The Dunfermline East Electoral Chronicle
An academic exploration of a former parliamentary district, its representation, and its place in British political history.
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Constituency Overview
Parliamentary District
The Dunfermline East constituency was a parliamentary constituency in Scotland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It operated under the first-past-the-post electoral system.
Operational Period
Established for the 1983 general election, Dunfermline East served as a distinct electoral district until its abolition for the 2005 general election. This period saw significant shifts in the political landscape of the United Kingdom.
Geographic Focus
While bearing the name "Dunfermline," the constituency notably did not encompass any part of Dunfermline town itself, which was situated within the Dunfermline West seat. The largest settlement within Dunfermline East was Cowdenbeath, indicating its primary geographic and demographic focus.
Electoral Boundaries
1983โ1997 Boundaries
During its initial period, the constituency's boundaries were defined by electoral divisions within the Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy Districts. These included areas such as Aberdour/Dalgety Bay/North Queensferry, Ballingry/Lochore, Cowdenbeath/Gray Park, Dunfermline/Rosyth, Hill of Beath/Crossgates/Cowdenbeath, Inverkeithing/Rosyth, Kelty/Lumphinnans, Lochgelly, and Auchterderran.
1997โ2005 Boundaries
Ahead of the 1997 general election, boundary revisions were implemented. The constituency then comprised electoral divisions such as Aberdour and Mossside, Benarty and Lumphinans, Cowdenbeath, Dalgety Bay, Inverkeithing and North Queensferry, Kelty, Lochgelly, Rosyth East and South, and the Kirkcaldy District's Cardenden and Kinglassie division.
Parliamentary Representation
Gordon Brown's Tenure
The sole Member of Parliament (MP) for Dunfermline East throughout its existence was Gordon Brown, representing the Labour Party. His tenure in this constituency coincided with a highly significant period in British political history.
Electoral Results
The following tables detail the election results for the Dunfermline East constituency, illustrating the electoral performance of the major parties over its lifespan.
1983 General Election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ยฑ% | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Brown | 18,515 | 51.5 | โ10.5 | ||
Liberal | David Harcus | 7,214 | 20.1 | โ | ||
Conservative | Clive Shenton | 6,764 | 18.8 | โ2.8 | ||
SNP | George Hunter | 2,573 | 7.2 | โ6.8 | ||
Communist | Alex Maxwell | 864 | 2.4 | โ | ||
Majority | 11,301 | 31.4 | ||||
Turnout | 35,930 | 72.0% | ||||
Labour win (new seat) |
1987 General Election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ยฑ% | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Brown | 25,381 | 64.5 | +13.0 | ||
Conservative | Clive Shenton | 5,792 | 14.8 | โ4.0 | ||
Liberal | Elizabeth Harris | 4,122 | 10.5 | โ9.6 | ||
SNP | Alice McGarry | 3,901 | 10.0 | +2.8 | ||
Majority | 19,589 | 49.7 | ||||
Turnout | 39,196 | 76.6% | ||||
Labour hold |
1992 General Election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ยฑ% | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Brown | 23,692 | 62.4 | โ2.1 | ||
Conservative | Mark E. Tennant | 6,248 | 16.5 | +1.7 | ||
SNP | John V. Lloyd | 5,746 | 15.1 | +5.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Teresa Martin Little | 2,262 | 6.0 | โ4.5 | ||
Majority | 17,444 | 45.9 | ||||
Turnout | 37,948 | 75.6% | ||||
Labour hold |
1997 General Election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ยฑ% | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Brown | 24,441 | 66.8 | +4.4 | ||
SNP | John Ramage | 5,690 | 15.6 | +0.5 | ||
Conservative | Iain Mitchell | 3,656 | 10.0 | โ6.5 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Jim Tolson | 2,164 | 5.9 | โ0.1 | ||
Referendum | Thomas Dunsmore | 632 | 1.7 | New | ||
Majority | 18,751 | 51.2 | ||||
Turnout | 36,583 | 69.6% | ||||
Labour hold |
2001 General Election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ยฑ% | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gordon Brown | 19,487 | 64.8 | โ2.0 | ||
SNP | Johnny Mellon | 4,424 | 14.7 | โ0.9 | ||
Conservative | Stuart Randall | 2,838 | 9.4 | โ0.6 | ||
Liberal Democrats | John Mainland | 2,281 | 7.6 | +1.7 | ||
Scottish Socialist | Andrew Jackson | 770 | 2.6 | New | ||
UKIP | Thomas Dunsmore | 286 | 1.0 | New | ||
Majority | 15,063 | 50.1 | ||||
Turnout | 30,086 | 57.0% | ||||
Labour hold |
Constituency Evolution
Creation and Dissolution
Dunfermline East was created as part of the boundary reviews preceding the 1983 general election, drawing territory from the former Central Fife and Dunfermline constituencies. Its existence concluded with the comprehensive redrawing of Scottish parliamentary constituencies for the 2005 general election.
Successor Constituencies
Upon its abolition, the electoral geography of Dunfermline East was reconfigured. The majority of its territory, along with parts of the former Kirkcaldy constituency, formed the new seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. Other sections were incorporated into the newly established Dunfermline and West Fife and Glenrothes constituencies.
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Central Fife Dunfermline |
Constituency represented 1983โ2005 |
Succeeded by Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath Dunfermline & West Fife Glenrothes |
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References
References
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs รขยย Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
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