2 9 5 ▁the ▁Bor ough ▁of ▁Bar n st ap le ▁was ▁represented ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons ▁by ▁two ▁members ▁of ▁parliament ▁until ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁when ▁its ▁representation ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁one ▁member . ▁The ▁constitu ency ▁was ▁abol ished ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁general ▁election ▁and ▁was ▁cons olid ated ▁into ▁the ▁large ▁modern ▁constitu ency ▁of ▁North ▁Dev on , ▁which ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁Nick ▁Har vey , ▁MP , ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Democr ats ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁general ▁election , ▁Peter ▁He aton - J ones ▁of ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁was ▁elected ▁and ▁re - elect ed ▁again ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁with ▁an ▁increased ▁vote ▁share ▁of ▁ 4 5 . 8 %. ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁Bar n st ap le ▁is ▁the ▁main ▁town ▁of ▁North ▁Dev on ▁and ▁claims ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁oldest ▁bor ough ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁It ▁lies ▁ ▁west - s outh - west ▁of ▁Br istol , ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁P ly mouth ▁and ▁ ▁north west ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁town ▁and ▁city ▁of ▁Ex eter . ▁It ▁was ▁founded ▁at ▁the ▁lowest ▁crossing ▁point ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁T aw , ▁where ▁its ▁est u ary ▁starts ▁to ▁w iden , ▁about ▁ 7   m iles ▁( 1 1   km ) ▁in land ▁from ▁Bar n st ap