Dundee East (UK Parliament constituency)

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Dundee East
Burgh constituency
Dundee East shown within Scotland
Created: 1950
MP: Stewart Hosie
Party: Scottish National Party
Type: House of Commons
Council areas: Angus/City of Dundee
EP constituency: Scotland

Dundee East is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster). It was created for the 1950 general election.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

The constituency is one of two covering the City of Dundee council area, the other being Dundee West. Current boundaries were first used in the 2005 General Election.

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

[edit] Member of Parliament

Year Member Party
1950 Thomas Cook Labour
1952 George Thomson Labour
1973 George Machin Labour
1974 Gordon Wilson SNP
1987 John McAllion Labour
2001 Iain Luke Labour
2005 Stewart Hosie SNP

[edit] Election results

General Election 2005: Dundee East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Scottish National Party Stewart Hosie 14,708 37.2 +1.1
Labour Iain Luke 14,325 36.2 −1.2
Conservative Chris Bustin 5,061 12.8 −2.5
Liberal Democrat Clive Sneddon 4,498 11.4 +2.7
Scottish Socialist Harvey Duke 537 1.4 −1.2
UK Independence Donald Low 292 0.7 N/A
Independent (politician) David Allison 119 0.3 N/A
Majority 383 1.0
Turnout 39,540 62.4 +3.3
Scottish National Party gain from Labour Swing +1.1
General Election 2001: Dundee East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iain Luke 14,635 45.2 −5.9
Scottish National Party Stewart Hosie 10,169 31.4 +4.9
Conservative Alan Donnelly 3,900 12.0 −3.7
Liberal Democrat Raymond Lawrie 2,784 8.6 +4.5
Scottish Socialist Harvey Duke 879 2.7 N/A
Majority 4,466 13.8
Turnout 32,367 57.3 −12.0
Labour hold Swing

[edit] Politics and history of the constituency

The Dundee East constituency has been a marginal seat between the SNP and Labour since the 1973 byelection. Although Labour won the seat in that by-election, the SNP established itself as the clear challenger and continued to advance, winning the seat in the next general election. Labour were thought to have underperformed in not winning the seat back in the 1979 general election, and the choice of the former Communist Jimmy Reid as Labour candidate was blamed for the loss.

Boundary changes which came into force in 2005 brought in many voters from more suburban areas formerly in the Angus constituency. Although estimates of the 2001 general election result on the new boundaries showed Labour ahead, the lead was exceptionally narrow, and after the SNP won the Scottish Parliament seat on the original boundaries in 2003, a close fight was expected (and occurred) in the 2005 general election.

[edit] See also