Ross and Cromarty (UK Parliament constituency)
Ross and Cromarty | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Subdivisions of Scotland |
1890–1975: Ross and Cromarty 1975–1983: Highland |
1832–1983 | |
Number of members | One |
Replaced by | Ross, Cromarty & Skye |
Created from | Inverness Burghs, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire |
Ross and Cromarty was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1983. The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.
When created in 1832 by the Scottish Reform Act 1832 it combined in one constituency the former constituencies of Ross-shire and Cromartyshire.
In 1918 Lewis was taken from the constituency and merged into the then new Western Isles constituency, and the Fortrose component of the former Inverness Burghs constituency and the Dingwall and Cromarty components of the former Northern Burghs constituency were merged into the Ross and Cromarty constituency.
In 1983 the area of the Ross and Cromarty constituency was merged with the Isle of Skye and Isle of Raasay areas of the former Inverness constituency to form the then new Ross, Cromarty and Skye constituency.
Local government areas
1890 to 1918
County councils were created in Scotland in 1890, and so the constituency area became also the county council area of Ross and Cromarty, minus the Fortrose, Dingwall and Cromarty parliamentary burghs.
1918 to 1975
When reformed in 1918 the constituency covered the county of Ross and Cromarty (including the former parliamentary burghs) minus Lewis.
1975 to 1983
County councils were abolished in 1975 and replaced with regions and districts and island council areas. The constituency area was then that of the district of Ross and Cromarty plus the Lochalsh area of Skye and Lochalsh. Both districts were within the Highland region.
See also
Members of Parliament
Election | Member [1] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1832 | James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie | Liberal | |
1837 | Thomas Mackenzie | Conservative | |
1847 | Sir James Matheson | Liberal | |
1868 | Alexander Matheson | Liberal | |
1884 | Ronald Crauford Munro-Ferguson Later Viscount Novar |
Liberal | |
1885 | Roderick Macdonald | Crofters' Party | |
1892 | James Galloway Weir | Liberal | |
1911 | Ian Macpherson Later Baron Strathcarron |
Liberal | |
1931 | Liberal National | ||
1936 | Malcolm MacDonald | National Labour | |
1945 | John MacLeod | Independent Liberal | |
1947 | National Liberal | ||
1964 | Alasdair Mackenzie | Liberal | |
1970 | Hamish Gray | Conservative | |
1983 | constituency abolished |
Election results
Elections in the 1880s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent Liberal | 4,942 | 62.8 | |||
Liberal | Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson | 2,925 | 37.2 | ||
Majority | 2,017 | 25.6 | |||
Turnout | 76.6 | ||||
Independent Liberal gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
- Crofters Party
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Roderick Macdonald | 4,263 | 78.1 | n/a | |
Liberal Unionist | John Peter Grant | 1,197 | 21.9 | n/a | |
Majority | 3,066 | 56.2 | +30.6 | ||
Turnout | 53.2 | -23.4 | |||
Liberal gain from Independent Liberal | Swing | n/a | |||
Elections in the 1890s
![](../I/m/James_Galloway_Weir.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Galloway Weir | 3,171 | 56.8 | ||
Liberal Unionist | N. McLean | 2,413 | 43.2 | ||
Majority | 758 | 13.6 | |||
Turnout | 62.3 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Galloway Weir | 3,272 | 57.6 | +0.8 | |
Conservative | Randle Jackson | 2,413 | 42.4 | -0.8 | |
Majority | 863 | 15.2 | +1.6 | ||
Turnout | 68.8 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +0.8 | |||
Elections in the 1900s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Galloway Weir | 3,554 | 68.3 | ||
Conservative | J.D. Fletcher | 1,651 | 31.7 | ||
Majority | 1,903 | 36.6 | |||
Turnout | 65.8 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Galloway Weir | 3,883 | 68.7 | +0.4 | |
Conservative | James Crabb Watt | 1,771 | 31.3 | -0.4 | |
Majority | 2,112 | 37.4 | +0.8 | ||
Turnout | 69.8 | +4.0 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | +0.4 | |||
Elections in the 1910s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Galloway Weir | 4,430 | 75.8 | ||
Liberal Unionist | Neil Maclean | 1,418 | 24.2 | ||
Majority | 3,012 | 51.6 | |||
Turnout | 71.2 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Galloway Weir | unopposed | n/a | n/a | |
Liberal hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | James Ian Macpherson | 3,717 | 74.8 | n/a | |
Liberal Unionist | William Paterson Templeton | 1,253 | 25.2 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,464 | 49.6 | n/a | ||
Turnout | n/a | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | n/a | |||
General Election 1914/15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Liberal: James Ian Macpherson
- Unionist: Capt. MacLeod
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | 8,358 | 78.9 | |||
Independent Labour |
|
2,278 | 21.1 | n/a | |
Majority | 6,120 | 57.8 | |||
Turnout | 51.2 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
- Macpherson endorsed by Coalition Government
- Munro endorsed by Highland Land League
Elections in the 1920s
![](../I/m/1923_Ian_Macpherson.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | Rt Hon. James Ian Macpherson | 5,923 | 56.7 | n/a | |
Liberal | John Macdonald | 4,521 | 43.3 | n/a | |
