East Fife (UK Parliament constituency)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fife East
County constituency
Created: 1885
Abolished: 1983
Type: House of Commons
Members: One

East Fife was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1983. Along with West Fife, it was formed by dividing the old Fife constituency.

From 1886-1918, it was the seat of the Liberal Prime Minister, H.H. Asquith.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

In 1885, the constituency comprised the parishes of Abdie, Abernethy, Anstruther Wester, Anstruther Easter, Auchtermuchty, Balmerino, Cameron, Carnbee, Ceres, Collessie, Crail, Creich, Cults, Cupar, Dairsie, Dunbog, Dunino, Elie, Falkland, Ferry-Port-on-Craig, Flisk, Forgan, Kemback, Kennoway, Kettle, Kilconquhar, Kilmany, Kilrenny, Kingsbarns, Largo, Leuchars, Logie, Monimail, Moonzie, Newburgh, Newburn, Pittenweem, St Andrews, St Leonards, St Monance, Scoonie and Strathmiglo.

In 1918, on the dissolution of the St Andrews Burghs constituency, the burghs of St Andrews, Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Crail, Cupar, Kilrenny and Pittenweem were added to the constituency. It then consisted of "The Cupar and St. Andrews County Districts, inclusive of all burghs situated therein, together with the burgh of Leven and so much of the Kirkcaldy County District as is contained within the extra-burghal portion of the parish of Scoonie and the parish of Kennoway."

[edit] Members of Parliament

  • Constituency created (1885)
Year Member Party
1885 John Boyd Kinnear Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1886 Herbert Henry Asquith Liberal
1918 Alexander Sprot Conservative
1922 James Duncan Millar Liberal
1924 Archibald Douglas Cochrane Conservative
1929 James Duncan Millar Liberal
1931 National Liberal
1933 James Henderson-Stewart National Liberal
1961 John Gilmour Conservative
1979 Barry Henderson Conservative
  • Constituency abolished (1983)

[edit] Election results

[edit] Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Barry Henderson 20,117 43.0 +4.2
Liberal Menzies Campbell 10,762 23.0 +10.4
Labour Henry McLeish 9,339 19.9 +3.0
Scottish National Party J Marshall 6,612 14.1 -17.7
Majority 9,355 20.0 +12.9
Turnout 46,830 79.0 +5.3
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gilmour 16,116 38.8 -9.1
Scottish National Party J Braid 13,202 31.8 +12.3
Labour Helen Liddell 7,040 16.9 +1.9
Liberal D W C Docherty 5,247 12.6 -5.0
Majority 2,914 7.1 -21.3
Turnout 41,605 73.7 -5.1
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gilmour 21,172 47.9 -6.7
Scottish National Party J Braid 8,593 19.5 +7.7
Liberal W R S Pickard 7,766 17.6 +8.6
Labour B Mann 6,634 15.0 -9.6
Majority 12,579 28.4 -1.5
Turnout 44,165 78.8 +4.4
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1970: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gilmour 21,619 54.6 +3.1
Labour Harry Ewing 9,756 24.6 0.0
Scottish National Party J Braid 4,666 11.8 -2.6
Liberal W R S Pickard 3,577 9.0 -0.5
Majority 11,863 29.9 +3.0
Turnout 39,618 74.4 -1.7
Conservative hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gilmour 19,323 51.5 -2.7
Labour H Peaker 9,229 24.6 -0.6
Scottish National Party J Braid 5,394 14.4 +7.6
Liberal D A Barrie 3,574 9.5 -3.6
Majority 10,094 26.9 -2.1
Turnout 37,520 76.1 -1.7
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1964: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gilmour 21,001 54.2 +6.7
Labour John Smith 9,765 25.2 -1.2
Liberal D C Wood 5,075 13.1 -13.0
Scottish National Party J Braid 2,635 6.8
Independent Loyalist L M C Greene 257 0.7
Majority 11,236 29.0
Turnout 38,733 77.8
Conservative hold Swing


Fife East by-election, 1961
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Gilmour 15,948 47.5
Labour John Smith 8,882 26.4
Liberal D Leach 8,786 26.1
Majority 7,066 21.1
Turnout 33616
Conservative hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal James Henderson-Stewart 26,585 69.9
Labour J Nicol 11,421 30.0
Majority 15,164 39.9
Turnout 75.2
National Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1955: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal James Henderson-Stewart 26,104 70.6
Labour J McGowan 10,872 29.4
Majority 15,522 41.2
Turnout 73.2
National Liberal hold Swing


General Election 1951: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal James Henderson-Stewart 28,446 70.6
Labour J McGowan 11,844 29.4
Majority 16,602 41.2
Turnout 78.7
National Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1950: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal James Henderson-Stewart 25,749 63.7
Labour Co-op S P McLaren 10,694 26.5
Liberal D A Freeman 3,975 9.8
Majority 15,055 37.2
Turnout 81.1
National Liberal hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal James Henderson-Stewart 24,765 69.4 -12.9
Labour Co-op S P McLaren 10,920 30.6 +12.9
Majority 13,845 38.8 -25.8
Turnout 35,685 70.8 -0.2
National Liberal hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal James Henderson-Stewart 27,915 82.3 +30.1
Labour A K Davidson 6,016 17.7 -4.3
Majority 21,899 64.6 +34.4
Turnout 33,931 71.0 +5.4
National Liberal hold Swing
Fife East by-election, 1933
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal James Henderson-Stewart 15,770 52.2
Labour Joseph Westwood 6,635 22.0
Agricultural Party J. L. Anderson 4,404 14.6
Independent Liberal D. E. Keir 2,296 7.6
National (Scotland) Eric Linklater 1,083 3.6
Majority 9,135 30.2
Turnout 30,188 65.6
National Liberal hold Swing
General election of 1931

In the 1931 UK general election, James Duncan Millar was elected unopposed.

[edit] Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Duncan Millar 14,329 42.9 -4.1
Conservative Archibald Douglas Cochrane 13,748 41.1 -11.9
Labour W R Garson 5,350
Majority 581 1.8
Turnout 33,427 73.3 +4.1
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1924: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archibald Douglas Cochrane 12,664 53.0 +8.5
Liberal James Duncan Millar 11,242 47.0 -8.5
Majority 1,422 6.0
Turnout 23,906 69.2 +1.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1923: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Duncan Millar 12,825 55.5 -0.5
Conservative Alexander Sprot 10,275 44.5 +0.5
Majority 2,550 11.0 -1.0
Turnout 23,100 67.8 +0.6
Liberal hold Swing


General Election 1922: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Duncan Millar 12,697 56.0 +13.8
Conservative Alexander Sprot 9,987 44.0 -12.2
Majority 2,710 12.0
Turnout 22,684 67.2 +13.2
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Sprot 8,996 54.2 +14.8
Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith 6,996 42.2 -18.4
Independent Progressive W P Morgan 591 3.6
Majority 2,002 12.0
Turnout 16,581 54.0 -24.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing
Fife East By-Election 8th April 1914

In the 1914 Fife East by-election, Herbert Henry Asquith was elected unopposed.

General Election December 1910: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith 5,149 60.6 -1.6
Conservative Alexander Sprot 3,350 39.4 +1.6
Majority 1,799 21.2 -3.2
Turnout 8,499 78.0 -3.2
Liberal hold Swing
General Election January 1910: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith 5,242 62.2 +3.2
Conservative Alexander Sprot 3,183 37.8 -3.2
Majority 2,059 24.4 +6.4
Turnout 8,425 81.2 +1.2
Liberal hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1906: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Rt Hon Herbert Henry Asquith KC 4,723 59.0 -1.4
Conservative Maj John Gilmour 3,279 41.0 +1.4
Majority 1,444 18.0 -2.8
Turnout 8,002 80.0 +7.9
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1900: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith 4,141 60.4 +5.9
Conservative Andrew Constable 2,710 39.6 -5.9
Majority 1,431 20.8 +11.8
Turnout 6,851 72.1 -12.2
Liberal hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1895: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith 4,332 54.5 +2.5
Conservative John Gilmour 3,616 45.5 -2.5
Majority 716 9.0 +5.0
Turnout 7,948 84.3 +5.6
Liberal hold Swing
Fife East By-Election 25th August 1892

In the 1892 Fife East by-election, Herbert Henry Asquith was elected unopposed.

General Election 1892: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith 3,743 52.0
Conservative John Gilmour 3,449 48.0
Majority 294 4.0
Turnout 7,792 78.7 +20.7
Liberal hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1886: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith 2,863 53.5
Liberal Unionist John Boyd Kinnear 2,489 46.5
Majority 374 7.0
Turnout 5,353 58.0 -19.0
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1885: Fife East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Boyd Kinnear 4,533 63.8
Conservative John Gilmour 2,577 36.2
Majority 1,956 27.6
Turnout 7,110 77.0

[edit] See also


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Stirling Burghs		 Constituency represented by the Prime Minister
1908 – 1916		 Succeeded by
Caernarvon Boroughs
v • d • e
Westminster constituencies of Scotland
Aberdeen North · Aberdeen South · Airdrie & Shotts · Angus · Argyll & Bute · Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock · Banff & Buchan · Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk · Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross · Central Ayrshire · Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill · Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East · Dumfries & Galloway · Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale · Dundee East · Dundee West · Dunfermline & West Fife · East Dunbartonshire · East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow · East Lothian · East Renfrewshire · Edinburgh East · Edinburgh North & Leith · Edinburgh South · Edinburgh South West · Edinburgh West · Falkirk · Glasgow Central · Glasgow East · Glasgow North · Glasgow North East · Glasgow North West · Glasgow South · Glasgow South West · Glenrothes · Gordon · Inverclyde · Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey · Kilmarnock & Loudoun · Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath · Lanark & Hamilton East · Linlithgow & East Falkirk · Livingston · Midlothian · Moray · Motherwell & Wishaw · Na h-Eileanan an Iar · North Ayrshire & Arran · North East Fife · Ochil & South Perthshire · Orkney & Shetland · Paisley & Renfrewshire North · Paisley & Renfrewshire South · Perth & North Perthshire · Ross, Skye & Lochaber · Rutherglen & Hamilton West · Stirling · West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine · West Dunbartonshire

[edit] Sources