North Angus and Mearns (UK Parliament constituency)

Angus North and Mearns
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Kincardineshire, Angus
1950–1983
Number of members One
Replaced by East Angus, Kincardine and Deeside and North Tayside
Created from Forfar, Kincardine and Western Aberdeenshire and Montrose Burghs

Angus North and Mearns, Scotland, was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.

It was unsuccessfully contested in 1950 by the actor James Robertson Justice.

Boundaries

The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948, and was defined as consisting of:[1]

Redistribution

The boundaries of the constituency were unaltered at the next redistribution of seats, which came into effect in 1974.[2] Counties and burghs were abolished for local government purposes in 1975, but parliamentary boundaries were unaffected until 1983. In that year the constituency was abolished. A new Kincardine and Deeside constituency was formed with similar boundaries.[3]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1950 Sir Colin Thornton-Kemsley Conservative & National Liberal
1964 Alick Buchanan-Smith Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections of the 1970s

General Election 1979: North Angus and Mearns
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alick Buchanan-Smith 18,302 57.5 +11.9
SNP I. Murray 7,387 23.2 −11.0
Labour H.R. McMahon 6,132 19.3 +7.0
Majority 10,915 34.3
Turnout 31,821 73.8 −4.9
Conservative hold Swing +11.5
General Election October 1974: North Angus and Mearns [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alick Buchanan-Smith 11,835 43.6 −5.2
SNP I. Murray 9,284 34.2 +10.8
Labour J.M.S. McEwan 3,344 12.3 −0.5
Liberal Malcolm Bruce 2,700 9.9 −5.2
Majority 2,551 9.4
Turnout 27,163 78.7 +6.0
Conservative hold Swing −8.0
General Election February 1974: North Angus and Mearns [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alick Buchanan-Smith 14,288 48.8 −4.3
SNP H. Rankin 6,837 23.4 +6.5
Liberal J.C. Hall 4,412 15.1 +3.5
Labour A.A.C. Stanley 3,745 12.8 −5.6
Majority 7,451 25.5
Turnout 29,282 72.7 −1.9
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1970: North Angus and Mearns [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alick Buchanan-Smith 14,687 53.1 +2.7
Labour James Gourlay 5,092 18.4 −1.8
SNP James A. McGuigan 4,677 16.9 N/A
Liberal John J. Grimond 3,312 11.6 −17.8
Majority 9,595 34.7
Turnout 27,768 74.6 −1.6
Conservative hold Swing

Elections of the 1960s

General Election 1966: North Angus and Mearns [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alick Buchanan-Smith 13,286 50.4 +1.1
Liberal Kenneth Alfred John Barton 7,756 29.4 −4.7
Labour Christopher Thomas Walker 5,318 20.2 +3.6
Majority 5,530 21.0
Turnout 26,360 76.2 −0.8
Conservative hold Swing +2.9
General Election 1964: North Angus and Mearns [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Alick Buchanan-Smith 13,401 49.3 −18.1
Liberal Kenneth Alfred John Barton 9,268 34.1 N/A
Labour Mrs. Mary Klopper 4,513 16.6 −16.0
Majority 4,133 15.2
Turnout 27,182 77.0 +5.7
Unionist hold Swing

Elections of the 1950s

General Election 1959: North Angus and Mearns [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir Colin Thornton-Kemsley OBE TD 17,536 67.4 −1.6
Labour Robert Hughes 8,486 32.6 +1.6
Majority 9,050 34.8
Turnout 26,022 71.3 −1.0
Unionist hold Swing −1.6
General Election 1955: North Angus and Mearns [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir Colin Thornton-Kemsley OBE TD 18,516 69.0 +4.9
Labour Charles Buick 8,323 31.0 −4.9
Majority 10,193 38.0
Turnout 26,839 72.3 −4.0
Unionist hold Swing +4.9
General Election 1951: North Angus and Mearns [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir Colin Thornton-Kemsley OBE TD 18,515 64.1 +12.5
Labour John Mackie 10,356 35.9 +8.2
Majority 8,159 28.3
Turnout 28,871 76.3 −5.1
Unionist hold Swing +2.2
General Election 1950: North Angus and Mearns [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir Colin Thornton-Kemsley OBE TD 15,485 51.6 N/A
Labour James Robertson Justice 8,304 27.7 N/A
Liberal Tom Adam 6,233 20.8 N/A
Majority 7,181 23.9 N/A
Turnout 30,022 81.4 N/A
Unionist win (new seat)

References

  1. ↑ Representation of the People Act 1948, First Schedule, Parliamentary Constituencies, Part III, Scotland
  2. ↑ The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1970 (S.I.1970/1680)
  3. ↑ Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983/422)
  4. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1975
  5. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1975
  6. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1971
  7. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1967
  8. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1965
  9. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1963
  10. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1955
  11. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1951
  12. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1950