County Somerset Created 1918 European Parliament constituency South West England | Electorate 82,771 (December 2010) Number of members One | |
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Member of parliament Marcus Fysh (Conservative) | ||
Yeovil is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It has been represented since 2015 by Marcus Fysh, a Conservative.
Contents
Boundaries
1918-1983: The Municipal Boroughs of Chard and Yeovil, the Urban Districts of Crewkerne and Ilminster, and the Rural Districts of Chard, Langport, and Yeovil.
1983-1997: The District of Yeovil wards of Blackdown, Chard North East, Chard North West, Chard Parish, Chard South East, Chard South West, Chinnock, Coker, Crewkerne Town, Dowlish, Egwood, Hazelbury, Houndstone, Ilminster Town, Lynches, Mudford, Neroche, St Michael's, South Petherton, Stoke, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil North, Yeovil Preston, Yeovil South, and Yeovil West.
1997-2010: The District of South Somerset wards of Blackdown, Chard Avishayes, Chard Combe, Chard Crimchard, Chard Holyrood, Chard Jocelyn, Coker, Crewkerne, Egwood, Hamdon, Houndstone, Ilminster, Mudford, Neroche, Parrett, St Michael's, South Petherton, Tatworth and Forton, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil Preston, Yeovil South, Yeovil West, and Yeovil Without.
2010–present: The District of South Somerset wards of Blackdown, Brympton, Chard Avishayes, Chard Combe, Chard Crimchard, Chard Holyrood, Chard Jocelyn, Coker, Crewkerne, Egwood, Hamdon, Ilminster, Ivelchester, Neroche, Parrett, St Michael’s, South Petherton, Tatworth and Forton, Windwhistle, Yeovil Central, Yeovil East, Yeovil South, Yeovil West, and Yeovil Without.
The constituency covers the towns of Yeovil, Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster in Somerset. Until 1983 Somerset was split into four constituencies and Yeovil constituency also contained the towns of Ilchester, Martock and Somerton but they were transferred to the newly created constituency of Somerton and Frome.
As part of minor changes implemented following the review by the Boundary Commission for England, the town of Ilchester was returned to the Yeovil constituency at the 2010 general election.
History
From 1918 until 1983, Yeovil always returned a Conservative MP. There then followed a period of over 30 years during which the seat was represented by a member of the Liberal Party or their successors, the Liberal Democrats; firstly former leader Paddy Ashdown (1983–2001) and then former Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Laws (2001 to 2015). At the 2015 election, the seat returned to its former Conservative allegiance as Marcus Fysh defeated Laws by over 5,000 votes.
Election in the 1940s
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;