Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)

Na h-Eileanan an Iar (/nə ˈhɪlənən ən jɪər/; Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [nəˈhelanən əˈɲiəɾ]), formerly Western Isles, is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created in 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Not to be confused with Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Scottish Parliament constituency).

Na h-Eileanan an Iar
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Na h-Eileanan an Iar in Scotland
Subdivisions of ScotlandNa h-Eileanan Siar
Electorate20,887[1]
Major settlementsStornoway
Current constituency
Created1918
Member of ParliamentAngus MacNeil (Independent)
Created from

With around 21,000 registered voters, it has the smallest electorate of any constituency in the United Kingdom. It is expressly protected from being combined with other constituencies by the 2011 Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act.

History

The constituency was formed by merging areas which were formerly within the Ross and Cromarty constituency and the Inverness-shire constituency.

Na h-Eileanan an Iar is Scottish Gaelic for the Western Isles, which was the constituency's name prior to the 2005 general election. An identical constituency with the same name is used by the Scottish Parliament.

Boundaries

The constituency area is that of the Outer Hebrides, known also as Na h-Eileanan Siar, and the constituency has the smallest electorate in the United Kingdom, one-fifth of the size of the largest, the Isle of Wight, which is also an island constituency. However, the Isle of Wight is a substantially smaller parliamentary constituency in geographical terms. It has been suggested that Na h-Eileanan an Iar could be combined with the Orkney and Shetland constituency: the resulting combined electorate would still be well below the average constituency quota. The seat's entire turnout at elections will be less than a winning candidate's vote in a rural English seat.

The Scottish Boundary Commission in 1980 proposed that the seat should be extended to include the Skye and Lochalsh areas; this was overturned at a public enquiry. Generally, considerations of geographical size, a disparate population and convenience for the MPs concerned, as well as tradition and identity, have tended to override the arguments about numerical imbalance. Furthermore, a change in the Boundary Commission's rules in 2000 added a rule which forbade Orkney or Shetland being combined with another council area. In 2011, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 was introduced, which prevented both Na h-Eileanan an Iar and Orkney and Shetland from being combined with any other constituency.[2]

Local government areas

When created, the area of the constituency was divided between two local government areas: the counties of Ross and Cromarty and Inverness-shire. The division line was the Lewis-Harris boundary, with Lewis in Ross and Cromarty and Harris in Inverness-shire.

In 1975 the constituency area became also an island council area, known as the Western Isles council area. That same area became one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland in 1996. The council area is known also as Na h-Eileanan Siar.

Politics

The seat had been a two-way marginal between the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party for many years. In 2005 it became a safe seat for the Scottish National Party. This trend was reversed in the 2017 general election, when the SNP suffered a swing against them for the first time since 1997, but at the 2019 general election the constituency became a safe seat for the SNP again. For the Conservatives, their vote has increased in recent years, since losing their deposit in the 2005 and 2010 elections.

During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum the constituency voted against independence by a margin of 53.42% (10,544) to 46.58% (9,195) in favour on a turnout of 86.2%[3]

The constituency is notable for having the highest percentage of Scottish Gaelic speakers of any Scottish constituency.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[4][5] Party
1918 Donald Murray Liberal
1922 Sir William Cotts National Liberal
1923 Alexander Livingstone Liberal
1929 Thomas Ramsay
1931 National Liberal
1935 Malcolm Macmillan Labour
1970 Donald Stewart SNP
1987 Calum MacDonald Labour
2005 Angus MacNeil SNP
2023 Independent

Election results
Electoral results since 1918

Elections of the 2010s
General election 2019: Na h-Eileanan an Iar[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Angus MacNeil 6,531 45.1 +4.5
Labour Alison McCorquodale 4,093 28.3 –5.5
Conservative Jennifer Ross 3,216 22.2 +5.7
Liberal Democrats Neil Mitchison 637 4.4 +2.7
Majority 2,438 16.8 +10.0
Turnout 14,447 68.6 –0.9
SNP hold Swing +5.0
General election 2017: Na h-Eileanan an Iar[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Angus MacNeil 6,013 40.6 –13.7
Labour Ealasaid MacDonald 5,006 33.8 +5.2
Conservative Daniel McCroskrie 2,441 16.5 +8.9
Scottish Christian John Cormack 1,108 7.5 +0.9
Liberal Democrats James Paterson 250 1.7 –1.2
Majority 1,007 6.8 –18.9
Turnout 14,818 69.7 –3.5
SNP hold Swing –9.5
General election 2015: Na h-Eileanan an Iar[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Angus MacNeil 8,662 54.3 +8.6
Labour Alasdair Morrison 4,560 28.6 −4.3
Conservative Mark Brown 1,215 7.6 +3.2
Scottish Christian John Cormack 1,045 6.6 New
Liberal Democrats Ruaraidh Ferguson 456 2.9 −4.6
Majority 4,102 25.7 +12.9
Turnout 15,938 73.2 +7.1
SNP hold Swing +6.5
General election 2010: Na h-Eileanan an Iar[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Angus MacNeil 6,723 45.7 +0.8
Labour Donald MacSween 4,838 32.9 −1.6
Independent Murdo Murray 1,412 9.6 New
Liberal Democrats Jean Davis 1,097 7.5 −0.4
Conservative Sheena Norquay 647 4.4 0.0
Majority 1,885 12.8 +2.4
Turnout 14,717 66.1 +2.0
SNP hold Swing +1.2

