South West · England · 72,690Boundary · 2023

North Dorset

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A marginal seat — won by just 1,589 votes (3.2%) in 2024. Covers Verwood, Blandford Forum and Gillingham (Dorset). Population 92,166, notably older (median age 49 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 60% below the national average.

Hoare has broken with his Conservative colleagues five times since late 2024, with rebel votes spanning Brexit trade regulations, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, food import controls, and -- most recently in November 2025 -- a new clause on local government powers in the English Devolution Bill. His pattern of supporting cross-party public health and post-Brexit regulatory measures marks him out as a pragmatist willing to diverge from the opposition front when he judges it warranted. In March 2026 he backed opposition day motions on both oil and gas and defence, signalling continued dissatisfaction with the government's approach on energy and military spending.

At 68% voting participation -- slightly below the Commons average -- Hoare is a moderately active presence in the division lobbies. He votes 98% in line with Conservative colleagues overall, but his stance profile reveals consistent patterns: firmly anti-tax-increases, strongly pro-parliamentary-scrutiny and pro-business-interests, while scoring markedly lower than his party on reducing regulatory burdens (-27 percentage points below Conservative average) and more favourably on local democracy (+16pp), criminal justice reform (+13pp), and environmental protection (+9pp). His 59 recent speech contributions span economy and jobs, social care, cost of living, health, and education.

316
Commons votes
This parliament
£28k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
72.7k
Electorate
2024 GE

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

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

§ 07The record, at a glance.334 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Hoare 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
Economy
75
Taxation
75
Employment
45
Crime & Policing
33
Education
22
Welfare and Benefits
21
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Draft Official Controls (Amendment) Regulations 202415 Jan 2025
Aye
Draft Electricity Capacity Mechanism (Amendment) Regulations 202415 Jan 2025
Aye
Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Second Reading26 Nov 2024 · free vote
Aye
§ 08The local picture.13 wards

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

WardCouncillorVotesParty
BeaconJane Somper898Conserva
Blackmore ValeStephen Murcer637Conserva
BlandfordByron Robert Quayle1,334Conserva
BlandfordNoc Lacey-Clarke1,307Conserva
Cranborne AlderholtDave Tooke678Liberal
Cranborne ChasePiers Brown634Conserva
GillinghamBelinda Brenda Louise Ridout1,528Conserva
GillinghamCarl Anthony Woode1,490Liberal
GillinghamVal Pothecary1,549Conserva
Hill Forts Upper TarrantsSherry Jespersen709Conserva
Puddletown Lower WinterborneEmma Jayne Parker603Conserva
Shaftesbury TownDerek Leslie Beer1,403Liberal
Population (2021 Census)
92,166
Electorate 72,690 · 2024 register
Median income
£28,200
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
15.9%
England average 20.0%
Schools
53
35 primary · 7 secondary
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More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.