East Fife (UK Parliament constituency)

East Fife
East Fife
Former county constituency ; for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland	Fife
1885–1983
Seats	One
Created from	Fife and (from 1918) St Andrews Burghs
Replaced by	North East Fife and Central Fife

Last updated August 11, 2024

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.

Boundaries

In 1885, the constituency comprised the parishes of Abdie, Abernethy, Anstruther Wester, Anstruther Easter, Auchtermuchty, Balmerino, Cameron, Carnbee, Ceres, Collessie, Crail, Creich, Cults, Cupar, Dairsie, Dunbog, Dunino, Elie, Falkland, Ferry-Port-on-Craig, Flisk, Forgan, Kemback, Kennoway, Kettle, Kilconquhar, Kilmany, Kilrenny, Kingsbarns, Largo, Leuchars, Logie, Monimail, Moonzie, Newburgh, Newburn, Pittenweem, St Andrews, St Leonards, 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

	Member	Party
1885	John Boyd Kinnear	Liberal
1886	John Boyd Kinnear	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	James Duncan Millar	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

General election 1885: East Fife^[3]
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)

General election 1886: East Fife^[3]
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

General election 1892: East Fife^[3]
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.

By-election, 1892: East Fife^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	H. H. Asquith	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1895: East Fife^[3]
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

General election 1900: East Fife^[3]
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

H. H. Asquith Herbert-Henry-Asquith-1st-Earl-of-Oxford-and-Asquith.jpg — H. H. Asquith

General election 1906: East Fife^[3]
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

General election January 1910: East Fife
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

General election December 1910: East Fife
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

By-election, 1914: East Fife
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	H. H. Asquith	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1918: East Fife^[4]
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

General election 1922: East Fife
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

General election 1923: East Fife
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

General election 1924: East Fife
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

General election 1929: East Fife
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

1931 general election: East Fife
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	James Duncan Millar	Unopposed
	National Liberal gain from Liberal

Henderson-Stewart James Henderson Stewart.jpg — Henderson-Stewart

1933 East Fife by-election ^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	James Henderson-Stewart	15,770	52.2	*N/A*
	Labour	Joseph Westwood	6,635	22.0	New
	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

General election 1935: East Fife ^[6]
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

General election 1945: East Fife
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	James Henderson-Stewart	24,765	69.4	−12.9
	Labour Co-op	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

General election 1950: East Fife
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National Liberal	James Henderson-Stewart	25,749	63.7	−5.7
	Labour Co-op	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

General election 1951: East Fife
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

General election 1955: East Fife
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

General election 1959: East Fife
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

1961 East Fife by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	John Gilmour	15,948	47.5	−22.4
	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	-9.3

General election 1964: East Fife
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

General election 1966: East Fife
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

General election 1970: East Fife
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

General election February 1974: East Fife
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

General election October 1974: East Fife
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

General election 1979: East Fife
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

Related Research Articles

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References

↑ "'Fife East', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
↑ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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 Archived 5 May 2004 at the Wayback Machine
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

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Worcestershire East	Constituency represented by the chancellor of the Exchequer 1905–1908	Succeeded by Caernarvon Boroughs
Preceded by Stirling Burghs	Constituency represented by the prime minister 1908–1916	Succeeded by Caernarvon Boroughs

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