Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency): Difference between revisions

{{For|the archipelago|Northern Isles}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

|electorate = 33,229<ref name=ONS>{{cite web|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/elections/electoralregistration/adhocs/005301parliamentaryelectorsbyparliamentaryconstituencies20102015|title=Parliamentary Electors by Parliamentary Constituencies 2010–2015|author=Office for National Statistics|date=24 February 2016|access-date=17 February 2017 |author-link=Office for National Statistics}}</ref>

|mp = [[Alistair Carmichael]]

|towns = [[Kirkwall]], [[Lerwick]]

|region = Scotland

 

==Boundaries==

 

The constituency is one of five "protected constituencies", the others being [[Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)|Na h-Eileanan an Iar]], two on the [[Isle of Wight (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Wight]], and [[Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)|Ynys Môn]], defined exclusively by geography rather than by size of electorate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-53233722|title = Ynys Môn constituency 'protected' from cut in number of MPS|work = BBC News|date = 30 June 2020}}</ref> The constituency contains the areas of the [[Orkney Islands Council]] and the [[Shetland Islands Council]]. Before 2011 the constituency had been unique in having its boundaries protected by legislation.<ref>Rule 3A of the [[Boundary Commissions (United Kingdom)|Boundary Commission]] rules stated "A constituency which includes the Orkney Islands or the Shetland Islands shall not include the whole or any part of a local government area other than the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands." [http://www.boundarycommission.org.uk/rules.asp Boundary Commission Rules] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924041159/http://www.boundarycommission.org.uk/rules.asp |date=2014-09-24 }} This rule was added in the [[Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986]] and retained in the [[Scotland Act 1998]], which established the Scottish Parliament.</ref>

The constituency has elected one [[Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[Plurality voting system|first past the post]] since its creation in 1707.<ref name = HOP1690>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/constituencies/orkney-and-shetland | title=Orkney and Shetland | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1690-1715)| access-date = 9 June 2019 }}</ref><ref name = HOP1715>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/constituencies/orkney-and-shetland | title= Orkney and Shetland | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1715-1754)| access-date = 9 June 2019 }}</ref><ref name = HOP1754>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/constituencies/orkney-and-shetland

| title= Orkney and Shetland

| title= Orkney and Shetland

| title= Orkney and Shetland

The constituency has remained largely unchanged since its creation. The town of [[Kirkwall]] was added in 1918, having previously been part of [[Wick Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Wick Burghs]].

 

==Members of Parliament==

 

{|class="wikitable"

!colspan=2|Year!!Member!!Party

|-

| [[1707 British general election|1707]]

| [[Alexander Douglas of Eagleshay|Sir Alexander Douglas]]

|-

| [[1713 British general election|1713]]

| [[Thomas Dundas (British Army officer)|Thomas Dundas II]]

|-

| [[1790 British general election|1790]]

| [[John Balfour (Orkney MP)|John Balfour]]

| [[Tories (British political party)|Tory]]<ref name="stookssmith1842">{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Henry Stooks|title=The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections|date=1842|publisher=Simpkin, Marshall & Company|pages=207–208|edition=Second|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VQgHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA207|access-date=14 September 2018 |via = [[Google Books]] }}</ref>

|-

| [[1796 British general election|1796]]

| [[Robert Honyman (Royal Navy officer)|Capt. Robert Honyman I]]

| [[Robert Honyman (British Army officer)|Col. Robert Honyman II]]

|-

| [[1807 United Kingdom general election|1807]]

| [[Malcolm Laing]]

| [[George Dundas (Royal Navy officer)|George Dundas]]

|-

| [[1820 United Kingdom general election|1820]]

| [[John Balfour (Orkney MP)|John Balfour]]

|

|-

| [[1826 United Kingdom general election|1826]]

| [[George Dundas (Royal Navy officer)|George Dundas]]

| [[George Traill]]

|-

| [[1835 United Kingdom general election|1835]]

| [[Thomas Balfour]]

| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]<ref name="stookssmith1842"/>

|-

| [[1837 United Kingdom general election|1837]]

| [[Frederick Dundas]]

| rowspan="2" | [[Frederick Dundas]]

|-

| [[1859 United Kingdom general election|1859]]

|rowspan="3"| [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]]

| [[Leonard Lyell, 1st Baron Lyell|Leonard Lyell]]

|-

| [[1900 United Kingdom general election|1900]]

|rowspan="4"| [[Cathcart Wason]]

| [[Liberal Unionist Party|Liberal Unionist]]

|-

| [[1902 Orkney and Shetland by-election|1902 by-election]]

| [[Independent Liberal]]

|-

| [[1906 United Kingdom general election|1906]]

| [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]]

|-

| [[1918 United Kingdom general election|1918]]

|rowspan="2"| [[Coalition Liberal]]

| [[Malcolm Smith (Scottish politician)|Malcolm Smith]]

|-

| [[1922 United Kingdom general election|1922]]

| [[Robert Hamilton (Liberal politician)|Robert Hamilton]]

| [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]]

|-

| [[1935 United Kingdom general election|1935]]

| [[Basil Neven-Spence]]

|-

| [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]]

| [[Jo Grimond]]

|rowspan="2"| [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]]

|-

| [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]]

| rowspan="2"|[[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]]

==Elections==

[[File:Orkney & Shetland election results.png|center|thumb|738x738px|Orkney & Shetland election results]]

 

===Elections in the 2010s===

{{Election box begin|

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|votes = 5,354

|percentage = 26.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|votes = 3,335

|percentage = 16.2

}}

{{Election box majority

|votes = 6,281

|percentage = 31.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|votes = 3,335

|percentage = 21.3

}}

{{Election box majority

|votes = 5,129

|percentage = 54.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|votes = 811

|percentage = 8.6

}}

{{Election box turnout

|votes = 9,447

|percentage = 39.1

}}

{{Election box hold with party link

|votes = 4,189

|percentage = 46.5

}}

{{Election box majority

|votes = 1,021

|percentage = 21.0

}}

{{Election box majority

|votes = 2,412

|percentage = 46.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

{{Election box end}}

 

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

*[http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/edates.htm UK general elections since 1832]

*[http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/ Politicsresources.net - Official Web Site ✔] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090702081222/http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/ |date=2009-07-02 }} (Election results from 1950 to the present)

 

{{Constituencies in Scotland by Holding Party}}

{{Scottish Westminster constituencies}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|59.775|-1.803|display=title|region:GB_scale:500000}}

 

[[Category:Westminster Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland]]

[[Category:Politics of Orkney]]