North Ayrshire and Arran (UK Parliament constituency)

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North Ayrshire and Arran
constituency
Unknown parliament UK.
NorthAyrshireArranConstituency.svg
North Ayrshire and Arran shown within Scotland.
Subdivisions of Scotland North Ayrshire
Population135,000 (2008, approx.)
Electorate 74,985 (approx.)
Major settlements Ardrossan, Dalry, Kilwinning, Largs, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Kilbirnie
Current constituency
Created2005 (2005)
Member of Parliament / Assembly member Patricia Gibson (SNP)
Created from Cunninghame North

North Ayrshire and Arran is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the south-west of Scotland within the North Ayrshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post voting system of voting.

Contents

Once a longtime Conservative seat, the area had been represented by Labour MPs from 1987 until 2015. Patricia Gibson, has held the seat as an SNP member since 2015.

It contains the towns of Largs, Fairlie and West Kilbride to the north, as well as the towns of Ardrossan, Kilbirnie, the Garnock Valley, Kilwinning, Saltcoats and Stevenston to the south. The Isle of Arran and Great Cumbrae are also within the constituency.

Boundaries

North Ayrshire and Arran (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of current boundaries

The constituency is entirely within the North Ayrshire council area. Part of the same council area is covered by the Central Ayrshire constituency.

The boundaries of North Ayrshire and Arran extend to, and include, Skelmorlie in the north of the council area, Irvine in the south, Beith in the east, and the islands of Arran and Cumbrae in the west.

Constituency profile

A view of Ardrossan Ardrossan Scotland.jpg
A view of Ardrossan

The seat takes in many towns and villages which have some very affluent areas and more working class areas, The towns of Skelmorlie, Largs, Fairlie and West Kilbride in the north are affluent commuter towns, while Ardrossan, Saltcoats, and Stevenston in the south are rather more industrial, However, regeneration is taking place at Ardrossan Harbour and there has been a rapid increase in new build housing in recent years. Inland, the seat takes in the Garnock valley towns of Dalry, Beith and Kilbirnie, once a centre of steel and textile production long since gone. Tourism is the main industry on Arran and Cumbrae, however the number of holiday homes on the latter has begun to squeeze locals out of the housing market. The seat has two nuclear power stations, Hunterston A nuclear power station (currently being decommissioned) and Hunterston B nuclear power station, as well as a windfarm at Ardrossan. Kilwinning which is North Ayrshire's second largest town in the south of the constituency has many very affluent areas as well as working class areas but while the constituency maybe seen as working class as a whole, It is considered mixed due to the wealthy and working class areas within it

History

The constituency of North Ayrshire was created in 1868 and was much larger than the present constituency, as it also included the towns of Irvine and Kilmarnock. It returned various Liberal, Liberal Unionist and Conservative MP's, the most well known of whom being Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston, a general in the First World War who served as MP from 1916 to 1935 first for North Ayrshire and then for Bute and Northern Ayrshire which was created in 1918. Another well-known MP was Sir Fitzroy Maclean, a major-general in the Second World War who was rumoured to be one of Ian Fleming's inspirations for James Bond.

In 1983, the Cunninghame North constituency was created. From 1911 to 1987, the constituencies containing North Ayrshire returned either Conservative Party or Unionist Party MP's until the 1987 general election when the constituency was lost to the Labour Party. In 2015, the seat was won by the SNP. In the 2017 general election the SNP held the seat with a much reduced majority, with the Conservatives more than doubling their vote share.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [1] Party
2005 Katy Clark Labour
2015 Patricia Gibson SNP

