West Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)

West Renfrewshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland Renfrewshire
1997–2005
Number of members One
Replaced by Inverclyde
Paisley & Renfrewshire North
Paisley & Renfrewshire South
1885–1983
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.

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."

From 1997 to 2005 the constituency consisted of the Renfrew District electoral divisions of Bargarran and Gryffe, and the Inverclyde District electoral division of Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm.

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 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
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 Ms. Carol Puthucheary 7,145 21.3 −5.2
Conservative David John Sharpe 5,522 16.5 −2.1
Liberal Democrat Miss Clare Alison Hamblen 4,185 12.5 +4.8
Scottish Socialist Ms. 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

General Election 1997: Renfrewshire West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tommy Graham 19,525 46.6 N/A
SNP Colin Campbell 10,546 26.5 N/A
Conservative Charles J.S. Cormack 7,387 18.6 N/A
Liberal Democrat Bruce J.S. Macpherson 3,045 7.7 N/A
Referendum Party Shaw T. Lindsay 283 0.7 N/A
Majority 7,979 20.1 N/A
Turnout 39,786 76.0 N/A
Labour win (new seat)

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Renfrewshire West [5]

Electorate: 39,396

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Henry James Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 15,906 49.7
Labour Jean Mann 12,407 38.8
SNP Roland Eugene Muirhead 3,697 11.5
Majority 3,499 10.9
Turnout 32,010 81.2
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1931: Renfrewshire West[6]

Electorate: 38,894

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Henry James Scrymgeour-Wedderburn 17,318 53.5
Labour Jean Mann 10,203 31.5
SNP Roland Eugene Muirhead 3,547 11.0
New Party Robert Forgan 1,304 4.0 n/a
Majority 7,115 22.0
Turnout 32,372 83.2
Unionist gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Renfrewshire West [7]

Electorate 37,947

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Forgan 14,419 46.5
Unionist Alexander Thomson Taylor 12,183 39.4
Liberal Francis Sheed Anderson 2,682 8.7 n/a
SNP Roland Eugene Muirhead 1,667 5.4 n/a
Majority 2,236
Turnout 81.6
Labour gain from Unionist Swing
General Election 1924: Renfrewshire West [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Archibald Douglas MacInnes Shaw 13,267
Labour Robert Murray 11,252
Majority
Turnout
Unionist gain from Labour Swing
General Election 1923: Renfrewshire West [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Murray 10,904
Unionist Alexander Thomson Taylor 7,602 n/a
Liberal James Scott 4,149
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1922: Renfrewshire West [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Murray 11,787
National Liberal Sir James William Greig 10,051
Majority
Turnout
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1910s

James William Greig
General Election 1918: Renfrewshire West [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Coalition Liberal Sir James William Greig 11,524
Labour Robert Murray 7,126 n/a
Majority
Turnout
Coalition Liberal hold Swing n/a
General Election Dec 1910: Renfrewshire West [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James William Greig 6,366
Conservative Henry Mechan 6,082
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
General Election Jan 1910: Renfrewshire West [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James William Greig 6,480
Conservative John Charles Cuninghame 5,631
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1906: Renfrewshire West [13]

12,079

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sir Thomas Glen Glen-Coats 5,858 56.6
Conservative John Charles Cuninghame 4,490 43.4
Majority 1,368
Turnout
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1900: Renfrewshire West [14]

9,861

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Bine Renshaw 4,323
Liberal Sir Thomas Glen Glen-Coats 4,053
Majority 270
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1890s

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

8,192

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Bine Renshaw 3,773
Liberal Robert Wallace 3,322
Majority 451
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1886: Renfrewshire West [16]

7,746

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Archibald Campbell 3,431
Liberal William Dunn 2,881
Majority 553
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1885: Renfrewshire West [16]

7,746

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Archibald Campbell 3,618 n/a
Liberal Harry Smith 2,980 n/a
Majority 638 n/a
Turnout n/a
Conservative win

References

  1. ↑ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Seventh Schedule, Part II
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 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. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  13. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  15. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889