County Somerset Number of members One Major settlement Taunton | Major settlements Taunton Type of constituency Borough constituency Replaced by Taunton Deane | |
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Number of members Two (1295-1885), One (1885-1918) | ||
Taunton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors from 1295 to 2010, taking its name from the town of Taunton in Somerset. Until 1918, it was a parliamentary borough, electing two Member of Parliaments (MPs) between 1295 and 1885 and one from 1885 to 1918; the name was then transferred to a county constituency, electing one MP.
Contents
In the boundary changes that came into effect at the general election of 2010, the Boundary Commission for England replaced Taunton with a modified constituency called Taunton Deane, to reflect the district name.
History
Famous MPs for the borough include Thomas Cromwell.
The 1754 by-election was so fiercely contested that rioting broke out in which two people died.
In the 2005 general election, the victorious Liberal Democrats candidate in Taunton required the smallest percentage swing from the Conservative MP for them to take the seat.
Boundaries
1918-1950: The Municipal Borough of Taunton, the Urban Districts of Wellington and Wiveliscombe, and the Rural Districts of Dulverton, Taunton, and Wellington.
1950-1983: The Municipal Borough of Taunton, the Urban District of Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Dulverton, Taunton, and Wellington.
1983-2010: The Borough of Taunton Deane, and the District of West Somerset wards of Dulverton and Brushford, Exmoor, Haddon, and Quarme.
MPs 1295–1640
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914/15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
Elections in the 1940s
General Election 1939/40
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;