List of parliamentary constituencies in Dorset

The ceremonial county of Dorset (which comprises the two unitary authorities of Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)is divided into 8 parliamentary constituencies: 3 borough constituenciesand 5 county constituencies.

Constituencies edit

  † Conservative  ‡ Labour  ¤ Liberal Democrat

Constituency[nb 1]Electorate[1]Majority[2][nb 2]Member of Parliament[2]Nearest opposition[2]Map
Bournemouth East BC74,1258,806 Tobias Ellwood Corrie Drew‡
Bournemouth West BC74,20510,150 Conor Burns David Stokes‡
Christchurch CC71,52024,617 Christopher Chope Mike Cox¤
Mid Dorset and North Poole CC65,42714,898 Michael Tomlinson Vikki Slade¤
North Dorset CC76,76524,301 Simon Hoare David Chadwick¤
Poole BC73,98919,116 Robert Syms Sue Aitkenhead‡
South Dorset CC73,80917,153 Richard Drax Carralyn Parkes‡
West Dorset CC81,89714,106 Chris Loder Edward Morello¤

2010 boundary changes edit

Under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the Boundary Commission for England decided to retain Dorset's constituencies for the 2010 election, making minor changes to realign constituency boundaries with the boundaries of current local government wards, and to reduce the electoral disparity between constituencies.

NameBoundaries 1997-2010Boundaries 2010–present
  1. Bournemouth East BC
  2. Bournemouth West BC
  3. Christchurch CC
  4. Mid Dorset and North Poole CC
  5. North Dorset CC
  6. Poole BC
  7. South Dorset CC
  8. West Dorset CC
Parliamentary constituencies in Dorset
Proposed Revision

Proposed boundary changes edit

See 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for further details.

Following the abandonment of the Sixth Periodic Review (the 2018 review), the Boundary Commission for England formally launched the 2023 Review on 5 January 2021.[3] Initial proposals were published on 8 June 2021 and, following two periods of public consultation, revised proposals were published on 8 November 2022. The final recommendations were published on 28 June 2023.

The commission has proposed retaining the eight current constituencies in Dorset, with minor boundary changes to reflect changes to ward boundaries following the reorganisation of local government authorities within the county.[4]

Containing electoral wards from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Containing electoral wards from Dorset (unitary authority)

Results history edit

Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019[5]

2019 edit

The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Dorset in the 2019 general election were as follows:

PartyVotes%Change from 2017SeatsChange from 2017
Conservative241,83558.3% 0.4%80
Liberal Democrats78,41418.9% 6.1%00
Labour76,31018.4% 6.8%00
Greens16,0203.9% 1.3%00
Others2,0940.5% 0.2%00
Total414,673100.08

Percentage votes edit

Note that before 1983 Dorset did not include the Bournemouth and Christchurch areas (see below).

Election year192219231924192919311935194519501951195519591964196619701974(F)1974(O)19791983198719921997200120052010201520172019
Conservative39.151.760.146.256.854.045.247.652.253.952.446.647.354.248.148.058.458.657.854.541.845.344.148.351.758.758.3
Labour21.419.418.017.012.316.030.837.932.032.628.729.832.528.821.023.620.410.211.313.418.821.118.312.213.025.218.4
Liberal Democrat118.028.921.936.816.328.724.014.515.813.618.923.620.217.030.928.420.929.730.831.234.131.532.832.812.912.818.9
Green Party------------------*****0.55.32.63.9
UKIP--------------------***5.616.20.3*
Other21.5---14.61.4----------0.31.40.10.95.32.14.70.60.90.40.5

11950-1979: Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Accurate vote percentages are not applicable for the 1918 election because one candidate stood unopposed.

Seats edit

Election year1950-19791983-199219972001-200520102015-2019
Conservative478678
Labour000100
Liberal Democrat1000110
Total478888

11950-1979: Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

Maps edit

1885-1910 edit

1918-1945 edit

1950-1979 edit

1983-present edit

Historical representation by party edit

A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

Before 1885 edit

ConstituencyEstablishedAbolished
Bridport1295Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Corfe Castle1572Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832
Dorchester1295Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Dorset1290Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Lyme Regis1572Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832
Poole1362Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Shaftesbury1295Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis1572Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Wareham1302Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

1885 to 1950 edit

  Coalition Liberal (1918-22) / National Liberal (1922-23)  Conservative  Independent Conservative  Liberal

Constituency18851886911892951895190004051906Jan 10Dec 1019181922231923192419291931193537411945
Dorset EastGlynBondNapier SturtLyellH. Guest1F. GuestCaineGlasseyCaineWheatley
Dorset NorthPortmanWingfield-DigbyWillsBakerColfoxEmlyn-JonesHanburyA. HambroByers
Dorset SouthSturgisC. HambroBrymerScarisbrickA. HambroYerburghGascoyne-CecilMontagu
Dorset WestFarquharsonWilliamsColfoxDigby

1original candidate, F. Guest (Lib), disqualified; fresh by-election held June 1910

1950 to 1983 edit

  Conservative  Labour

Constituency19501951195557195962196419661970Feb 1974Oct 19741979
Dorset NorthCrouchGlynJamesBaker
Dorset SouthMontaguBarnettKingGascoyne-Cecil
Dorset WestDigbySpicer
PooleWheatleyPilkingtonMurtonWard

1983 to present (7, then 8 MPs) edit

  Conservative  Independent  Labour  Liberal Democrats

Constituency19831987199293199720012005201020152017192019
Bournemouth EastAtkinsonEllwood
Bournemouth WestButterfillBurns
ChristchurchAdleyMaddockChope
Mid Dorset and North PooleFraserBrookeTomlinson
North DorsetBakerWalterHoare
PooleWardSyms
South DorsetGascoyne-CecilBruceKnightDrax
West DorsetSpicerLetwinLoder

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ BC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.
  2. ^ The majority is the number of votes the winning candidate receives more than their nearest rival.

References edit

  1. ^ Baker, Carl; Uberoi, Elise; Cracknell, Richard (28 January 2020). "General Election 2019: full results and analysis". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Constituencies A-Z - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  3. ^ "2023 Review | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  4. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. paras 1179-1203. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  5. ^ Watson, Christopher; Uberoi, Elise; Loft, Philip (17 April 2020). "General election results from 1918 to 2019". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

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