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Parliamentary constituencies in Dorset

{{short description|None}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

File:Dorset UK locator map 2010.svg relative to England.]]

The ceremonial county of Dorset (which comprises the two unitary authorities of Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) is divided into 8 parliamentary constituencies: 3 borough constituencies and 5 county constituencies.

{{clear}}

Constituencies

{{See|2024 United Kingdom general election}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|† Conservative|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|‡ Labour|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|¤ Liberal Democrat|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

class="wikitable sortable"
rowspan="1" |ConstituencyBC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.

! rowspan="1" |Electorate{{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/|title=The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries - Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition|publisher=Boundary Commission for England|access-date=9 July 2024}}

! rowspan="1" |Majority

! colspan="2" |Member of Parliament{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies|title=Constituencies A-Z - Election 2014|website=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2024-07-09}}

! colspan="2" |Nearest opposition

!rowspan=1 class="unsortable" style="width:20%;" |Map

Bournemouth East BC

|73,173

|5,479

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | 

|Tom Hayes‡

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 

|Tobias Ellwood†

|File:Bournemouth East Constituency 2023.svg

Bournemouth West BC

|72,094

|3,224

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | 

|Jessica Toale‡

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 

|Conor Burns†

|File:Bournemouth West Constituency 2023.svg

Christchurch CC

|71,598

|7,455

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 

|Christopher Chope†

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" | 

|Mike Cox¤

|File:Christchurch Constituency 2023.svg

Mid Dorset and North Poole CC

|74,305

|1,352

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" | 

|Vikki Slade¤

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 

|Michael Tomlinson†

|File:Mid Dorset and North Poole Constituency 2023.svg

North Dorset CC

|72,109

|1,589

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 

|Simon Hoare†

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" | 

|Gary Jackson¤

|File:North Dorset Constituency 2023.svg

Poole BC

|72,162

|18

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | 

|Neil Duncan-Jordan‡

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 

|Robert Syms†

|File:Poole Constituency 2023.svg

South Dorset CC

|76,640

|1,048

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | 

|Lloyd Hatton‡

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 

|Richard Drax†

|File:South Dorset Constituency 2023.svg

West Dorset CC

|75,390

|7,789

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" | 

|Edward Morello¤

| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 

|Chris Loder†

|File:West Dorset Constituency 2023.svg

2024 Boundary changes

See 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for further details.

class="wikitable"

! style="background-color:#ff9999" |Name!! style="background-color:#ff9999" |Boundaries 2010–2024 !! style="background-color:#ff9999" |Boundaries 2024–present

# Bournemouth East BC

  1. Bournemouth West BC
  2. Christchurch CC
  3. Mid Dorset and North Poole CC
  4. North Dorset CC
  5. Poole BC
  6. South Dorset CC
  7. West Dorset CC

|File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituencies2007.svg

|File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency2023.svg

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 retain the eight current constituencies in Dorset, with minor boundary changes to reflect changes to ward boundaries following the reorganisation of local government authorities within the county.{{Cite web |title=The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report {{!}} Boundary Commission for England |url=https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/2023-review/2023-review-volume-one-report/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk |at=paras 1179-1203}}

The boundary commission recommended the following seats within Dorset:

Containing electoral wards from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Containing electoral wards from Dorset (unitary authority)

Results history

Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019{{Cite journal|last=Watson|first=Christopher|last2=Uberoi|first2=Elise|last3=Loft|first3=Philip|date=2020-04-17|title=General election results from 1918 to 2019|url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8647/|language=en-GB}}

= 2024 =

The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Dorset in the 2024 general election were as follows:

class="wikitable"

!Party

!Votes

!%

!Change from 2019

!Seats

!Change from 2019

Conservative

|127,188

|33.7%

|{{Decrease}}24.6%

|2

|{{decrease}}6

Liberal Democrats

|95,463

|25.3%

|{{increase}}6.4%

|2

|{{increase}}2

Labour

|82,652

|21.9%

|{{increase}}3.5%

|4

|{{increase}}4

Reform

|45,367

|12.0%

|New

|0

|{{nochange}}

Greens

|18,400

|4.9%

|{{increase}}1.0%

|0

|{{nochange}}

Others

|8,287

|2.2%

|{{increase}}1.7%

|0

|{{nochange}}

Total

|377,357

|100.0

|

|8

|

= Percentage votes =

Note that before 1983 Dorset did not include the Bournemouth and Christchurch areas (see below).

