List of parliamentary constituencies in Somerset

The county of Somerset is currently divided into 5 parliamentary constituencies, which are all county constituencies.

Constituencies

  † Conservative   ‡ Labour   ¤ Liberal Democrat

2010 boundary changes

Under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the Boundary Commission for England decided to retain Somerset's constituencies for the 2010 election, making minor changes to realign constituency boundaries with the boundaries of current local government wards, and to reduce the electoral disparity between constituencies. In two cases the changes meant that the constituencies were renamed.

Proposed boundary changes

Following the abandonment of the Sixth Periodic Review (the 2018 review), the Boundary Commission for England formally launched the 2023 Review on 5 January 2021. Initial proposals were published on 8 June 2021 and, following two periods of public consultation, revised proposals were published on 8 November 2022. The final proposals were published on 28 June 2023.

The commission has proposed that Somerset be combined with Avon and Devon as a sub-region of the South West Region, resulting in significant change to the existing pattern of constituencies. In Somerset, only the constituency of Yeovil retains its name with relatively minor changes. The proposals include the cross-county boundary constituencies of Frome and East Somerset, Wells and the Mendips, and Tiverton and Minehead.

The following seats are proposed:

Containing electoral wards from Mendip

• Frome and East Somerset (part)¹
• Glastonbury and Somerton (part)
• Wells and Mendip Hills (part)²

Containing electoral wards from Sedgemoor

• Bridgwater
• Wells and Mendip Hills (part)²

Containing electoral wards from Somerset West and Taunton

• Taunton and Wellington
• Tiverton and Minehead (part)³

Containing electoral wards from South Somerset

• Glastonbury and Somerton (part)
• Yeovil

¹Also contains electoral wards in the District of Bath and North East Somerset

²Also contains electoral wards in the District of North Somerset

³Also contains electoral wards in the Devon District of Mid Devon

Constituencies as of the 2023 Boundary Review

Below shows the final proposals recommended by the Boundary Commission for England and due to be enacted for the 2024 general election.

Results history

Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019

2019

The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Somerset in the 2019 general election were as follows:

Percentage votes

Note that before 1983 Somerset was analysed under its Ceremonial definition (including the southern part of what became analysed at boundary reviews as Avon, see Avon's list of seats).

¹pre-1979: Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987: SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats

¹1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

Maps

1885-1910

1918-1945

1950-1979

1983-present

Historical representation by party

A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

1885 to 1918 (10 MPs)

  Conservative   Liberal   Liberal Unionist

1918 to 1950 (7 MPs)

  Common Wealth   Conservative   Independent Progressive   Labour   Liberal

1950 to 1983 (7 MPs)

  Conservative

1983 to 2024 (5 MPs)

  Conservative   Independent   Liberal   Liberal Democrats

2024 onwards (7 MPs, including constituencies that cover parts of Devon and Avon)

¹partly in Avon ²partly in Devon

See also

• List of constituencies in South West England
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Avon for those covering the Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset unitary authorities.

Notes

References