South Dorset

Pre-2024 parliamentary constituency

This is a historical constituency

Are you looking for these three new constituencies which replaced it at the July 2024 general election?

Mid Dorset and North Poole

Covers approximately 1% of this old constituency’s population, and 7% of this old constituency’s area.

South Dorset

Covers approximately 98% of this old constituency’s population, and 91% of this old constituency’s area.

West Dorset

Covers approximately 0% of this old constituency’s population, and 2% of this old constituency’s area.

MP

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Richard Drax

Richard Drax

Conservative Party

Data from TheyWorkForYou.

MP contact details

Data from UK Parliament, TheyWorkForYou, and Wikipedia.

Positions and memberships

Political groups

Data from UK Parliament.

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Stances

Topic Position
MP stance on greater regulation of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract shale gas Consistently voted against
MP stance on the preservation of environmental protections after withdrawal from the EU Almost always voted against
MP stance on improving environmental water quality Generally voted against
MP stance on improving air quality Generally voted against
MP stance on higher taxes on plane tickets Consistently voted for
MP stance on financial incentives for low carbon emission electricity generation methods Consistently voted against
MP stance on measures to prevent climate change Voted a mixture of for and against
MP stance on lower taxes on fuel for motor vehicles Consistently voted for
MP stance on improving biodiversity Generally voted against

Data from TheyWorkForYou Votes. See this MP’s full voting record on TheyWorkForYou.

Votes and EDMs

Vote Position
MP vote on Environment Bill Did not vote
MP vote on Ban on Fracking for Shale Gas Bill No

Data from UK Parliament and TheyWorkForYou. Votes and EDMs selected for indicating support for climate/nature movement. See this MP’s full voting record on TheyWorkForYou.

2019 majority

17,153

Data from UK Parliament. This information is provided because in the UK electoral system, political parties and the media will be paying more attention to marginal seats and therefore the voices of the people within them can have greater national impact.

Date elected

6th May 2010

Data from UK Parliament.

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Place

Estimated households in fuel poverty

19.9%

17.7% national average

Data from End Fuel Poverty Coalition. Percentage of households in fuel poverty, including adjustment for Energy Price Guarantee, using National Energy Action base number of households in fuel poverty. Updated July 2023.

Mental health has been impacted by the cost of living crisis

40%

41.6% national average

Survation 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by 38Degrees. Updated March 2023.

Estimated child poverty

30.9%

29.4% national average

Data from End Child Poverty, based on data from DWP/HMRC. Percentage of children living in households with a net income (after housing costs) below 60% of the national median. Updated June 2024.

Worried about not being able to pay their energy bills in the next year

55%

53.5% national average

Survation 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by 38Degrees. Updated March 2023.

Air pollution

This area National average
Benzene 0.2% 0.3%
NO2 5.0% 9.7%
NOX 6.2% 13.1%
Ozone 3.4% 2.1%
PM10 10.0% 11.5%
PM2.5 5.9% 6.5%
SO2 0.6% 1.5%

Data from Defra. Metrics of pollutants associated with air pollution, aggregated per constituency, recorded automatically across the UK. Updated 2021.

Constituency age distribution

This area National average
Ages 0-9 9.2% 11.8%
Ages 10-19 10.2% 11.5%
Ages 20-29 9.4% 12.9%
Ages 30-39 10% 13.3%
Ages 40-49 11% 12.6%
Ages 50-59 15.3% 13.7%
Ages 60-69 14.8% 10.8%
Ages 70-79 13.2% 8.5%
Ages 80+ 7.2% 5.0%

Data from ONS (England and Wales), NRS (Scotland), and NISRA (Northern Ireland), collated by House of Commons Library. Updated May 2024.

Number of onshore windfarms

0

0.7 national average

Data from Wikipedia. Updated 2024-04-24.

Have missed a bill payment in the last six months

26%

31.6% national average

Survation 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by 38Degrees. Updated March 2023.

Have missed a credit payment in the last six months

20%

23.7% national average

Survation 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by 38Degrees. Updated March 2023.

Have missed a rent payment in the last six months

12%

19.1% national average

Survation 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by 38Degrees. Updated March 2023.

Have not been able to afford to turn the heating on at home when they have felt cold in the past month

34%

37.6% national average

Survation 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by 38Degrees. Updated March 2023.

