South West · England · 75,385Boundary · 2023

Central Devon

Follow⇄ Compare
Dispatch
Apr 2026

A Con seat since 2010, held for 5 consecutive elections. Covers Okehampton, Crediton and Bovey Tracey. Population 99,652, notably older (median age 49 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 52% below the national average.

Mel Stride is most visible right now as Shadow Chancellor, deploying his economic brief to attack the government's tax record -- recent coverage has him labelling Rachel Reeves "reckless" and claiming the UK is seeing the largest tax rises in the developed world. On the Pension Schemes Bill in April 2026, he voted consistently to back Lords amendments protecting savers from ministerial direction of pension fund investments and shielding smaller schemes from forced mergers -- eight votes in one day against the government's position. He also broke with his party on assisted dying, voting for the Terminally Ill Adults Bill at both Second and Third Reading, and backed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill -- placing him with the minority of Conservatives who supported both measures.

At 55% participation (270 of 488 votes), Stride votes less frequently than the Commons average, though this partly reflects the demands of a frontbench opposition role. When he does vote, he is a 98.9% party-line Conservative -- with assisted dying and tobacco being the clearest exceptions. His speeches cluster heavily around economy and jobs (43 contributions), fiscal policy (26) and cost-of-living (20), consistent with his Shadow Chancellor responsibilities. He scores 100% against the employer NI increase and 0% on public ownership measures, and is notably harder against welfare expansion than the average Conservative MP.

270
Commons votes
This parliament
£28k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
75.4k
Electorate
2024 GE

Won by just 61 votes — a 0.1% margin.

Current Member of Parliament

Mel Stride

Mel Stride

Conservative and Unionist Party

The Rt Hon Sir Mel Stride is the Conservative MP for Central Devon, and has been an MP continually since 6 May 2010. He currently undertakes the role of Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Notable Votes

MPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dying legislation in its amended form. Passing Third Reading sends the Bill to the House of Lords.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

MPs voted on whether to give the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill its Second Reading, which would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to legally request assistance to end their lives under strict safeguards. This was a landmark free vote on one of the most ethically contested issues in recent parliamentary history.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

MPs voted on whether to give the Tobacco and Vapes Bill its Second Reading, advancing legislation that would create a 'smoke-free generation' by progressively raising the legal age for buying tobacco so that anyone born after 2009 could never legally purchase cigarettes, while also cracking down on vaping among young people.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

Sign up free to read the full briefing on Mel Stride.

Sign up free

Voting at a Glance

A Con seat since 2010, held for 5 consecutive elections. Covers Okehampton, Crediton and Bovey Tracey. Population 99,652, notably older (median age 49 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 52% below the national average.

2024 General Election

§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Stride’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.276 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Stride has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Taxation
63
Economy
59
Employment
35
Crime & Policing
29
Pensions
19
Education
19
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third Reading20 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading29 Nov 2024 · free vote
Aye
Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Second Reading26 Nov 2024 · free vote
Aye
§ 08The local picture.23 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Ashburton BuckfastleighJack Anthony Major715Liberal
BoveyMartin Phillip Smith786Conserva
BoveySally Angela Morgan1,011Liberal
BoveyStaurt Webster755Conserva
CadburyRhys Roberts277Conserva
ChagfordJane Elliott485Green Pa
ChudleighRichard Michael Keeling916Liberal
ChudleighSuzanne Sanders797Liberal
Crediton BonifaceJim Cairney497Liberal
Crediton BonifaceJohn Morris Downes494Liberal
Crediton LawrenceFrank William Letch611Liberal
Crediton LawrenceGuy Cochran556Liberal
Population (2021 Census)
99,652
Electorate 75,385 · 2024 register
Median income
£27,700
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
18.0%
England average 20.0%
Schools
55
44 primary · 3 secondary
Next · dig deeperEvery division, question, speech and committee record

Mine the full
record → Data view

Filter divisions, search written questions, read every speech since the election. Sortable, searchable, downloadable.

More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.