List of parliamentary constituencies in Somerset

The county of Somerset is currently divided into 7 parliamentary constituencies, which are all county constituencies. Three seats cross the county boundary - two are shared with Avon and one with Devon.

Constituencies

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  † Conservative   ‡ Labour   ¤ Liberal Democrat

Constituency[nb 1] Electorate[1] Majority[2][nb 2] Member of Parliament[2] Nearest opposition[2] Electoral wards[3][4] Map
Bridgwater CC 71,418 1,349   Ashley Fox   Leigh Redman‡ Sedgemoor District Council: Berrow, Bridgwater Dunwear, Bridgwater Eastover, Bridgwater Fairfax, Bridgwater Hamp, Bridgwater Victoria, Bridgwater Westover, Bridgwater Wyndham, Burnham Central, Burnham North, Cannington and Wembdon, Highbridge and Burnham Marine, Huntspill and Pawlett, King's Isle, North Petherton, Puriton and Woolavington, Quantocks.
 
Frome and East Somerset CC (part) 70,177 5,415   Anna Sabine¤   Lucy Trimnell† Bath and North East Somerset Council: Bathavon South, Midsomer Norton North, Midsomer Norton Redfield, Peasedown, Radstock, Westfield. Mendip District Council: Ammerdown, Ashwick, Chilcompton and Stratton, Beckington and Selwood, Coleford and Holcombe, Cranmore, Doulting and Nunney, Creech, Frome Berkley Down, Frome College, Frome Keyford, Frome Market, Frome Oakfield, Frome Park, Postlebury, Rode and Norton St. Philip, The Pennards and Ditcheat.
 
Glastonbury and Somerton CC 70,015 6,611   Sarah Dyke¤   Faye Purbrick† Mendip District Council: Butleigh and Baltonsborough, Glastonbury St. Benedict's, Glastonbury St. Edmund's, Glastonbury St. John's, Glastonbury St. Mary's, Street North, Street South, Street West. South Somerset District Council: Blackmoor Vale, Bruton, Burrow Hill, Camelot, Cary, Curry Rivel, Huish & Langport, Hamdon, Islemoor, Martock, Milborne Port, Northstone, Ivelchester & St. Michael's, Tower, Turn Hill, Wessex, Wincanton.
 
Taunton and Wellington CC 76,059 11,939   Gideon Amos¤   Rebecca Pow Somerset West and Taunton Council: Blackbrook & Holway, Comeytrowe & Bishop's Hull, Creech St. Michael, Halcon & Lane, Hatch & Blackdown, Manor & Tangier, Monument, North Curry & Ruishton, North Town, Norton Fitzwarren & Staplegrove, Priorswood, Rockwell Green, Trull, Pitminster & Corfe, Victoria, Vivary, Wellington East, Wellington North, Wellington South, Wellsprings & Rowbarton, West Monkton & Cheddon Fitzpaine, Wilton & Sherford.
 
Tiverton and Minehead CC (part) 70,829 3,507   Rachel Gilmour¤   Ian Liddell-Grainger Mid Devon District Council: Canonsleigh, Castle, Clare and Shuttern, Cranmore, Halberton, Lower Culm, Lowman, Upper Culm, Westexe. Somerset West and Taunton Council: Alcombe, Cotford St. Luke & Oake, Dulverton & District, Exmoor, Milverton & District, Minehead Central, Minehead North, Old Cleeve & District, Periton & Woodcombe, Porlock & District, Quantock Vale, South Quantock, Watchet & Williton, Wiveliscombe & District.
 
Wells and Mendip Hills CC (part) 69,843 11,121   Tessa Munt¤   Meg Powell-Chandler† Mendip District Council: Chewton Mendip and Ston Easton, Croscombe and Pilton, Moor, Rodney and Westbury, Shepton East, Shepton West, St. Cuthbert Out North, Wells Central, Wells St. Cuthbert's, Wells St. Thomas', Wookey and St. Cuthbert Out West. North Somerset Council: Banwell & Winscombe, Blagdon & Churchill, Congresbury & Puxton, Yatton. Sedgemoor District Council: Axevale, Cheddar and Shipham, East Polden, Knoll, Wedmore and Mark, West Polden.
 
