Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
East Devon was won by Conservative at the 2019 general election, with a majority of 6,708 votes over Independent. This page covers every general election in East Devon from 1868 to 2019.
This constituency elected more than one MP at once in some years. Before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (and in a shrinking number of boroughs through 1948), most UK constituencies elected two or more MPs together by "multi-member plurality" (block vote): each elector could cast one vote per available seat, and the top vote-getters overall were all elected. In those elections below, "Elected" lists every MP returned, "Votes" is the count that secured the last seat, and "Majority" is the gap between that seat and the first candidate who missed out.
Full Election History, 1868–2019
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1868
Lawrence Palk (Conservative); Edward Baldwin Courtenay (Conservative)
4,016
35.1% (top seat)
Charles Joseph Wade (Liberal)
559 (4.9 pts)
57.9%
1874
John Henry Kennaway (Conservative); William Hood Walrond (Conservative)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1880
John Henry Kennaway (Conservative); William Hood Walrond (Conservative)
4,457
36.2% (top seat)
John Barton Sterling (Liberal)
970 (7.8 pts)
59.7%
1997
Peter Emery (Conservative)
22,797
43.4%
Rachel Trethewey (Liberal Democrat)
7,489 (14.2 pts)
76.1%
2001
Hugo Swire (Conservative)
22,681
47.4%
Tim Dumper (Liberal Democrat)
8,195 (17.1 pts)
68.1%
2005
Hugo Swire (Conservative)
23,075
46.9%
Tim Dumper (Liberal Democrat)
7,936 (16.1 pts)
69.4%
2010
Hugo Swire (Conservative)
25,662
48.3%
David Robathan (Liberal Democrat)
9,114 (17.2 pts)
72.9%
2015
Hugo Swire (Conservative)
25,401
46.4%
Claire Wright (Independent)
12,261 (22.4 pts)
71.8%
2017
Hugo Swire (Conservative)
29,306
48.5%
Claire Wright (Independent)
8,036 (13.3 pts)
73.4%
2019
Simon Jupp (Conservative)
32,577
50.8%
Claire Wright (Independent)
6,708 (10.5 pts)
73.7%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1868 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Lawrence Palk
Conservative
4,034
35.1%
Yes
Edward Baldwin Courtenay
Conservative
4,016
34.9%
Yes
Charles Joseph Wade
Liberal
3,457
30.0%
No
1874 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Henry Kennaway
Conservative
Unopposed
Yes
William Hood Walrond
Conservative
Unopposed
Yes
1880 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Henry Kennaway
Conservative
4,501
36.2%
Yes
William Hood Walrond
Conservative
4,457
35.8%
Yes
John Barton Sterling
Liberal
3,487
28.0%
No
1997
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Peter Emery
Conservative
22,797
43.4%
Yes
Rachel Trethewey
Liberal Democrat
15,308
29.1%
No
Andrew Siantonas
Labour
9,292
17.7%
No
William Dixon
Referendum Party
3,200
6.1%
No
Geoffrey Halliwell
Liberal
1,363
2.6%
No
Colin Giffard
UKIP
459
0.9%
No
Gary Needs
National Democrats
131
0.2%
No
2001
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Hugo Swire
Conservative
22,681
47.4%
Yes
Tim Dumper
Liberal Democrat
14,486
30.3%
No
Phil Starr
Labour
7,974
16.7%
No
David Wilson
UKIP
2,696
5.6%
No
2005
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Hugo Swire
Conservative
23,075
46.9%
Yes
Tim Dumper
Liberal Democrat
15,139
30.7%
No
James Court
Labour
7,598
15.4%
No
Colin McNamee
UKIP
3,035
6.2%
No
Christopher Way
Independent
400
0.8%
No
2010
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Hugo Swire
Conservative
25,662
48.3%
Yes
David Robathan
Liberal Democrat
16,548
31.2%
No
Gareth Manson
Labour
5,721
10.8%
No
Mike Amor
UKIP
4,346
8.2%
No
Sharon Pavey
Green
815
1.5%
No
2015
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Hugo Swire
Conservative
25,401
46.4%
Yes
Claire Wright
Independent
13,140
24.0%
No
Andrew Chapman
UKIP
6,870
12.6%
No
Stephen Race
Labour
5,591
10.2%
No
Stuart Mole
Liberal Democrat
3,715
6.8%
No
2017
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Hugo Swire
Conservative
29,306
48.5%
Yes
Claire Wright
Independent
21,270
35.2%
No
Jan Ross
Labour
6,857
11.4%
No
Alison Eden
Liberal Democrat
1,468
2.4%
No
Brigitte Graham
UKIP
1,203
2.0%
No
Peter Faithfull
Independent
150
0.2%
No
Michael Val Davies
Independent
128
0.2%
No
2019
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Simon Jupp
Conservative
32,577
50.8%
Yes
Claire Wright
Independent
25,869
40.4%
No
Dan Wilson
Labour
2,870
4.5%
No
Eleanor Rylance
Liberal Democrat
1,771
2.8%
No
Henry Gent
Green
711
1.1%
No
Peter Faithfull
Independent
275
0.4%
No
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
East Devon has been contested at 10 general elections on record since 1868. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Conservative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won East Devon in the 2019 general election?
Conservative won East Devon in 2019 with 32,577 votes (50.8%), a majority of 6,708 votes over Independent in second place.
Which parties have won East Devon since 1868?
Since 1868, East Devon has been won by: Conservative.
What was the closest result in East Devon?
The closest result on record for East Devon was 1868, when Conservative beat Liberal by just 559 votes (4.9 percentage points).
Did East Devon ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, East Devon elected multiple MPs at once in some elections on this page (a system called multi-member plurality, or 'block vote'), each voter casting one vote per available seat.