Orkney (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Orkney
County constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Orkney (Scottish Parliament constituency).svg
Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region).svg
Orkney shown within the Highlands and Islands electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population22,190 (2019) [1] [2]
Current constituency
Created 1999
Party Liberal Democrats
MSP Liam McArthur
Council area Orkney Islands

Orkney is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering the council area of Orkney. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one of eight constituencies in the Highlands and Islands electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Contents

Orkney has been held by the Liberal Democrats at all elections since the formation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, with the current MSP being Liam McArthur, who won the seat at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. The former Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace represented the constituency from 1999 to 2007.

Electoral region

Orkney is part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region; the other seven constituencies are: Argyll and Bute, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Inverness and Nairn, Moray, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Shetland and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

The region covers most of Argyll and Bute council area, all of the Highland council area, most of the Moray council area, all of the Orkney Islands council area, all of the Shetland Islands council area and all of Na h-Eileanan Siar.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The Orkney constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, to cover the Orkney Islands council area. The constituency is protected in law due to its geographical separation from other parts of Scotland, and therefore its boundaries are not subject to review. [3]

In the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster), the council area is covered by the Orkney and Shetland constituency, which also covers the Shetland Islands council area. [4]

It contains all six of the Orkney Council wards: East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray; Kirkwall East; Kirkwall West and Orphir; North Isles; Stromness and South Isles; West Mainland.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1999 Jim Wallace Liberal Democrat
2007 Liam McArthur

Election results

Orkney election results 1999-2021 Orkney 1999-2021.png
Orkney election results 1999-2021

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Orkney [5] [6]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Liberal Democrats Liam McArthur [a] 7,23862.4Decrease2.svg4.93,61631.2Decrease2.svg2.1
SNP Robert Leslie3,36929.1Increase2.svg4.73,38429.2Increase2.svg5.6
Conservative Sam Bown6996.0Increase2.svg1.92,20219.0Increase2.svg7.7
Green 1,1049.5Increase2.svg2.9
Labour Coilla Drake2902.5Decrease2.svg0.47256.3Increase2.svg1.5
Scottish Family 1271.1New
Alba 980.8New
Independent Andy Wightman [b] 870.8New
All for Unity 630.5New
Scottish Libertarian 320.3New
Reform UK 310.3New
UKIP 300.3Decrease2.svg2.2
Abolish the Scottish Parliament 280.2New
Freedom Alliance (UK)220.2New
Restore Scotland 180.2New
TUSC 150.1New
Independent Hazel Mansfield40.0New
Majority3,86933.3Decrease2.svg9.7
Valid Votes11,59611,586
Invalid Votes2527
Turnout 11,62165.6Increase2.svg3.411,61365.5Increase2.svg3.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease2.svg4.9
Notes
  1. Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. Incumbent member on the list for Lothian region, having been elected as a member of the Scottish Greens in 2016

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Orkney [7]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Liberal Democrats Liam McArthur [a] 7,09667.4Increase2.svg31.73,51533.4Increase2.svg8.0
SNP Donna Heddle2,56224.3Decrease2.svg0.82,49123.6Decrease2.svg12.2
Independent James Stockan1,77516.8New
Conservative Jamie Halcro Johnston 4354.1Decrease2.svg4.31,19311.3Increase2.svg0.5
Green 6966.6Increase2.svg0.4
Labour Gerard McGarvey3042.9Decrease2.svg2.75064.8Decrease2.svg4.2
UKIP 2552.4Decrease2.svg1.5
Independent Paul Dawson1371.3New
Scottish Christian 490.5Decrease2.svg1.0
Solidarity 300.3Increase2.svg0.1
RISE 270.3New
Majority4,53443.1Increase2.svg32.6
Valid Votes10,53410,537
Invalid Votes2819
Turnout 10,56262.1Increase2.svg12.210,55662.1Increase2.svg12.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase2.svg16.3
Notes
  1. Incumbent member for this constituency
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Orkney [8]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
Liberal Democrats Liam McArthur [a] 2,91235.7Decrease2.svg11.82,06225.4
Independent James Stockan2,05225.2New
SNP Donna Heddle2,04425.1Increase2.svg6.22,90635.8
Conservative Jamie Halcro Johnston 6868.4Decrease2.svg10.587510.8
Labour William Sharkey4585.6Decrease2.svg7.57309.0
Green 5016.2
UKIP 3163.9
All-Scotland Pensioners Party 1281.6
Scottish Christian 1231.5
BNP 630.8
Socialist Labour 590.7
Scottish Socialist 300.4
Solidarity 180.2
Others3163.9
Majority86010.5Decrease2.svg17.9
Valid Votes8,1528,127
Invalid Votes2951
Turnout 8,18149.9Decrease2.svg3.58,17849.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease2.svg9.0
Notes
  1. Incumbent member for this constituency

2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Orkney
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Liam McArthur 4,113 47.5 +1.8
SNP John Mowat1,63718.9+5.7
Conservative Helen Gardiner1,63218.9−4.9
Labour Iain MacDonald1,13413.1+7.2
Independent Barrie Johnson1371.6New
Majority 2,47628.6+6.7
Turnout 8,65353.4+1.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +3.4
Scottish Parliament election 2003: Orkney
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Jim Wallace 3,659 45.7 −21.7
Conservative Christopher Zawadski1,90423.8+8.2
SNP John Mowat1,05613.2+2.9
Scottish Socialist John Aberdein91411.42New
Labour Richard Meade4715.9−0.9
Majority 1,75521.9−29.9
Turnout 8,00451.7−5.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -15.0

1990s

Scottish Parliament election 1999: Orkney
PartyCandidateVotes%
Liberal Democrats Jim Wallace 6,010 67.4
Conservative Christopher Zawadski1,39115.6
SNP John Mowat91710.3
Labour Angus Macleod6006.7
Majority4,61951.8
Turnout 8,91857.0
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

References

  1. "Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based)]". National Records of Scotland. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  2. "accompanying summary notes". National Records of Scotland. 31 May 2013. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  3. "First Periodical Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries - Descriptive Booklet" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Scotland. January 2008. p. 3. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  4. "Fifth Review of UK Parliament Constituencies (2005 onwards) Orkney and Shetland county constituency" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Scotland. 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  5. "Scottish Parliament Election - 6 May 2021". Orkney Islands Council. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  6. "Regional votes announced". Orkney Islands Council. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  7. "Scottish Parliamentary Election - 5 May 2016" (PDF). Orkney Islands Council. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  8. "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
New title Constituency represented by the
Deputy First Minister of Scotland

1999–2005
Succeeded by