Truro and St Austell (UK Parliament constituency)

Truro and St Austell
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Truro and St Austell in Cornwall for the 2005 general election
Outline map
Location of Cornwall within England
CountyCornwall
Major settlementsTruro and St Austell
1997–2010
SeatsOne
Created fromTruro
Replaced byTruro and Falmouth, St Austell and Newquay

Truro and St Austell was a county constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from its 1997 creation to its 2010 abolition by Matthew Taylor of the Liberal Democrats, who was appointed a life peer in the House of Lords following his service as a Member of Parliament (MP). The constituency elected one MP by the first past the post system of election.

History

The constituency has existed in a number of different forms. The Truro constituency, up until 1885 elected two MPs; this was reduced to one. In 1918 the constituency was abolished but it was recreated again in 1950.

In 1997, in spite of the fact that no boundary changes were made to Truro on that occasion, the Boundary Commission nonetheless saw fit to change its name to Truro and St Austell, reflecting the fact that St Austell has a larger population than Truro. The Truro seat became a safe Liberal seat due to the popularity of its former MP, David Penhaligon, who died in a car crash in 1986, aged 42. He was succeeded in a by-election the following year by Matthew Taylor, who held the seat comfortably until his retirement, at the constituency's abolition, in 2010.

Boundaries

The District of Carrick wards of Boscawen, Chacewater, Feock, Kea, Kenwyn, Moresk, Newlyn, Perranzabuloe, Probus, Roseland, St Agnes, St Clement, Tregolls, Trehaverne; and the Borough of Restormel wards of Crinnis, Mevagissey, Poltair, Rock, St Ewe, St Mewan, St Stephen-in-Brannel, Trevarna, Treverbyn.

The constituency was centred on the former district of Carrick (which contains the city of Truro) and the former borough of Restormel (which contains the town of St Austell).

Boundary review

Following a review of parliamentary representation in Cornwall, the Boundary Commission for England created an extra seat for the county which meant consequential changes for the existing seats. The constituency of Truro and St Austell, which was abolished, was partly succeeded by St Austell and Newquay.

The city of Truro forms part of the newly created Truro and Falmouth constituency.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[1] Party
1997 Matthew Taylor Liberal Democrat
2010 Constituency abolished: see Truro and Falmouth
and St Austell and Newquay

Elections

St Austell area election results

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Truro and St Austell [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Matthew Taylor 24,089 46.7 −1.6
Conservative Fiona Kemp 16,686 32.4 +0.1
Labour Charlotte Mackenzie 6,991 13.6 −0.1
UKIP David Noakes 2,736 5.3 +2.0
Mebyon Kernow Conan Jenkin 1,062 2.1 −0.2
Majority 7,403 14.3 −1.7
Turnout 51,564 64.2 +0.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -0.8
General election 2001: Truro and St Austell[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Matthew Taylor 24,296 48.3 −0.2
Conservative Timothy Bonner 16,231 32.3 +5.9
Labour David Phillips 6,889 13.7 −1.6
UKIP James Wonnacott 1,664 3.3 +2.3
Mebyon Kernow Conan Jenkin 1,137 2.3 +1.5
Independent John Lee 78 0.2 New
Majority 8,065 16.0 −6.1
Turnout 50,295 63.5 −10.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -3.0

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Truro and St Austell[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Matthew Taylor 27,502 48.5 −2.0
Conservative Neil Badcock 15,001 26.4 −11.9
Labour Michael Dooley 8,697 15.3 +5.5
Referendum Carl Hearn 3,682 6.5 New
UKIP Alan Haithwaite 576 1.0 New
Green Dorienne Robinson 482 0.8 −0.1
Mebyon Kernow Davyth Hicks 450 0.8 New
Independent Lorna Yelland 240 0.4 New
Natural Law Peter Bolland 117 0.2 0.0
Majority 12,501 22.1 +9.9
Turnout 56,747 74.0 −8.3
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

For elections before 1997, see Truro

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)
  2. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  3. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

  • Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]

50°18′58″N 4°54′54″W / 50.316°N 4.915°W / 50.316; -4.915