Somerton and Frome | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Somerset |
Electorate | 87,921 (July 2023)[1] |
Major settlements | Frome, Somerton, Wincanton and Martock |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1983 |
Member of Parliament | Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Wells and Yeovil[2] |
Somerton and Frome is a constituency[n 1] in Somerset represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2023 by Sarah Dyke of the Liberal Democrats.
It was formerly represented by David Warburton, who was elected as a Conservative, but latterly sat as an Independent after losing the Conservative whip in April 2022 following allegations of misconduct.[n 2] Warburton resigned as an MP on 17 June 2023, thus triggering the first by-election in this constituency since its creation at the 1983 general election.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be subject to major boundary changes, with the town of Frome and surrounding rural areas in the (former) District of Mendip being incorporated into the newly created constituency of Frome and East Somerset. To partly compensate, the towns of Glastonbury and Street will be transferred in from the constituency of Wells (to be renamed Wells and Mendip Hills). As a consequence, the constituency will be renamed Glastonbury and Somerton, to be first contested at the next general election.[3]
1983–1997: The District of Yeovil wards of Blackmoor Vale, Brue, Burrow Hill, Camelot, Cary, Curry Rivel, Islemoor, Ivelchester, Langport and Huish, Martock, Milborne Port, Northstone, Turn Hill, Wessex, and Wincanton, and the District of Mendip wards of Beacon, Beckington and Rode, Coleford, Creech, Frome Badcox, Frome Fromefield, Frome Keyford, Mells, Nordinton, Postlebury, Selwood and Berkley, Stratton, and Vale.
1997–2010: The District of South Somerset wards of Blackmoor Vale, Brue, Burrow Hill, Camelot, Cary, Curry Rivel, Islemoor, Ivelchester, Langport and Huish, Martock, Milborne Port, Northstone, Turn Hill, Wessex, and Wincanton, and the District of Mendip wards of Beacon, Beckington and Rode, Coleford, Creech, Frome Badcox, Frome Fromefield, Frome Keyford, Frome Welshmill, Mells, Nordinton, Postlebury, Stratton, and Vale.
2010–present: The District of South Somerset wards of Blackmoor Vale, Bruton, Burrow Hill, Camelot, Cary, Curry Rivel, Islemoor, Langport and Huish, Martock, Milborne Port, Northstone, Tower, Turn Hill, Wessex, and Wincanton, and the District of Mendip wards of Beacon, Beckington and Rode, Coleford, Creech, Frome Berkley Down, Frome Fromefield, Frome Keyford, Frome Park, Frome Welshmill, Mells, Nordinton, Postlebury, Stratton, and Vale.
The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seat of Wells. It covers the east of the district of Mendip and the north of the district of South Somerset.
This area has a mixed economy, including agriculture and high-tech defence related industries.[4] In November 2012, it had below the national average proportion of jobseekers (3.8%) at 1.6% of the population.[5]
Election | Member[6] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Robert Boscawen | Conservative | |
1992 | Mark Robinson | Conservative | |
1997 | David Heath | Liberal Democrat | |
2015 | David Warburton | Conservative | |
April 2022 | Independent | ||
2023 by-election | Sarah Dyke | Liberal Democrat |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Sarah Dyke | 21,187 | 54.6 | +28.4 | |
Conservative | Faye Purbrick | 10,179 | 26.2 | -29.6 | |
Green | Martin Dimery | 3,944 | 10.2 | +5.1 | |
Reform UK | Bruce Evans | 1,303 | 3.4 | New | |
Labour | Neil Guild | 1,009 | 2.6 | -10.3 | |
Independent | Rosie Mitchell | 635 | 1.6 | New | |
UKIP | Peter Richardson | 275 | 0.7 | New | |
