Quick facts for kids {{{Name}}}
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MP: |
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Type: |
House of Commons |
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EP constituency: |
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East Fife was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. Along with West Fife, it was formed by splitting the old Fife constituency.
It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system, and from 1886 to 1918 it was represented by the Liberal Prime Minister (1908–16), H. H. Asquith.
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."
Members of Parliament
Election results
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1890s
Asquith is appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department, requiring a by-election.
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
General election 1918: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
Alexander Sprot |
8,996 |
54.2 |
+14.8 |
|
Liberal |
H. H. Asquith |
6,996 |
42.2 |
-18.4 |
|
Independent Progressive |
William Pritchard Morgan |
591 |
3.6 |
New |
Majority |
2,002 |
12.0 |
N/A |
Turnout |
16,581 |
54.0 |
-24.0 |
style="background-color: Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/color" | |
[[Unionist Party (Scotland)|Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/shortname]] gain from Liberal |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal |
James Duncan Millar |
12,697 |
56.0 |
+13.8 |
|
Unionist |
Alexander Sprot |
9,987 |
44.0 |
-10.2 |
Majority |
2,710 |
12.0 |
N/A |
Turnout |
22,684 |
67.2 |
+13.2 |
|
Liberal gain from [[Unionist Party (Scotland)|Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/shortname]] |
Swing |
+12.0 |
|
General election 1923: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal |
James Duncan Millar |
12,825 |
55.5 |
-0.5 |
|
Unionist |
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 |
-0.5 |
|
General election 1924: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
Archibald Cochrane |
12,664 |
53.0 |
+8.5 |
|
Liberal |
James Duncan Millar |
11,242 |
47.0 |
-8.5 |
Majority |
1,422 |
6.0 |
N/A |
Turnout |
23,906 |
69.2 |
+1.4 |
style="background-color: Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/color" | |
[[Unionist Party (Scotland)|Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/shortname]] gain from Liberal |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1929: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal |
James Duncan Millar |
14,329 |
42.9 |
-4.1 |
|
Unionist |
Archibald Cochrane |
13,748 |
41.1 |
-11.9 |
|
Labour |
W R Garson |
5,350 |
6.0 |
New |
Majority |
581 |
1.8 |
N/A |
Turnout |
33,427 |
73.3 |
+4.1 |
|
Liberal gain from [[Unionist Party (Scotland)|Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/shortname]] |
Swing |
+3.9 |
|
Elections in the 1930s
1931 general election: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
[[National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)|Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/shortname]] |
James Duncan Millar |
Unopposed |
|
National Liberal gain from Liberal |
1933 East Fife by-election |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
National Liberal |
James Henderson-Stewart |
15,770 |
52.2 |
+11.1 |
|
Labour |
Joseph Westwood |
6,635 |
22.0 |
+16.0 |
|
Agricultural Party |
J. L. Anderson |
4,404 |
14.6 |
New |
|
Independent Liberal |
David Edwin Keir |
2,296 |
7.6 |
New |
|
National (Scotland) |
Eric Linklater |
1,083 |
3.6 |
New |
Majority |
9,135 |
30.2 |
N/A |
Turnout |
30,188 |
65.6 |
N/A |
|
[[National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)|Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1935: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
National Liberal |
James Henderson-Stewart |
27,915 |
82.3 |
+30.1 |
|
Labour |
Alexander Kerr Davidson |
6,016 |
17.7 |
-4.3 |
Majority |
21,899 |
64.6 |
+34.4 |
Turnout |
33,931 |
71.0 |
+5.4 |
|
[[National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)|Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
National Liberal |
James Henderson-Stewart |
24,765 |
69.4 |
-12.9 |
|
Labour |
Samuel McLaren |
10,920 |
30.6 |
+12.9 |
Majority |
13,845 |
38.8 |
-25.8 |
Turnout |
35,685 |
70.8 |
-0.2 |
|
[[National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)|Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
National Liberal |
James Henderson Stewart |
25,749 |
63.7 |
-5.7 |
|
Labour |
Samuel McLaren |
10,694 |
26.5 |
-4.1 |
|
Liberal |
David Alexander Freeman |
3,975 |
9.8 |
New |
Majority |
15,055 |
37.2 |
-1.6 |
Turnout |
40,418 |
81.1 |
+1.3 |
style="background-color: Template:National Liberal and Conservative/meta/color" | |
[[National Liberal and Conservative|Template:National Liberal and Conservative/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1951: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
National Liberal |
James Henderson Stewart |
28,446 |
70.6 |
+6.9 |
|
Labour |
John McGowan |
11,844 |
29.4 |
+2.9 |
Majority |
16,602 |
41.2 |
+4.0 |
Turnout |
40,290 |
78.7 |
-2.4 |
style="background-color: Template:National Liberal and Conservative/meta/color" | |
[[National Liberal and Conservative|Template:National Liberal and Conservative/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1955: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
National Liberal |
James Henderson Stewart |
26,104 |
70.6 |
0.0 |
|
Labour |
John McGowan |
10,872 |
29.4 |
0.0 |
Majority |
15,522 |
41.2 |
0.0 |
Turnout |
36,976 |
73.2 |
-5.5 |
style="background-color: Template:National Liberal and Conservative/meta/color" | |
[[National Liberal and Conservative|Template:National Liberal and Conservative/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1959: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
National Liberal |
James Henderson Stewart |
26,585 |
69.9 |
-0.7 |
|
Labour |
John Nicol |
11,421 |
30.0 |
+0.6 |
Majority |
15,164 |
39.9 |
-1.3 |
Turnout |
38,006 |
75.2 |
+2.0 |
style="background-color: Template:National Liberal and Conservative/meta/color" | |
[[National Liberal and Conservative|Template:National Liberal and Conservative/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
Elections in the 1960s
1961 East Fife by-election |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
John Gilmour |
15,948 |
47.5 |
-22.2 |
|
Labour |
John Smith |
8,882 |
26.4 |
−3.6 |
|
Liberal |
Donald Leach |
8,786 |
26.1 |
New |
Majority |
7,066 |
21.1 |
-18.8 |
Turnout |
33,616 |
|
|
style="background-color: Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/color" | |
[[Unionist Party (Scotland)|Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1964: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Unionist |
John Gilmour |
21,001 |
54.2 |
-15.7 |
|
Labour |
John Smith |
9,765 |
25.2 |
-4.8 |
|
Liberal |
Derek C Wood |
5,075 |
13.1 |
N/A |
|
SNP |
James Braid |
2,635 |
6.8 |
New |
|
Independent Loyalist |
Leslie M.C. Greene |
257 |
0.7 |
New |
Majority |
11,236 |
29.0 |
-10.9 |
Turnout |
38,733 |
77.8 |
+2.6 |
style="background-color: Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/color" | |
[[Unionist Party (Scotland)|Template:Unionist Party (Scotland)/meta/shortname]] hold |
Swing |
|
|
General election 1966: East Fife |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
John Gilmour |
19,323 |
51.5 |
−2.7 |
|
Labour |
Harry Peaker |
9,229 |
24.6 |
−0.6 |
|
SNP |
James Braid |
5,394 |
14.4 |
+7.6 |
|
Liberal |
Derek 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 |
|
|
Elections in the 1970s
See also
- North East Fife Constituency