Elections of the 2000s
General election 2005: Na h-Eileanan an Iar[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Angus MacNeil 6,213 44.9 +8.0
Labour Calum MacDonald 4,772 34.5 −10.5
Liberal Democrats Jean Davis 1,096 7.9 +1.4
Christian Vote George Hargreaves 1,048 7.6 New
Conservative Andy Maciver 610 4.4 −5.1
Scottish Socialist Joanne Telfer 97 0.7 −1.5
Majority 1,441 10.4 N/A
Turnout 13,836 64.1 +3.5
SNP gain from Labour Swing +9.3
General election 2001: Western Isles[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Calum MacDonald 5,924 45.0 −10.6
SNP Alasdair Nicholson 4,850 36.9 +3.5
Conservative Douglas Taylor 1,250 9.5 +2.9
Liberal Democrats John Horne 849 6.5 +3.4
Scottish Socialist Joanne Telfer 286 2.2 New
Majority 1,074 8.1 −14.1
Turnout 13,159 60.6 −9.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections of the 1990s
General election 1997: Western Isles[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Calum MacDonald 8,955 55.6 +7.8
SNP Anne Lorne Gillies 5,379 33.4 -3.8
Conservative Jamie McGrigor 1,071 6.6 -1.9
Liberal Democrats Neil Mitchison 495 3.1 -0.3
Referendum Ralph Lionel 206 1.3 New
Majority 3,576 22.2 +11.6
Turnout 16,106 70.1 -0.3
Labour hold Swing
General election 1992: Western Isles[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Calum MacDonald 7,664 47.8 +5.1
SNP Frances M. MacFarlane 5,961 37.2 +8.7
Conservative Robert J. Heany 1,362 8.5 +0.4
Liberal Democrats Neil Mitchison 552 3.4 -16.7
Independent Andrew R. Price 491 3.1 New
Majority 1,703 10.6 -3.6
Turnout 16,030 70.4 +0.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections of the 1980s
General election 1987: Western Isles[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Calum MacDonald 7,041 42.7 +12.6
SNP Ian Smith 4,701 28.5 −26.0
SDP Kenneth MacIver 3,419 20.7 +14.9
Conservative Murdo Morrison 1,336 8.1 −1.5
Majority 2,340 14.2 N/A
Turnout 16,497 70.2 +3.7
Labour gain from SNP Swing
General election 1983: Western Isles[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Donald Stewart 8,272 54.5 +2.0
Labour Brian Wilson 4,560 30.1 −2.2
Conservative Murdo Morrison 1,460 9.6 −1.0
Liberal Neil M. MacLeod 876 5.8 +1.2
Majority 3,712 24.4 +4.2
Turnout 15,168 66.5 −1.0
SNP hold Swing

Elections of the 1970s
General election 1979: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Donald Stewart 7,941 52.5 −9.0
Labour Alexander Matheson 4,878 32.3 +7.6
Conservative Murdo Morrison[19] 1,600 10.6 +2.3
Liberal Neil Munro MacLeod[19] 700 4.6 −0.9
Majority 3,063 20.2 −16.6
Turnout 15,119 67.5 +4.1
SNP hold Swing
General election October 1974: Western Isles[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Donald Stewart 8,758 61.5 −5.6
Labour Mary Doig 3,526 24.7 +5.5
Conservative Norman K. Wilson[19] 1,180 8.3 +1.4
Liberal Neil Macmillan [19] 789 5.5 New
Majority 5,232 36.8 -11.1
Turnout 14,253 63.4 -2.9
SNP hold Swing
General election February 1974: Western Isles[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Donald Stewart 10,079 67.1 +24.0
Labour Andrew W. Wilson[19] 2,879 19.2 −19.2
Conservative John Mackay 1,042 6.9 −11.6
United Labour Party Malcolm Macmillan 1,031 6.9 New
Majority 7,200 47.9 +43.2
Turnout 15,031 66.3 -1.4
SNP hold Swing
General election 1970: Western Isles[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Donald Stewart 6,568 43.1 New
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 5,842 38.4 −22.6
Conservative Roderick Murray MacLeod[19] 2,812 18.5 −1.7
Majority 726 4.7 N/A
Turnout 23,533 64.7 +3.2
SNP gain from Labour Swing

