South East Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)
South East Cornwall is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Sheryll Murray, a Conservative.[n 2]
South East Cornwall | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundary of South East Cornwall in Cornwall for the 2010 general election | |
![]() Location of Cornwall within England | |
County | Cornwall |
Electorate | 70,599 (2018)[1] |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1983 |
Member of Parliament | Sheryll Murray (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Bodmin, Cornwall North and Truro[2] |

Boundaries
1983–2010: The District of Caradon, the Borough of Restormel wards of Fowey, Lostwithiel, St Blaise, and Tywardreath, and the District of North Cornwall ward of Stoke Climsland.
2010–present: The District of Caradon, and the Borough of Restormel ward of Lostwithiel.
Proposed
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following electoral divisions of Cornwall (as they existed on 4th May 2021):
- Callington & St Dominic; Calstock; Liskeard Central; Liskeard South & Dobwalls; Looe East & Deviock; Looe West, Pelynt, Lansallos & Lanteglos; Lostwithiel & Lanreath; Lynher; Rame Peninsula & St Germans; St Cleer & Menheniot; Saltash Essa; Saltash Tamar; Saltash Trematon & Landrake; Torpoint.[3]
Very small change to align with revised electoral division boundaries.
History
The predecessor county division, Bodmin, serving the area from 1885 until 1983 had (during those 98 years) 15 members (two of whom had broken terms of office serving the area), seeing twelve shifts of preference between the Liberal, Liberal Unionist and Conservative parties, spread quite broadly throughout that period. Consistent with this, since 1983 the preference for an MP has alternated between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.
The current constituency territory contains the location of several former borough constituencies which were abolished as 'rotten boroughs' by the Great Reform Act, 1832:
- Callington
- East Looe
- Fowey
- Lostwithiel
- Saltash
- St Germans
- West Looe and Polperro
Constituency profile
The villages and towns in the South East of Cornwall often serve as a commuter base to the city of Plymouth, over the border in Devon.
Workless claimants were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[4]
Members of Parliament
Election | Member[5] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Robert Hicks | Conservative | |
1997 | Colin Breed | Liberal Democrat | |
2010 | Sheryll Murray | Conservative |
Elections

Elections in the 2020s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Green | Martin Corney[6] | ||||
Labour | Anna Gelderd[7] | ||||
Liberal Democrats | Colin Martin[8] | ||||
Conservative | Sheryll Murray[9] | ||||
Reform UK | Paul Wadley[10] | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout | |||||
Registered electors | |||||
Swing | |||||
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 31,807 | 59.3 | +3.9 | |
Labour | Gareth Derrick | 10,836 | 20.2 | -2.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Colin Martin | 8,650 | 16.1 | -3.3 | |
Green | Martha Green | 1,493 | 2.8 | +0.3 | |
Liberal | Jay Latham | 869 | 1.6 | New | |
Majority | 20,971 | 39.1 | +6.3 | ||
Turnout | 53,655 | 74.7 | +0.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 29,493 | 55.4 | +4.9 | |
Labour | Gareth Derrick | 12,050 | 22.6 | +13.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Phil Hutty | 10,346 | 19.4 | +2.5 | |
Green | Martin Corney | 1,335 | 2.5 | -2.9 | |
Majority | 17,443 | 32.8 | -0.8 | ||
Turnout | 53,224 | 74.0 | +2.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -4.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 25,516 | 50.5 | +5.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Phil Hutty | 8,521 | 16.9 | −21.7 | |
UKIP | Bradley Monk | 7,698 | 15.2 | +9.0 | |
Labour | Declan Lloyd | 4,692 | 9.3 | +2.2 | |
Green | Martin Corney | 2,718 | 5.4 | +3.7 | |
Mebyon Kernow | Andrew Long | 1,003 | 2.0 | +0.7 | |
Independent | George Trubody | 350 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 16,995 | 33.6 | +28.1 | ||
Turnout | 50,498 | 71.1 | +2.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +13.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Sheryll Murray | 22,390 | 45.1 | +10.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Karen Gillard | 19,170 | 38.6 | −8.1 | |
Labour | Michael Sparling | 3,507 | 7.1 | −3.4 | |
