East Fife (UK Parliament constituency)
East Fife | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Subdivisions of Scotland | Fife |
1885–1983 | |
Number of members | One |
Replaced by | North East Fife and Central Fife[1] |
Created from | Fife and (from 1918) St Andrews Burghs |
East Fife was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. Along with West Fife, it was formed by splitting the old Fife constituency.
It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system, and from 1886 to 1918 it was represented by the Liberal Prime Minister (1908–16), H. H. Asquith.
Boundaries[]
In 1885, the constituency comprised the parishes of Abdie, Abernethy, Anstruther Wester, Anstruther Easter, Auchtermuchty, , Cameron, Carnbee, Ceres, Collessie, Crail, Creich, Cults, Cupar, Dairsie, Dunbog, Dunino, Elie, Falkland, , Flisk, Forgan, Kemback, Kennoway, , Kilconquhar, Kilmany, Kilrenny, Kingsbarns, , Leuchars, Logie, Monimail, Moonzie, Newburgh, Newburn, Pittenweem, St Andrews, , St Monance, Scoonie and Strathmiglo.[2]
In 1918, on the dissolution of the St Andrews Burghs constituency, the burghs of St Andrews, Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Crail, Cupar, Kilrenny and Pittenweem were added to the constituency. It then consisted of "The Cupar and St. Andrews County Districts, inclusive of all burghs situated therein, together with the burgh of Leven and so much of the Kirkcaldy County District as is contained within the extra-burghal portion of the parish of Scoonie and the parish of Kennoway."
Members of Parliament[]
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 | John Boyd Kinnear | Liberal | |
1886 | Liberal Unionist | ||
1886 | H. H. Asquith | Liberal | |
1918 | Alexander Sprot | Unionist | |
1922 | James Duncan Millar | Liberal | |
1924 | Archibald Cochrane | Unionist | |
1929 | James Duncan Millar | Liberal | |
1931 | National Liberal | ||
1933 by-election | James Henderson-Stewart | National Liberal | |
1961 by-election | John Gilmour | Unionist | |
1979 | Barry Henderson | Conservative | |
1983 | Constituency abolished |
Election results[]
Elections in the 1880s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Boyd Kinnear | 4,533 | 63.8 | ||
Conservative | John Gilmour | 2,577 | 36.2 | ||
Majority | 1,956 | 27.6 | |||
Turnout | 7,110 | 77.0 | |||
Registered electors | 9,233 | ||||
Liberal win (new seat) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/1895_Herbert_Asquith.jpg/120px-1895_Herbert_Asquith.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 2,863 | 53.5 | −10.3 | |
Liberal Unionist | John Boyd Kinnear | 2,489 | 46.5 | +10.3 | |
Majority | 374 | 7.0 | −20.6 | ||
Turnout | 5,352 | 58.0 | -19.0 | ||
Registered electors | 9,233 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −10.3 |
Elections in the 1890s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 3,743 | 52.0 | −1.5 | |
Conservative | John Gilmour | 3,449 | 48.0 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 294 | 4.0 | −3.0 | ||
Turnout | 7,192 | 78.7 | +20.7 | ||
Registered electors | 9,133 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −1.5 |
Asquith is appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department, requiring a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 4,332 | 54.5 | +2.5 | |
Conservative | John Gilmour | 3,616 | 45.5 | -2.5 | |
Majority | 716 | 9.0 | +5.0 | ||
Turnout | 7,948 | 84.3 | +5.6 | ||
Registered electors | 9,432 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +2.5 |
Elections in the 1900s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 4,141 | 60.4 | +5.9 | |
Conservative | Arthur Constable | 2,710 | 39.6 | -5.9 | |
Majority | 1,431 | 20.8 | +11.8 | ||
Turnout | 6,851 | 72.1 | -12.2 | ||
Registered electors | 9,505 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +5.9 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Herbert-Henry-Asquith-1st-Earl-of-Oxford-and-Asquith.jpg/120px-Herbert-Henry-Asquith-1st-Earl-of-Oxford-and-Asquith.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 4,723 | 59.0 | -1.4 | |