Worried about having to use a foodbank in the next year

24%

28.8% national average

Survation 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by 38Degrees. Updated March 2023.

Worried about not being able to afford their mortgage or rent in the next year

36%

40.0% national average

Survation 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by 38Degrees. Updated March 2023.

Country of the UK

England

Data from mySociety. Updated 2024-04-24.

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)

3

Data from ONS (England and Wales), NRS (Scotland), and NISRA (Northern Ireland), collated and standardised by mySociety. Deciles of deprivation, from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived). This uses a composite measure of deprivation (including income, employment, education, skills, health, crime, and housing) standardised across the countries of the UK.

Rural Urban Classification

Urban with rural areas

Data from ONS (England and Wales), NRS (Scotland), and NISRA (Northern Ireland), collated and standardised by mySociety. A composite measure of 'ruralness' (based population density, settlement size, and drive times) standardised across the countries of the UK.

Ethnicity

This area National average
African 0.2% 2.2%
Any other ethnic group 0.4% 1.4%
Arab 0.1% 0.5%
Bangladeshi 0.1% 0.9%
Caribbean 0.1% 0.9%
Chinese 0.2% 0.7%
English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British 93.6% 76.5%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller 0.1% 0.1%
Indian 0.2% 2.8%
Irish 0.5% 0.8%
Other Asian 0.5% 1.5%
Other Black 0.1% 0.4%
Other Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 0.4% 0.7%
Other White 2.6% 5.7%
Pakistani 0.1% 2.4%
Roma 0.1% 0.2%
White and Asian 0.5% 0.8%
White and Black African 0.2% 0.4%
White and Black Caribbean 0.3% 0.8%

Data From House of Commons Library Ethnicity as of the 2021 census (England and Wales) Updated 2021.

Flood risk from rivers or sea

This area National average
High 58.1% 36.8%
Low 30.1% 18.4%
Medium 11.8% 40.9%
Very Low 0% 4.0%

Data from Defra. Proportion of this constituency at High, Medium, Low, or Very Low risk of flooding. Updated 2018.

Popular petitions

Petition Signatures
Call an immediate general election to end the chaos of the current government 1357
Give the UK a Bank Holiday on Monday July 12th if England win Euro 2020 385
Strengthen laws protecting seals 372

Data from UK Government and Parliament Petitions. Updated 2024-01-23.

Socio-economic status

This area National average
Full-time students 4.0% 7.4%
Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations 10.5% 12.9%
Intermediate occupations 12.0% 11.5%
Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations 21.1% 19.9%
Lower supervisory and technical occupations 6.9% 5.5%
Never worked / long-term unemployed 6.4% 8.5%
Routine occupations 12.2% 12.2%
Semi-routine occupations 14.1% 11.5%
Small employers and own account workers 12.6% 10.6%

Data from the 2021 census, collated by House of Commons Library. England and Wales only. Updated 2021.

More place data <

Public opinion

EU (Brexit) leave vote percentage

59%

51.8% national average

Data from UK Parliament. Percentage of constituents who voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum Updated February 2017.

Likelihood to take action such as voting for a particular candidate or lobbying an MP to tackle climate change and protect nature

This area National average
Net likely 36% 39.6%
Net unlikely 31% 27.9%
Very likely 10% 12.2%
Quite likely 26% 27.4%
Neither likely nor unlikely 33% 32.5%
Quite unlikely 14% 12.6%
Very unlikely 17% 15.3%

Focaldata 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by HOPE not hate. Updated April 2023.

Consider climate change a high priority

53%

53.9% national average

Public First MRP Polling, commissioned by Onward UK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Estimated percentage of constituents who consider climate change a high priority. Updated July 2022.

Loss of nature and destruction of the environment should be one of the most important concerns for the country

This area National average
Net agree 73% 72.5%
Net disagree 9% 8.7%
Strongly agree 35% 33.8%
Partly agree 38% 38.8%
Neither agree nor disagree 18% 18.7%
Partly disagree 6% 5.9%
Strongly disagree 3% 2.7%

Focaldata 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by HOPE not hate. Updated April 2023.

Policies for tackling the cost of living crisis should go hand in hand with policies to tackle the climate crisis

This area National average
Net agree 56% 58.8%
Net disagree 21% 17.7%
Strongly agree 23% 24.2%
Somewhat agree 33% 34.7%
Neither agree nor disagree 24% 23.5%
Somewhat disagree 13% 10.6%
Strongly disagree 8% 7.2%

Focaldata 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by HOPE not hate. Updated April 2023.

