Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)
59°46′30″N 1°48′11″W / 59.775°N 1.803°W
Orkney and Shetland | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Subdivisions of Scotland | Orkney and Shetland |
Electorate | 32,181 |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1708 |
Member of Parliament | Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrats) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Orkney and Shetland |
Orkney and Shetland 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 system of election. In the Scottish Parliament, Orkney and Shetland are separate constituencies. The constituency was historically known as Orkney and Zetland (an alternative name for Shetland).
Boundaries
The constituency is made up of the two island groups, Orkney and Shetland. A constituency of this name has existed continuously since 1708. However before 1918 the town of Kirkwall (the capital of Orkney) formed part of the Northern Burghs constituency.
The constituency is one of three "protected constituencies", the others being Na h-Eileanan an Iar and the Isle of Wight.[1] The constituency contains the areas of the Orkney Islands Council and the Shetland Islands Council. Before 2011 the constituency had been unique in having its boundaries protected by legislation.[2]
The constituency has one of the smallest electorates of any UK parliamentary constituency.
Member of Parliament
The constituency has elected only Liberal and Liberal Democrat MPs since 1950, the longest run of any British parliamentary constituency.[3][4] In each general election from 1955 until 1979, in 1987 and again in 2010 it was the safest Liberal Democrat seat in Britain. In the May 2015 general election it was the only seat in Scotland to elect a Liberal Democrat MP.
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Alistair Carmichael | 9,407 | 41.4 | −20.6 | |
SNP | Danus Skene | 8,590 | 37.8 | +27.2 | |
Conservative | Donald Cameron | 2,025 | 8.9 | −1.6 | |
Labour | Gerry McGarvey | 1,624 | 7.1 | −3.5 | |
UKIP | Robert Smith | 1,082 | 4.8 | −1.6 | |
Majority | 817 | 3.6 | −47.7 | ||
Turnout | 22,728 | 65.8 | +7.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −23.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Alistair Carmichael | 11,989 | 62.0 | +10.5 | |
Labour | Mark Cooper | 2,061 | 10.7 | −3.5 | |
SNP | John Mowat | 2,042 | 10.6 | +0.3 | |
Conservative | Frank Nairn | 2,032 | 10.5 | −2.8 | |
UKIP | Robert Smith | 1,222 | 6.3 | +3.9 | |
Majority | 9,928 | 51.3 | |||
Turnout | 19,346 | 58.5 | +4.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +7.0 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Alistair Carmichael | 9,138 | 51.5 | +10.1 | |
Labour | Richard Meade | 2,511 | 14.2 | −6.4 | |
Conservative | Frank Nairn | 2,357 | 13.3 | −5.4 | |
SNP | John Mowat | 1,833 | 10.3 | −4.5 | |
Scottish Socialist | John Aberdein | 992 | 5.6 | +1.0 | |
UKIP | Scott Dyble | 424 | 2.4 | N/A | |
Legalise Cannabis | Paul Cruickshank | 311 | 1.8 | N/A | |
Free Scotland Party | Brian Nugent | 176 | 1.0 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,627 | 37.4 | |||
Turnout | 17,742 | 53.7 | +1.7 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +8.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Alistair Carmichael | 6,919 | 41.3 | −10.6 | |
Labour | Robert Mochrie | 3,444 | 20.6 | +2.3 | |
Conservative | John Firth | 3,121 | 18.7 | +6.4 | |
SNP | John Mowat | 2,473 | 14.8 | +2.1 | |
Scottish Socialist | Peter Andrews | 776 | 4.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,475 | 20.7 | |||
Turnout | 16,733 | 52.4 | −11.5 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Jim Wallace | 10,743 | 52.0 | +5.6 | |
Labour | James Paton | 3,775 | 18.3 | −1.5 | |
SNP | Willie Ross | 2,624 | 12.7 | +1.5 | |
Conservative | Hope Vere Anderson | 2,527 | 12.2 | −9.8 | |
Referendum | Francis Adamson | 820 | 4.0 | N/A | |
Natural Law | Christian Wharton | 116 | 0.6 | N/A | |
Independent | Arthur Robertson | 60 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,968 | +33.7 | +10.3 | ||
