Tiverton and Minehead (UK Parliament constituency)

Tiverton and Minehead is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament.^[2] Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was first contested at the 2024 general election.^[3] Its first MP is Liberal Democrat Rachel Gilmour, who defeated Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Conservative MP for Bridgwater then Bridgwater and West Somerset from 2001 to 2024.

Tiverton and Minehead
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Tiverton and Minehead in South West England
County	Somerset (majority) Devon (minority)
Electorate	70,829 (2023)[1]
Current constituency
Created	2024
Member of Parliament	Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrats)
Seats	One
Created from	Bridgwater and West Somerset, Taunton Deane & Tiverton and Honiton

The constituency is named after the Devon town of Tiverton and the Somerset town of Minehead.^[4]

Boundaries

The constituency, which crosses the boundary between the counties of Devon and Somerset, is defined as composing the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:

• The District of Mid Devon wards of: Canonsleigh; Castle; Clare and Shuttern; Cranmore; Halberton; Lower Culm; Lowman; Upper Culm; Westexe.
• The District of Somerset West and Taunton wards of: Alcombe; Cotford St. Luke & Oake; Dulverton & District; Exmoor; Milverton & District; Minehead Central; Minehead North; Old Cleeve & District; Periton & Woodcombe; Porlock & District; Quantock Vale; South Quantock; Watchet & Williton; Wiveliscombe & District.^[5]

With effect from 1 April 2023, the District of Somerset West and Taunton was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of Somerset.^[6] In addition, a local government boundary review was carried out in Mid Devon which came into effect in May 2023.^[7][8] The constituency therefore now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

• The District of Mid Devon wards of: Canonsleigh; Clare and Shuttern; Halberton (nearly all); Lower Culm (majority); Tiverton Castle; Tiverton Cranmore; Tiverton Lowman; Tiverton Westexe; Upper Culm.
• The Somerset electoral divisions of: Dulverton and Exmoor; Dunster; Lydeard (majority); Minehead; Upper Tone (most); Watchet and Stogursey.^[9]

The seat covers the following areas:^[9]

• The town of Tiverton and surrounding rural areas, previously comprising northern parts of the abolished constituency of Tiverton and Honiton (succeeded by Honiton and Sidmouth)
• The area covered by the former District of West Somerset, including the towns of Minehead and Watchet, previously part of the constituency of Bridgwater and West Somerset (renamed Bridgwater)
• Rural areas to the west of Taunton, centred around the small town of Wiveliscombe, transferred from Taunton Deane (renamed Taunton and Wellington)

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	2024	Rachel Gilmour	Liberal Democrat

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Tiverton and Minehead^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Rachel Gilmour	18,326	38.6	+19.1
	Conservative	Ian Liddell-Grainger	14,819	31.2	–30.1
	Reform UK	Frederick Keen	7,787	16.4	N/A
	Labour	Jonathan Barter	4,325	9.1	–5.2
	Green	Laura Buchanan	2,234	4.7	+0.4
Majority			3,507	7.4	N/A
Turnout			47,491	66.1	–3.7
Registered electors			71,843
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	24.6

2019 notional result[11]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	30,297	61.3
	Liberal Democrats	9,632	19.5
	Labour	7,070	14.3
	Green	2,103	4.3
	Independent	309	0.6
Turnout		49,411	69.8
Electorate		70,829