West Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

West Renfrewshire
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
WestRenfrewshire1997Constituency.svg
Boundary of West Renfrewshire in Scotlandfor the 2001 general election
Subdivisions of Scotland Renfrewshire
1997–2005
SeatsOne
Replaced by Inverclyde
Paisley & Renfrewshire North
Paisley & Renfrewshire South
1885–1983
SeatsOne
Created from Renfrewshire
Replaced by Renfrew West & Inverclyde
Paisley North
Paisley South

West Renfrewshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983 and again from 1997 until 2005. In 2005 the constituency was abolished and the area is now represented by Inverclyde, Paisley and Renfrewshire North and Paisley and Renfrewshire South.

Contents

Boundaries

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the Western division should consist of "the parishes of Inverkip, Greenock, Port Glasgow, Kilmalcolm, Erskine, Inchinnan, Houston, Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch, Renfrew, Abbey, Neilston, Beith, and Dunlop". [1]

From 1918 the constituency consisted of "The Lower county District, inclusive of all burghs situated therein, except the burgh of Greenock, together with the burgh of Johnstone."

From 1997 to 2005 the constituency consisted of the Renfrew District electoral divisions of Bargarran and Gryffe, and the Inverclyde District electoral division of Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm.

In 1999 with the creation of the devolved Scottish Parliament, a Scottish Parliamentary constituency of West Renfrewshire was created with the same name and boundaries as the UK Parliament constituency.

Abolition

Under the Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1983 ( SI 1983/422), made under the authority of the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949, West Renfrewshire was abolished in 1983. The area of the constituency was divided between Renfrew West and Inverclyde, Paisley North and Paisley South.

In 2005, the constituency was again abolished and remains so to the present day. The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 2005 (SI 2005/250) made under the authority of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 divided the former West Renfrewshire constituency amongst the new Inverclyde, Paisley and Renfrewshire North and Paisley and Renfrewshire South constituencies.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1885–1983

ElectionMember [2] Party
1885 Sir Archibald Campbell, Bt Unionist
1892 Charles Renshaw Unionist
1906 Sir Thomas Glen-Coats, Bt Liberal
January 1910 James Greig Liberal
1922 Robert Murray Labour
1924 McInnes Shaw Unionist
1929 Robert Forgan Labour
1931 Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn, later Earl of Dundee Unionist
1945 Thomas Scollan Labour
1950 John Maclay later Viscount Muirshiel National Liberal and Conservative [3] [4]
1964 Norman Buchan Labour
1983 constituency abolished

Constituency divided amongst:

MPs 1997–2005

ElectionMember [2] Party
1997 Tommy Graham Labour then Independent
2001 Jim Sheridan Labour
2005 constituency abolished

Constituency divided amongst:

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: West Renfrewshire [5] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Archibald Campbell 3,618 54.8
Liberal Harry Smith2,98045.2
Majority6389.6
Turnout 6,59885.1
Registered electors 7,750
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: West Renfrewshire [5] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Archibald Campbell 3,434 54.4 −0.4
Liberal William Dunn2,88145.6+0.4
Majority5538.8−0.8
Turnout 6,31581.5−3.6
Registered electors 7,750
Conservative hold Swing −0.4

Elections in the 1890s

Wallace 1906 Robert Wallace.jpg
Wallace
General election 1892: West Renfrewshire [7] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Renshaw 3,773 53.2 −1.2
Liberal Robert Wallace 3,32246.8+1.2
Majority4516.4−2.4
Turnout 7,09586.6+5.1
Registered electors 8,192
Conservative hold Swing −1.2
General election 1895: West Renfrewshire [8] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Renshaw 3,909 54.2 +1.0
Liberal Duncan Pirie 3,30645.8−1.0
Majority6038.4+2.0
Turnout 7,21586.0−0.6
Registered electors 8,386
Conservative hold Swing +1.0

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: West Renfrewshire [8] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Renshaw 4,323 51.6 −2.6
Liberal Thomas Glen-Coats 4,05348.4+2.6
Majority2703.2−5.2
Turnout 8,37684.9−1.1
Registered electors 9,861
Conservative hold Swing −2.6
General election 1906: West Renfrewshire [9] [6] 12,079
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Thomas Glen-Coats 5,858 56.6 +8.2
Conservative John Charles Cunninghame4,49043.4−8.2
Majority1,36813.2N/A
Turnout 10,34885.7+0.8
Registered electors 12,079
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.2

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: West Renfrewshire [10] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal James Greig 6,480 53.5 −3.1
Conservative John Charles Cuninghame5,63146.5+3.1
Majority8497.0−6.2
Turnout 12,11187.1+1.4
Registered electors 13,900
Liberal hold Swing −3.1
General election December 1910: West Renfrewshire [10] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal James Greig 6,366 51.1 −2.4
Conservative Henry Mechan6,08248.9+2.4
Majority2842.2−4.8
Turnout 12,44886.7−0.4
Registered electors 14,363
Liberal hold Swing −2.4

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;

