6,540	13.6	+8.3
	Labour	Su Maddock[7]	4,166	8.7	+2.1
	Green	Paula Hermes[8]	1,557	3.2	+2.3
Majority			3,286	6.8
Turnout			48,079	63.0	−1.6
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing	+7.6

General Election 2010: Torbay^[9][10][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrat	Adrian Sanders	23,126	47.0	+5.2
	Conservative	Marcus Wood	19,048	38.7	+2.9
	Labour	David Pedrick-Friend	3,231	6.6	−7.9
	UKIP	Julien Parrott	2,628	5.3	−2.7
	BNP	Ann Conway	709	1.4	N/A
	Green	Sam Moss	468	1.0	N/A
Majority			4,078	8.3
Turnout			49,210	64.6	+4.4
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing	+1.1

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Torbay^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrat	Adrian Sanders	19,317	40.8	−9.7
	Conservative	Marcus Wood	17,288	36.5	+0.1
	Labour	David Pedrick-Friend	6,972	14.7	+5.3
	UKIP	Graham Booth	3,726	7.9	+4.7
Majority			2,029	4.3
Turnout			47,303	61.9	−0.6
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing	−4.9

General Election 2001: Torbay^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrat	Adrian Sanders	24,015	50.5	+10.9
	Conservative	Christian St. John Sweeting	17,307	36.4	−3.2
	Labour	John Robert MacKay	4,484	9.4	−5.4
	UKIP	Graham Booth	1,512	3.2	−0.5
	Independent	Mrs. Pam Winwrite Neale	251	0.5
Majority			6,708	14.1
Turnout			47,569	62.5	−11.3
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Torbay^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrat	Adrian Sanders	21,094	39.6
	Conservative	Rupert Allason	21,082	39.5
	Labour	Michael John Morey	7,923	14.9
	UKIP	Graham Booth	1,962	3.7	N/A
	Liberal	Bruce Henry Cowling	1,161	2.2	N/A
	Rainbow Dream Ticket	Paul David Wild	100	0.2	N/A
Majority			12	0.1
Turnout			53,322	73.8
	Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative		Swing	5.1

General Election 1992: Torbay^[15][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Rupert Allason	28,624	49.9	−4.1
	Liberal Democrat	Adrian Sanders	22,837	39.8	+2.2
	Labour	Peter Truscott	5,503	9.6	+1.2
	National Front	Robert Paul Jones	268	0.5	N/A
	Natural Law	Mrs Alison Hazel Thomas	157	0.3	N/A
Majority			5,787	10.1	−6.3
Turnout			57,389	80.6	+4.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−3.2

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Torbay^[17][18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Rupert Allason	29,029	54.0	+1.2
	Liberal	Nicholas David Bye	20,209	37.6	−1.6
	Labour	Gerald Robert Taylor	4,538	8.4	+1.2
Majority			8,820	16.4
Turnout			53,776	76.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1983: Torbay^[19][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Frederic Bennett	25,721	52.6
	Liberal	Michael Norman Mitchell	19,166	39.2
	Labour	Philip William Rackley	3,521	7.2
	Independent	Anne Mary Louise Murray	500	1.0
Majority			6,555	13.4
Turnout			48,908	72.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Torbay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Frederic Bennett	36,099	54.1	+5.7
	Liberal	Michael Norman Mitchell	15,231	23.1	−5.4
	Labour	Elaine Vicary Fear	12,919	19.6	−3.5
	Ecology	David William Abrahams	1,161	1.8	N/A
	National Front	June Georgina Spry	647	1.0	N/A
Majority			20,868	31.6
Turnout			66,057	75.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election October 1974: Torbay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Frederic Bennett	30,208	48.4	−0.2
	Liberal	John Michael Goss	17,770	28.5	−1.9
	Labour	Jack Richard William Tench	14,441	23.1	+2.0
Majority			12,438	19.9
Turnout			62,419	72.9	−7.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election February 1974: Torbay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Frederic Bennett	33,163	48.6	N/A
	Liberal	Mrs. Bridget Valentine Trethewey	20,755	30.4	N/A
	Labour	Jack Richard William Tench	14,389	21.1	N/A
Majority			12,408	18.2	N/A
Turnout			68,307	80.3	N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Devon

Notes and references

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

1. "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
2. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
3. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)
4. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
5. "Mr Foster's website". Conservative Party.
6. "Tony McIntyre's website". UKIP.
7. "About Ms Maddock". Labour Party.
8. "Green candidate announced for Torbay". Torquay Herald Express.
9. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
10. "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll: Torbay". Torbay Borough Council. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
11. "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Torbay". BBC News.
12. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
13. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
14. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
15. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
16. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
17. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
18. "Politics Resources". Election 1987. Politics Resources. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
19. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
20. "Politics Resources". Election 1983. Politics Resources. Retrieved 16 November 2011.