class="wikitable"

!Election year

!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

Conservative

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|39.1

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|51.7

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|60.1

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|46.2

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|56.8

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|54.0

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|45.2

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|47.6

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|52.2

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|53.9

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|52.4

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|46.6

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|47.3

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|54.2

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|48.1

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|48.0

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|58.4

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|58.6

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|57.8

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|54.5

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|41.8

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|45.3

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|44.1

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|48.3

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|51.7

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|58.7

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|58.3

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|33.7

Liberal Democrat1

|18.0

|28.9

|21.9

|36.8

|16.3

|28.7

|24.0

|14.5

|15.8

|13.6

|18.9

|23.6

|20.2

|17.0

|30.9

|28.4

|20.9

|29.7

|30.8

|31.2

|34.1

|31.5

|32.8

|32.8

|12.9

|12.8

|18.9

|25.3

Labour

|21.4

|19.4

|18.0

|17.0

|12.3

|16.0

|30.8

|37.9

|32.0

|32.6

|28.7

|29.8

|32.5

|28.8

|21.0

|23.6

|20.4

|10.2

|11.3

|13.4

|18.8

|21.1

|18.3

|12.2

|13.0

|25.2

|18.4

|21.9

Reform

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

|12.0

Green Party

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

|*

|*

|*

|*

|*

|0.5

|5.3

|2.6

|3.9

|4.9

UKIP

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

|*

|*

|*

|5.6

|16.2

|0.3

|*

|*

Other

|21.5

| -

| -

| -

|14.6

|1.4

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

| -

|0.3

|1.4

|0.1

|0.9

|5.3

|2.1

|4.7

|0.6

|0.9

|0.4

|0.5

|2.2

11950-1979: Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Accurate vote percentages are not applicable for the 1918 election because one candidate stood unopposed.

= Seats =

class="wikitable"

!Election year

!1950-1979

!1983-1992

!1997

!2001-2005

!2010

!2015-2019

!2024

Labour

|0

|0

|0

|1

|0

|0

|style="background-color:#e2a499;"|4

Conservative

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|4

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|7

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|8

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|6

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|7

|style="background:#B3E0FF"|8

|2

Liberal Democrat1

|0

|0

|0

|1

|1

|0

|2

Total

|4

|7

|8

|8

|8

|8

|8

11950-1979: Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

= Maps =

==1885-1910==

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1885Results.svg|1885

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1886Results.svg|1886

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1892Results.svg|1892

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1892Results.svg|1895

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1892Results.svg|1900

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1885Results.svg|1906

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1910Results.svg|Jan 1910

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1910Results.svg|Dec 1910

==1918-1945==

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1918Results.svg|1918

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1922Results.svg|1922

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1923Results.svg|1923

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1924Results.svg|1924

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1929Results.svg|1929

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1924Results.svg|1931

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1924Results.svg|1935

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1929Results.svg|1945

==1950-1979==

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|1950

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|1951

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|1955

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|1959

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|1964

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|1966

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|1970

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|Feb 1974

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|Oct 1974

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1950Results.svg|1979

==1983-present==

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1983Results.svg|1983

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1983Results.svg|1987

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1983Results.svg|1992

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency1997Results.svg|1997

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency2005Results.svg|2001

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency2005Results.svg|2005

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency2010Results.svg|2010

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency2015Results.svg|2015

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency2015Results.svg|2017

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency2015Results.svg|2019

File:DorsetParliamentaryConstituency2024Results.svg|2024

Historical representation by party

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.

