Plymouth Devonport (UK Parliament constituency)

Plymouth Devonport (UK Parliament constituency) was a borough constituency in the city of Plymouth, in the county of Devon. It elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom using the first-past-the-post system. The constituency was created in 1918 from the former Plymouth seat and was abolished for the 2010 general election, with its territory divided between the new Plymouth, Moor View and Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport constituencies. Throughout much of its history, it was a key political battleground, often witnessing close contests between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.

History

The constituency was established by the Representation of the People Act 1918, which radically reformed the UK's electoral map following World War I. It was carved out of the larger, multi-member Plymouth constituency, reflecting the growth and distinct identity of the Devonport area, historically the site of the major Royal Naval Dockyard. For its first decade, it was represented by Conservative MPs, including Sir Clement Kinloch-Cooke. The political landscape shifted dramatically after the 1929 general election, when Labour's Leslie Hore-Belisha won the seat, although he later defected to the National Liberals. The seat became a classic marginal seat, frequently changing hands. Notable MPs included Dame Joan Vickers, who served for over a decade, and David Owen, who was first elected for Labour in 1966 but later co-founded the Social Democratic Party and served as Foreign Secretary. The constituency was abolished in 2010 as part of boundary changes implemented by the Boundary Commission for England.

Boundaries

The constituency was based on the northern and western parts of the city of Plymouth, centered on the historic districts of Devonport and Stoke. As defined for the 1983 general election, and essentially unchanged until abolition, it comprised the wards of Devonport, Ham, Honicknowle, Keyham, Stoke, and Sutton and Mount Gould. The boundary review preceding the 2010 election determined that the seat's electorate was too small, leading to its dissolution. Its territory was split, with the northern wards moving into the new Plymouth, Moor View constituency, and the southern coastal wards, including Devonport itself, merging with parts of the former Plymouth Sutton seat to form Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport.

Members of Parliament

{| class="wikitable" ! Election !! Member !! Party |- | 1918 || Sir Clement Kinloch-Cooke || Conservative |- | 1922 || H. J. Peto || Conservative |- | 1923 || Sir Clement Kinloch-Cooke || Conservative |- | 1929 || Leslie Hore-Belisha || Labour |- | 1931 || Leslie Hore-Belisha || National Liberal |- | 1945 || Michael Foot || Labour |- | 1955 || Dame Joan Vickers || Conservative |- | 1966 || David Owen || Labour |- | 1981 || David Owen || Social Democratic |- | 1992 || David Jamieson || Labour |- | 2010 || Constituency abolished || — |}

Elections

Elections in Plymouth Devonport were often closely fought. The 1945 election saw a notable victory for Labour's Michael Foot, a future Labour Leader, over the sitting National Liberal Leslie Hore-Belisha. The 1955 election resulted in a win for Conservative Dame Joan Vickers, who held the seat until 1966, when David Owen won it for Labour. Owen retained the seat through several elections, even after his co-founding of the Social Democratic Party in 1981 and the Alliance with the Liberal Party. The 1992 election saw Labour's David Jamieson regain the seat from the SDP, and he held it comfortably until the constituency's abolition. The final election in 2005 was won by Jamieson with a significant majority over his Conservative opponent.

See also

* Plymouth (UK Parliament constituency) * Plymouth, Sutton (UK Parliament constituency) * Plymouth, Moor View (UK Parliament constituency) * Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport (UK Parliament constituency) * List of parliamentary constituencies in Devon

Category:Parliamentary constituencies in Plymouth, Devon Category:United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies established in 1918 Category:United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies disestablished in Devon, 1918