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South Dorset — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

South Dorset was won by Labour at the 2024 general election, with a majority of 1,048 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in South Dorset from 1885 to 2024.

Full Election History, 1885–2024

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1885 Henry Parkman Sturgis (Liberal) 3,128 50.3% Charles Joseph Theophilus Hambro (Conservative) 33 (0.5 pts) 85.1%
1886 Charles Joseph Theophilus Hambro (Conservative) 3,477 58.3% Henry Parkman Sturgis (Liberal) 991 (16.6 pts) 81.5%
1892 William Ernest Brymer (Conservative) 3,657 51.2% Robert Edgcumbe (Liberal) 168 (2.4 pts) 86.0%
1895 William Ernest Brymer (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1900 William Ernest Brymer (Conservative) 3,884 52.5% Alexander Leslie Renton (Liberal) 365 (4.9 pts) 82.2%
1906 Thomas Talbot Leyland Scarisbrick (Liberal) 5,035 53.3% William Ernest Brymer (Conservative) 624 (6.6 pts) 87.1%
Jan 1910 Angus Valdemar Hambro (Conservative) 5,811 57.0% Thomas Talbot Leyland Scarisbrick (Liberal) 1,432 (14.1 pts) 89.1%
Dec 1910 Angus Valdemar Hambro (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1918 Angus Valdemar Hambro (Unionist) 11,175 68.4% Brette Morgan (Labour) 6,016 (36.8 pts) 57.9%
1922 Robert Daniel Thwaites Yerburgh (Unionist) 12,121 57.3% Frederick Maddison (Liberal) 7,464 (35.2 pts) 75.2%
1923 Robert Daniel Thwaites Yerburgh (Unionist) 11,057 53.6% Robert Stone Comben (Liberal) 5,084 (24.6 pts) 71.6%
1924 Robert Daniel Thwaites Yerburgh (Unionist) 13,900 70.5% Wilfred Ridson (Labour) 8,079 (41.0 pts) 66.1%
1929 Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil (Unionist) 14,632 49.2% Cuthbert Plaistowe (Liberal) 6,464 (21.7 pts) 75.5%
1931 Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil (Conservative) 21,284 70.7% Arthur William Wiltshire (Labour) 12,475 (41.4 pts) 73.3%
1935 Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil (Conservative) 17,637 57.9% Arthur William Wiltshire (Labour) 9,057 (29.7 pts) 70.1%
1945 Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu (Conservative) 14,626 42.7% Philip Sidney Eastman (Labour) 2,166 (6.3 pts) 73.6%
1950 Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu (Conservative) 20,014 45.5% Frederick Newman Stacey (Labour) 2,543 (5.8 pts) 84.4%
1951 Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu (Conservative) 21,679 48.3% Frederick Newman Stacey (Labour) 3,435 (7.6 pts) 84.0%
1955 Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu (Conservative) 22,119 50.7% Frederick Newman Stacey (Labour) 5,417 (12.4 pts) 79.3%
1959 Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu (Conservative) 22,050 49.8% Conrad F Ascher (Labour) 6,693 (15.1 pts) 78.8%
1964 Evelyn Mansfield King (Conservative) 21,209 43.7% Nicolas Guy Barnett (Labour) 935 (1.9 pts) 81.0%
1966 Evelyn King (Conservative) 22,997 46.0% Frederick Morgan (Labour) 1,877 (3.8 pts) 82.5%
1970 Evelyn King (Conservative) 27,580 52.1% Richard May (Labour) 6,864 (13.0 pts) 79.1%
Oct 1974 Evelyn King (Conservative) 24,351 45.9% Alan Chedzoy (Labour) 6,699 (12.6 pts) 75.4%
Feb 1974 Evelyn King (Conservative) 26,933 46.9% Alan Chedzoy (Labour) 8,615 (15.0 pts) 82.2%
1979 Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil (Conservative) 32,372 55.7% Alan Chedzoy (Labour) 15,239 (26.2 pts) 78.3%
1983 Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil (Conservative) 28,631 57.1% Simon Andrew Head (Social Democratic Party) 15,098 (30.1 pts) 72.7%
1987 Ian Bruce (Conservative) 30,184 54.8% Brian Ellis (Liberal) 15,067 (27.4 pts) 75.5%
1992 Ian Bruce (Conservative) 29,319 50.3% Brian Ellis (Liberal Democrat) 13,508 (23.2 pts) 76.9%
1997 Ian Bruce (Conservative) 17,755 36.1% Jim Knight (Labour) 77 (0.2 pts) 74.2%
2001 Jim Knight (Labour) 19,027 42.0% Ian Bruce (Conservative) 153 (0.3 pts) 65.5%
2005 Jim Knight (Labour) 20,231 41.6% Ed Matts (Conservative) 1,812 (3.7 pts) 68.7%
2010 Richard Drax (Conservative) 22,667 45.1% Jim Knight (Labour) 7,443 (14.8 pts) 68.7%
2015 Richard Drax (Conservative) 23,756 48.9% Simon Bowkett (Labour) 11,994 (24.7 pts) 68.1%
2017 Richard Drax (Conservative) 29,135 56.1% Tashi Warr (Labour) 11,695 (22.5 pts) 68.8%
2019 Richard Drax (Conservative) 30,024 58.8% Carralyn Parkes (Labour) 17,153 (33.6 pts) 69.4%
2024 Lloyd Hatton (Labour) 15,659 31.9% Richard Drax (Conservative) 1,048 (2.1 pts) 64.8%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Henry Parkman Sturgis Liberal 3,12850.3% Yes
Charles Joseph Theophilus Hambro Conservative 3,09549.7% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Joseph Theophilus Hambro Conservative 3,47758.3% Yes
Henry Parkman Sturgis Liberal 2,48641.7% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Ernest Brymer Conservative 3,65751.2% Yes
Robert Edgcumbe Liberal 3,48948.8% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Ernest Brymer Conservative Unopposed Yes

