Dundee West (UK Parliament constituency)

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Not to be confused with Dundee West (Scottish Parliament constituency).
Dundee West
Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Dundee West in Scotland.
Subdivisions of Scotland Angus/City of Dundee
Current constituency
Created 1950 (1950)
Member of Parliament Jim McGovern (Labour)
Created from Dundee
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency Scotland

Dundee West is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system.

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, when the two-seat Dundee constituency was split into two single seat constituencies: Dundee East and Dundee West.

Contents

Boundaries [edit]

The constituency is one of two covering the City of Dundee council area, the other being Dundee East. Current boundaries were first used in the 2005 general election.

As well as covering an eastern portion of the city area, the West constituency also includes, to the north and west, part of the Angus council area. Similarly, the east constituency includes, to the north and east, another part of the Angus council area.

Prior to the 2005 election, both constituencies were entirely within the city area, and north-eastern and north-western areas of the city were within the Angus constituency. Scottish Parliament constituencies retain the older boundaries.

Politics and history of the constituency [edit]

Dundee West is a safe seat for the Labour. Its voters have traditionally been more loyal to the Labour Party than its neighbour Dundee East having elected only Labour MPs since the 1950s. Labour's majority was reduced in 2005 by the SNP's Joe Fitzpatrick despite changes to the boundaries which should have favoured Labour suggesting that the constituency might be becoming more marginal, although the gap widened again in 2010.

Members of Parliament [edit]

Election Member [1] Party
1950 John Strachey Labour
1963 by-election Peter Doig Labour
1979 Ernie Ross Labour
2005 Jim McGovern Labour

Election results [edit]

Elections in the 2010s [edit]

General Election 2010: Dundee West[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim McGovern 17,994 48.5 +3.9
SNP Jim Barrie 10,716 28.9 -1.2
Liberal Democrats John Barnett 4,233 11.4 -3.0
Conservative Colin Stewart 3,461 9.3 +1.0
Independent Andy McBride 365 1.0 +1.0
TUSC Jim McFarlane 357 1.0 +1.0
Majority 7,278 19.6
Turnout 37,126 59 +2.8
Labour hold Swing +2.5

Elections in the 2000s [edit]

General Election 2005: Dundee West (new boundaries)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim McGovern 16,468 44.6 n/a
SNP Joe Fitzpatrick 11,089 30.0 n/a
Liberal Democrat Nykoma Garry 5,323 14.4 n/a
Conservative Christopher McKinlay 3,062 8.3 n/a
Scottish Socialist Jim McFarlane 994 2.7 n/a
Majority 5,379 14.6 n/a
Turnout 36,936 56.1 n/a
General Election 2001: Dundee West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernie Ross 14,787 50.6 −3.2
SNP Gordon Archer 7,987 27.3 +4.1
Conservative Ian Hail 2,656 9.1 −4.1
Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Dick 2,620 9.0 +1.3
Scottish Socialist Jim McFarlane 1,192 4.1 N/A
Majority 6,800 23.3
Turnout 29,242 54.4 −13.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s [edit]

General Election 1997: Dundee West[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernie Ross 20,875 53.8 +4.8
SNP John Dorward 9,016 23.2 -0.4
Conservative Neil Powrie 5,015 13.2 -5.3
Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Dick 2,972 7.7 +0.2
Scottish Socialist Mary Ward 428 1.1 N/A
Referendum Party John MacMillan 411 1.1 N/A
Majority 11,859
Turnout 38,717 67.7 -2.1
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Dundee West[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernie Ross 20,498 49.0
SNP Keith Brown 9,894 23.6
Conservative Andrew Spearman 7,746 18.5
Liberal Democrat Dr Elizabeth G. Dick 3,132 7.5
Scottish Green Elly Hood 432 1.0
Natural Law Donald Arnold 159 0.4 N/A
Majority 10,604
Turnout 41,861 69.8
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s [edit]