UKIP | Stephanie McWilliam | 3,083 | 6.2 | +1.1 | |
Green | Roger Creagh-Osborne | 826 | 1.7 | New | |
Mebyon Kernow | Roger Holmes | 641 | 1.3 | −0.4 | |
Majority | 3,220 | 6.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 49,617 | 68.7 | +1.0 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +9.1 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Colin Breed | 24,986 | 46.7 | +0.8 | |
Conservative | Ashley Gray | 18,479 | 34.6 | −0.9 | |
Labour | Colin Binley | 6,069 | 11.4 | −1.0 | |
UKIP | David Lucas | 2,693 | 5.0 | +1.2 | |
Mebyon Kernow | Graham Sandercock | 769 | 1.4 | −0.9 | |
Veritas | Anne Assheton-Salton | 459 | 0.9 | New | |
Majority | 6,507 | 12.1 | +1.7 | ||
Turnout | 53,455 | 66.2 | +0.8 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +0.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Colin Breed | 23,756 | 45.9 | −1.2 | |
Conservative | Ashley Gray | 18,381 | 35.5 | −0.3 | |
Labour | William Stevens | 6,429 | 12.4 | −0.4 | |
UKIP | Graham Palmer | 1,978 | 3.8 | +1.3 | |
Mebyon Kernow | Kenneth George | 1,209 | 2.3 | +1.3 | |
Majority | 5,375 | 10.4 | -0.9 | ||
Turnout | 51,753 | 65.4 | −10.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −0.5 | |||
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Colin Breed | 27,044 | 47.1 | +9.0 | |
Conservative | Warwick Lightfoot | 20,564 | 35.8 | −15.1 | |
Labour | Dorothy M. Kirk | 7,358 | 12.8 | +3.6 | |
UKIP | James Wonnacott | 1,428 | 2.5 | New | |
Mebyon Kernow | Paul Dunbar | 573 | 1.0 | New | |
Liberal | Bill Weights | 268 | 0.5 | −0.6 | |
Natural Law | Margot Hartley | 197 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 6,480 | 11.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 57,400 | 75.7 | -6.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Hicks | 30,565 | 51.0 | −0.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Robin Teverson | 22,861 | 38.1 | −1.6 | |
Labour Co-op | Linda Gilroy | 5,536 | 9.2 | +0.5 | |
Liberal | Maureen Cook | 644 | 1.1 | New | |
Anti-Federalist League | Anthony Quick | 227 | 0.4 | New | |
Natural Law | Rosaleen Allen | 155 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 7,704 | 12.9 | +1.0 | ||
Turnout | 59,988 | 82.1 | +2.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Hicks | 28,818 | 51.6 | −3.7 | |
Liberal | Ian Tunbridge | 22,211 | 39.7 | +0.8 | |
Labour | Paul Clark | 4,847 | 8.7 | +3.8 | |
Majority | 6,607 | 11.9 | -4.5 | ||
Turnout | 55.876 | 79.5 | +0.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Hicks | 28,326 | 55.3 | ||
Liberal | David Blunt | 19,972 | 38.9 | ||
Labour | Andrew Bebb | 2,507 | 4.9 | ||
Ecology | John Chadwick | 337 | 0.7 | ||
Independent | Joy Dent | 94 | 0.2 | ||
Majority | 8,354 | 16.4 | |||
Turnout | 51,236 | 78.6 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
See also
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Cornwall
- Forgotten Corner of Cornwall
- Wivelshire
Notes
- A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
- "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- "'Cornwall South East', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 7 South West region.
- Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 6)
- "Cornwall Green Party candidates for 2024/25 General Election". Cornwall Green Party. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- Anna Gelderd [@annagelderd] (11 April 2024). "I'm delighted to have been selected as @SECornwallclp's candidate at the next general election. The Tory's have let us down for too long, join us & let's fight to get our future back!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- "Conservative MPs in Cornwall to stand again at next General Election". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- "South East Cornwall Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- "UK election results live". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- "Cornwall South East parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
- "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- "Election results for South East Cornwall Constituency, 7 May 2015". democracy.cornwall.gov.uk. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- Lavery, Kevin (20 April 2010). "South East Cornwall statement of persons nominated and notice of poll" (MSWord). Acting Returning Officer. Cornwall Council. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
- "BBC NEWS Election 2005 Results Cornwall South East". BBC Online. 6 May 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.