Totnes — UK General Election Results
Totnes was won by Conservative at the 2019 general election, with a majority of 12,724 votes over Liberal Democrat. This page covers every general election in Totnes from 1832 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, 1832–2019
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | James Cornish (Whig); Jasper Parrott (Whig) | 127 | 39.7% (top seat) | Edmund Henry Parker (Conservative) | 61 (19.1 pts) | 73.7% |
| 1835 | Edward Adolphus Seymour (Whig); Jasper Parrott (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1837 | Edward Adolphus Seymour (Whig); Jasper Parrott (Whig) | 159 | 40.7% (top seat) | George Pownall Adams (Conservative) | 38 (8.1 pts) | 74.2% |
| 1841 | Charles Barry Baldwin (Conservative); Edward Adolphus Seymour (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1847 | Edward Adolphus Seymour (Whig); Charles Barry Baldwin (Conservative) | 154 | 47.7% (top seat) | Samson Ricardo (Whig) | 1 (0.2 pts) | 77.6% |
| 1852 | Edward Adolphus Seymour (Whig); Thomas Mills (Whig) | 154 | 47.1% (top seat) | Charles Barry Baldwin (Conservative) | 13 (2.3 pts) | 75.2% |
| 1857 | George Hay (Whig); Thomas Mills (Whig) | 150 | 34.5% (top seat) | James Thomas Mackenzie (Peelite) | 32 (6.5 pts) | 78.7% |
| 1859 | George Hay (Liberal); Thomas Mills (Liberal) | 152 | 38.5% (top seat) | John Dunn (Conservative) | 17 (3.6 pts) | 68.5% |
| 1865 | John Pender (Liberal); Alfred Seymour (Liberal) | 204 | 29.0% (top seat) | William Gregory Dawkins (Conservative) | 42 (5.8 pts) | 94.6% |
| 1885 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Liberal) | 4,389 | 57.4% | Henry Yarde Buller Lopes (Conservative) | 1,137 (14.9 pts) | 83.2% |
| 1886 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Liberal Unionist) | 4,652 | 80.3% | Edward Robert Pearce-Edgcumbe (Liberal) | 3,511 (60.6 pts) | 63.0% |
| 1892 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Liberal Unionist) | 4,815 | 66.9% | Alfred Herbert Lush (Liberal) | 2,431 (33.8 pts) | 77.7% |
| 1895 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Liberal Unionist) | 4,630 | 67.2% | Alfred John Sparke (Liberal) | 2,366 (34.3 pts) | 73.1% |
| 1900 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Liberal Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1906 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Liberal Unionist) | 5,226 | 63.5% | Lewis Humfrey Edmunds (Liberal) | 2,228 (27.1 pts) | 87.8% |
| Dec 1910 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Liberal Unionist) | 5,252 | 63.3% | Robert Dunstan (Liberal) | 2,212 (26.7 pts) | 82.0% |
| Jan 1910 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Liberal Unionist) | 5,505 | 60.6% | Isaac Foot (Liberal) | 1,927 (21.2 pts) | 89.9% |
| 1918 | Francis Bingham Mildmay (Unionist) | 14,680 | 58.8% | John Arthur Robert Cairns (Liberal) | 4,414 (17.7 pts) | 63.9% |
| 1922 | Samual Emile Harvey (Unionist) | 16,532 | 52.4% | Thomas Henry Johnson Underdown (Liberal) | 1,500 (4.8 pts) | 78.1% |
| 1923 | Henry Harvey Vivian (Liberal) | 16,845 | 50.8% | Samual Emile Harvey (Unionist) | 502 (1.5 pts) | 80.7% |
| 1924 | Samuel Emile Harvey (Unionist) | 19,771 | 53.7% | Henry Harvey Vivian (Liberal) | 4,985 (13.6 pts) | 86.1% |
| 1929 | Samuel Emile Harvey (Unionist) | 21,673 | 47.9% | Philip Foale Rowsell (Liberal) | 3,883 (8.6 pts) | 83.1% |
| 1931 | Samuel Emile Harvey (Conservative) | 26,765 | 57.0% | Ernest Ronald Haylor (Liberal) | 6,562 (14.0 pts) | 83.4% |
| 1935 | Ralph Herbert Rayner (Conservative) | 24,815 | 53.6% | Ernest Ronald Haylor (Liberal) | 7,176 (15.5 pts) | 79.2% |
| 1945 | Ralph Herbert Rayner (Conservative) | 24,638 | 51.0% | John Robins Warde (Labour) | 8,540 (17.7 pts) | 74.5% |
| 1950 | Ralph Herbert Rayner (Conservative) | 26,104 | 49.0% | David Graham Widdicombe (Labour) | 10,337 (19.4 pts) | 84.6% |