James Greig 1916 Sir James William Greig.jpg
James Greig
General election 1918: West Renfrewshire [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Liberal James Greig 11,52461.8+10.7
Labour Robert Murray 7,12638.2New
Majority4,39823.6+21.4
Turnout 18,65065.3−21.4
Registered electors 28,542
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: West Renfrewshire [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Robert Murray 11,787 54.0 +15.8
National Liberal James Greig 10,05146.0−15.8
Majority1,7368.0N/A
Turnout 21,83875.6+10.3
Registered electors 28,868
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +15.8
General election 1923: West Renfrewshire [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Robert Murray 10,904 48.1 −5.9
Unionist Alexander Thomson Taylor7,60233.6New
Liberal James Scott 4,14918.3−27.7
Majority3,30214.5+6.5
Turnout 22,65577.0+1.4
Registered electors 29,426
Labour hold Swing +10.9
General election 1924: West Renfrewshire [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist McInnes Shaw 13,267 54.1 +20.5
Labour Robert Murray 11,25245.9−2.2
Majority2,0158.2N/A
Turnout 24,51984.5+7.5
Registered electors 29,029
Unionist gain from Labour Swing +9.2
General election 1929: West Renfrewshire [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Robert Forgan 14,419 46.5 +0.6
Unionist Alexander Thomson Taylor12,18339.4−14.7
Liberal Francis Anderson 2,6828.7New
National (Scotland) Roland Muirhead 1,6675.4New
Majority2,2367.1N/A
Turnout 30,95181.6−2.9
Registered electors 37,947
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +7.7

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: West Renfrewshire [17] [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 17,318 53.5 +14.1
Ind. Labour Party Jean Mann 10,20331.5N/A
National (Scotland) Roland Muirhead 3,54711.0+5.6
New Party Robert Forgan 1,3044.0New
Majority7,11522.0+14.9
Turnout 32,37283.2+1.6
Unionist gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: West Renfrewshire [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 15,906 49.7 −3.8
Labour Jean Mann 12,40738.8+7.3
SNP Roland Muirhead 3,69711.5+0.5
Majority3,49910.9−11.1
Turnout 32,01081.2−2.0
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1945: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Thomas Scollan 15,050 48.9 +10.1
Unionist Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 13,83644.9−4.8
SNP Robert Blair Wilkie1,9556.3−5.2
Majority1,2144.0N/A
Turnout 30,84170.0−11.2
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +7.4

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Liberal John Maclay 20,810 54.03
Labour Thomas Scollan 17,70845.97
Majority3,1028.06N/A
Turnout 38,51877.42
National Liberal gain from Labour Swing
General election 1951: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Liberal John Maclay 21,456 53.71
Labour Bruce Millan 18,49346.29
Majority2,9637.42
Turnout 39,94984.66
National Liberal hold Swing
General election 1955: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Liberal John Maclay 21,283 55.24
Labour Co-op Dickson Mabon 17,24344.76
Majority4,04010.48
Turnout 38,52683.02
National Liberal hold Swing
General election 1959: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Liberal John Maclay 20,959 53.51
Labour Charles Minihan18,20646.49
Majority2,7537.02
Turnout 39,16582.64
National Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Norman Buchan 19,518 46.17
Unionist Roy Pickering Paton18,50743.77
Liberal Gavin E McFadyean4,25310.06N/A
Majority1,0112.40N/A
Turnout 42,27882.87
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing
General election 1966: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Norman Buchan 23,849 54.31
Conservative Roy Pickering Paton20,06045.69
Majority3,7898.62
Turnout 43,90981.62
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Norman Buchan 22,999 48.02
Conservative Alexander Fletcher 20,69943.22
SNP Allan Macartney 4,1958.76New
Majority2,3004.80
Turnout 47,89379.41
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Norman Buchan 22,178 40.25
Conservative J. Ross-Harper19,51035.41
SNP Charles Cameron8,39415.23
Liberal David Young5,0229.11New
Majority2,6684.84
Turnout 55,10482.92
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Norman Buchan 20,674 38.49
SNP Charles Cameron15,37428.62
Conservative J. Ross-Harper14,39926.80
Liberal D Brown3,2716.09
Majority5,3009.87
Turnout 53,71880.08
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: West Renfrewshire
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Norman Buchan 28,236 44.47 +5.98
Conservative W Boyle19,66430.97+4.17
SNP Charles Cameron8,33313.13−15.49
Liberal Ross Finnie 7,25611.43+5.34
Majority8,57213.50+4.63
Turnout 63,48981.17+1.09
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: West Renfrewshire [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Tommy Graham 19,525 46.6 +3.7
SNP Colin Campbell 10,54626.5+5.9
Conservative Charles J.S. Cormack7,38718.6−9.2
Liberal Democrats Bruce J.S. Macpherson3,0457.7−0.8
Referendum Shaw T. Lindsay2830.7New
Majority7,97920.1
Turnout 39,78676.0
Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: West Renfrewshire [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Sheridan 15,720 46.9 +0.3
SNP Carol Puthucheary7,14521.3−5.2
Conservative David Sharpe5,52216.5−2.1
Liberal Democrats Clare Hamblen4,18512.5+4.8
Scottish Socialist Arlene Nunnery9252.8New
Majority8,57525.6+5.5
Turnout 33,49763.3−12.7
Labour hold Swing

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References

  1. ↑ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Seventh Schedule, Part II
  2. 1 2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)
  3. ↑ "Obituary: Viscount Muirshiel". Independent.co.uk . 20 August 1992.
  4. ↑ "WHISP 49/3". Archived from the original on 24 April 2010.
  5. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   9781349022984.
  7. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  8. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  9. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  10. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  11. ↑ Daily Record 26 December 1914
  12. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  13. ↑ The Times, 17 November 1922
  14. ↑ The Times, 8 December 1923
  15. ↑ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
  16. ↑ The Times, 1 June 1929
  17. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  18. ↑ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 . Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p.  645. ISBN   0-900178-01-9.
  19. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  20. ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  21. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
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