North Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)

North Cornwall is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Ben Maguire, a Liberal Democrat since the 2024 general election. Like all British constituencies, the seat elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years. The seat was created in 1918. Since 1950, the constituency has been held by MPs from either the Conservative Party or the Liberal Democrats (including the party's predecessor, the Liberal Party).

History

This constituency was created under the Representation of the People Act 1918.

With exceptions in 1997, 2001 and 2019, the seat's margin of victory has been less than 20% of the vote. It has been consistently fought over between and won by the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats' candidate (or predecessor party in the latter case), and can be considered a marginal seat. In 1997 and 2001 the seat turned out strongly overall for the latter party. However, in the 2019 general election, the Conservatives won a large majority of 28.6% over the Liberal Democrat candidate. This was overturned in the 2024 general election when the Liberal Democrats recaptured the seat with a majority of 19.4%.

The highest third-placed (other party) candidate was the 16.4% achieved by Reform UK in 2024. The seat saw three years of defection of its Liberal MP to join the post-World War II Attlee Ministry however in 2015 saw the lowest share of the Labour Party's vote nationally – reinforcing a consistent result by a great majority supporting left-wing politics to vote for a Liberal and later Liberal Democrat at general elections since the seat's inception.

Boundaries

thumb|The North Cornwall constituency shown within Cornwall and Devon, 1918–1945

1918–1950: The Borough of Launceston, the urban districts of Newquay, Padstow, Stratton and Bude, and Wadebridge, the rural districts of Calstock, Camelford, Launceston, St Columb Major, and Stratton, and parts of the rural districts of Bodmin and Holsworthy (these areas such as Whitstone and Week St Mary were on the Cornish side of the border).

1950–1974: The Borough of Launceston, the urban districts of Bude-Stratton, Newquay, and Padstow, the Rural Districts of Camelford, Launceston, and Stratton, and parts of the rural districts of St Austell and Wadebridge.

1974–1983: The Borough of Launceston, the urban districts of Bude-Stratton and Newquay, the Rural Districts of Camelford, Launceston, and Stratton, and parts of the rural districts of St Austell, and Wadebridge and Padstow.

1983–2010: The District of North Cornwall wards of Allan, Altarnun, Bodmin St Mary's, Bodmin St Petroc, Bude and Poughill, Camelford, Grenville, Lanivet, Launceston North, Launceston South, Lesnewth, North Petherwin, Ottery, Padstow and St Merryn, Penfound, Rumford, St Breward, St Endellion, St Minver, St Teath, South Petherwin, Stratton, Tintagel, Trigg, Wadebridge, and Week St Mary, and the Borough of Restormel wards of Edgcumbe, Gannel, Rialton, St Columb, and St Enoder.

2010–2024: The District of North Cornwall.

2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following electoral divisions of Cornwall (as they existed on 4 May 2021):

Altarnun & Stoke Climsland; Bodmin St Mary's & St. Leonard; Bodmin St Petroc's; Bude; Camelford & Boscastle; Lanivet, Blisland & Bodmin St Lawrence; Launceston North & North Petherwin; Launceston South; Padstow; Poundstock; St Columb Major, St Mawgan & St Wenn; St Teath & Tintagel; Stratton, Kilkhampton & Morwenstow; Wadebridge East & St Minver; Wadebridge West & St Mabyn.

The St Columb Major, St Mawgan & St Wenn division was transferred from St Austell and Newquay. Otherwise unchanged.

Historically four borough constituencies lay within the boundaries, three of which were abolished as 'rotten boroughs' by the Reform Act 1832:

Bossiney (abolished 1832)
Camelford (abolished 1832)
Launceston (abolished 1885)
Newport (abolished 1832 – settlement now a suburb of Launceston).

Members of Parliament

{|class="wikitable"

!colspan=2|Election!!Member!!Party!!Notes

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|1918

|rowspan="3"|George Marks

|Coalition Liberal

| Member for Launceston (1906–1918)

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

| 1922

| National Liberal

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

| 1923

| Liberal