County Devon European Parliament constituency South West England Replaced by Torquay Party Conservative Party | Electorate 76,219 (December 2010) Number of members 1 Created from Torquay Major settlements Paignton, Torquay | |
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Member of parliament Kevin Foster (Conservative) | ||
Torbay is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Kevin Foster, a Conservative.
Contents
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
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.
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.
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.