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Burgh constituency facts for kids

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A burgh constituency is a special type of voting area in Scotland. It's mostly found in cities and towns, which is why it's called a "burgh" constituency. Think of it as a specific part of a city or town where people vote for their representatives in government. These areas are like the modern versions of old "parliamentary burghs" that existed when Scotland had its own Parliament a long time ago.

What is a Burgh Constituency?

A constituency is an area that elects a representative to a parliament or assembly. In Scotland, some of these areas are called burgh constituencies. These are typically city or town areas. This is different from a county constituency, which usually covers more rural or countryside areas.

A Bit of History

The idea of burghs for voting goes way back in Scotland's history. After 1707, when the Parliament of Scotland joined with England's Parliament to form the Parliament of Great Britain, these burghs were grouped into "districts of burghs." Each district then became a voting area for the new Parliament. This system continued for a long time, even when it became the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1801. Over time, this old district system slowly changed and was eventually removed in the early 1900s.

Why Are They Different?

Today, burgh constituencies are set up much like county constituencies when their borders are drawn. However, there's one interesting difference for people running in elections. Candidates in burgh constituencies often have lower travel costs because everything is closer together in a city. This means they are allowed to spend a bit less money on their campaigns compared to candidates in larger, more spread-out county areas. For elections to the British House of Commons, candidates can spend a certain amount, plus a small amount per voter.

Burghs and the Scottish Parliament

Scotland has its own Parliament, which was created in 1999. For a while, the same voting areas used for the UK Parliament were also used for the Scottish Parliament. But since 2005, these have been separated. This means the number of UK Parliament voting areas in Scotland changed, but the Scottish Parliament's areas did not change in the same way. Even with these changes, the old difference between burgh and county constituencies is still kept for both the UK Parliament and the Scottish Parliament elections. For Scottish Parliament elections, candidates also have specific spending allowances.

List of Burgh Constituencies in the Scottish Parliament

Here are some of the areas currently known as burgh constituencies in the Scottish Parliament:

See also

  • Scottish Parliament constituencies
  • United Kingdom constituencies
  • Borough constituency (England and Wales)
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