Mole Valley (UK Parliament constituency)

Template:Infobox UK constituency main Mole Valley is a former constituency in Surrey represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Sir Paul Beresford, a Conservative, until it was abolished in 2024, primarily replaced by Dorking and Horley.

Boundaries

Template:Maplink 1983–1997: The District of Mole Valley, and the Borough of Guildford ward of Tillingbourne.

1997–2024: The District of Mole Valley wards of Beare Green, Bookham North, Bookham South, Box Hill and Headley, Brockham, Betchworth and Buckland, Capel, Leigh and Newdigate, Charlwood, Dorking North, Dorking South, Fetcham East, Fetcham West, Holmwoods, Leatherhead North, Leatherhead South, Leith Hill, Mickleham, Westhumble and Pixham, Okewood, and Westcott; and the Borough of Guildford wards of Clandon and Horsley, Effingham, Lovelace, Send, and Tillingbourne.

The constituency was larger than the Mole Valley District of Surrey as it included five wards in the east of the Borough of Guildford, three of which are nearer to Woking than to Dorking. The largest town in the Mole Valley constituency was Dorking, the second largest was Leatherhead and there are many rural and semi-rural villages, generally within one hour's reach of London so properly classed as part of the London Commuter Belt.

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat underwent boundary changes, adding the town of Horley, and losing Leatherhead. As a consequence, it was reformed as the new seat of Dorking and Horley, starting from the 2024 general election.

History and constituency profile

The county constituency was created in 1983; much of the same area was covered by the Dorking constituency which preceded it. It was a Conservative safe seat in terms of length of party tenure and great size of its majorities. It has a majority adult demographic of affluent middle-class families living in commuter towns and villages speedily connected to business parks by road and central London by rail, it was one of a few seats to return a new candidate as Conservative MP who won a majority in excess of 10,000 in the 1997 Labour landslide; the main opposition since 1983 was the Liberal Democrats and their largest predecessor party, the Liberal Party.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1983	Kenneth Baker	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1997	Sir Paul Beresford	Conservative

Elections

File:Mole Valley election results 83-19.png

General election results from 1983–2019

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Paul Beresford	Template:Replace	55.4
		Paul Kennedy	19,615	34.4
		Brian Bostock	2,965	5.2
		Lisa Scott-Conte	1,874	3.3
		Robin Horsley	536	0.9
		Geoffrey Cox	464	0.8
Majority			12,041	21.0
Turnout			57,110	76.5
	hold		Swing	−10.7

General election 2017: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Paul Beresford	Template:Replace	61.9
		Paul Kennedy	10,955	19.3
		Marc Green	7,864	13.9
		Jacquetta Fewster	1,463	2.6
		Judy Moore	1,352	2.4
Majority			24,137	42.6
Turnout			56,866	76.3
	hold		Swing	−1.8

General election 2015: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Paul Beresford	Template:Replace	60.6
		Paul Kennedy	7,981	14.5
		Paul Oakley	6,181	11.2
		Leonard Amos	4,565	8.3
		Jacquetta Fewster	2,979	5.4
Majority			25,453	46.1
Turnout			55,329	74.2
	hold		Swing	+8.7

General election 2010: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Paul Beresford	Template:Replace	57.5
		Alice Humphreys	15,610	28.7
		James Dove	3,804	7.0
		Leigh Jones	2,752	5.1
		Rob Sedgwick	895	1.6
Majority			15,653	28.8
Turnout			54,324	74.8
	hold		Swing	+2.3

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Paul Beresford	Template:Replace	54.8
		Nasser Butt	15,063	30.5
		Farmida Bi	5,310	10.7
		David Payne	1,475	3.0
		Roger Meekins	507	1.0
Majority			11,997	24.3
Turnout			49,415	72.5
	hold		Swing	+1.4

General election 2001: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Paul Beresford	Template:Replace	50.5
		Celia Savage	13,637	29.0
		Dan Redford	7,837	16.6
		Ronald Walters	1,333	2.8
		William Newton	475	1.0
Majority			10,153	21.5
Turnout			47,072	68.9
	hold		Swing	+1.4

Elections in the 1990s

This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1992 and 1997 general elections and thus change in share of vote is based on a notional calculation.

General election 1997: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Paul Beresford	Template:Replace	48.0
		Stephen Cooksey	15,957	29.3
		Christopher Payne	8,057	14.8
		Nick Taber	2,424	4.4
		Richard Burley	1,276	2.3
		Ian Cameron	435	0.8
		Judith Thomas	197	0.4
Majority			10,221	18.7
Turnout			54,524	78.4
	hold		Swing	−6.9

General election 1992: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Kenneth Baker	Template:Replace	59.3
		Michael Watson	16,599	30.3
		Tim Walsh	5,291	9.6
		Judith Thomas	442	0.8
Majority			15,950	29.0
Turnout			54,881	82.0
	hold		Swing	−0.9

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Kenneth Baker	Template:Replace	60.8
		Susan Thomas	15,613	29.9
		Christopher King	4,846	9.3
Majority			16,076	30.9
Turnout			52,148	77.0
	hold		Swing	+0.4

General election 1983: Mole Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Kenneth Baker	Template:Replace	60.8
		Susan Thomas	14,973	30.7
		Fanny Lines	4,147	8.5
Majority			14,718	30.1
Turnout			48,811	75.0
	win (new seat)

See also

• Parliamentary constituencies in Surrey

Bibliography

• Election result, 2017 & 2015 (BBC)
• Election result, 2010 (BBC)
• Election result, 2005 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997 - 2001 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997 - 2001 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1983 - 1992 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1992 - 2010 (Guardian)
• Election result, 2010 (UKPollingReport)

External links

• Mole Valley UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Mole Valley UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK