Caithness and Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness and Sutherland | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Location of Caithness and Sutherland within Scotland | |
Subdivisions of Scotland | Highland |
1918–1997 | |
Replaced by | Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross |
Created from | Caithness, Sutherland and Wick Burghs |
Caithness and Sutherland was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
The constituency was created by merging the constituencies of Caithness and Sutherland and the Dornoch and Wick components of the Wick Burghs constituency.
In 1997 the constituency was superseded by the creation of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which merged Caithness and Sutherland and the Easter Ross area of Ross, Cromarty and Skye.
Caithness and Sutherland was geographically one of the largest constituencies in the United Kingdom, as well as the most northerly constituency on the mainland (only the island constituency of Orkney and Shetland was further north).
1918 constituency reform[]
The creation of Caithness and Sutherland as a single constituency was a part of a package of boundary reform also affecting many other parts of the United Kingdom. The reform was the first since the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885, and its main aim was to make constituencies more equal in terms of the sizes of their electorates.
Local government areas[]
1918 to 1975[]
When created the constituency covered the county of Caithness and the county of Sutherland, including the burghs of Dornoch, Thurso and Wick.
1975 to 1983[]
In 1975 counties and burghs were abolished and the constituency became an area within the Highland region. The region included two new local government districts, called Caithness and Sutherland. The Caithness district was entirely within the constituency. The Sutherland district had a small area, the Kincardine electoral division, within the Ross and Cromarty constituency.
1983 to 1996[]
Constituency boundaries were redrawn in 1983, and the Caithness and Sutherland constituency was enlarged to cover the whole of the Sutherland district.
1996 to 1997[]
In 1996 the districts were abolished and the Highland region became a unitary council area. Throughout the remainder of the life of the constituency the Highland Council had area committees representing the areas of the former districts.
Members of Parliament[]
Election | Member [1] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1918 | Sir Leicester Harmsworth | Coalition Liberal | |
1922 | Sir Archibald Sinclair | National Liberal | |
1923 | Liberal | ||
1945 | Eric Gandar Dower | Conservative | |
1950 | Sir David Robertson | Conservative | |
1959 | Independent Conservative | ||
1964 | George Mackie | Liberal | |
1966 | Robert Maclennan | Labour | |
1981 | SDP | ||
1988 | Liberal Democrats | ||
1997 | constituency abolished |
At the time of the 1918 general election, Sir Leicester Harmsworth had been MP for the constituency of Caithness since the 1900 general election.
In the general election of 1997 Robert Maclennan was elected MP for the then new constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, a seat he held until retiring from parliament at the 2001 general election.
Election results[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Caithness_%26_Sutherland_election_history.png)
Elections in the 1910s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | National Liberal | Leicester Harmsworth | 6,769 | 62.6 | |
Liberal | Francis John Robertson | 4,036 | 37.4 | ||
Majority | 2,733 | 25.2 | |||
Turnout | 10,785 | ||||
National Liberal win (new seat) | |||||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | Archibald Sinclair | 7,715 | 57.1 | -5.5 | |
Liberal | Leicester Harmsworth | 5,803 | 42.9 | +5.5 | |
Majority | 1,912 | 14.2 | -11.0 | ||
Turnout | 13,518 | 60.1 | |||
National Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Archibald Sinclair | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Archibald Sinclair | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Archibald Sinclair | 13,462 | 73.9 | N/A | |
Unionist | James Duncan | 3,041 | 16.7 | New | |
Independent Labour | Charles G Oman | 1,711 | 9.4 | New | |
Majority | 10,421 | 57.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 18,214 | 66.5 | N/A | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1930s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Archibald Sinclair | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Archibald Sinclair | 12,071 | 72.32 | N/A | |
National | William Bruce | 4,621 | 27.68 | New | |
Majority | 7,650 | 44.64 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 16,692 | 60.06 | N/A | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1940s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Eric Gandar Dower | 5,564 | 33.5 | New | |
Labour | Robert Ian Aonas MacInnes | 5,558 | 33.4 | New | |
Liberal | Archibald Sinclair | 5,503 | 33.1 | -39.2 | |
Majority | 6 | 0.04 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 16,625 | 64.2 | +4.1 | ||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | David Robertson | 6,969 | 36.0 | +2.5 | |
Liberal | Archibald Sinclair | 6,700 | 34.6 | +1.5 | |
Labour | Alasdair MacArthur | 5,676 | 29.3 | -4.1 | |
Majority | 269 | 1.4 | +1.4 | ||
Turnout | 25,021 | 76.6 | +12.4 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +3.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | David Robertson | 9,814 | 49.2 | +13.2 | |
Labour | Richard Murray | 6,799 | 34.1 | +4.8 | |
Liberal | Peter J M McEwan | 3,299 | 16.6 | -18.0 | |
Majority | 3,015 | 15.14 | +14.7 | ||
Turnout | 19,912 | 73.26 | +3.3 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +4.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | David Robertson | 10,453 | 56.5 | +7.3 | |
Labour | Hugh F Sutherland | 5,364 | 29.0 | -5.1 | |
Liberal | John Stuart Mowat | 2,674 | 14.5 | -2.1 | |
Majority | 5,089 | 27.5 | +12.4 | ||
Turnout | 18,491 | 69.5 | -3.8 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +6.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ind U | David Robertson | 12,163 | 65.3 | New | |
Labour | Ronald Murray | 6,438 | 34.6 | +5.6 | |
Majority | 5,725 | 30.7 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 18,601 | 69.6 | +0.1 | ||
Ind U gain from Unionist | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Mackie | 7,894 | 36.1 | New | |
Labour | John B Urquhart | 6,619 | 30.2 | -4.4 | |
Unionist | Patrick Maitland | 4,550 | 20.8 | New | |
Ind U | John M Young | 2,795 | 12.7 | -52.6 | |
Majority | 1,275 | 5.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 21,858 | 80.1 | +11.5 | ||
Liberal gain from Ind U | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robert Maclennan | 8,308 | 39.1 | +8.9 | |
Liberal | George Mackie | 8,244 | 38.8 | +2.7 | |
Conservative | Hamish Watt | 4,662 | 21.9 | +1.1 | |
Majority | 64 | 0.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 21,214 | 79.2 | -0.9 | ||
Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.1 |
Elections in the 1970s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robert Maclennan | 8,768 | 36.7 | -2.4 | |
Liberal | George Mackie | 6,063 | 25.4 | -13.4 | |
Conservative | John M Young | 5,334 | 22.3 | +0.4 | |
SNP | Donald G. Barr | 3,690 | 15.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 2,705 | 11.3 | +11.0 | ||
Turnout | 23,855 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +5.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robert Maclennan | 8,574 | 36.2 | -0.5 | |
Liberal | Michael R Burnett | 6,222 | 26.2 | +0.8 | |
Conservative | G Susan Bell | 5,104 | 21.5 | -0.8 | |
SNP | Eric Alexander Sutherland | 3,814 | 16.1 | +0.7 | |
Majority | 2,352 | 10.0 | -1.3 | ||
Turnout | 23,714 | 83.0 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | -0.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robert Maclennan | 7,941 | 35.3 | −0.9 | |
SNP | Eric Alexander Sutherland | 5,381 | 23.9 | +7.8 | |
Liberal | Michael R Burnett | 4,949 | 22.0 | −4.2 | |
Conservative | Albert McQuarrie | 4,240 | 18.8 | −2.7 | |
Majority | 2,560 | 11.4 | +1.4 | ||
Turnout | 22,511 | 78.1 | -4.9 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −4.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robert Maclennan | 9,613 | 41.5 | +6.2 | |
Conservative | Richard H. Wardrop | 7,074 | 30.5 | +11.7 | |
SNP | Robin R. Shaw | 6,487 | 28.0 | +4.1 | |
Majority | 2,539 | 11.0 | −0.4 | ||
Turnout | 23,714 | 78.4 | +0.3 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −2.7 |
Elections in the 1980s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SDP | Robert Maclennan | 12,119 | 52.0 | New | |
Conservative | Alistair M. Scouller | 5,276 | 22.7 | −7.8 | |
Labour | Danny Carrigan | 3,325 | 14.3 | −27.2 | |
SNP | Jim Ingram | 2,568 | 11.0 | −17.0 | |
Majority | 6,843 | 29.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 23,288 | 75.4 | -3.0 | ||
SDP gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SDP | Robert Maclennan | 12,338 | 53.7 | +1.7 | |
Conservative | Robert Hamilton | 3,844 | 16.7 | −6.0 | |
Labour | Allan Byron | 3,437 | 14.9 | +0.6 | |
SNP | Archibal MacGregor | 2,371 | 10.3 | −0.7 | |
Independent Liberal | William Mowat | 686 | 2.9 | New | |
Green (UK) | Bernard Planterose | 333 | 1.4 | New | |
Majority | 8,494 | 36.9 | +7.6 | ||
Turnout | 23,009 | 73.6 | -1.8 | ||
SDP hold | Swing | +3.8 |
Elections in the 1990s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Robert Maclennan | 10,032 | 45.1 | −8.6 | |
Conservative | George Bruce | 4,667 | 20.9 | +4.2 | |
SNP | Kerr MacGregor | 4,049 | 18.2 | +7.9 | |
Labour | Michael F. Coyne | 3,483 | 15.6 | +0.7 | |
Majority | 5,365 | 24.2 | -12.8 | ||
Turnout | 22,231 | 72.5 | -1.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −6.4 |
References[]
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 1)
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1955
- ^ British Parliamentary election Results 1974-83 by FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary election Results 1974-83 by FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary election Results 1974-83 by FWS Craig
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
See also[]
- Former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies
- Historic parliamentary constituencies in Scotland (Westminster)
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1918
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1997
- Politics of the county of Caithness
- Politics of the county of Sutherland
- Highland constituencies, UK Parliament (historic)