Yeovil CC 76,056 12,286   Adam Dance¤   Marcus Fysh South Somerset District Council: 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.
 

2024 boundary changes

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See 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for further details.

Former name Boundaries 2010–2024 Current name Boundaries 2024–present
  1. Bridgwater and West Somerset CC
  2. Somerton and Frome CC
  3. Taunton Deane CC
  4. Wells CC
  5. Yeovil CC
 
Proposed Revision
  1. Bridgwater CC
  2. Frome and East Somerset CC
  3. Glastonbury and Somerton CC
  4. Taunton and Wellington CC
  5. Tiverton and Minehead CC
  6. Wells and Mendip Hills CC
  7. Yeovil CC
 

For the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which redrew the constituency map ahead of the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Boundary Commission for England opted to combine Somerset with Avon and Devon as a sub-region of the South West Region, resulting in significant change to the existing pattern of constituencies. In Somerset, only the constituency of Yeovil retained its name with relatively minor changes. The boundary changes created the cross-county boundary constituencies of Frome and East Somerset, Wells and Mendip Hills, and Tiverton and Minehead. Bridgwater was re-established as a constituency, replacing Bridgwater and West Somerset, while the new constituency of Glastonbury and Somerton largely replaced Somerton and Frome. Taunton Deane was renamed Taunton and Wellington.[5][6]

The boundary commission recommended the following seats within Somerset:

Containing electoral wards from Mendip

Containing electoral wards from Sedgemoor

Containing electoral wards from Somerset West and Taunton

Containing electoral wards from South Somerset

  • Glastonbury and Somerton (part)
  • Yeovil

1Also contains electoral wards in the District of Bath and North East Somerset

2Also contains electoral wards in the District of North Somerset

3Also contains electoral wards in the Devon District of Mid Devon

Results history

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Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019[7]

2024

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The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Somerset in the 2024 general election were as follows:[nb 3]

Party Votes % Change from 2019 Seats Change from 2019
Liberal Democrats 114,443 36.5%  7.5% 6  6
Conservative 88,408 28.2%  28.5% 1  4
Reform 53,160 17.0% New 0 0
Labour 34,865 11.1%  0.7% 0 0
Green 18,076 5.8%  3.6% 0 0
Others 4,314 1.4%  0.1% 0 0
Total 313,266 100.0 7

Percentage votes

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Note that before 1983 Somerset was analysed under its Ceremonial definition (including the southern part of what became analysed at boundary reviews as Avon, see Avon's list of seats).

Election year 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974(F) 1974(O) 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024
Liberal Democrat1 13.5 29.6 42.0 30.5 32.3 13.7 19.2 8.8 12.7 1.8 4.6 14.2 20.2 16.1 11.6 28.1 26.9 22.7 37.0 37.6 40.2 40.6 39.6 40.1 45.1 23.9 25.4 29.0 36.5
Conservative 61.5 51.1 47.4 52.9 45.4 66.6 55.4 45.5 47.0 55.0 54.8 51.4 45.9 45.8 53.2 44.7 43.8 52.3 51.2 50.6 45.3 36.5 40.9 41.4 41.5 47.2 53.9 56.7 28.2
Reform - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17.0
Labour 24.3 19.3 10.6 16.6 22.3 19.7 25.4 39.8 38.3 43.2 40.6 34.4 33.3 38.1 35.0 27.0 28.6 24.0 11.7 11.7 12.9 17.4 16.5 14.9 7.7 9.5 17.0 10.6 11.1
Green Party - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * * * * * 0.5 5.3 1.8 2.2 5.8
UKIP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * * * 3.7 12.9 1.2 * -
Other 0.8 - - - - - - 5.9 2.0 - - - 0.7 - 0.2 0.2 0.6 1.0 0.1 - 1.5 5.4 2.9 3.6 1.4 1.2 0.7 1.5 1.4

1pre-1979: Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987: SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats

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Election year 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974(F) 1974(O) 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024
Liberal Democrat1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 2 3 4 0 0 0 6
Conservative 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 4 4 4 2 3 2 1 5 5 5 1
Total 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 7

11983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

Maps

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1885-1910

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1918-1945

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1950-1979

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1983-2019

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2024-present (including constituencies that cover parts of Devon and Avon)

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Historical representation by party

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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.