Turnout | 64.0 | −1.5 | |||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +3.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Jim Wallace | 9,575 | 46.4 | +4.7 | |
Conservative | Dr. Paul McCormick | 4,542 | 22.0 | −1.3 | |
Labour | John Aberdein | 4,093 | 19.8 | +1.1 | |
SNP | Mrs. Frances McKie | 2,301 | 11.2 | N/A | |
Natural Law | Ms. Christian Wharton | 115 | 0.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 5,033 | 24.4 | +6.0 | ||
Turnout | 20,626 | 65.5 | −3.2 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +3.0 |
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jim Wallace | 8,881 | 41.7 | −4.2 | |
Conservative | Richard William Arthur Jenkins | 4,959 | 23.3 | −2.3 | |
Labour | John Henry Aberdein | 3,995 | 18.7 | +5.4 | |
Orkney and Shetland Movement | John Hutchison Goodlad | 3,095 | 14.5 | N/A | |
Green | Grierson Kesterton Collister | 389 | 1.8 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,922 | 18.4 | |||
Turnout | 68.7 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jim Wallace | 9,374 | 45.9 | −10.5 | |
Conservative | David Myles | 5,224 | 25.6 | +4.3 | |
SNP | Winifred Ewing | 3,147 | 15.4 | +10.6 | |
Labour | Robina Goodlad | 2,665 | 13.1 | −4.3 | |
Majority | 4,150 | 20.3 | |||
Turnout | 67.8 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. Joseph Grimond | 10,950 | 56.4 | ||
Conservative | C. Donaldson | 4,140 | 21.3 | ||
Labour | Robina Goodlad | 3,385 | 17.4 | ||
SNP | M. Spens | 935 | 4.8 | ||
Majority | 6,810 | 35.1 | |||
Turnout | 67.2 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. Joseph Grimond | 9,877 | 56.2 | ||
SNP | Howard Firth | 3,025 | 17.2 | ||
Conservative | Raymond M. Fraser | 2,495 | 14.2 | ||
Labour | Jonathan W.G. Wills | 2,175 | 12.4 | ||
Majority | 6,852 | 39.0 | |||
Turnout | 66.8 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. Joseph Grimond | 11,491 | 62.0 | ||
Conservative | Dr John L. Firth | 4,186 | 22.6 | ||
Labour | Jonathan W.G. Wills | 2,865 | 15.5 | ||
Majority | 7,305 | 39.4 | |||
Turnout | 71.1 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. Joseph Grimond | 7,896 | 47.0 | ||
Conservative | Dr John L. Firth | 5,364 | 31.9 | ||
Labour | William Macpherson Reid | 3,552 | 21.1 | ||
Majority | 2,532 | 15.1 | |||
Turnout | 65.6 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. Joseph Grimond | 9,605 | 59.1 | ||
Unionist | Dr John L Firth | 3,630 | 22.3 | ||
Labour | Hugh Lynch | 3,021 | 18.6 | ||
Majority | 5,975 | 36.8 | |||
Turnout | 16,256 | 65.2 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. Joseph Grimond | 11,604 | 62.6 | ||
Unionist | Dr John L Firth | 3,704 | 20.0 | ||
Labour | Ian MacInnes | 3,232 | 17.4 | ||
Majority | 7,900 | 42.6 | |||
Turnout | 18,540 | 72.7 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. Joseph Grimond | 12,099 | 64.1 | 0.3 | |
Unionist | Robert Hunter Wingate Bruce | 3,487 | 18.5 | −1.9 | |
Labour | Robert S McGowan | 3,275 | 17.4 | 1.6 | |
Majority | 8,612 | 45.7 | |||
Turnout | 18,861 | 71.3 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph Grimond | 11,753 | 63.8 | 6.3 | |
Unionist | John W Eunson | 3,760 | 20.4 | −6.2 | |
Labour | Edgar Ramsay | 2,914 | 15.8 | −0.4 | |
Majority | 7,993 | 43.4 | |||
Turnout | 18,427 | 66.1 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph Grimond | 11,745 | 57.5 | 11.3 | |
Unionist | Archibald Tennant | 5,354 | 26.2 | −5.7 | |
Labour | Magnus A Fairnie | 3,335 | 16.2 | −3.1 | |
Majority | 6,391 | 31.3 | |||
Turnout | 20,434 | 69.0 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Joseph Grimond | 9,237 | 46.8 | 12.6 | |
Unionist | Sir Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence | 6,281 | 31.9 | −4.1 | |
Labour | Harald Robert Leslie | 3,335 | 21.3 | −8.5 | |
Majority | 2,956 | 15.0 | |||
Turnout | 19,716 | 67.7 | |||
Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing |
Elections in the 1940s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Sir Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence | 6,304 | 36.0 | −21.6 | |