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Ernest Brymer Conservative 3,88452.5% Yes
Alexander Leslie Renton Liberal 3,51947.5% No

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Talbot Leyland Scarisbrick Liberal 5,03553.3% Yes
William Ernest Brymer Conservative 4,41146.7% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Angus Valdemar Hambro Conservative 5,81157.0% Yes
Thomas Talbot Leyland Scarisbrick Liberal 4,37943.0% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Angus Valdemar Hambro Conservative Unopposed Yes

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Angus Valdemar Hambro Unionist 11,17568.4% Yes
Brette Morgan Labour 5,15931.6% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Daniel Thwaites Yerburgh Unionist 12,12157.3% Yes
Frederick Maddison Liberal 4,65722.0% No
Henry Pavely Labour 4,39420.8% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Daniel Thwaites Yerburgh Unionist 11,05753.6% Yes
Robert Stone Comben Liberal 5,97329.0% No
David Wyndham Thomas Labour 3,60217.5% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Daniel Thwaites Yerburgh Unionist 13,90070.5% Yes
Wilfred Ridson Labour 5,82129.5% No

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil Unionist 14,63249.2% Yes
Cuthbert Plaistowe Liberal 8,16827.5% No
Arthur William Wiltshire Labour 6,95023.4% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil Conservative 21,28470.7% Yes
Arthur William Wiltshire Labour 8,80929.3% No

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil Conservative 17,63757.9% Yes
Arthur William Wiltshire Labour 8,58028.2% No
Frederick William King Liberal 4,25514.0% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu Conservative 14,62642.7% Yes
Philip Sidney Eastman Labour 12,46036.4% No
Wilfred Ewart Ward Liberal 7,14920.9% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu Conservative 20,01445.5% Yes
Frederick Newman Stacey Labour 17,47139.7% No
Wyatt Trevelyan Rawson Rawson Liberal 6,48914.8% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu Conservative 21,67948.3% Yes
Frederick Newman Stacey Labour 18,24440.6% No
Wilfred Ewart Ward Liberal 5,00511.1% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu Conservative 22,11950.7% Yes
Frederick Newman Stacey Labour 16,70238.3% No
Geoffrey Maxwell Goode Liberal 4,79811.0% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alexander Victor Edward Paulet Montagu Conservative 22,05049.8% Yes
Conrad F Ascher Labour 15,35734.7% No
Lawrence I Norbury-Williams Liberal 6,88715.5% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Evelyn Mansfield King Conservative 21,20943.7% Yes
Nicolas Guy Barnett Labour 20,27441.7% No
Terence Patrick Bourke Liberal 7,10014.6% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Evelyn King Conservative 22,99746.0% Yes
Frederick Morgan Labour 21,12042.3% No
Geoffrey Goode Liberal 5,86211.7% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Evelyn King Conservative 27,58052.1% Yes
Richard May Labour 20,71639.1% No
Keith Searby Liberal 4,6808.8% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Evelyn King Conservative 24,35145.9% Yes
Alan Chedzoy Labour 17,65233.3% No
Edward Christopher Sandy Liberal 11,07520.9% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Evelyn King Conservative 26,93346.9% Yes
Alan Chedzoy Labour 18,31831.9% No
David Thomas James Broomfield Liberal 12,14021.2% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil Conservative 32,37255.7% Yes
Alan Chedzoy Labour 17,13329.5% No
P St J Howe Liberal 8,64914.9% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil Conservative 28,63157.1% Yes
Simon Andrew Head Social Democratic Party 13,53327.0% No
David John Hewitt Labour 7,83115.6% No
Bernice Olive Smith Independent 1510.3% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Ian Bruce Conservative 30,18454.8% Yes
Brian Ellis Liberal 15,11727.5% No
Brenda Ruth Dawn Dench Labour 9,49417.2% No
Alistair Edwin Hayler Independent 2440.4% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Ian Bruce Conservative 29,31950.3% Yes
Brian Ellis Liberal Democrat 15,81127.1% No
Alan Chedzoy Labour 12,29821.1% No
Mark Roderick Francis Hagel Independent 6731.2% No
Jessica Wood Griffiths Natural Law 1910.3% No

