Dunfermline (UK Parliament constituency)

Dunfermline
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Major settlementsDunfermline
1974 (1974)1983
SeatsOne
Created fromDunfermline Burghs
Replaced byDunfermline East
Dunfermline West

Dunfermline was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1974 until 1983.

There was also an earlier Dunfermline Burghs constituency, from 1918 to 1974.

Boundaries

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The constituency was defined by the Second Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission, and first used in the February 1974 general election, as one of four constituencies covering the county of Fife. The other three constituencies were Central Fife, East Fife and Kirkcaldy.[1]

The Dunfermline constituency covered the Dunfermline district of the county and the burghs of Culross, Dunfermline, and Inverkeithing.[1]

February 1974 boundaries were used also in the general elections of October 1974 and 1979.

In 1975 Scottish counties and burghs were abolished under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and replaced with two-tier regions and districts and unitary islands council areas. The Third Periodical Review took account of new local government boundaries, and results were implemented for the 1983 general election. The Dunfermline constituency was divided between new Dunfermline East and Dunfermline West constituencies.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[2] Party Notes
Feb 1974 Adam Hunter Labour previously MP for Dunfermline Burghs
1979 Dick Douglas Labour Co-operative
1983 constituency abolished: see Dunfermline East and Dunfermline West

Election results

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General election February 1974: Dunfermline[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Adam Hunter 19,201 39.31
Conservative J.M. Fraser 14,791 30.28
SNP R.R. Patrick 8,695 17.80
Liberal M.D.H. Valentine 6,153 12.60
Majority 4,410 9.03
Turnout 29,639
Labour win (new seat)
General election October 1974: Dunfermline[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Adam Hunter 18,470 40.10
SNP A.C. Cameron 13,179 28.61
Conservative Kenneth Macleod 10,611 23.04
Liberal M.D.H. Valentine 3,800 8.25
Majority 5,291 11.49
Turnout 46,060
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Dunfermline[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Dick Douglas 22,803 44.32
Conservative A. Lester 15,490 30.11
SNP A.C. Cameron 7,351 14.29
Liberal Gordon Whitelaw 5,803 11.28
Majority 7,313 14.21
Turnout 51,447
Labour Co-op hold Swing

See also

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ a b Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972 (ISBN 0-900178-09-4), F. W. S. Craig 1972
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
  3. ^ "Politics Science Resources". 12 October 2022.
  4. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1977
  5. ^ "Politics Science Resources". 12 October 2022.