Liberal | Joseph Grimond | 5,975 | 34.2 | −8.2 | |
Labour | Prophet JL Smith | 5,208 | 29.8 | n/a | |
Majority | 329 | 1.8 | −13.4 | ||
Turnout | 17,487 | 55.5 | +9.2 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1930s
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;
- Conservative: Basil Neven-Spence
- Liberal: Lady Louise Glen-Coats
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence | 8,406 | 57.6 | n/a | |
Liberal | Sir Robert William Hamilton | 6,180 | 42.4 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,226 | 15.2 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 1,586 | 46.3 | n/a | ||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | n/a |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir Robert William Hamilton | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1920s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir Robert William Hamilton | 8,256 | 60.4 | n/a | |
Unionist | Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence | 5,404 | 39.6 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,852 | 20.6 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 13,660 | 43.1 | n/a | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | n/a |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir Robert William Hamilton | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir Robert William Hamilton | 5,129 | 54.3 | +0.8 | |
Unionist | Robert John Graham Boothby | 4,318 | 45.7 | n/a | |
Majority | 811 | 8.6 | +1.6 | ||
Turnout | 9,447 | 39.1 | +1.7 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir Robert William Hamilton | 4,814 | 53.5 | n/a | |
National Liberal | Sir Malcolm Smith | 4,189 | 46.5 | n/a | |
Majority | 625 | 7.0 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 9,003 | 37.4 | n/a | ||
Liberal gain from National Liberal | Swing | n/a |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | Sir Malcolm Smith | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
National Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1910s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
- endorsed by the Coalition Government
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Cathcart Wason | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Cathcart Wason | 4,117 | 80.6 | +1.6 | |
Liberal Unionist | Thomas William Hemsley | 994 | 19.4 | −1.6 | |
Majority | 3,123 | 61.2 | +3.2 | ||
Turnout | 5,111 | 71.8 | +8.5 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1900s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Cathcart Wason | 3,837 | 79.0 | +29.5 | |
Liberal Unionist | C J Dunlop | 1,021 | 21.0 | −29.5 | |
Majority | 2,816 | 58.0 | |||
Turnout | 4,858 | 63.3 | +8.4 | ||
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent Liberal | John Cathcart Wason | 2,412 | 46.8 | +46.8 | |
Liberal | Thomas McKinnon Wood | 2,001 | 38.8 | −10.7 | |
Liberal Unionist | Theodore Vivian Samuel Angier | 740 | 14.4 | −36.1 | |
Majority | 411 | 8.0 | |||
Turnout | 5,153 | 68.1 | +13.2 | ||
Independent Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | John Cathcart Wason | 2,057 | 50.5 | +10.4 | |
Liberal | Sir Leonard Lyell | 2,017 | 49.5 | −10.4 | |
Majority | 40 | 1.0 | |||
Turnout | 4,074 | 54.9 | −1.0 | ||
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |
Elections in the 1890s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir Leonard Lyell | 2,361 | 59.9 | −2.0 | |
Liberal Unionist | Ralph Wardlaw MacLeod Fullarton | 1,580 | 40.1 | +2.0 | |
Majority | 781 | 19.8 | −4.0 | ||
Turnout | 3,941 | 55.9 | −4.0 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Leonard Lyell | 2,624 | 61.9 | −1.1 | |
Liberal Unionist | W Younger | 1,617 | 38.1 | +1.1 | |
Majority | 1,007 | 23.8 | −2.2 | ||
Turnout | 4,241 | 59.9 | +8.4 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1880s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Leonard Lyell | 2,353 | 63.0 | −0.3 | |
Liberal Unionist | H Hoare | 1,382 | 37.0 | +0.3 | |