Conservative | John Gilmour | 3,279 | 41.0 | +1.4 | |
Majority | 1,444 | 18.0 | -2.8 | ||
Turnout | 8,002 | 80.0 | +7.9 | ||
Registered electors | 9,998 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −1.4 |
Elections in the 1910s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 5,242 | 62.2 | +3.2 | |
Conservative | Alexander Sprot | 3,183 | 37.8 | -3.2 | |
Majority | 2,059 | 24.4 | +6.4 | ||
Turnout | 8,425 | 81.2 | +1.2 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Herbert_Henry_Asquith.jpg/120px-Herbert_Henry_Asquith.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 5,149 | 60.6 | -1.6 | |
Conservative | Alexander Sprot | 3,350 | 39.4 | +1.6 | |
Majority | 1,799 | 21.2 | -3.2 | ||
Turnout | 8,499 | 78.0 | -3.2 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Alexander Sprot | 8,996 | 54.2 | +14.8 | |
Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 6,996 | 42.2 | -18.4 | |
Independent Progressive | William Pritchard Morgan | 591 | 3.6 | New | |
Majority | 2,002 | 12.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 16,581 | 54.0 | -24.0 | ||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |
Elections in the 1920s[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0c/James_Duncan_Millar.jpg/120px-James_Duncan_Millar.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 12,697 | 56.0 | +13.8 | |
Unionist | Alexander Sprot | 9,987 | 44.0 | -10.2 | |
Majority | 2,710 | 12.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 22,684 | 67.2 | +13.2 | ||
Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +12.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 12,825 | 55.5 | -0.5 | |
Unionist | Alexander Sprot | 10,275 | 44.5 | +0.5 | |
Majority | 2,550 | 11.0 | -1.0 | ||
Turnout | 23,100 | 67.8 | +0.6 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | -0.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Archibald Cochrane | 12,664 | 53.0 | +8.5 | |
Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 11,242 | 47.0 | -8.5 | |
Majority | 1,422 | 6.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 23,906 | 69.2 | +1.4 | ||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 14,329 | 42.9 | -4.1 | |
Unionist | Archibald Cochrane | 13,748 | 41.1 | -11.9 | |
Labour | W R Garson | 5,350 | 6.0 | New | |
Majority | 581 | 1.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 33,427 | 73.3 | +4.1 | ||
Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +3.9 |
Elections in the 1930s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | James Duncan Millar | Unopposed | |||
National Liberal gain from Liberal |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6a/James_Henderson_Stewart.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 15,770 | 52.2 | +11.1 | |
Labour | Joseph Westwood | 6,635 | 22.0 | +16.0 | |
Agricultural Party | J. L. Anderson | 4,404 | 14.6 | New | |
Independent Liberal | David Edwin Keir | 2,296 | 7.6 | New | |
National (Scotland) | Eric Linklater | 1,083 | 3.6 | New | |
Majority | 9,135 | 30.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 30,188 | 65.6 | N/A | ||
National Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 27,915 | 82.3 | +30.1 | |
Labour | Alexander Kerr Davidson | 6,016 | 17.7 | -4.3 | |
Majority | 21,899 | 64.6 | +34.4 | ||
Turnout | 33,931 | 71.0 | +5.4 | ||
National Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1940s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 24,765 | 69.4 | -12.9 | |
Labour | Samuel McLaren | 10,920 | 30.6 | +12.9 | |
Majority | 13,845 | 38.8 | -25.8 | ||
Turnout | 35,685 | 70.8 | -0.2 | ||
National Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | James Henderson Stewart | 25,749 | 63.7 | -5.7 | |
Labour | Samuel McLaren | 10,694 | 26.5 | -4.1 | |
Liberal | David Alexander Freeman | 3,975 | 9.8 | New | |