Elections of the 1960s
General election 1966: Western Isles[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 8,565 61.0 +5.9
Conservative Charles Alexander Cameron 2,832 20.2 +6.2
Liberal John Francis Matheson Macleod 2,638 18.8 -12.1
Majority 5,733 40.8 +16.6
Turnout 14,035 61.5 -5.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 1964: Western Isles[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 8,740 55.1 +1.5
Liberal Donny MacLeod 4,894 30.9 New
Unionist Charles Alexander Cameron 2,217 14.0 -32.4
Majority 3,846 24.2 +17.0
Turnout 15,851 66.9 +2.7
Labour hold Swing

Elections of the 1950s
General election 1959: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 8,663 53.6 +4.8
National Liberal Donny MacLeod 7,496 46.4 +3.7
Majority 1,167 7.2 +1.1
Turnout 16,159 64.2 +4.7
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 8,487 48.8 0.0
National Liberal John C Frame 6,315 42.7 +2.0
Majority 2,172 6.1 -2.0
Turnout 14,802 59.5 -1.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 8,039 48.8 -4.4
National Liberal John Mitchell 6,709 40.7 New
Liberal David Murray 916 5.6 -38.5
SNP Calum Maclean 820 5.0 New
Majority 1,330 8.1 -1.0
Turnout 15,664 60.5 +4.8
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 8,387 53.2 +7.5
Liberal Huntley McDonald Sinclair 6,950 44.1 +11.1
Scottish Home Rule David Murray 425 2.7 New
Majority 1,437 9.1 -3.6
Turnout 15,762 55.7 +2.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections of the 1940s
General election 1945: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 5,914 45.7 +4.7
Liberal Huntly McDonald Sinclair 4,277 33.0 New
Unionist Iain Macleod 2,756 21.3 New
Majority 1,637 12.7 +2.6
Turnout 12,947 53.3 +6.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections of the 1930s
General election 1935: Western Isles[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 5,421 41.0 New
National Liberal Thomas Ramsay 4,076 30.9 -23.9
SNP Alexander MacEwen 3,704 28.1 New
Majority 1,345 10.1 N/A
Turnout 12,947 46.8 +10.0
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing
General election 1931: Western Isles[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Thomas Ramsay 5,793 54.8 +10.7
Unionist Iain MacAlisdair Moffatt-Pender 4,785 45.2 +21.8
Majority 1,008 9.6 -2.0
Turnout 10,578 36.8 -3.7
National Liberal hold Swing

Elections of the 1920s
General election 1929: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Ramsay 4,877 44.1 -10.1
Labour John M MacDiarmid 3,589 32.5 +15.3
Unionist Iain MacAlisdair Moffatt-Pender 2,593 23.4 -5.2
Majority 1,288 21.6 -14.0
Turnout 11,059 40.5 +1.4
Liberal hold Swing -12.7
General election 1924: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander Livingstone 4,579 54.2 +14.6
Unionist William Morrison 2,318 28.6 -8.3
Labour A. G. Burns 1,454 17.2 New
Majority 2,161 25.6 +22.9
Turnout 8,451 39.1 -1.0
Liberal hold Swing +11.5
General election 1923: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander Livingstone 3,391 39.6 -6.3
Unionist William Morrison 3,158 36.9 New
Independent Labour Hugh McCowan 2,011 23.5 New
Majority 233 2.7 -5.5
Turnout 6,549 40.1 -14.0
Liberal gain from National Liberal Swing
General election 1922: Western Isles
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal William Cotts 6,177 54.1 +11.6
Liberal Donald Murray 5,238 45.9 -1.4
Majority 939 8.2 +3.4
Turnout 11,415 54.1 +10.5
National Liberal gain from Liberal Swing +6.5

Elections of the 1910s
General election 1918: Western Isles[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Donald Murray 3,765 47.3
National Liberal William Cotts 3,375 42.5
Highland Land League Hugh MacGowan 809 10.2
Majority 390 4.8
Turnout 7,949 43.6
Liberal win (new seat)

References
  1. "Parliamentary Electors by Parliamentary Constituencies 2010–2015". Office for National Statistics. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  2. The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 Section 11
  3. "Scotland Decides: SCOTLAND VOTES NO: Should Scotland be an independent country?". BBC. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  5. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 1)
  6. "Statutory Notices UK Parliamentary General Election - December 2019". Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  7. "Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  8. "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). UK Parliamentary Election 8 June 2017 Na h-Eileanan an Iar Constituency. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  9. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. "Comhairle nan Eilean Siar - Election Office (UK Parliamentary Elections)". Cne-siar.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  11. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. "Election 2010: Na H-Eileanan An Iar (Western Isles)". BBC.
  13. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. Stornoway Gazette
  20. Kimber's UK General Election results 1974 (Oct)
  21. Kimber's UK General Election results 1974 (Feb)
  22. Kimber's UK General Election results 1970
  23. Kimber's UK General Election results 1966
  24. Kimber's UK General Election results 1964
  25. Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  26. Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  27. Whitaker's Almanack, 1920

57.671°N 6.953°W / 57.671; -6.953

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