Majority | 971 | 26.0 | −0.6 | ||
Turnout | 3,735 | 50.5 | −21.1 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Leonard Lyell | 3,352 | 63.3 | ||
Conservative | Hon. C T Dundas | 1,940 | 36.7 | ||
Majority | 1,412 | 26.6 | |||
Turnout | 5,292 | 71.6 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Samuel Laing | 896 | |||
Conservative | G R Badenoch | 578 | |||
Majority | 318 | ||||
Turnout | 1,474 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1870s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Samuel Laing | 646 | |||
Liberal | Sir P Tait | 621 | |||
Majority | 25 | ||||
Turnout | 1,267 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1860s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Frederick Dundas | 715 | |||
Conservative | H B Riddell | 446 | |||
Majority | 269 | ||||
Turnout | 1,161 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1850s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Frederick Dundas | 227 | |||
Conservative | J Inglis | 194 | |||
Majority | 33 | ||||
Turnout | 421 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1840s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Anderson | 209 | |||
Liberal | Frederick Dundas | 183 | |||
Majority | 26 | ||||
Turnout | 392 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1830s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Thomas Balfour | 114 | |||
Whig | George Traill | 84 | |||
Majority | 30 | ||||
Turnout | 198 | ||||
Tory gain from Whig | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | George Traill | 107 | |||
Tory | S Laing | 96 | |||
Whig | R Hunter | 9 | |||
Majority | 11 | ||||
Turnout | 212 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing |
Notes
- ^ Protected constituencies, s 11, schedule 2, Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011. The constituencies are protected from splitting or merging in future boundary reviews. The two Isle of Wight constituencies have not yet been formed.
- ^ Rule 3A of the Boundary Commission rules stated "A constituency which includes the Orkney Islands or the Shetland Islands shall not include the whole or any part of a local government area other than the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands." Boundary Commission Rules This rule was added in the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 and retained in the Scotland Act 1998, which established the Scottish Parliament.
- ^ "Candidates and Constituency Assessments". alba.org.uk - "The almanac of Scottish elections and politics". Retrieved 9 February 2010.
- ^ "The Untouchable Orkney & Shetland Isles " (1 October 2009) www.snptacticalvoting.com Retrieved 9 February 2010.
- ^ election result http://www.shetland.gov.uk/elections/documents/DeclarationofResults-OrkneyandShetland.pdf 23Jun15
- ^ total electorate 34,552 email from Shetland Council by email
- ^ "Alistair Carmichael reselected for Orkney and Shetland". Liberal Democrat Voice.
- ^ "UKIP to field Robert Smith again". Shetland News.
- ^ "Conservative candidate named". The Shetland Times.
- ^ "UKPollingReport Election Guide 2010 » Orkney and Shetland". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
- ^ People: Westminster Candidates, SNP
- ^ "Press Association Elections". pressassociation.com.
- ^ "BBC News — Election 2010 - Constituency - Orkney & Shetland". bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
- ^ C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.130 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
Further reading
- F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918 – 1949
- F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1885 – 1918
- F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832 – 1885
External links
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "O"
- BBC Vote 2001
- BBC Election 2005
- Guardian Unlimited Politics
- UK General Elections since 1832
- http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/ (Election results from 1950 to the present)