| 1951 | Ralph Herbert Rayner (Conservative) | 28,005 | 53.6% | Charles O'Donnell (Labour) | 11,596 (22.2 pts) | 82.8% |
| 1955 | Raymond Llewellyn Mawby (Conservative) | 26,381 | 52.1% | Daniel Mann (Labour) | 11,594 (22.9 pts) | 80.8% |
| 1959 | Raymond Llewellyn Mawby (Conservative) | 26,925 | 53.0% | Terence JB Heelas (Labour) | 13,809 (27.2 pts) | 80.5% |
| 1964 | Raymond Llewellyn Mawby (Conservative) | 25,417 | 48.6% | Reginald CJ Scott (Labour) | 10,875 (20.8 pts) | 78.8% |
| 1966 | Raymond Mawby (Conservative) | 25,623 | 47.8% | Barry Smethurst (Labour) | 8,723 (16.3 pts) | 79.4% |
| 1970 | Raymond Mawby (Conservative) | 31,519 | 54.9% | Robert Blank (Labour) | 15,090 (26.3 pts) | 77.0% |
| Feb 1974 | Raymond Mawby (Conservative) | 30,565 | 46.9% | Anthony Rogers (Liberal) | 9,643 (14.8 pts) | 81.3% |
| Oct 1974 | Raymond Mawby (Conservative) | 27,987 | 45.2% | Anthony Rogers (Liberal) | 6,401 (10.3 pts) | 76.7% |
| 1979 | Raymond Mawby (Conservative) | 35,010 | 52.2% | Anthony Rogers (Liberal) | 10,565 (15.7 pts) | 79.9% |
| 1997 | Anthony Steen (Conservative) | 19,637 | 36.5% | Rob Chave (Liberal Democrat) | 877 (1.6 pts) | 76.3% |
| 2001 | Anthony Steen (Conservative) | 21,914 | 44.5% | Rachel Oliver (Liberal Democrat) | 3,597 (7.3 pts) | 67.9% |
| 2005 | Anthony Steen (Conservative) | 21,112 | 41.7% | Mike Treleaven (Liberal Democrat) | 1,947 (3.9 pts) | 67.7% |
| 2010 | Sarah Wollaston (Conservative) | 21,940 | 45.9% | Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat) | 4,927 (10.3 pts) | 70.5% |
| 2015 | Sarah Wollaston (Conservative) | 24,941 | 53.0% | Justin Haque (UKIP) | 18,285 (38.8 pts) | 68.9% |
| 2017 | Sarah Wollaston (Conservative) | 26,972 | 53.7% | Gerrie Messer (Labour) | 13,477 (26.8 pts) | 73.1% |
| 2019 | Anthony Mangnall (Conservative) | 27,751 | 53.2% | Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat) | 12,724 (24.4 pts) | 75.0% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cornish | Whig | 127 | 39.7% | Yes |
| Jasper Parrott | Whig | 127 | 39.7% | Yes |
| Edmund Henry Parker | Conservative | 66 | 20.6% | No |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Adolphus Seymour | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Jasper Parrott | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Adolphus Seymour | Whig | 192 | 40.7% | Yes |
| Jasper Parrott | Whig | 159 | 33.7% | Yes |
| George Pownall Adams | Conservative | 121 | 25.6% | No |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Barry Baldwin | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Edward Adolphus Seymour | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1847 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Adolphus Seymour | Whig | 280 | 47.7% | Yes |
| Charles Barry Baldwin | Conservative | 154 | 26.2% | Yes |
| Samson Ricardo | Whig | 153 | 26.1% | No |
1852 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Adolphus Seymour | Whig | 263 | 47.1% | Yes |
| Thomas Mills | Whig | 154 | 27.6% | Yes |
| Charles Barry Baldwin | Conservative | 141 | 25.3% | No |
1857 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Hay | Whig | 171 | 34.5% | Yes |
| Thomas Mills | Whig | 150 | 30.2% | Yes |
| James Thomas Mackenzie | Peelite | 118 | 23.8% | No |
| John Gregory | Peelite | 57 | 11.5% | No |
1859 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Hay | Liberal | 180 | 38.5% | Yes |
| Thomas Mills | Liberal | 152 | 32.5% | Yes |
| John Dunn | Conservative | 135 | 28.9% | No |
1865 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Pender | Liberal | 210 | 29.0% | Yes |
| Alfred Seymour | Liberal | 204 | 28.2% | Yes |
| William Gregory Dawkins | Conservative | 162 | 22.4% | No |
| Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan Pim | Conservative | 147 | 20.3% | No |
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Liberal | 4,389 | 57.4% | Yes |
| Henry Yarde Buller Lopes | Conservative | 3,252 | 42.6% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Liberal Unionist | 4,652 | 80.3% | Yes |
| Edward Robert Pearce-Edgcumbe | Liberal | 1,141 | 19.7% | No |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Liberal Unionist | 4,815 | 66.9% | Yes |
| Alfred Herbert Lush | Liberal | 2,384 | 33.1% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Liberal Unionist | 4,630 | 67.2% | Yes |
| Alfred John Sparke | Liberal | 2,264 | 32.8% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Liberal Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Liberal Unionist | 5,226 | 63.5% | Yes |
| Lewis Humfrey Edmunds | Liberal | 2,998 | 36.5% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Liberal Unionist | 5,252 | 63.3% | Yes |
| Robert Dunstan | Liberal | 3,040 | 36.7% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Liberal Unionist | 5,505 | 60.6% | Yes |
| Isaac Foot | Liberal | 3,578 | 39.4% | No |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Bingham Mildmay | Unionist | 14,680 | 58.8% | Yes |
| John Arthur Robert Cairns | Liberal | 10,266 | 41.2% | No |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samual Emile Harvey | Unionist | 16,532 | 52.4% | Yes |
| Thomas Henry Johnson Underdown | Liberal | 15,032 | 47.6% | No |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Harvey Vivian | Liberal | 16,845 | 50.8% | Yes |
| Samual Emile Harvey | Unionist | 16,343 | 49.2% | No |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Emile Harvey | Unionist | 19,771 | 53.7% | Yes |
| Henry Harvey Vivian | Liberal | 14,786 | 40.2% | No |
| Kate Florence Spurrell | Labour | 2,240 | 6.1% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Emile Harvey | Unionist | 21,673 | 47.9% | Yes |
| Philip Foale Rowsell | Liberal | 17,790 | 39.3% | No |
| Kate Florence Spurrell | Labour | 5,828 | 12.9% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Emile Harvey | Conservative | 26,765 | 57.0% | Yes |
| Ernest Ronald Haylor | Liberal | 20,203 | 43.0% | No |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Herbert Rayner | Conservative | 24,815 | 53.6% | Yes |
| Ernest Ronald Haylor | Liberal | 17,639 | 38.1% | No |
| William Roy John Henwood | Labour | 3,848 | 8.3% | No |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Herbert Rayner | Conservative | 24,638 | 51.0% | Yes |
| John Robins Warde | Labour | 16,098 | 33.3% | No |
| Thomas Henry Aggett | Liberal | 7,536 | 15.6% | No |
1950
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Herbert Rayner | Conservative | 26,104 | 49.0% | Yes |
| David Graham Widdicombe | Labour | 15,767 | 29.6% | No |
| Harold Ernest Desch | Liberal | 10,974 | 20.6% | No |
| Edwin Leo Tapscott | Communist | 423 | 0.8% | No |
1951
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Herbert Rayner | Conservative | 28,005 | 53.6% | Yes |
| Charles O'Donnell | Labour | 16,409 | 31.4% | No |
| Harold Ernest Desch | Liberal | 7,838 | 15.0% | No |
1955
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Llewellyn Mawby | Conservative | 26,381 | 52.1% | Yes |
| Daniel Mann | Labour | 14,787 | 29.2% | No |
| Arthur Claude Shobbrook | Liberal | 9,471 | 18.7% | No |
1959
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Llewellyn Mawby | Conservative | 26,925 | 53.0% | Yes |
| Terence JB Heelas | Labour | 13,116 | 25.8% | No |
| T Cedric Jones | Liberal | 10,719 | 21.1% | No |
1964
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Llewellyn Mawby | Conservative | 25,417 | 48.6% | Yes |
| Reginald CJ Scott | Labour | 14,542 | 27.8% | No |
| Edward B Taylor | Liberal | 12,297 | 23.5% | No |
1966
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Mawby | Conservative | 25,623 | 47.8% | Yes |
| Barry Smethurst | Labour | 16,900 | 31.5% | No |
| Paul Tyler | Liberal | 11,066 | 20.6% | No |
1970
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Mawby | Conservative | 31,519 | 54.9% | Yes |