Tackling climate change should / should not be one of the Government’s biggest priorities right now

This area National average
Should be a priority 56% 57.4%
Should not be a priority 44% 42.6%

Focaldata 2023 MRP polling, commissioned by HOPE not hate. Updated April 2023.

Neither support nor oppose Net Zero

27%

26.7% national average

Public First MRP Polling, commissioned by Onward UK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Estimated percentage of constituents who neither support nor oppose net zero. Updated July 2022.

Oppose Net Zero

15%

12.7% national average

Public First MRP Polling, commissioned by Onward UK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Estimated percentage of constituents who oppose net zero. Updated July 2022.

Support Net Zero

59%

60.6% national average

Public First MRP Polling, commissioned by Onward UK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Estimated percentage of constituents who support net zero. Updated July 2022.

Support nuclear energy

61%

57.4% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Updated September 2022.

Support offshore wind

91%

85.2% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Updated September 2022.

Support renewable energy projects in their local area

88%

85.0% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Updated September 2022.

Support solar power

91%

87.6% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Updated September 2022.

Support tidal energy

91%

86.0% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Updated September 2022.

Support wave energy

92%

86.6% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK, adjusted for the demographics of the local area by mySociety. Updated September 2022.

Believe that the government should continue the block on onshore wind development

26%

24.2% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK. Updated September 2022.

Believe that the government should use wind and solar farms to reduce energy bills

91%

84.2% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK. Updated September 2022.

Believe the government has increased investment in renewables over the past 5 years

52%

51.9% national average

Survation MRP polling, commissioned by RenewableUK. Updated September 2022.

More public opinion data <

Movement

Churches that have declared a climate emergency

0

0.2 national average

Data from Tearfund. Updated July 2023.

Number of CAFOD activists

6

4.3 national average

Data from CAFOD. Updated February 2023.

Number of CAFOD parishes

5

1.4 national average

Data from CAFOD. Updated February 2023.

Number of CAFOD schools

1

2.3 national average

Data from CAFOD. Updated February 2023.

Number of Christian Aid groups

2

  • Swanage CA Group
  • Wareham Christian Aid Group

Data from Christian Aid. Updated April 2023.

Number of community groups supporting climate action

1

  • Zero Carbon Dorset

Data from The Climate Coalition. These community groups signed The Climate Coalition’s 2024 open letter calling for greater action on climate and nature from UK political parties. Updated 2024-07-02.

Number of Friends of the Earth local action groups

3

  • Dorset CAN
  • Planet Purbeck
  • Portland 4 the Planet

Data from Friends of the Earth. Updated January 2024.

Number of Great Big Green Week 2022 events

6

1.8 national average

Data from The Climate Coalition. Number of Great Big Green Week 2022 events Updated October 2022.

Number of Great Big Green Week 2023 events

33

2.2 national average

Data from The Climate Coalition. Number of Great Big Green Week 2023 events Updated July 2023.

Number of Hope For The Future trained constituents

0

0.2 national average

Data from Hope For The Future. These constituents have been trained by Hope For The Future, to have more frequent and more powerful conversations about climate and nature, with their elected representatives. Updated February 2023.

Number of RSPB Reserves

5

  • Arne
  • Grange Heath
  • Lodmoor
  • Radipole Lake
  • Stoborough Heath

Data from the RSPB. Updated September 2023.

Number of Save the Children shops

0

0.2 national average

Data from Save the Children. Updated July 2023.

Number of Trussell Trust foodbanks

0

2.2 national average

Data from Trussell Trust. Updated December 2022.

Number of Wildlife Trusts Reserves

11

  • Brownsea Island
  • Kilwood
  • King Barrow Quarries
  • Lorton Meadows
  • Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre
  • Stonehill Down
  • Tadnoll & Winfrith Heath
  • The Fine Foundation Wild Chesil Centre
  • The Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre
  • Tout Quarries
  • Townsend

Data from the Wildlife Trusts. Number of Wildlife Trusts Reserves Updated 2024-07-02.

Number of Women’s Institute groups

12

Data from the WI. Updated 2024-04-24.

Number of WWF supporters

1,640

1,468.2 national average

Data from WWF. Updated February 2023.

More movement data <

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