Taunton and Wellington
UK Parliament constituency (since 2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Taunton and Wellington is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament.[2] Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, it was first contested at the 2024 UK general election,[3] with Gideon Amos of the Liberal Democrats taking the seat with a majority of 11,939. The predecessor seat, Taunton Deane, had been held by Rebecca Pow of the Conservative Party since 2015.
| Taunton and Wellington | |
|---|---|
| County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Taunton and Wellington in South West England | |
| County | Somerset |
| Electorate | 76,049 (2023)[1] |
| Major settlements | Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, Wellington, Wiveliscombe |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 2024 |
| Member of Parliament | Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Taunton Deane |
Boundaries
Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was defined as being composed of the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:
- The District of Somerset West and Taunton wards of: Blackbrook & Holway; Comeytrowe & Bishop’s Hull; Creech St. Michael; Halcon & Lane; Hatch & Blackdown; Manor & Tangier; Monument; North Curry & Ruishton; North Town; Norton Fitzwarren & Staplegrove; Priorswood; Rockwell Green; Trull, Pitminster and Corfe; Victoria; Vivary; Wellington East; Wellington North; Wellington South; Wellsprings & Rowbarton; West Monkton & Cheddon Fitzpaine; Wilton & Sherford.[4]
With effect from 1 April 2023, the District of Somerset West and Taunton was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of Somerset.[5] Consequently, the constituency now comprises the following electoral divisions of Somerset from the 2024 general election:
- Bishop's Hull and Taunton West; Blackdown and Neroche; Comeytrowe and Trull; Lydeard (part); Monkton and North Curry; Rowbarton and Staplegrove; Taunton East; Taunton North; Taunton South; Upper Tone (small part); Wellington.[6]
The seat comprises the majority of the former Taunton Deane constituency, with Wiveliscombe and surrounding rural areas being included in the newly created constituency of Tiverton and Minehead.
Constituency profile
Electoral Calculus characterises this area as "Centrist", where voters have moderate/centrist views on economic and social issues and thus could support any of the three main English parties.[6]
Members of Parliament
2024–present
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Gideon Amos | Liberal Democrats | |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Gideon Amos | 24,331 | 48.4 | +12.1 | |
| Conservative | Rebecca Pow | 12,392 | 24.6 | −27.4 | |
| Reform | Charles Hansard | 8,053 | 16.0 | N/A | |
| Labour | Brenda Weston | 3,552 | 7.1 | −0.8 | |
| Green | Ryan Trower | 1,832 | 3.6 | N/A | |
| Communist | Rochelle Russell | 134 | 0.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 11,939 | 23.8 | |||
| Turnout | 50,294 | 64.4 | −7.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 78,116 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +19.8 | |||
| 2019 notional result[8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Conservative | 28,298 | 52.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 19,762 | 36.3 | |
| Labour | 4,299 | 7.9 | |
| Independent | 2,081 | 3.8 | |
| Turnout | 54,440 | 71.6 | |
| Electorate | 76,049 | ||