Central Fife (UK Parliament constituency)

Central Fife was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from February 1974 until 2005, when it was largely replaced by the new Glenrothes constituency, with a small portion joining the expanded North East Fife.

Not to be confused with Central Fife (Scottish Parliament constituency).

Central Fife
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Central Fife in Scotland for the 2001 general election
Subdivisions of ScotlandFife
1974 (1974)–2005
Created fromWest Fife
Replaced byGlenrothes
North East Fife

It elected one Member of Parliament (MP), using the first-past-the-post voting system.

Boundaries

1974–1983

The burghs of Cowdenbeath, Leslie, Lochgelly, and Markinch, the districts of Glenrothes and Lochgelly, and the electoral divisions of Markinch North and Markinch South in the district of Kirkcaldy.[1]

1983–1997

The Kirkcaldy District electoral divisions of:

  • Denbeath/Aberhill
  • Mountfleurie/Methilhill/Methil North
  • Leven
  • Kennoway/Windygates
  • Leslie/Markinch Star
  • Auchmuty/Woodside
  • Pitteuchar/Stenton/Balgonie
  • South Parks/Rimbleton
  • Southwood/Caskieberran

1997–2005

The Kirkcaldy District electoral divisions of:

  • Methil, Denbeath and Muiredge
  • Methilhill and Mountfleurie
  • Leven
  • Kennoway and Windygates
  • Markinch, Pitcoudie and Star
  • Auchmuty, Woodside and Coaltown of Balgonie
  • Pitleuchar and Stenton
  • Rimbleton and South Parks
  • Glenwood and Newcastle
  • Leslie and Collydean

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember [2] Party
Feb 1974 Willie Hamilton Labour
1987 Henry McLeish Labour
2001 John MacDougall Labour
2005 constituency abolished

Elections
Fife West election results

Elections of the 1970s
General election February 1974: Central Fife[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 24,418 53.3
SNP David Veitch Livingstone 10,324 22.5
Conservative Stephen Ronald Eyres 9,098 19.8
Communist Alexander Maxwell 2,019 4.4
Majority 14,094 30.8
Turnout 45,859 79.2
Labour win (new seat)
General election October 1974: Central Fife[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 22,400 51.9 −1.4
SNP David Veitch Livingstone 14,414 33.4 +10.9
Conservative Peter Derek Clarke 5,308 12.3 −7.5
Communist Alexander Maxwell 1,040 2.4 −2.0
Majority 7,986 18.5 -12.3
Turnout 43,162 73.9 -5.3
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Central Fife[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 27,619 58.0 +6.1
Conservative Iain Allistair McCrone 9,597 20.2 +7.9
SNP James Lynch 9,208 19.4 −14.0
Communist Alexander Maxwell 1,172 2.5 +0.1
Majority 18,022 37.8 +19.3
Turnout 47,596 77.4 +3.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections of the 1980s
General election 1983: Central Fife[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Willie Hamilton 17,008 43.1 -11.2
Liberal Teresa Little 9,214 23.4 New
Conservative Douglas Mason 8,863 22.5 0.0
SNP James Taggart 4,039 10.2 -12.3
Ecology David Allison 297 0.8 New
Majority 7,794 19.7
Turnout 39,421 72.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 1987: Central Fife[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry McLeish 22,827 53.4 +10.3
Conservative Richard Aird 7,118 16.7 −5.8
Liberal Teresa Little 6,487 15.2 −8.2
SNP Dan Hood 6,296 14.7 +4.5
Majority 15,709 36.7 +17.0
Turnout 42,728 72.6 +0.1
Labour hold Swing +8.0

Elections of the 1990s
General election 1992: Central Fife[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry McLeish 21,036 50.4 −3.0
SNP Tricia Marwick 10,458 25.1 +10.4
Conservative Carol Cender 7,353 17.6 +0.9
Liberal Democrats Craig Harrow 2,892 6.9 −8.3
Majority 10,578 25.3 −11.4
Turnout 41,739 74.3 +1.7
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1997: Central Fife[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry McLeish 23,912 58.7 +7.9
SNP Tricia Marwick 10,199 25.0 -0.1
Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg 3,669 9.0 −8.6
Liberal Democrats Ross Laird 2,610 6.4 −0.5
Referendum John Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 375 0.9 New
Majority 13,713 33.7 +8.4
Turnout 40,765 69.8 -4.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections of the 2000s
General election 2001: Central Fife[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John MacDougall 18,310 56.3 −2.4
SNP David Alexander 8,235 25.3 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Riches 2,775 8.5 +2.1
Conservative Jeremy Balfour 2,351 7.2 −1.8
Scottish Socialist Morag Balfour 841 2.6 New
Majority 10,075 31.0 -2.7
Turnout 32,512 54.6 −15.2
Labour hold Swing

References
  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. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
  3. http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge74a/i08.htm
  4. http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge74b/i08.htm
  5. http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge79/i08.htm
  6. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  8. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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