Honiton and Sidmouth has been included on a list of ‘non-priority’ seats for the Labour Party at the next general election, according to leaked documents.
It is one of five of Devon's parliamentary constituencies to appear on the list: the others are Torbay, Tiverton and Minehead, Torridge and Tavistock, and North Devon.
The list indicates Labour doesn’t think five seats are winnable, and therefore will not receive large amounts of central campaign funding.
The county’s political map will change significantly at the next general election, to be held no later than January 28, 2025, when existing boundaries for a number of constituencies change, along with some of their names.
These include the new Honiton and Sidmouth, Exmouth and East Exeter, Tiverton and Minehead, Torridge and Tavistock, and South Devon seats.
Labour is currently leading in national opinion polls.
The decision not to focus on the five leaked seats means more vigorous Labour campaigning could be expected in Central Devon, Exeter, Exeter East and Exmouth, Newton Abbot, Plymouth Moor View, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, South Devon and South West Devon.
While no official announcement has been made, it is considered possible that the election could take place on Thursday, May 2 next year.
Currently, Devon has two Labour MPs (Sir Ben Bradshaw, Exeter, and Luke Pollard, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport), one Liberal Democrat (Richard Foord, Tiverton and Honiton) and nine Conservative MPs.
They are Selaine Saxby (North Devon), Kevin Foster (Torbay), Simon Jupp (East Devon), Anthony Mangnall (Totnes), Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot), Sir Gary Streeter (South West Devon), Mel Stride (Central Devon) and Johnny Mercer (Plymouth Moor View) and Sir Geoffrey Cox (Torridge).
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