| Robert Blank | Labour | 16,429 | 28.6% | No |
| David Penhaligon | Liberal | 9,515 | 16.6% | No |
Feb 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Mawby | Conservative | 30,565 | 46.9% | Yes |
| Anthony Rogers | Liberal | 20,922 | 32.1% | No |
| Harold Luscombe | Labour | 13,249 | 20.3% | No |
| James Richard John Lewis | Independent | 394 | 0.6% | No |
Oct 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Mawby | Conservative | 27,987 | 45.2% | Yes |
| Anthony Rogers | Liberal | 21,586 | 34.9% | No |
| Saxon May Spence | Labour | 12,366 | 20.0% | No |
1979
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Mawby | Conservative | 35,010 | 52.2% | Yes |
| Anthony Rogers | Liberal | 24,445 | 36.4% | No |
| John Barnet Henry Duffin | Labour | 7,668 | 11.4% | No |
1997
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Steen | Conservative | 19,637 | 36.5% | Yes |
| Rob Chave | Liberal Democrat | 18,760 | 34.9% | No |
| Victor Ellery | Labour | 8,796 | 16.4% | No |
| Pamela Cook | Referendum Party | 2,552 | 4.7% | No |
| Christoper Venmore | Independent Conservative | 2,369 | 4.4% | No |
| Howard William Thomas | UKIP | 999 | 1.9% | No |
| Andy Pratt | Green | 548 | 1.0% | No |
| James Golding | Independent | 108 | 0.2% | No |
2001
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Steen | Conservative | 21,914 | 44.5% | Yes |
| Rachel Oliver | Liberal Democrat | 18,317 | 37.2% | No |
| Thomas Wildy | Labour | 6,005 | 12.2% | No |
| Craig Mackinlay | UKIP | 3,010 | 6.1% | No |
2005
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Steen | Conservative | 21,112 | 41.7% | Yes |
| Mike Treleaven | Liberal Democrat | 19,165 | 37.9% | No |
| Valerie Burns | Labour | 6,185 | 12.2% | No |
| Roger Knapman | UKIP | 3,914 | 7.7% | No |
| Michael Thompson | Independent | 199 | 0.4% | No |
2010
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Wollaston | Conservative | 21,940 | 45.9% | Yes |
| Julian Brazil | Liberal Democrat | 17,013 | 35.6% | No |
| Carol Whitty | Labour | 3,538 | 7.4% | No |
| Jeff Beer | UKIP | 2,890 | 6.0% | No |
| Lydia Somerville | Green | 1,181 | 2.5% | No |
| Michael Turner | BNP | 624 | 1.3% | No |
| Simon Drew | Independent | 390 | 0.8% | No |
| Stephen Hopwood | Independent | 267 | 0.6% | No |
2015
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Wollaston | Conservative | 24,941 | 53.0% | Yes |
| Justin Haque | UKIP | 6,656 | 14.1% | No |
| Nicky Williams | Labour | 5,988 | 12.7% | No |
| Gill Coombs | Green | 4,845 | 10.3% | No |
| Julian Brazil | Liberal Democrat | 4,667 | 9.9% | No |
2017
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Wollaston | Conservative | 26,972 | 53.7% | Yes |
| Gerrie Messer | Labour | 13,495 | 26.8% | No |
| Julian Brazil | Liberal Democrat | 6,466 | 12.9% | No |
| Jacqi Hodgson | Green | 2,097 | 4.2% | No |
| Steven Harvey | UKIP | 1,240 | 2.5% | No |
2019
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Mangnall | Conservative | 27,751 | 53.2% | Yes |
| Sarah Wollaston | Liberal Democrat | 15,027 | 28.8% | No |
| Louise Webberley | Labour | 8,860 | 17.0% | No |
| John Kitson | Independent | 544 | 1.0% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Totnes has been contested at 42 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Totnes in the 2019 general election?
Conservative won Totnes in 2019 with 27,751 votes (53.2%), a majority of 12,724 votes over Liberal Democrat in second place.
Which parties have won Totnes since 1832?
Since 1832, Totnes has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist, Whig.
What was the closest result in Totnes?
The closest result on record for Totnes was 1847, when Whig beat Whig by just 1 votes (0.2 percentage points).
Did Totnes ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Totnes 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.