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: North Ayrshire and Arran
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Irene Campbell [2]
Conservative Todd Ferguson [3]
SNP Patricia Gibson [4]
Reform UK Michael Mann [5]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: North Ayrshire and Arran [6] [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SNP Patricia Gibson 23,376 48.5 +9.6
Conservative David Rocks14,85530.8-0.4
Labour Cameron Gilmore6,70213.9-13.6
Liberal Democrats Louise Young2,1074.4+2.0
Scottish Green David Nairn1,1142.3New
Majority8,52117.7+10.0
Turnout 48,15465.5+0.7
SNP hold Swing +5.0
General election 2017: North Ayrshire and Arran [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SNP Patricia Gibson 18,451 38.9 -14.3
Conservative David Rocks14,81831.2+16.4
Labour Christopher Rimicans13,04027.5-0.5
Liberal Democrats Mark Dickson1,1242.4+0.7
Majority3,6337.7-17.5
Turnout 47,43364.8-6.3
SNP hold Swing -15.4
General election 2015: North Ayrshire and Arran [9] [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SNP Patricia Gibson 28,641 53.2 +27.3
Labour Katy Clark 15,06828.0-19.4
Conservative Jamie Greene 7,96814.8-0.8
UKIP Sharon McGonigal [12] 1,2962.4New
Liberal Democrats Ruby Kirkwood8961.7-8.3
Majority13,57325.2N/A
Turnout 53,86971.1+9.6
SNP gain from Labour Swing +23.3
General election 2010: North Ayrshire and Arran [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Katy Clark 21,860 47.4 +3.5
SNP Patricia Gibson 11,96525.9+7.9
Conservative Philip Lardner7,21215.6-2.8
Liberal Democrats Gillian Cole-Hamilton 4,63010.0-6.4
Socialist Labour Louise McDaid4491.0+0.3
Majority9,89521.5-4.1
Turnout 46,11661.5+1.6
Labour hold Swing

2010 general election Campaign

The Conservative Party candidate Philip Lardner was dropped as their official candidate and suspended from his job (but later reinstated) as a Primary School teacher following comments he had made, in which he described homosexuality as "not normal behaviour". As nominations for candidates had closed, however, the Conservatives were unable to replace him. In 2008 he had previously been suspended as a candidate for the same seat by the Conservatives over claims he made racist remarks, but was later reinstated as the candidate for this seat and exonerated by the Party. Lardner is recorded by the BBC as an "Independent", due to him being "disowned" by the Conservative Party prior to polling day, however, on the actual ballot paper he was still described as a "Scottish Conservatives & Unionist". [14]

The Labour Party chose Katy Clark, the incumbent MP and former trade union official to re-contest the seat. Clark was considered to be quite a left-wing Labour MP as she voted against replacing Trident and was a member of the Scottish Campaign for Socialism.

The Scottish National Party narrowly won the seat of Cunninghame North during the 2007 Scottish parliamentary election and wished to capitalise on this success during the general election. They chose 41-year-old retired English teacher Cllr Patricia Gibson to contest the seat.

The Liberal Democrats chose primary teacher Gillian Cole-Hamilton and Louise McDaid of the Socialist Labour Party also contested the seat as she has done for several elections.

Percentage vote change and percentage swing for the 2005 results are based on notional results on how this constituency would have performed in the 2001 UK General Election.

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North Ayrshire and Arran [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Katy Clark 19,417 43.9 -4.5
Conservative Stewart Connell8,12118.4+0.9
SNP Tony Gurney7,93818.0-3.0
Liberal Democrats George White7,26416.4+7.6
Scottish Socialist Colin Turbett7801.8-1.4
UKIP John Pursley3820.9New
Socialist Labour Louise McDaid3030.7-0.5
Majority11,29625.6-1.9
Turnout 44,20559.9-0.8
Labour hold Swing -2.7

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Ayrshire</span> Council area of Scotland

North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and south respectively. The local authority is North Ayrshire Council, formed in 1996 with the same boundaries as the district of Cunninghame which existed from 1975 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cunninghame</span> Area of Scotland, comprising the northern part of Ayrshire

Cunninghame is a former comital district of Scotland and also a district of the Strathclyde Region from 1975 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltcoats</span> Town in North Ayrshire, Scotland

