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West Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

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Type: House of Commons
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West Dunbartonshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election and covers the same area as the county of West Dunbartonshire.

The current constituency was first used in the 2005 general election. There was also an earlier West Dunbartonshire constituency, from 1950 to 1983.

The current MP is Martin Docherty-Hughes of the Scottish National Party, who was elected at the 2015 general election and was re-elected at the 2017 general election and 2019 general election.

Boundaries

Historic

The historic constituency was created under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 and first used in the 1950 general election.

As created in 1950, the constituency was one of two covering the county of Dunbarton. The other was East Dunbartonshire. The two new constituencies replaced the earlier constituencies of Dunbartonshire and Dumbarton Burghs.

West Dunbartonshire covered the Helensburgh, Old Kilpatrick, and Vale of Leven districts of the county and the burghs of Cove and Kilcreggan, Dumbarton and Helensburgh.

For the 1951 general election the constituency boundaries were adjusted to take account of a change to the boundaries of the Old Kilpatrick district.

The results of the First Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission were implemented for the 1955 general election, but there was no change to the boundaries of West Dunbartonshire, and the boundaries of 1951 and 1955 were used also in the general elections of 1959, 1964, 1966 and 1970.

The results of the Second Periodical Review were implemented for the February 1974 general election. The review took account of population growth in the county of Dunbarton, caused by overspill from the city of Glasgow into the new town of Cumbernauld and elsewhere, and West Dunbartonshire became one of three constituencies covering the county. The other two were East Dunbartonshire and Central Dunbartonshire. West Dunbartonshire now covered the Helensburgh and Vale of Leven districts and the burghs of Cove and Kilcreggan, Dumbarton and Helensburgh.

February 1974 boundaries were used also for the general elections of October 1974 and 1979.

In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scottish counties were abolished in favour of regions and districts and islands council areas, and the county of Dunbarton was divided between several districts of the new region of Strathclyde. The Third Periodical Review took account of new local government boundaries and the results were implemented for the 1983 general election.

Current

The existing constituency was created as a result of the Fifth Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, It covers and is entirely within the West Dunbartonshire council area.

The area of the constituency was previously divided between the Dumbarton and Clydebank and Milngavie constituencies. It includes the population centres of Clydebank, Dumbarton and Alexandria.

The Fifth Periodical Review did not affect the boundaries of Scottish Parliament constituencies, which retain the boundaries of Westminster constituencies prior to implementation of the results of the review.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1950 Adam McKinlay Labour
1950 by-election Tom Steele Labour
1970 Ian Campbell Labour
1983 constituency abolished
2005 constituency recreated
2005 John McFall Labour
2010 Gemma Doyle Labour
2015 Martin Docherty-Hughes SNP

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Martin Docherty-Hughes 22,396 49.6 +6.7
Labour Jean Anne Mitchell 12,843 28.5 -9.2
Conservative Alix Mathieson 6,436 14.3 -2.9
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Lang 1,890 4.2 +1.9
Green Peter Connolly 867 1.9 New
Independent Andrew Muir 708 1.6 New
Majority 9,553 21.1 +15.9
Turnout 45,140 68.0 +2.9
SNP hold Swing +8.0
General election 2017: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Martin Docherty-Hughes 18,890 42.9 -16.1
Labour Jean Anne Mitchell 16,602 37.7 +6.3
Conservative Penny Hutton 7,582 17.2 +10.2
Liberal Democrats Rebecca Plenderleith 1,009 2.3 +0.7
Majority 2,288 5.2 -22.5
Turnout 44,083 65.1 -8.8
SNP hold Swing -11.3
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § West Dunbartonshire
General election 2015: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Martin Docherty 30,198 59.0 +38.9
Labour Gemma Doyle 16,027 31.3 -30.0
Conservative Maurice Corry 3,597 7.0 -0.7
Liberal Democrats Aileen Morton 816 1.6 -6.5
Independent Claire Muir 503 1.0 New
Majority 14,171 27.7 N/A 1
Turnout 51,141 73.9 +9.9
SNP gain from Labour Co-operative Swing +34.5

