A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| North Dorset | |
|---|---|
| County constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Boundary of North Dorset in Dorset | |
 Location of Dorset within England | |
| County | Dorset |
| Electorate | 73,010 (December 2010)[1] |
| Major settlements | Blandford Forum, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Sturminster Newton and Verwood |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1885 |
| Member of Parliament | Simon Hoare (Conservative) |
| Seats | One |
North Dorset is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Simon Hoare, a Conservative.[n 2]
History
This seat was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, since which it has been won at elections by candidates from only two parties. For nineteen of the years between 1885 and 1950, North Dorset was represented by Liberals, and at all other times since 1885 it has been represented by Conservatives. It is historically one of Labour's weakest seats in the country - for example, it gave the party its lowest vote share out of all the seats it contested in 1950 and 1951.
Constituency profile
The constituency covers North Dorset local government district and most (geographically) of East Dorset. It is largely rural, with a lower than average proportion of social housing and five small towns shown in the infobox. The largest town is Verwood, and the most central is the market town of Blandford Forum, north of the port of Poole.
Boundaries
1885–1918: The Borough of Shaftesbury, the Sessional Divisions of Blandford, Shaftesbury, and Sturminster, and part of the Sessional Division of Sherborne.
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, the Urban District of Sherborne, the Rural Districts of Blandford, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, and Sturminster, and part of the Rural District of Wimborne and Cranborne.
1950–1974: The Boroughs of Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, the Urban District of Wimborne Minster, and the Rural Districts of Blandford, Shaftesbury, Sturminster, and Wimborne and Cranborne.
1974–1983: As 1950 but with redrawn boundaries.
1983–1997: The District of North Dorset, the District of Wimborne wards of Colehill, Corfe Mullen Central, Corfe Mullen North, Corfe Mullen South, Crane, Holt, Sixpenny Handley, Sturminster Marshall, Vale of Allen, and Wimborne Minster, and the District of Purbeck wards of Lytchett Matravers and Lytchett Minster.
1997–2010: The District of North Dorset, and the District of East Dorset wards of Colehill, Crane, Holt, Longham, Sixpenny Handley, Stapehill, Sturminster Marshall, Vale of Allen, and Wimborne Minster.
2010–present: The District of North Dorset, and the District of East Dorset wards of Alderholt, Crane, Handley Vale, Holt, Stour, Three Cross and Potterne, Verwood Dewlands, Verwood Newtown, and Verwood Stephen's Castle.
Proposed
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The District of Dorset wards of: Beacon; Blackmore Vale; Blandford; Cranborne & Alderholt; Cranborne Chase; Gillingham; Hill Forts & Upper Tarrants; Puddletown & Lower Winterborne; Shaftesbury Town; Stalbridge & Marnhull; Sturminster Newton; Verwood; Winterborne North.[2]
Minor changes following re-organisation of local authorities and wards in Dorset.
Members of Parliament
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | James Coldwell[4] | ||||
| Conservative | Simon Hoare[5] | ||||
| Green | Ken Huggins[6] | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Gary Jackson[7] | ||||
| Reform UK | Ash Leaning[8] | ||||
| SDP | Daniel Woodruffe[9] | ||||
Elections in the 2010s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Simon Hoare | 35,705 | 63.6 | -1.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | David Chadwick | 11,404 | 20.3 | +6.8 | |
| Labour | Pat Osborne | 6,737 | 12.0 | -6.6 | |
| Green | Ken Huggins | 2,261 | 4.0 | +1.1 | |
| Majority | 24,301 | 43.3 | -3.0 | ||
| Turnout | 56,107 | 73.9 | -0.1 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Simon Hoare | 36,169 | 64.9 | +8.3 | |
| Labour | Pat Osborne | 10,392 | 18.6 | +9.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Thomas Panton | 7,556 | 13.6 | +1.9 | |
| Green | John Tutton | 1,607 | 2.9 | −2.8 | |
| Majority | 25,777 | 46.3 | +6.8 | ||
| Turnout | 55,724 | 74.0 | +2.4 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -0.7 | |||