South West - 2024 General Election overview

July 5, 2024

There are 57 constituencies within the South West Region. A substantial 49 of these were previously held by those with blue rosettes, with the remaining eight held predominantly by Labour (seven) and a single Lib Dem in Bath.

However, following yesterday's vote (Thursday, 4 July), the South West presents a very different picture, with swathes of orange and red now appearing on election graphics. Across the region, Labour now hold 23 seats and the Lib Dems hold 22 seats, while the Conservatives are left with eleven seats, and the Greens have taken Central Bristol from Labour in one of the headlines of the evening.

The Lib Dems were the main beneficiaries of the Conservative collapse across the South West, taking 21 previously blue seats, while Labour took 17 previously Conservative seats. The Conservatives themselves managed to hang onto eleven seats. Labour returned six incumbents, with the Lib Dems retaining representation in Bath.

Key headlines across the region:

• Green Co-Leader Carla Denyer took Bristol Central from Labour Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire.
• Jacob Rees-Mogg lost the newly formed North-East Somerset & Hanham seat to the South West Labour Metro Mayor, Dan Norris.
• Outgoing Justice Secretary Alex Chalk could not hang onto Cheltenham despite a good local reputation, with Lib Dem Max Wilkinson taking the seat.
• Leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council, Cllr Vikki Slade (LD) took the Mid Dorset and North Poole seat from outgoing Illegal Immigration Minister, Michael Tomlinson (Con).
• Luke Hall, one of many who held the title of Housing Minister in recent years, lost the Thornbury and Yate constituency to Claire Young, the current Lib Dem Leader at South Gloucestershire Council.
• Liam Fox (Con), who has previously held numerous Cabinet positions, lost in North Somerset to Labour candidate Sadik Al-Hassan.
• Outgoing Conservative Veterans Minister, Johnny Mercer, lost Plymouth Moor View to former Marine and Labour candidate Fred Thomas.
• Possibly the smallest majority of the night fell in the South West, with Neil Duncan-Jordan (Lab) winning the Poole seat from Robert Syms (Con) by just 18 votes.
  

Detailed result by county

Our South West Lead, James Mallinson, has summarised the results in each county region below.

Bristol & Bath

Labour was the main winner across Bristol and Bath, but the headlines will focus on the Green Co-Leader Carla Denyer taking Bristol Central from Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire. The remaining five Bristol seats were held by Labour and Bath was held by the Lib Dems.

• Bath – LD Hold
• Bristol East – Lab Hold
• Bristol North East – Lab Hold
• Bristol North West – Lab Hold
• Bristol Central – Green Gain from Lab
• Bristol South – Lab Hold
• Filton & Bradley Stoke – Lab Gain from Con
  

Cornwall

Of the eight constituencies in Cornwall, North Cornwall and St Ives were won by the Lib Dems (from Con) and the remaining six constituencies are red following five wins from Conservatives and one Labour hold.

• Camborne & Redruth – Lab Gain from CON
• North Cornwall – LD Gain from CON
• Plymouth Moor View – Lab Gain from CON
• Plymouth Sutton & Devonport – Lab Hold
• St Ives – LD Gain from CON
• Truro & Falmouth – Lab Gain from CON
• South East Cornwall - Lab Gain from CON
• St Austell and Newquay – Lab Gain from CON

Cotswolds & Gloucestershire

Previously a single constituency, the Cotswolds was split into North and South constituencies in 2024. The North Cotswolds returned Geoffrey Clifton-Brown following a status-quo campaign, but the South Cotswolds saw the Lib Dems gain what was predominantly Conservative held geography before boundary changes.

Gloucestershire saw a sea of blue gained by four Lib Dem and two Labour candidates, including Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, Claire Young (LD), beating Luke Hall (Con) in Thornbury & Yate. In Cheltenham previous Justice Minister Alex Chalk was beaten by Lib Dem Max Wilkinson.

• North Cotswolds – Con Hold
• South Cotswolds – LD Gain form Con
• Cheltenham – LD Gain from Con
• Gloucester – Lab Gain from Con
• Stroud – Lab Gain from Con
• Tewkesbury – LD Gain from Con
• Thornbury & Yate – LD Gain from Con

Devon

Of the eleven Constituencies in Devon (including Tiverton & Minehead which straddles the county boundary with Somerset), The Lib Dems had a great night, gaining six constituencies from Conservative incumbents. The Conservatives held three constituencies and Labour held Exeter as the sole red constituency in Devon.

• Central Devon – Con Hold
• Exeter – Lab Hold
• Exmouth & Exeter East – Con Hold
• Honiton & Sidmouth – LD Gain from CON
• North Devon – LD Gain from CON
• Newton Abbot – LD Gain from CON
• Tiverton & Minehead – LD Gain from CON
• Torbay – LD Gain from CON
• South Devon – LD Gain from CON
• South West Devon – Con Hold
• Torridge & Tavistock – Con Hold

Dorset

Dorset, which has seen a Lib Dem surge at recent local elections, saw just two Lib Dem gains at the Westminster level – including current BCP Council Leader Vikki Slade taking the Mid Dorset and North Poole seat from outgoing Illegal Immigration Minister, Michael Tomlinson. Labour gained the urban constituencies in Bournemouth and Poole from the Conservatives, while the Torys held Christchurch and North Dorset. In the smallest majority of the night, Neil Duncan-Jordan won the Poole seat from Robert Syms by just 18 votes.

• Bournemouth East – Lab Gain from Con
• Bournemouth West – Lab gain from Con
• Christchurch – Con Hold
• Mid Dorset & North Poole – LD Gain from Con
• North Dorset – Con Hold
• Poole – Lab Gain from Con
• South Dorset – Lab Gain from Con
• West Dorset – LD Gain from Con

Somerset

Somerset saw the Lib Dems continue their strong performance in the South West with five constituencies won from Conservatives, including that of Jacob Rees-Mogg. The Conservatives held a single seat in Bridgwater and Labour took the remaining three constituencies.

• Bridgwater – Con Hold
• Frome & East Somerset - LD Gain from Con
• Glastonbury & Somerton - LD Gain from Con
• North East Somerset & Hanham – Lab Gain from Con
• North Somerset – Lab Gain from Con
• Taunton & Wellington – LD Gain from Con
• Wells & Mendip Hills – LD Gain from Con
• Weston-super-Mare – Lab Gain from Con
• Yeovil – LD Gain from Con

Wiltshire

A totally blue landscape in 2019 has now transitioned to see the constituencies to the west of Wiltshire return Lib Dem candidates and Swindon returns two Labour candidates in what are considered bellwether seats. Conservatives managed to hold those constituencies to the east of the region including Salisbury, SW Wilts and East Wilts.

• Chippenham - LD Gain from Con
• East Wiltshire – Con Hold
• Melksham & Devises - LD Gain from Con
• South West Wiltshire – Con Hold
• Salisbury – Con Hold
• Swindon South – Lab Gain from Con
• Swindon North – Lab Gain from Con