100 years of Tory dominance ends as Caroline Voaden takes South Devon

100 years of Tory dominance in South Devon is over after Caroline Voaden of the Liberal Democrats unseated incumbent Conservative Anthony Mangnall with a landslide majority. 

The South Devon constituency stretches across most of the South Hams and includes Brixham and surrounding areas. 

Voaden achieved 22,540 votes, or 46% of the vote. Mangnall, who has been an MP for the area since 2019, received just 15,413 votes, or 31.5% of the vote. 

The other candidates were as follows: 

• Micheal Bagley (Reform): 6,363
• Daniel Steel (Labour): 3,066
• Robert Bagnall (Green Party): 1,497
• Becca Collings (Heritage Party): 125

The result comes as part of a wider story of Conservative decimation in Devon and across the UK, where they have lost at least 250 seats. Kevin Foster in Torbay also lost his seat to another Liberal Democrat candidate, Steve Darling. 

“We did it,” Caroline Voaden said. 

“In December 1923, Henry Vivian, a Liberal, was elected as a member of parliament for Totnes constituency. He lost his seat just 10 months later, and a conservative has been elected in every single general election here since then. 

“We have just overturned 100 years of history in South Devon, what a brilliant result.”

She continued: “I could not be more proud to be the newly elected Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon. I am also immensely humbled to have been supported by so many people who have never voted Liberal Democrat before, by the conservative voters who knew that their party had left them behind and who have had enough of the scandals, the sleaze, the chaos and the self-interest, and by the Green and Labour voters who have in their 1000s put their trust in me to speak up for the things they hold dear.”

“I will do this and more. I will work every day to repay your faith in me by being a strong voice beside Devon in Parliament by representing the things you care about and the place we all love.”

Voaden did acknowledge the role that the South Devon Primary has played in her win. Set up several years ago, the South Devon Primary is an organisation that aims to unite the ‘progressive’ parties of Liberal Democrats and Greens in backing a single candidate at the next general election. Debates were held months before the election across the South Devon constituency and participants voted on their preferred candidate. Voaden won this vote, meaning that many voters on the left of politics supported her campaign. 

She said: “Contrary to what some people might think. I was always the one who was very sceptical about taking part in this process. It was a massive gamble and there was no predicting how the vote would go. It was a gruelling process to go through, but also a privilege to be able to meet so many voters way ahead of the general election to explain to them who I am, what I believe in, and the values that will drive my politics.”

She stressed the need to reform the voting system so that so-called tactical voting would no longer take place. 

“I am a big believer in Proportional Representation. We need PR to fix our broken political system, even if it means those with opinions we deeply disagree with winning seats. That's okay. Everyone deserves a voice and every vote deserves to be counted equally. We have to stop playing tactical voting games across the UK.”