CPA | Lorna Corke | 256 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 11,008 | 28.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 38,788 | 44.2 | -31.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +29.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Warburton | 36,230 | 55.8 | –0.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Adam Boyden | 17,017 | 26.2 | +5.3 | |
Labour | Sean Dromgoole | 8,354 | 12.9 | –4.3 | |
Green | Andrea Dexter | 3,295 | 5.1 | +1.4 | |
Majority | 19,213 | 29.6 | –6.2 | ||
Turnout | 64,896 | 75.6 | –0.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –3.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Warburton | 36,231 | 56.7 | +3.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mark Blackburn | 13,325 | 20.9 | +1.5 | |
Labour | Sean Dromgoole | 10,998 | 17.2 | +9.9 | |
Green | Theo Simon | 2,347 | 3.7 | –5.3 | |
Independent | Richard Hadwin | 991 | 1.6 | New | |
Majority | 22,906 | 35.8 | +2.2 | ||
Turnout | 63,892 | 75.8 | +3.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Warburton | 31,960 | 53.0 | +8.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Rendel | 11,692 | 19.4 | −28.1 | |
UKIP | Alan Dimmick | 6,439 | 10.7 | +7.5 | |
Green | Theo Simon | 5,434 | 9.0 | New | |
Labour | David Oakensen | 4,419 | 7.3 | +2.9 | |
Independent | Ian Angell | 365 | 0.6 | New | |
Majority | 20,268 | 33.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 60,309 | 72.2 | −2.1 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +18.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | David Heath | 28,793 | 47.5 | +3.8 | |
Conservative | Annunziata Rees-Mogg | 26,976 | 44.5 | +1.9 | |
Labour | David Oakensen | 2,675 | 4.4 | −6.4 | |
UKIP | Barry Harding | 1,932 | 3.2 | +1.3 | |
Independent | Niall Warry | 236 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 1,817 | 3.0 | +1.9 | ||
Turnout | 60,612 | 74.3 | +5.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +0.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | David Heath | 23,759 | 43.9 | +0.3 | |
Conservative | Clive Allen | 22,947 | 42.4 | 0.0 | |
Labour | Joseph Pestell | 5,865 | 10.8 | −0.8 | |
UKIP | Bill Lukins | 1,047 | 1.9 | +0.2 | |
Veritas | Carl Beaman | 484 | 0.9 | New | |
Majority | 812 | 1.5 | +0.3 | ||
Turnout | 54,102 | 70.7 | +1.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +0.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | David Heath | 22,983 | 43.6 | +4.1 | |
Conservative | Jonathan Marland | 22,315 | 42.4 | +3.1 | |
Labour | Andy Perkins | 6,113 | 11.6 | −4.7 | |
UKIP | Peter Bridgwood | 919 | 1.7 | +1.1 | |
Liberal | Jean Pollock | 354 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 668 | 1.2 | +1.0 | ||
Turnout | 52,684 | 69.3 | −8.0 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | David Heath | 22,684 | 39.5 | −0.7 | |
Conservative | Mark Robinson | 22,554 | 39.3 | −8.2 | |
Labour | Robert Ashford | 9,385 | 16.3 | +5.9 | |
Referendum | Robert Rodwell | 2,449 | 4.3 | New | |
UKIP | R.P. Gadd | 331 | 0.6 | New | |
Majority | 130 | 0.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 57,403 | 77.3 | −5.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mark Robinson | 28,052 | 47.5 | −6.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Heath | 23,711 | 40.2 | +3.9 | |
Labour | Robert Ashford | 6,154 | 10.4 | +0.4 | |
Green | Ms. LA Graham | 742 | 1.3 | New | |
Liberal | Ms. J Pollock | 388 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 4,341 | 7.3 | −10.1 | ||
Turnout | 59,047 | 82.7 | +3.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −5.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Boscawen | 29,351 | 53.7 | -0.7 | |
Liberal | Rowland Morgan | 19,813 | 36.3 | +0.5 | |
Labour | Ian Kelly | 5,461 | 10.0 | +0.2 | |
Majority | 9,538 | 17.4 | -1.2 | ||
Turnout | 54,625 | 79.4 | +2.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Boscawen | 26,988 | 54.4 | ||
SDP | Nicholas Hinton | 17,761 | 35.8 | ||
Labour | Jeffrey Osborn | 4,867 | 9.8 | ||
Majority | 9,227 | 18.6 | |||
Turnout | 49,616 | 76.7 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |