It was created in 1994 to replace the majority of Devon and a small part of Cornwall and Plymouth.

Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales.

[1] The seat became part of the much larger South West England constituency in 1999.

The latter launched legal action in the High Court of Justice alleging that the Returning Officer had wrongly accepted a nomination which was designed to confuse voters.

This prompted a change in the law, banning potentially confusing party descriptions.