West Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with West Renfrewshire (Scottish Parliament constituency).
West Renfrewshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Renfrewshire
1997 (1997)–2005 (2005)
Number of members One
Replaced by Inverclyde
Paisley & Renfrewshire North
Paisley & Renfrewshire South
1885 (1885)–1983 (1983)
Number of members One
Replaced by Renfrew West & Inverclyde
Paisley North
Paisley South

West Renfrewshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983 and again from 1997 until 2005. In 2005 the constituency was abolished and the area is now represented by Inverclyde, Paisley and Renfrewshire North and Paisley and Renfrewshire South.

Contents

Boundaries

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the Western division should consist of "the parishes of Inverkip, Greenock, Port Glasgow, Kilmalcolm, Erskine, Inchinnan, Houston, Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch, Renfrew, Abbey, Neilston, Beith, and Dunlop".[1]

From 1918 the constituency consisted of "The Lower county District, inclusive of all burghs situated therein, except the burgh of Greenock, together with the burgh of Johnstone."

In 1999 with the creation of the devolved Scottish Parliament, a Scottish Parliamentary constituency of West Renfrewshire was created with the same name and boundaries as the UK Parliament constituency.

Abolition

Under the Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1983 (SI 1983/422), made under the authority of the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949, West Renfrewshire was abolished in 1983. The area of the constituency was divided between Renfrew West and Inverclyde, Paisley North and Paisley South.

In 2005, the constituency was again abolished and remains so to the present day. The The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 2005 (SI 2005/250) made under the authority of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 divided the former West Renfrewshire constituency amongst the new Inverclyde, Paisley and Renfrewshire North and Paisley and Renfrewshire South constituencies.

Member of Parliament

MPs 1885–1983

Election Member[2] Party
1885 Sir Archibald Campbell, Bt Unionist
1892 Charles Renshaw Unionist
1906 Sir Thomas Glen Glen-Coats, Bt Liberal
January 1910 James William Greig Liberal
1922 Robert Murray Labour
1924 Archibald Douglas MacInnes Shaw Unionist
1929 Robert Forgan Labour
1931 Henry James Scrymgeour-Wedderburn, later Earl of Dundee Unionist
1945 Thomas Scollan Labour
1950 John Maclay later Viscount Muirshiel National Liberal and Conservative[3][4]
1964 Norman Buchan Labour
1983 constituency abolished

Constituency divided amongst:

MPs 1997–2005

Election Member[2] Party
1997 Tommy Graham Labour then Independent Scottish Labour
2001 Jim Sheridan Labour
2005 constituency abolished

Constituency divided amongst:

Election results

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2001: Renfrewshire West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Sheridan 15,720 46.9 +0.4
SNP Carol Puthucheary 7,145 21.3 -5.2
Conservative David Sharpe 5,522 16.5 -2.1
Liberal Democrat Clare Hamblen 4,185 12.5 +4.8
Scottish Socialist Arlene Nunnery 925 2.8 N/A
Majority 8,575 25.6
Turnout 33,497 63.3 -12.7
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Renfrewshire West [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 15,906
Labour Jean Mann 12,407
SNP Roland Muirhead 3,697
General Election 1931: Renfrewshire West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 17,318
Labour Jean Mann 10,203
SNP Roland Muirhead 3,547
New Party Robert Forgan 1,304

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Renfrewshire West [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dr Robert Forgan 14,419
Conservative A.T. Taylor 12,183
Liberal F.S. Anderson 2,682
SNP Roland Muirhead 1,667
General Election 1924: Renfrewshire West [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lt Col Archibald McInnes Shaw 13,267
Labour Robert Murray 11,252
General Election 1923: Renfrewshire West [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Murray 10,904
Conservative A.T. Taylor 7,602
Liberal J. Scott 4,149
General Election 1922: Renfrewshire West [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Murray 11,787
National Liberal Col Sir James William Greig CB KC 10,051

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Renfrewshire West [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Coalition Liberal Col James William Greig CB KC 11,524
Labour Robert Murray 7,126
General Election Dec 1910: Renfrewshire West [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Col James William Greig CB KC 6,366
Conservative Henry Mechan 6,082
General Election Jan 1910: Renfrewshire West [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Col James William Greig CB KC 6,480
Conservative John Charles Cuninghame 5,631

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1906: Renfrewshire West [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Glen Glen-Coats 5,858 56.6
Conservative J. C. Cunninghame 4,490 43.4
General Election 1900: Renfrewshire West [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Bine Renshaw 4,323
Liberal Sir Thomas Glen Glen-Coats Bt 4,053

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1895: Renfrewshire West [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Bine Renshaw 3,909
Liberal Capt Duncan Vernon Pirie 3,397
General Election 1892: Renfrewshire West [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Bine Renshaw 3,773
Liberal Robert Wallace 3,322

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1886: Renfrewshire West [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archibald Campbell Campbell 3,431
Liberal William Dunn 2,881
General Election 1885: Renfrewshire West [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Archibald Campbell Campbell 3,618
Liberal Harry Smith 2,980

References

  1. ^ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Seventh Schedule, Part II
  2. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)
  3. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-viscount-muirshiel-1541565.html
  4. ^ http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/history/whisp/whisp-00/wh49-03.htm
  5. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  6. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  7. ^ The Times, 1 June 1929
  8. ^ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
  9. ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
  10. ^ The Times, 17 November 1922
  11. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  12. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  13. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  14. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  15. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  16. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889