West Devon (UK Parliament constituency)

This article is about the parliamentary constituency. For the local government district, see West Devon.

West Devon
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
West Devon in Devon, showing boundaries used from 1974 to 1983.
February 1974–1983
Seats	one
Created from	Tavistock and Torrington
Replaced by	Torridge and West Devon and South Hams

West Devon was a county constituency in Devon, in the South-West of England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

The constituency was created for the February 1974 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election, when it was largely replaced by the new Torridge and West Devon constituency.

Boundaries

The Boroughs of Great Torrington and Okehampton, and the Rural Districts of Holsworthy, Okehampton, Plympton St Mary, Tavistock, and Torrington.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	Feb 1974	Peter Mills	Conservative
	1983	constituency abolished: see Torridge and West Devon

Election results

General election February 1974: West Devon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter McLay Mills	23,524	50.19
	Liberal	Michael Azariah Pinney	18,256	38.95
	Labour	John Barnet Henry Duffin	5,089	10.86
Majority			5,268	11.24
Turnout			46,869	82.26
	Conservative win (new seat)

General election October 1974: West Devon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter McLay Mills	22,594	50.03
	Liberal	Michael Azariah Pinney	16,665	36.90
	Labour	John Barnet Henry Duffin	5,899	13.06
Majority			5,929	13.13
Turnout			45,158	78.63
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1979: West Devon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter McLay Mills	29,428	60.99
	Liberal	Victor Terry Howell	12,256	25.40
	Labour	RD Maddern	6,174	12.80
	National Front	R Bearsford-Walker	393	0.81	New
Majority			17,172	35.59
Turnout			48,251	78.57
	Conservative hold		Swing

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 2)