Dunfermline Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

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Dunfermline Burghs
Former Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
Major settlementsDunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Inverkeithing, and Lochgelly
1950–1974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Replaced byDunfermline
1918–1950
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyDistrict of Burghs constituency
Created fromWest Fife

Dunfermline Burghs was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.

From 1918 to 1950 it was also, officially, a district of burghs constituency.

There was also a Dunfermline county constituency from 1974 to 1983.

Boundaries[edit]

As defined in 1918 the constituency covered the parliamentary burghs of Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Inverkeithing, and Lochgelly. Prior to the constituency's creation, the burghs of Dunfermline and Inverkeithing had been represented as components of Stirling Burghs, while Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly were within the county constituency of West Fife.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member[1] Party
1918 John Wallace Coalition Liberal
1922 William Watson Labour
1931 John Wallace Liberal National Knighted January 1935[2]
1935 William Watson Labour
1950 James Clunie Labour
1959 Alan Thompson Labour
1964 Adam Hunter Labour Subsequently, MP for Dunfermline
Feb 1974 constituency abolished: see Dunfermline

Election results[edit]

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

General election 1918: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal John Wallace 6,886 44.6
Independent Labour William McLean Watson[3] 5,076 32.8
Independent Democrat Arthur Ponsonby[4] 3,491 22.6
Majority 1,810 11.8
Turnout 15,453 55.2
Liberal win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

General election 1922: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William McLean Watson 11,652 50.4 +17.6
National Liberal John Wallace 11,451 49.6 +5.0
Majority 201 0.8 N/A
Turnout 23,102 77.5 +22.3
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing +6.3
General election 1923: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William McLean Watson 12,606 53.6 +3.2
Liberal John Wallace 10,931 46.4 −3.2
Majority 1,675 7.2 +6.4
Turnout 23,537 77.7 +0.2
Labour hold Swing 3.2
General election 1924: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William McLean Watson 13,887 57.9 +4.3
Liberal Francis John Robertson 10,118 42.1 −4.3
Majority 3,769 15.8 +8.6
Turnout 24,005 78.7 +1.0
Labour hold Swing +4.3
General election 1929: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William McLean Watson 15,288 58.5 +0.6
Unionist Allan Beaton 9,146 35.0 New
Communist Jack Leckie 1,712 6.5 New
Majority 6,132 23.5 +7.7
Turnout 26,146 74.1 −4.6
Labour hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1931: Dunfermline Burghs[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal John Wallace 16,863 57.9 +22.9
Labour William McLean Watson 12,247 42.1 −16.4
Majority 4,616 15.8 N/A
Turnout 29,110 80.2 +6.1
National Liberal gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: Dunfermline Burghs [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William McLean Watson 16,271 52.3 +10.2
National Liberal John Wallace 14,848 47.7 −10.2
Majority 1,423 4.6 N/A
Turnout 31,119 81.6 +1.4
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing 10.2

Elections in the 1940s[edit]

General election 1945: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William McLean Watson 22,021 64.7 +12.4
National Liberal James Henderson 12,028 35.3 −12.4
Majority 9,993 29.4 +24.8
Turnout 34,049 73.0 −8.6
Labour hold Swing 12.4

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Clunie 23,641 61.2 -3.5
National Liberal James Stuart Kerr 14,967 38.8 +3.5
Majority 8,674 22.4 -7.0
Turnout 38,608 83.9 +10.9
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Clunie 24,547 61.1 -0.1
National Liberal James Stuart Kerr 15,657 38.9 +0.1
Majority 8,890 22.2 -0.2
Turnout 40,204 85.5 +1.6
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Clunie 22,146 60.1 -1.0
National Liberal Charlotte R McNee 14,170 39.9 +1.0
Majority 8,674 21.2 -1.0
Turnout 36,316 83.9 -1.6
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Thompson 23,478 61.4 +1.3
National Liberal Archie Elliott 14,744 38.6 -1.3
Majority 8,734 22.8 +1.6
Turnout 38,222 82.9 -1.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General election 1964: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Adam Hunter 22,468 61.6 +0.2
National Liberal Ian Kirkwood 14,033 38.4 -0.2
Majority 8,435 23.2 +0.4
Turnout 36,501 77.2 -5.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Adam Hunter 20,709 58.4 -3.2
Conservative Ian Kirkwood 9,446 26.6 -11.8
SNP James A Cook 5,304 15.0 New
Majority 11,263 31.8 +8.6
Turnout 35,459 76.3 -0.9
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election 1970: Dunfermline Burghs
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Adam Hunter 21,532 57.1 -1.3
Conservative Ian Kirkwood 12,086 32.0 +5.4
SNP James A Cook 3,657 9.7 -5.3
Communist John Neilson 462 1.22 New
Majority 9,446 25.1 -6.7
Turnout 37,737 74.0 -2.3
Labour hold Swing

References[edit]

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
  2. ^ "London Gazette Issue 34119 published on the 28 December 1934". p. 2. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
  3. ^ Watson was the nominee of the Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan Miners' Association (Craig, op cit, p. 579)
  4. ^ Ponsonby had previously been the Liberal MP for Stirling Burghs)
  5. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  6. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939

See also[edit]

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