= Before 1885 =

class="wikitable"

!Constituency

!Established

!Abolished

Bridport

|1295

|Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Corfe Castle

|1572

|Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832

Dorchester

|1295

|Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Dorset

|1290

|Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Lyme Regis

|1572

|Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832

Poole

|1362

|Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Shaftesbury

|1295

|Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Weymouth and Melcombe Regis

|1572

|Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Wareham

|1302

|Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

=1885 to 1918=

{{legend2|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|Conservative|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|Liberal|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

class="wikitable"

!Constituency

!1885

!1886

!91

!1892

!95

!1895

!1900

!04

!05

!1906

!Jan 10

!Dec 10

Dorset East

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |Glyn

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Bond

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Napier Sturt

| colspan="3" bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}"|Lyell

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |H. Guest1

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |F. Guest

Dorset North

| colspan="3" bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |Portman

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Wingfield-Digby

| colspan="2" bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}"|Wills

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="2" |Baker

Dorset South

|bgcolor={{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|Sturgis

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |C. Hambro

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="7" |Brymer

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |Scarisbrick

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="2" |A. Hambro

Dorset West

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Farquharson

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="8" |Williams

1original candidate, F. Guest (Lib), disqualified; fresh by-election held June 1910

= 1918 to 1950 =

{{legend2|{{party color|Coalition Liberal}}|Coalition Liberal (1918-22) / National Liberal (1922-23)|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|Conservative|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Independent Conservative}}|Independent Conservative|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|Liberal|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

class="wikitable"

!Constituency

!1918

!1922

!23

!1923

!1924

!1929

!1931

!1935

!37

!41

!1945

Dorset East

| bgcolor="{{party color|Coalition Liberal}}" |→

| bgcolor="{{party color|Independent Conservative}}" |Caine

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="3" |→

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |Glassey

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Caine

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Wheatley

Dorset North

| bgcolor="{{party color|Coalition Conservative}}" |Colfox

| colspan="3" bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |Emlyn-Jones

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Hanbury

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="2" |A. Hambro

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |Byers

Dorset South

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |A. Hambro

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Yerburgh

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Gascoyne-Cecil

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="2" |Montagu

Dorset West

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Williams

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="8" |Colfox

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="2" |Digby

=1950 to 1983=

{{legend2|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|Conservative|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|Labour|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

class="wikitable"

!Constituency

!1950

!1951

!1955

!57

!1959

!62

!1964

!1966

!1970

!Feb 1974

!Oct 1974

!1979

Dorset North

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="3" |Crouch

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Glyn

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="3" |James

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Baker

Dorset South

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Montagu

| bgcolor="{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |Barnett

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |King

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Gascoyne-Cecil

Dorset West

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="9" |Digby

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="3" |Spicer

Poole

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Wheatley

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Pilkington

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Murton

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Ward

=1983 to present (7, then 8 MPs)=

{{legend2|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|Conservative|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Independent (politician)}}|Independent|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|Labour|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|Liberal Democrats|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

class="wikitable"

!Constituency

!1983

!1987

!1992

!93

!1997

!2001

!2005

!2010

!2015

!2017

!19

!2019

!2024

Bournemouth East

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="6" |Atkinson

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="6" |Ellwood

| bgcolor="{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |Hayes

Bournemouth West

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="7" |Butterfill

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Burns

| bgcolor="{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |Toale

Christchurch

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="3" |Adley

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |Maddock

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="9" |Chope

North Dorset

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Baker

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Walter

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Hoare

Poole

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Ward

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="8" |Syms

| bgcolor="{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |Duncan-Jordan

South Dorset

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Gascoyne-Cecil

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Bruce

| bgcolor="{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" colspan="2" |Knight

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="5" |Drax

| bgcolor="{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |Hatton

West Dorset

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Spicer

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="6" |Letwin

| bgcolor="{{party color|Independent (politician)}}" |→

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Loder

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |Morello

Mid Dorset and North Poole

| colspan="4" |Seat not created

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |Fraser

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" colspan="3" |Brooke

| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" colspan="4" |Tomlinson

| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |Slade

See also

Notes

{{reflist|group=nb}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{Dorset constituencies}}

{{UK constituencies}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Parliamentary Constituencies In Dorset}}

Dorset

Category:Politics of Dorset

Dorset

Parliamentary constituencies