General Election 1987: Dundee West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernie Ross 24,916 53.4
Conservative JA Donnelly 8,390 18.0
SNP Alasdair Morgan 7,164 15.3
Social Democrat R Lonie 5,922 12.7
Communist S.R. Matthewson 308 0.7
Majority 16,526 35.4
Turnout 46,700 75.41
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Dundee West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernie Ross 20,288 43.46
Conservative D. Senior 10,138 21.72
Social Democrat Mrs Elizabeth G. Dick 7,976 17.09
SNP J. Lynch 7,973 17.08
Ecology P. Marks 302 0.65
Majority 10,150 21.75
Turnout 46,677 74.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s [edit]

General Election 1979: Dundee West [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernie Ross 23,654 47.25
SNP Jim Fairlie 13,197 26.36
Conservative I. Stevenson 12,892 25.75
Communist R. Mennie 316 0.63
Majority 10,457 20.89
Turnout 50,059 78.4
Labour hold Swing
General Election Oct 1974: Dundee West [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Doig 19,480 41.01
SNP Jim Fairlie 16,678 35.11
Conservative C.G. Findlay 8,769 18.46
Liberal R. Hewett 2,195 4.62
Communist H. McLevy 381 0.80
Majority 2,802 5.90
Turnout 74.32
Labour hold Swing
General Election Feb 1974: Dundee West [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Doig 22,193 43.03
Conservative M. Tomison 15,745 30.53
SNP Jim Fairlie 12,959 25.13
Communist H. McLevy 673 1.31
Majority 6,448 12.50
Turnout 81.26
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1970: Dundee West [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Doig 26,271 51.54
Conservative J.A. Payne 19,449 38.16
SNP J.A. Shepherd 4,441 8.71
Communist H. McLevy 809 1.59
Majority 6,822 13.38
Turnout 76.26
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s [edit]

General Election 1966: Dundee West [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Muir Doig 26,705 53.71
Conservative C.A. MacNab 18,345 36.90
Liberal J.W. Cruddas 3,454 6.95
Communist David P. Bowman 1,217 2.45
Majority 8,360 16.81
Turnout 79.90
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Dundee West [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Muir Doig 27,090 53.34
Unionist H.C. Scarlett 22,473 44.25
Communist David P. Bowman 1,228 2.42
Majority 4,617 9.09
Turnout 81.50
Labour hold Swing
By-election 1963: Dundee West [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Muir Doig 22,449
Unionist Dr. Robert R. Taylor[10] 17,494
SNP Dr. James C. Lees 3,285
Communist David P. Bowman 1,170
Majority 4,955
Turnout 71.6
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s [edit]

General Election 1959: Dundee West [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon John Strachey 25,847
Unionist Dr Robert R. Taylor 25,143
Communist David P. Bowman 1,087
Majority 714
Turnout 82.94
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955: Dundee West [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon John Strachey 26,082 50.52
Unionist G.H.M. Pirie 24,208 46.89
Communist David P. Bowman 1,335 2.59
Majority 1,874 3.63
Turnout 82.70
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1951: Dundee West [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon John Strachey 29,020 51.60
Liberal John Junor 25,714 45.72
Communist David P. Bowman 1,508 2.68
Majority 3,306 5.88
Turnout 86.80
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: Dundee West [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon John Strachey 28,386 53.50
Unionist Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 23,685 44.64
Liberal C.J. Canning 986 1.86
Majority 4,701 8.86
Turnout 88.08
Labour win (new seat)

References [edit]

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)[self-published source][better source needed]
  2. ^ Dundee East, UKPollingReport
  3. ^ a b "Aristotle: Dundee West", Guardian Unlimited
  4. ^ a b [1]
  5. ^ [2]
  6. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1977
  7. ^ a b [3]
  8. ^ a b [4]
  9. ^ The Times, 22 Nov 1963
  10. ^ and National Liberal
  11. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1963
  12. ^ [5]
  13. ^ [6]
  14. ^ [7]
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Liberal Democrat (11)
Scottish National Party (6)
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Coordinates: 56°30′15″N 3°05′05″W / 56.50417°N 3.08472°W / 56.50417; -3.08472

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