Saltcoats is a town on the west coast of North Ayrshire, Scotland. The name is derived from the town's earliest industry when salt was harvested from the sea water of the Firth of Clyde, carried out in small cottages along the shore. It is part of the 'Three Towns' conurbation along with Ardrossan and Stevenston and is the third largest town in North Ayrshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campbell Martin</span>

Campbell Martin is a Scottish journalist and former politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ardrossan</span> Town and sea port in Scotland

Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore of the Firth of Clyde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2005 onwards

Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 2005 general election from parts of the old Ayr and Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituencies. It has been represented since 2019 by Allan Dorans of the Scottish National Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Ayrshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2005 onwards

Central Ayrshire is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the south-west of Scotland within the North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire council areas. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post system of voting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Kilbride</span> Village in North Ayrshire, Scotland

West Kilbride is a village and historic parish in North Ayrshire, Scotland, on the west coast by the Firth of Clyde, looking across the Firth of Clyde to Goat Fell and the Isle of Arran. West Kilbride and adjoining districts of Seamill and Portencross are generally considered to be a small town, having a combined population of 4,393 at the 2001 census.

Bute and Northern Ayrshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cunninghame North (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983–2005

Cunninghame North was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 2005. Thereafter, it was largely replaced by North Ayrshire and Arran. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cunninghame North (Scottish Parliament constituency)</span> Region or constituency of the Scottish Parliament

Cunninghame North is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of North Ayrshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one of ten constituencies in the West Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Elections to North Ayrshire Council were held on 3 May 2007, the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections and the Scottish Parliament elections. The election was the first one using eight new wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, each ward will elect three or four councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation. The new wards replaced the 30 single-member wards which used the plurality system of election.

The 2012 North Ayrshire Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of North Ayrshire Council. The election used the eight wards created as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with each ward electing three or four councillors using the single transferable vote system form of proportional representation, with 30 Councillors being elected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Gibson</span> Scottish SNP politician

Patricia Gibson is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician serving as SNP Attorney General Spokesperson since September 2023. She served as the SNP Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government since 2021 to 2022. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Ayrshire and Arran since the 2015 general election.

Elections to North Ayrshire Council took place on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections.

Elections to North Ayrshire Council took place on 5 May 2022 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections, it was held using single transferable vote (STV) – a form of proportional representation – in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltcoats (ward)</span> Electoral ward in North Ayrshire

Saltcoats was one of the 10 electoral wards of North Ayrshire Council. Created in 2017 following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements, the ward elected three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system. As a result of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ward was abolished in 2022.

Saltcoats and Stevenston is one of the nine wards used to elect members of North Ayrshire Council. Re-established in 2022, the ward elects five councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 21,925 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Coast and Cumbraes (ward)</span> Former electoral ward in North Ayrshire

North Coast and Cumbraes was one of the nine wards used to elect members of North Ayrshire Council. Created in 2007 following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements, the ward elected four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system. As a result of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ward was abolished in 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 3)
  2. ↑ "General election: Labour unveil North Ayrshire candidate". Largs & Millport Weekly News. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "Millport: Councillor Todd Ferguson to stand for Westminster". Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  4. ↑ "Patricia Gibson: North Ayrshire and Arran MP to stand for re-election". Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "North Ayrshire and Arran Constituency". Reform UK . Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  6. ↑ "Forthcoming ElectionsMinimize". North Ayrshire Council. North Ayrshire Council. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  7. ↑ "Ayrshire North & Arran parliamentary constituency - Election 2019" . Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  8. ↑ "Ayrshire North & Arran parliamentary constituency - Election 2017 - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ↑ http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/news/UKParliamentaryElectionsNorthAyrshireandArran.aspx 18Aug15
  11. ↑ "UK Election Results: Ayrshire North & Arran 2015".
  12. ↑ "UK Polling Report".
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "General Election Results 2010". North Ayrshire Council. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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