1885 to 1918 (10 MPs)

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  Conservative   Liberal   Liberal Unionist

Constituency 1885 1886 87 1892 1895 96 99 1900 1906 09 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 11 12 18
Bath Blaine Laurie Murray Maclean A. Thynne Foxcroft
Wodehouse Gooch Hunter
Bridgwater Stanley Montgomery Sanders
Frome Baker T. Thynne Barlow T. Thynne Barlow
Somerset Eastern Hobhouse Thompson Jardine
Somerset Northern Llewellyn Warner Llewellyn Hope King
Somerset Southern Lambart Strachey Herbert
Taunton S. Allsopp A. Allsopp Welby Boyle Peel Wills
Wellington Dyke Acland Elton Fuller-Acland-Hood Boles
Wells Paget Jolliffe Dickinson Silcock Sandys

1918 to 1950 (7 MPs)

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  Common Wealth   Conservative   Independent Progressive   Labour   Liberal

Constituency 1918 21 1922 23 1923 1924 29 1929 1931 34 1935 38 39 42 1945
Bath Foxcroft Raffety Foxcroft Baillie-Hamilton Guinness Pitman
Bridgwater Sanders Morse Wood Croom-Johnson Bartlett
Frome Hurd Gould Peto Gould Thynne Tate Farthing
Taunton Boles Griffith-Boscawen Simpson Gault Wickham Collins
Wells Greer Bruford Hobhouse Sanders Muirhead Boles
Weston-super-Mare Wills Erskine Murrell Erskine Orr-Ewing
Yeovil Herbert Davies Kingsmill

1950 to 1983 (7 MPs)

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  Conservative

Constituency 1950 1951 1955 56 58 1959 1964 1966 69 70 1970 Feb 74 Oct 74 1979
Bath Pitman Brown Patten
Bridgwater Wills King
Somerset North Leather Dean
Taunton Hopkinson du Cann
Wells Boles Maydon Boscawen
Weston-super-Mare Orr-Ewing Webster Wiggin
Yeovil Kingsmill Peyton

1983 to 2024 (5 MPs)

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  Conservative   Independent   Liberal   Liberal Democrats

Constituency 1983 1987 88 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 22 23
Bridgwater / Bridgwater and West Somerset (2010-) King Liddell-Grainger
Somerton and Frome Boscawen Robinson Heath Warburton Dyke
Taunton / Taunton Deane (2010-) du Cann Nicholson Ballard Flook Browne Pow
Wells Heathcoat-Amory Munt Heappey
Yeovil Ashdown Laws Fysh

2024 onwards (7 MPs, including constituencies that cover parts of Devon and Avon)

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  Conservative   Liberal Democrats

Constituency 2024
Bridgwater Fox
Frome and East Somerset1 Sabine
Glastonbury and Somerton Dyke
Taunton and Wellington Amos
Tiverton and Minehead2 Gilmour
Wells and Mendip Hills1 Munt
Yeovil Dance

1partly in Avon 2partly in Devon

See also

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Notes

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  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.
  3. ^ Includes the cross-county constituency of Tiverton and Minehead which has an electorate predominantly based in Somerset.

References

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  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. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007, page 4". Office of Public Sector Information. Crown copyright. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  4. ^ Boundary Commission for England pp. 1004–1007
  5. ^ Mumby, Daniel (9 June 2021). "First glimpse of new general election battle lines". SomersetLive. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  6. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Paras 1127-1178. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  7. ^ Watson, Christopher; Uberoi, Elise; Loft, Philip (17 April 2020). "General election results from 1918 to 2019". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)