Central Devon

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UK Parliament constituency (2010–)

title: "Central Devon" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["parliamentary-constituencies-in-devon", "constituencies-of-the-parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-established-in-2010"] description: "UK Parliament constituency (2010–)" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Devon" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary UK Parliament constituency (2010–) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox UK constituency main"]

Field	Value
name	Central Devon
parliament	uk
image
caption	Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
image2	[[File:South West England - Central Devon constituency.svg
caption2	Boundary of Central Devon in South West England
year	2010
type	County
previous	North Devon, Teignbridge, Tiverton and Honiton, Torridge and West Devon, Totnes
population	88,926 (2011 census)
electorate	73,491 (2023) {{cite web
title	The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West
publisher	Boundary Commission for England
access-date	27 June 2024
df	dmy
mp	Mel Stride
party	Conservative
towns	Okehampton, Crediton, Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh
region	England
county	Devon
european	South West England
elects_howmany	One
::

|name = Central Devon |parliament = uk |image = |caption = Interactive map of boundaries from 2024 | image2 = [[File:South West England - Central Devon constituency.svg|255px|alt=Map of constituency]] | caption2 = Boundary of Central Devon in South West England |year = 2010 |abolished = |type = County |previous = North Devon, Teignbridge, Tiverton and Honiton, Torridge and West Devon, Totnes |next = |population = 88,926 (2011 census) |electorate = 73,491 (2023) {{cite web |url= https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/2023-review/the-2023-review-of-parliamentary-constituency-boundaries-in-england-volume-two-constituency-names-designations-and-composition/the-2023-review-of-parliamentary-constituency-boundaries-in-england-volume-two-constituency-names-designations-and-composition-south-west/#lg_central-devon-cc-73491 |title= The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West |publisher=Boundary Commission for England |access-date=27 June 2024 |df=dmy |mp = Mel Stride |party = Conservative |towns = Okehampton, Crediton, Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh |region = England |county = Devon

|european = South West England |elects_howmany = One

Central Devon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Mel Stride of the Conservative Party.

Constituency profile

Central Devon is a large rural constituency that covers part of Devon to the west of the city of Exeter. The constituency includes part of Dartmoor, an upland area and National Park. The largest settlement is the town of Okehampton, with a population of around 9,000. The constituency contains many other small market towns and villages, including Crediton, Bradninch, North Tawton, Hatherleigh, Exminster, Chagford, Moretonhampstead, Chudleigh, Ashburton and Buckfastleigh. The constituency is primarily agricultural and many of its towns grew from the wool trade in mediaeval times.

Residents of Central Devon are considerably older than the national average and have average levels of income, education and professional employment. The areas closer to Exeter are generally more affluent than the western, more inland parts of the constituency. White people make up 98% of the population. At the local county council, the constituency is divided between Liberal Democrat support in its east and Reform UK support in its west, with district councils generally having a mixture of Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors. Voters were evenly split in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership, with an estimated result of 50% voting for each option.

History

The constituency was created for the 2010 general election, following a review of parliamentary representation in Devon by the Boundary Commission for England, which increased seats in the county from 11 to 12. Central Devon covers parts of the East Devon, Mid Devon, Teignbridge and West Devon districts.

The wards from the last election presented a notional Conservative majority of just over 1,700, making it a marginal seat at the first election. Despite this, Mel Stride's majority over the Liberal Democrats was 17.1 percentage points with an absolute majority. Stride held the seat comfortably at the next three elections (2015, 2017 and 2019), but only just held on at the 2024 general election with a majority of 0.1% (61 votes) over the Labour Party candidate.

Boundaries

2010–2024

The constituency contained electoral wards from four districts.

From East Devon: Exe Valley;
From Mid Devon: Boniface, Bradninch, Cadbury, Lawrence, Newbrooke, Sandford and Creedy, Silverton, Taw, Taw Vale, Upper Yeo, Way, Yeo;
From Teignbridge: Ashburton and Buckfastleigh, Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh, Haytor, Kenn Valley, Moorland, Teignbridge North, Teign Valley;
From West Devon: Chagford, Drewsteignton, Exbourne, Hatherleigh, Lew Valley, North Tawton, Okehampton East, Okehampton West, South Tawton.

2024–present

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, and a local government boundary review in Mid Devon District which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency is composed of the following:

The District of Mid Devon wards of: Bradninch (nearly all); Cadbury; Crediton Boniface; Crediton Lawrence; Sandford & Creedy; Silverton; Taw Vale; Upper Yeo & Taw; Way; Yeo.
The District of Teignbridge wards of: Ashburton & Buckfastleigh; Bovey; Chudleigh; Haytor; Kenn Valley; Moretonhampstead; Teign Valley.
The Borough of West Devon wards of: Chagford; Drewsteignton; Exbourne; Hatherleigh; Okehampton North; Okehampton South; South Tawton. The East Devon ward of Exe Valley was included in the new constituency of Exmouth and Exeter East. Otherwise, only a very minor change to the boundary in the District of Teignbridge.

Members of Parliament

::data[format=table] | Election | d|2|date=March 2012}} | Party | |---|---|---| | Conservative Party (UK)}}" | | 2010 | Mel Stride | ::

Elections

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Central_Devon_vote_share_in_general_elections_from_2010_to_2024.svg" caption="Central Devon election results"] ::

Elections in the 2020s

|reg. electors = 75,385

Elections in the 2010s

::data[format=table]

2019 notional result	Party	Vote	%
	Conservative	31,366	55.3
	Labour	14,066	24.8
	Liberal Democrats	8,503	15.0
	Green	2,789	4.9

Turnout	56,724	77.2
Electorate	73,491
::

Notes

References

"Central Devon: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Office for National Statistics.
"Okehampton (Devon, South West England, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information".
[http://www.worldtimelines.org.uk/world/british_isles/england/central/AD1066-1500/wooltrade The medieval wool trade] {{Webarchive. link. (4 December 2010 . World Timelines. Retrieved on 5 March 2011.)
"Seat Detail - Devon Central".
"Constituency data: Deprivation in England".
(24 November 2004). "Final recommendations for Parliamentary constituencies in the counties of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay". [[Boundary Commission for England]].
[http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/devoncentral Devon Central], UK Polling report, Retrieved 29 May 2010
"New Seat Details - Devon Central".
{{Rayment-hc. d. 2. (March 2012)
"Central Devon - General election results 2024".
"Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". [[UK Parliament]].
"Statement of Persons Nominated".
"Devon Central parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
"Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
"DEVON CENTRAL 2015".
"Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].

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