West Fife (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

West Fife
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Fife
18851974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Created from Fife
Replaced by Central Fife,
Dunfermline,
Kirkcaldy [1]

West Fife was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1974. Along with East Fife, it was formed by dividing the old Fife constituency.

Contents

Willie Gallacher of the Communist Party of Great Britain is notable as the longest-serving Member of Parliament (from 1935 to 1950) and the last MP in Parliament (until 1950) for the party.

Boundaries

1885–1918:

1918–1950:

1950–1974: The Burghs of Culross, Leslie, and Markinch; the Districts of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, and Lochgelly; and part of the District of Wemyss.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [2] Party
1885 Robert Preston Bruce Liberal
1889 Augustine Birrell Liberal
1900 John Deans Hope Liberal
1910 William Adamson Labour
1931 Charles Milne Unionist
1935 Willie Gallacher Communist
1950 Willie Hamilton Labour
Feb 1974 constituency abolished

Elections

Fife West election results Fife West election results.png
Fife West election results

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: West Fife [3] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Preston Bruce Unopposed
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: West Fife [5] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Robert Preston Bruce Unopposed
Liberal hold

Bruce's resignation caused a by-election.

Birrell 1895 Augustine Birrell.jpg
Birrell
By-election, 5 Jul 1889: West Fife [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Augustine Birrell 3,551 56.3 N/A
Liberal Unionist Rosslyn Wemyss 2,75843.7New
Majority79312.6N/A
Turnout 6,30971.6N/A
Registered electors 8,812
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: West Fife [8] [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Augustine Birrell 5,215 76.2 N/A
Liberal Unionist Robert Yellowlees1,63323.8N/A
Majority3,58252.4N/A
Turnout 6,84869.9N/A
Registered electors 9,800
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1895: West Fife [10] [11] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Augustine Birrell 4,719 61.4 -14.8
Liberal Unionist Randolph Wemyss 2,96538.6+14.8
Majority1,75422.8-29.6
Turnout 7,68472.2+2.3
Registered electors 10,637
Liberal hold Swing -14.8

Elections in the 1900s

Hope John Deans Hope.jpg
Hope
General election 1900: West Fife [13] [14] [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal John Deans Hope 4,352 64.7 +3.3
Conservative Gavin William Ralston2,37435.3-3.3
Majority1,97829.4+6.6
Turnout 6,72660.0-12.2
Registered electors 11,206
Liberal hold Swing +3.3
General election 1906: West Fife [16] [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal John Deans Hope 6,692 79.0 +14.3
Conservative Nelson B Constable1,77621.0-14.3
Majority4,91658.0+28.6
Turnout 8,46855.4-4.6
Registered electors 15,272
Liberal hold Swing +14.3

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: West Fife [18] [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal John Deans Hope 6,159 47.8 -31.2
Labour William Adamson 4,73637.7New
Conservative Gavin William Ralston1,99415.5-5.5
Majority1,42310.1-47.9
Turnout 12,88973.1+17.7
Liberal hold Swing N/A
William Adamson Cropped photograph of William Adamson.jpg
William Adamson
General election December 1910: West Fife [20] [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Adamson 6,128 53.0 +15.3
Liberal John Deans Hope 5,42547.0-0.8
Majority7036.0N/A
Turnout 11,55361.4-11.7
Labour gain from Liberal Swing

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Adamson 10,664 72.6 +19.6
C Unionist Joseph Hume Menzies4,02027.4New
Majority6,64445.2+39.2
Turnout 14,68448.213.2
Registered electors 30,452
Labour hold Swing N/A
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Adamson Unopposed
Labour hold
General election 1923: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Adamson 12,204 65.4 N/A
Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan Mineworkers' Reform Union Philip Hodge6,45934.6New
Majority5,74530.8N/A
Turnout 18,66357.4N/A
Registered electors 32,491
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1924: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Adamson 14,685 70.9 +5.5
Unionist J MacRobert6,01529.1New
Majority8,67041.8+11.0
Turnout 20,70063.0+5.6
Registered electors 32,882
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1929: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Adamson 17,668 60.0 10.9
Communist Willie Gallacher 6,04020.5New
Unionist A.B. Brown5,72719.59.6
Majority11,62839.52.3
Turnout 29,43569.7+6.7
Registered electors 42,252
Labour hold Swing 0.7

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Fife West [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Charles Milne 12,977 42.1 +22.6
Labour William Adamson 11,06335.8-24.2
Communist Willie Gallacher 6,82922.1+1.6
Majority1,9146.3N/A
Turnout 30,88971.4+1.7
Unionist gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Communist Willie Gallacher 13,462 37.4 +15.4
Labour William Adamson 12,86935.7-0.1
Unionist Charles Milne 9,66726.9-15.2
Majority5931.7N/A
Turnout 35,99877.8+6.4
Communist gain from Unionist Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Communist Willie Gallacher 17,636 42.1 +4.7
Labour Willie Hamilton 15,58037.3+1.6
National Liberal Robert Scott Stevenson8,59720.6-6.3
Majority2,0564.8+3.1
Turnout 41,81375.4-2.4
Communist hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 23,576 54.8 +17.5
National Liberal Patrick William Neill Fraser10,13123.6+3.0
Communist Willie Gallacher 9,30121.6-20.5
Majority13,44531.2N/A
Turnout 43,00884.9+9.5
Labour gain from Communist Swing
General election 1951: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 29,195 64.9 +10.1
National Liberal John Patterson Fyfe11,03824.6+1.0
Communist William Lauchlan 4,72810.5-11.1
Majority18,15740.3+9.1
Turnout 44,96185.6+0.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 26,849 62.6 -2.3
Unionist Norman Wylie 10,63824.8+0.2
Communist William Lauchlan 5,38912.6+2.1
Majority16,21137.8-2.5
Turnout 42,87680.3-5.3
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 25,554 56.1 -6.5
Unionist Alick Buchanan-Smith 11,25724.7-0.1
Fife Socialist League Lawrence Daly 4,88610.7New
Communist William Lauchlan 3,8288.4-4.2
Majority14,29731.4-6.4
Turnout 45,52581.3+1.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 28,806 65.5 +9.4
Unionist John B. M. Gall11,88027.0+2.3
Communist William Lauchlan 3,2737.5-0.9
Majority16,92638.5+7.1
Turnout 43,95978.6-2.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 27,123 63.1 -2.4
Conservative John B. M. Gall8,30019.3-7.7
SNP Robert R. Patrick6,04614.1New
Communist Archibald D. MacMillan1,5423.6-3.9
Majority18,82343.8+5.3
Turnout 43,01176.8-1.8
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Fife West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 29,929 61.1 -2.0
Conservative Gary McLaughlan12,83726.2+6.9
SNP Jimmy Halliday 5,38611.0-3.1
Communist Archibald D. MacMillan8551.7-1.9
Majority17,09234.9-8.9
Turnout 49,00774.2-2.6
Labour hold Swing

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References

  1. Statutory Instrument 1970 No. 1680 (section Part II) The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1970
  2. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
  3. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  4. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  5. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  6. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  7. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  8. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  9. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  10. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  11. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  12. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  13. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  14. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  15. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  16. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  17. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  18. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  19. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  20. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  21. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  22. Daily Record 22 May 1914
  23. Whitaker's Almanack, 1934

Sources