1997

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Ian Bruce Conservative 17,75536.1% Yes
Jim Knight Labour 17,67835.9% No
Michael Plummer Liberal Democrat 9,93620.2% No
Patrick McAndrew Referendum Party 2,7915.7% No
Malcolm Shakesby UKIP 8611.8% No
Gerald Napper Natural Law 1610.3% No

2001

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jim Knight Labour 19,02742.0% Yes
Ian Bruce Conservative 18,87441.6% No
Andy Canning Liberal Democrat 6,53114.4% No
Laurie Moss UKIP 9132.0% No

2005

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jim Knight Labour 20,23141.6% Yes
Ed Matts Conservative 18,41937.9% No
Graham Oakes Liberal Democrat 7,64715.7% No
Hugh Chalker UKIP 1,5713.2% No
Vic Hamilton Legalise Cannabis 2820.6% No
Berny Parkes Respect 2190.5% No
Andy Kirkwood Personality and Rational Thinking? Yes! Party 1070.2% No
Colin Bex Wessex Regionalist 830.2% No
David Marchesi Socialist Labour 250.1% No

2010

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Drax Conservative 22,66745.1% Yes
Jim Knight Labour 15,22430.3% No
Rosamond Kayes Liberal Democrat 9,55719.0% No
Mike Hobson UKIP 2,0344.0% No
Brian Heatley Green 5951.2% No
Andy Kirkwood Movement for Active Democracy (M.A.D.) 2330.5% No

2015

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Drax Conservative 23,75648.9% Yes
Simon Bowkett Labour 11,76224.2% No
Malcolm Shakesby UKIP 7,30415.0% No
Howard Legg Liberal Democrat 2,9016.0% No
Jane Burnet Green 2,2754.7% No
Mervyn Stewkesbury Independent 4350.9% No
Andy Kirkwood Movement for Active Democracy (M.A.D.) 1640.3% No

2017

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Drax Conservative 29,13556.1% Yes
Tashi Warr Labour 17,44033.6% No
Howard Legg Liberal Democrat 3,0535.9% No
Jon Orrell Green 2,2784.4% No

2019

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Drax Conservative 30,02458.8% Yes
Carralyn Parkes Labour 12,87125.2% No
Nick Ireland Liberal Democrat 5,43210.6% No
Jon Orrell Green 2,2464.4% No
Joseph Green Independent 4850.9% No

2024

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lloyd Hatton Labour 15,65931.9% Yes
Richard Drax Conservative 14,61129.8% No
Morgan Young Reform UK 8,16816.7% No
Matt Bell Liberal Democrat 8,01716.3% No
Catherine Bennett Green 2,1534.4% No
Joy Wilson Independent 1920.4% No
Giovanna Lewis Independent 1850.4% No
Rosie Morrell Independent 520.1% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1885: Liberal margin 0.5 pts 1886: Conservative margin 16.6 pts 1892: Conservative margin 2.4 pts 1900: Conservative margin 4.9 pts 1906: Liberal margin 6.6 pts Jan 1910: Conservative margin 14.1 pts 1918: Unionist margin 36.8 pts 1922: Unionist margin 35.2 pts 1923: Unionist margin 24.6 pts 1924: Unionist margin 41.0 pts 1929: Unionist margin 21.7 pts 1931: Conservative margin 41.4 pts 1935: Conservative margin 29.7 pts 1945: Conservative margin 6.3 pts 1950: Conservative margin 5.8 pts 1951: Conservative margin 7.6 pts 1955: Conservative margin 12.4 pts 1959: Conservative margin 15.1 pts 1964: Conservative margin 1.9 pts 1966: Conservative margin 3.8 pts 1970: Conservative margin 13.0 pts Oct 1974: Conservative margin 12.6 pts Feb 1974: Conservative margin 15.0 pts 1979: Conservative margin 26.2 pts 1983: Conservative margin 30.1 pts 1987: Conservative margin 27.4 pts 1992: Conservative margin 23.2 pts 1997: Conservative margin 0.2 pts 2001: Labour margin 0.3 pts 2005: Labour margin 3.7 pts 2010: Conservative margin 14.8 pts 2015: Conservative margin 24.7 pts 2017: Conservative margin 22.5 pts 2019: Conservative margin 33.6 pts 2024: Labour margin 2.1 pts 1885 1886 1892 1900 1906 Jan 1910 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Oct 1974 Feb 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024

Trend

South Dorset has been contested at 37 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Liberal, Conservative, Unionist, Labour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won South Dorset in the 2024 general election?

Labour won South Dorset in 2024 with 15,659 votes (31.9%), a majority of 1,048 votes over Conservative in second place.

Which parties have won South Dorset since 1885?

Since 1885, South Dorset has been won by: Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Unionist.

What was the closest result in South Dorset?

The closest result on record for South Dorset was 1997, when Conservative beat Labour by just 77 votes (0.2 percentage points).

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