Majority | 15,055 | 37.2 | -1.6 | ||
Turnout | 40,418 | 81.1 | +1.3 | ||
National Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | James Henderson Stewart | 28,446 | 70.6 | +6.9 | |
Labour | John McGowan | 11,844 | 29.4 | +2.9 | |
Majority | 16,602 | 41.2 | +4.0 | ||
Turnout | 40,290 | 78.7 | -2.4 | ||
National Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | James Henderson Stewart | 26,104 | 70.6 | 0.0 | |
Labour | John McGowan | 10,872 | 29.4 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 15,522 | 41.2 | 0.0 | ||
Turnout | 36,976 | 73.2 | -5.5 | ||
National Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | James Henderson Stewart | 26,585 | 69.9 | -0.7 | |
Labour | John Nicol | 11,421 | 30.0 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 15,164 | 39.9 | -1.3 | ||
Turnout | 38,006 | 75.2 | +2.0 | ||
National Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | John Gilmour | 15,948 | 47.5 | -22.2 | |
Labour | John Smith | 8,882 | 26.4 | −3.6 | |
Liberal | Donald Leach | 8,786 | 26.1 | New | |
Majority | 7,066 | 21.1 | -18.8 | ||
Turnout | 33,616 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | John Gilmour | 21,001 | 54.2 | -15.7 | |
Labour | John Smith | 9,765 | 25.2 | -4.8 | |
Liberal | Derek C Wood | 5,075 | 13.1 | N/A | |
SNP | James Braid | 2,635 | 6.8 | New | |
Independent Loyalist | Leslie M.C. Greene | 257 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 11,236 | 29.0 | -10.9 | ||
Turnout | 38,733 | 77.8 | +2.6 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Gilmour | 19,323 | 51.5 | −2.7 | |
Labour | Harry Peaker | 9,229 | 24.6 | −0.6 | |
SNP | James Braid | 5,394 | 14.4 | +7.6 | |
Liberal | Derek A. Barrie | 3,574 | 9.5 | −3.6 | |
Majority | 10,094 | 26.9 | −2.1 | ||
Turnout | 37,520 | 76.1 | −1.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1970s[]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Gilmour | 21,619 | 54.6 | +3.1 | |
Labour | Harry Ewing | 9,756 | 24.6 | 0.0 | |
SNP | James Braid | 4,666 | 11.8 | −2.6 | |
Liberal | Willis Pickard | 3,577 | 9.0 | −0.5 | |
Majority | 11,863 | 30.0 | +3.1 | ||
Turnout | 39,618 | 74.4 | −1.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Gilmour | 21,172 | 47.9 | −6.7 | |
SNP | James Braid | 8,593 | 19.5 | +7.7 | |
Liberal | Willis Pickard | 7,766 | 17.6 | +8.6 | |
Labour | Bashir Maan | 6,634 | 15.0 | −9.6 | |
Majority | 12,579 | 28.4 | −1.6 | ||
Turnout | 44,165 | 78.8 | +4.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Gilmour | 16,116 | 38.8 | −9.1 | |
SNP | James Braid | 13,202 | 31.8 | +12.3 | |
Labour | Helen Liddell | 7,040 | 16.9 | +1.9 | |
Liberal | D.W.C. Docherty | 5,247 | 12.6 | −5.0 | |
Majority | 2,914 | 7.0 | −21.4 | ||
Turnout | 41,605 | 73.7 | −5.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Barry Henderson | 20,117 | 43.0 | +4.2 | |
Liberal | Menzies Campbell | 10,762 | 23.0 | +10.4 | |
Labour | Henry McLeish | 9,339 | 19.9 | +3.0 | |
SNP | J. Marshall | 6,612 | 14.1 | −17.7 | |
Majority | 9,355 | 20.0 | +13.0 | ||
Turnout | 46,830 | 79.0 | +5.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
References[]
- ^ "'Fife East', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ^ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
- ^ a b c d e f g Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
Sources[]
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
- Election results, 1950 - 1970
- F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1974 - 1983
- F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918 - 1949
- F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1885 - 1918
See also[]
- North East Fife Constituency
- Historic parliamentary constituencies in Scotland (Westminster)
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1885
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1983
- Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom represented by a sitting Prime Minister