1 Change to majority not meaningful as seat changed hands.

General election 2010: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gemma Doyle 25,905 61.3 +9.4
SNP Graeme McCormick 8,497 20.1 −1.7
Liberal Democrats Helen Watt 3,434 8.1 −6.3
Conservative Martyn McIntyre 3,242 7.7 +1.3
UKIP Mitch Sorbie 683 1.6 +0.9
Socialist Labour Katharine McGavigan 505 1.2 New
Majority 17,408 41.2 +11.1
Turnout 42,266 64.0 +2.7
Labour Co-operative hold Swing +5.5

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John McFall 21,600 51.9 -11.6
SNP Tom Chalmers 9,047 21.8 -2.2
Liberal Democrats Niall Walker 5,999 14.4 +12.0
Conservative Campbell Murdoch 2,679 6.4 +1.4
Scottish Socialist Les Robertson 1,708 4.1 -0.9
UKIP Bryan Maher 354 0.9 New
Christian Vote Marlon Dawson 202 0.5 New
Majority 12,553 30.1
Turnout 41,589 61.3
Labour Co-operative win (new seat)

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Campbell 21,166 48.42 +10.37
Conservative J Cameron Munro 14,709 33.65 +10.48
SNP Stan Stratton 7,835 17.92 -15.77
Majority 6,457 14.77 +10.31
Turnout 43,710 80.19 +1.92
Labour hold Swing -0.05
General election October 1974: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Campbell 15,511 38.15 -1.45
SNP A. Murray 13,697 33.69 +6.63
Conservative R.R. MacDonald 9,421 23.17 -10.07
Liberal J.D. Murricane 2,029 4.99 New
Majority 1,814 4.46 -1.90
Turnout 40,640 78.27 -1.30
Labour hold Swing +4.04
General election February 1974: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Campbell 16,247 39.60 -11.30
Conservative Moira Carse 13,638 33.24 -3.91
SNP A Murray 11,144 27.16 +15.18
Majority 2,609 6.36 -7.41
Turnout 41,129 79.57 +1.64
Labour hold Swing -13.24
General election 1970: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Campbell 23,009 50.90 -1.36
Conservative William Adams 16,783 37.13 +3.98
SNP Robert O Campbell 5,414 11.98 -2.61
Majority 6,226 13.77 -5.34
Turnout 45,206 77.93 -4.02
Labour hold Swing +2.67

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Steele 21,636 52.26 +1.51
Conservative William Adams 13,724 33.15 -4.05
SNP Robert O Campbell 6,042 14.59 +2.54
Majority 7,912 19.11 +5.05
Turnout 41,402 81.95 -0.11
Labour hold Swing +2.78
General election 1964: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Steele 21,079 50.75 -1.79
Conservative Patrick Tobias Telfer Smollett 15,448 37.20 -10.26
SNP Alexander Gray 5,004 12.05 New
Majority 5,631 13.56 +8.47
Turnout 41,531 82.06 -1.61
Labour hold Swing -6.92

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Steele 22,105 52.54 +0.20
Unionist Norman Macleod Glen 19,964 47.46 -0.20
Majority 2,141 5.08 +0.41
Turnout 42,069 83.67 -1.17
Labour hold Swing +0.20
General election 1955: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Steele 21,854 52.34 +1.06
Unionist Molly Huggins 19,902 47.66 +2.27
Majority 1,952 4.67 -1.23
Turnout 41,756 84.84 -1.72
Labour hold Swing +0.61
General election 1951: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Steele 21,799 51.28 +0.92
Unionist Patrick Fraser 19,292 45.39 -4.25
Liberal Lawrence Lauderdale Maitland 1,415 3.33 N/A
Majority 2,507 5.90 +5.18
Turnout 42,504 86.56 +1.10
Labour hold Swing +2.08
1950 Dunbartonshire West by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Steele 20,367 50.36 +1.07
Unionist Robert A. Allan 20,074 49.64 +1.83
Majority 293 0.72 -0.76
Turnout 40,441
Labour hold Swing +0.38
General election 1950: West Dunbartonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Adam McKinlay 20,398 49.29 N/A
Unionist Robert A. Allan 19,785 47.81 N/A
Communist Finlay Hart 1,198 2.90 N/A
Majority 613 1.48 N/A
Turnout 41,381 85.46 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
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