Editing Torbay (section)

==Governance==
{{main|Torbay Council}}
Torbay Council is the local authority for the borough. Since 1998 it has been a [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]], performing the functions of both a [[non-metropolitan county|county council]] and [[non-metropolitan district|district council]] combined. The borough contains one [[civil parish]], Brixham, which forms a second tier of local government in that part of the borough; the rest of the borough is an [[unparished area]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=14 August 2023}}</ref>

Torbay as an administrative area was created in 1968, when the [[municipal borough]] of [[Torquay]], the [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban districts]] of [[Brixham]] and [[Paignton]], and the parish of [[Churston Ferrers]] were all abolished. Torbay was created as a [[county borough]] covering the area of the abolished authorities, with some adjustments of the boundaries to neighbouring areas; the more rural southern parts from Brixham and Churston Ferrers were transferred to the parish of [[Kingswear]], and there were more minor adjustments to the boundaries with the neighbouring parishes of [[Coffinswell]], [[Kingskerswell|Kerswells]] and [[Marldon]]. As a county borough, Torbay was administratively independent from [[Devon County Council]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=R. J. D. |title=Torbay Borough starts with a history: Story of the foundation of the new borough |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=3 August 2023 |work=Herald Express |date=1 April 1968 |location=Torquay |page=1968}}</ref> Six years later, in 1974, local government was reformed again, with Torbay becoming a [[non-metropolitan district]] and Devon County Council providing county-level services to the area again.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> Torbay regained its independence from the county council in 1998 when it was made a unitary authority.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Devon (City of Plymouth and Borough of Torbay) Structural Change) Order 1996|year=1996|number=1865|access-date=3 August 2023}}</ref> Torbay remains part of the [[ceremonial county]] of Devon for the purposes of [[Lieutenancy area|lieutenancy]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Lieutenancies Act 1997|year=1997|chapter=23|access-date=3 August 2023}}</ref>

The area is represented nationally at the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] by two MPs. Torquay (along with part of Paignton) is in the [[Torbay (UK Parliament constituency)|Torbay parliamentary constituency]] which was created in 1974 and was won by [[Steve Darling]] for the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] in 2024 having been held by [[Adrian Sanders]] of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] from 1997 to 2015 and [[Kevin Foster (politician)|Kevin Foster]] for the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] from 2015 to 2024. Brixham and part of Paignton fall within the [[South Devon (UK Parliament constituency)|South Devon constituency]], which is also represented by a Liberal Democrat [[Caroline Voaden]].