Majority | 1,402 | 13.4 | -44.4 | ||
Turnout | 42.4 | -8.8 | |||
National Liberal hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. James Ian Macpherson | unopposed | n/a | n/a | |
Liberal hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. James Ian Macpherson | unopposed | n/a | n/a | |
Liberal hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Rt Hon. James Ian Macpherson | 9,564 | 58.8 | n/a | |
Labour | Hugh Donald MacIntosh | 6,710 | 41.2 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,854 | 17.6 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 16,274 | 55.6 | n/a | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Elections in the 1930s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal National | Rt Hon. James Ian Macpherson | unopposed | n/a | n/a | |
Liberal National hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal National | Rt Hon. James Ian Macpherson | 10,810 | 76.7 | n/a | |
Labour | John MacKinnon MacDiarmid | 3,284 | 23.3 | n/a | |
Majority | 7,526 | 53.4 | n/a | ||
Turnout | 14,094 | 50.8 | n/a | ||
Liberal National hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Labour | Malcolm John MacDonald | 8,949 | 49.5 | n/a | |
Labour | Hector McNeil | 5,967 | 33.0 | ||
Unionist | Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer Churchill | 2,427 | 13.4 | n/a | |
Liberal | William Stanley Russell Thomas | 738 | 4.1 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,982 | 16.5 | |||
Turnout | 18,081 | 62.4 | +11.6 | ||
National Labour gain from Liberal National | Swing | n/a | |||
Elections in the 1940s
General Election 1939/40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
- National Labour: Malcolm John MacDonald
- Labour: Malcolm MacEwen
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent Liberal | John MacLeod | 10,061 | 62.8 | n/a | |
Labour | Angus Mackay Mackintosh | 5,959 | 37.2 | ||
Majority | 4,102 | 25.6 | |||
Turnout | 16,020 | 62.4 | −6.1 | ||
Independent Liberal gain from National Labour | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | John MacLeod | 10,912 | 62.6 | n/a | |
Labour | Alastair C Reid | 6,521 | 37.4 | +0.2 | |
Majority | 4,391 | 25.2 | |||
Turnout | 17,433 | 63.1 | |||
National Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | John MacLeod | 10,969 | 64.25 | +1.7 | |
Labour | Alastair C Reid | 6,104 | 35.75 | −1.7 | |
Majority | 4,865 | 28.5 | +3.3 | ||
Turnout | 17,073 | 57.5 | |||
National Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | John MacLeod | 9,929 | 62.3 | −1.9 | |
Labour | Mrs. Jane B Saggar | 6,003 | 37.7 | +1.9 | |
Majority | 3,926 | 24.6 | −3.9 | ||
Turnout | 15,932 | 61.9 | +4.4 | ||
National Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberal | John MacLeod | 7,813 | 47.2 | −15.1 | |
Labour | Mrs. Jane B Saggar | 4,815 | 29.1 | −8.6 | |
Liberal | Colin Murchison | 3,918 | 23.7 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,998 | 18.1 | −6.5 | ||
Turnout | 21,902 | 75.2 | |||
National Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Alasdair Roderick Mackenzie | 6,923 | 40.2 | +16.6 | |
National Liberal | Sir John MacLeod | 5,516 | 32.1 | −15.2 | |
Labour | William Alexander Ross | 4,767 | 27.7 | −1.4 | |
Majority | 1,407 | 8.2 | |||
Turnout | 17,306 | 69.4 | −6.1 | ||
Liberal gain from National Liberal | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Alasdair Roderick Mackenzie | 7,348 | 42.1 | +1.8 | |
Labour | William Alexander Ross | 5,304 | 30.4 | +2.7 | |
Conservative | Allan John Cameron | 4,820 | 27.6 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,044 | 11.7 | +3.5 | ||
Turnout | 17,472 | 71.2 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Hector Northey Gray | 6,418 | 33.2 | +5.6 | |
Liberal | Alasdair Roderick Mackenzie | 5,617 | 29.1 | −13.0 | |
Labour | Ronald D Maclean | 5,023 | 26.0 | −4.4 | |
SNP | George Nicholson | 2,268 | 11.7 | n/a | |
Majority | 801 | 4.1 | |||
Turnout | 19,326 | 71.7 | +0.5 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Hector Northey Gray | 7,908 | 36.1 | +2.9 | |
SNP | Willie McRae | 5,037 | 23.0 | +11.3 | |
Liberal | J.C. Robertson | 4,621 | 21.1 | −8.0 | |
Labour | Ronald D Maclean | 4,336 | 19.8 | −6.2 | |
Majority | 2,871 | 13.1 | +9.0 | ||
Turnout | 21,902 | 75.2 | +3.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Hector Northey Gray | 7,954 | 38.9 | +2.8 | |
SNP | Willie McRae | 7,291 | 35.7 | +12.7 | |
Labour | Brian David Henderson Wilson | 3,440 | 16.8 | −3.0 | |
Liberal | T. Glen | 1,747 | 8.6 | −12.6 | |
Majority | 633 | 3.2 | −9.9 | ||
Turnout | 20,432 | 69.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Hector Northey Gray | 10,650 | 42.4 | +3.5 | |
SNP | Willie McRae | 5,915 | 23.6 | −12.1 | |
Labour | K. Bloomer | 5,055 | 20.1 | +3.3 | |
Liberal | H. Morrison | 3,496 | 13.9 | +5.4 | |
Majority | 4,735 | 18.9 | +15.6 | ||
Turnout | 25,116 | 76.4 | +6.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
References
- ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
- ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
- ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
- ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
- ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
- ↑ The Times, 17 November 1922
- ↑ The Times, 8 December 1923
- ↑ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
- ↑ The Times, 1 June 1929
- ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
- ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939