Kirkcaldy (UK Parliament constituency)

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Not to be confused with Kirkcaldy (Scottish Parliament constituency).

Kirkcaldy
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Kirkcaldy in Scotland for the 2001 general election
Major settlementsKirkcaldy
February 1974–2005
SeatsOne
Created fromKirkcaldy Burghs
Replaced byKirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
Glenrothes

Kirkcaldy was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Fife, returning one Member of Parliament (MP). It existed from the February 1974 election until its abolition in 2005.

History[edit]

This was a safe Labour seat throughout its existence.

Boundaries[edit]

1974–1983: The burghs of Buckhaven and Methil, Burntisland, Kinghorn, and Kirkcaldy, the district of Kirkcaldy (except the electoral divisions of Markinch North and Markinch South) and the district of Wemyss (except the electoral divisions of Kennoway and Scoonie).[1]

1983–1997: The Kirkcaldy District electoral divisions of Auchtertool/Linktown/Invertiel, Bennochy/Chapel/Cluny, Bennochy/Dunearn, Buckhaven/East Wemyss, Burntisland/Kinghorn, Dunnikier, Gallatown/Dysart/Coaltown of Wemyss/Thornton, Hayfield/Kirkcaldy Central, and Smeaton/Sinclairtown.

1997–2005: The Kirkcaldy District electoral divisions of Buckhaven, Thornton and Wemyss; Burntisland and Auchtertool; Dunearn and Torbain; Dunnikier and Fair Isle; Dysart and Gallatown; Hayfield and Bennochy; Kinghorn and Linktown; Pathhead, Sinclairtown and Smeaton; and Raith and Valley.

The constituency was centred on the town of Kirkcaldy. It was created at the February 1974 election, mostly replacing Kirkcaldy Burghs. In 2005 the seat was abolished, being mostly replaced by Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath with a small portion becoming part of Glenrothes.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member Party Notes
Feb 1974 Harry Gourlay Labour Previously MP for Kirkcaldy Burghs from 1959. Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means 1968–1970. Died April 1987
1987 Lewis Moonie Labour Co-operative
2005 constituency abolished: see Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath & Glenrothes

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election February 1974: Kirkcaldy[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Gourlay 22,469 47.0
Conservative Arthur John Armstrong Bell 13,087 27.3
SNP Roger Thompson Knox 12,311 25.7
Majority 9,382 19.7
Turnout 47,867 79.4
Labour win (new seat)
General election October 1974: Kirkcaldy[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Gourlay 20,688 45.4 −1.6
SNP Roger Thompson Knox 14,587 32.0 +6.3
Conservative Robert Jones 7,539 16.5 −10.8
Liberal Fergus Gray Young 2,788 6.1 New
Majority 6,101 13.4 -6.3
Turnout 45,602 75.0 −4.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Kirkcaldy
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Gourlay 25,449 53.9 +8.5
Conservative Jean Hazel Stewart 12,386 26.2 +9.7
SNP Andrew Currie 9,416 19.9 −12.1
Majority 13,063 27.7 +14.3
Turnout 47,251 77.4 +2.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s[edit]

General election 1983: Kirkcaldy[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Gourlay 15,380 40.3 −10.4
Conservative Iain Walker 10,049 26.3 −2.8
SDP Malcolm Black 9,274 24.3 New
SNP David Wood 3,452 9.1 −11.0
Majority 5,331 14.0 -13.7
Turnout 53,078 71.9 −5.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 1987: Kirkcaldy[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Lewis Moonie 20,281 49.6 +9.3
Conservative Iain Mitchell 8,711 21.3 −5.0
SDP David Stewart 7,118 17.4 −6.9
SNP Roger Mullin 4,794 11.7 +2.6
Majority 11,570 28.3 +14.3
Turnout 53,439 76.5 +4.6
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s[edit]

General election 1992: Kirkcaldy[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Lewis Moonie 17,887 46.0 −9.6
SNP Stewart Hosie 8,761 22.5 +10.8
Conservative Stephen Wosley 8,476 21.8 +0.5
Liberal Democrats Sue Leslie 3,729 9.6 −7.8
Majority 9,126 23.5 −4.8
Turnout 38,853 74.8 −1.7
Labour hold Swing −7.2
General election 1997: Kirkcaldy[8][9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Lewis Moonie 18,730 53.6 +8.0
SNP Stewart Hosie 8,020 22.9 +0.3
Conservative Charlotte Black 4,779 13.7 −8.4
Liberal Democrats John Mainland 3,031 8.7 −1.0
Referendum Victor Baxter 413 1.2 New
Majority 10,710 30.7 +7.6
Turnout 34,973 66.5 −8.3
Labour hold Swing +3.8

Elections in the 2000s[edit]

General election 2001: Kirkcaldy[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Lewis Moonie 15,227 54.1 +0.5
SNP Shirley-Anne Somerville 6,264 22.2 −0.7
Conservative Scott Campbell 3,013 10.7 −3.0
Liberal Democrats Andrew Weston 2,849 10.1 +1.4
Scottish Socialist Douglas Kinnear 804 2.9 New
Majority 8,963 31.9 +1.2
Turnout 28,157 54.6 −11.9
Labour hold Swing +0.6

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) (Central Fife and Kirkcaldy) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/764, retrieved 26 February 2023
  2. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1975
  3. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1977
  4. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  8. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  10. ^ C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.106 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  11. ^ The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
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