Argyll and Bute
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Argyll and Bute in Scotland
Major settlementsCampbeltown, Dunoon, Helensburgh, Lochgilphead, Rothesay, Oban
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentBrendan O'Hara (SNP)
Created fromArgyll
Bute and Northern Ayrshire
Replaced byArgyll, Bute and South Lochaber

Argyll and Bute is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1983 general election, merging most of Argyll with some of Bute and Northern Ayrshire. A similar constituency, also called Argyll and Bute, is used by the Scottish Parliament.

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency will comprise the vast majority of the new Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber constituency., to be first contested at the next general election.[1][2]

Boundaries

Map
Map of current boundaries

1983–2005: Argyll and Bute District.

2005–present: The area of the Argyll and Bute Council.

When created in 1983, the constituency covered the area of the Argyll and Bute district of the Strathclyde region. In 2005 it was enlarged to cover the Argyll and Bute council area, which had been created in 1996. Thus Helensburgh, already included within the new council area, was included in the constituency. Helensburgh had been within the Dunbarton district until 1996, and within the Dumbarton constituency until 2005.

Politics

Argyll and Bute was one of the few four-way marginal constituencies in the UK. The Liberal Democrats held the seat from 1987, when they took it from the Conservatives, until 2015 when the SNP won the seat. The equivalent seat to Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Parliament was lost to the SNP in 2007, with Labour representing the overlapping constituency of Dumbarton to the southeast covering Helensburgh and Lomond. Since 2017, the Scottish Conservatives have been the main challengers in the seat.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[3] Party
1983 John MacKay Conservative
1987 Ray Michie Liberal
1988 Liberal Democrats
2001 Alan Reid
2015 Brendan O'Hara SNP

Election results

Argyll election results

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Argyll and Bute[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Brendan O'Hara 21,040 43.8 +7.8
Conservative Gary Mulvaney 16,930 35.2 +2.0
Liberal Democrats Alan Reid 6,832 14.2 −4.0
Labour Rhea Barnes 3,248 6.8 −5.8
Majority 4,110 8.6 +5.8
Turnout 48,050 72.2 +0.7
SNP hold Swing +2.9
2017 general election: Argyll and Bute[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Brendan O'Hara 17,304 36.0 −8.3
Conservative Gary Mulvaney 15,976 33.2 +18.3
Liberal Democrats Alan Reid 8,745 18.2 −9.7
Labour Michael Kelly 6,044 12.6 +2.2
Majority 1,328 2.8 −13.6
Turnout 48,069 71.5 −3.8
SNP hold Swing −13.3
General election 2015: Argyll and Bute[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Brendan O'Hara 22,959 44.3 +25.4
Liberal Democrats Alan Reid 14,486 27.9 −3.7
Conservative Alastair Redman 7,733 14.9 −9.1
Labour Mary Galbraith 5,394 10.4 −12.3
UKIP Caroline Santos[9] 1,311 2.5 New
Majority 8,473 16.4 N/A
Turnout 51,883 75.3 +8.0
SNP gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +14.5
General election 2010: Argyll and Bute[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Reid 14,292 31.6 −4.9
Conservative Gary Mulvaney 10,861 24.0 +0.5
Labour David Graham 10,274 22.7 +0.3
SNP Mike MacKenzie 8,563 18.9 +3.4
Scottish Green Elaine Morrison 789 1.7 New
Independent George Doyle 272 0.6 New
Scottish Jacobite John Black 156 0.3 New
Majority 3,431 7.6 -5.4
Turnout 45,207 67.3 +3.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing −2.7

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Argyll and Bute[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Reid 15,786 36.5 +3.7
Conservative Jamie McGrigor 10,150 23.5 −0.2
Labour Carolyn Manson 9,696 22.4 −0.3
SNP Isobel Strong 6,716 15.5 −2.0
Scottish Socialist Deirdre Henderson 881 2.0 −1.4
Majority 5,636 13.0 +7.6
Turnout 43,229 64.2 +4.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +2.0
General election 2001: Argyll and Bute[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Reid 9,245 29.9 −10.3
Labour Hugh J.E. Raven 7,592 24.5 +8.8
Conservative Dave Petrie 6,436 20.8 +1.9
SNP Agnes Samuel 6,433 20.8 −2.4
Scottish Socialist Des Divers 1,251 4.0 New
Majority 1,653 5.4 -11.6
Turnout 30,957 63.0 −9.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing −9.6

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Argyll and Bute[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ray Michie 14,359 40.2 +5.3
SNP Neil MacCormick 8,278 23.2 −0.6
Conservative Ralph Leishman 6,774 18.9 −8.8
Labour Ali A. Syed 5,596 15.7 +2.1
Referendum Michael Stewart 713 2.0 New
Majority 6,081 17.0 +9.8
Turnout 35,720 72.9 -3.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +3.0
General election 1992: Argyll and Bute[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ray Michie 12,739 34.9 −2.4
Conservative John Corrie 10,117 27.7 −5.8
SNP Neil MacCormick 8,689 23.8 +6.7
Labour Des Browne 4,946 13.6 +1.5
Majority 2,622 7.2 +3.4
Turnout 36,491 76.1 +0.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +1.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Argyll and Bute[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ray Michie 13,726 37.3 +9.8
Conservative John MacKay 12,332 33.5 −5.1
SNP Robert Shaw 6,297 17.1 −7.5
Labour Desmond Tierney 4,437 12.1 +2.8
Majority 1,394 3.8 N/A
Turnout 36,792 75.5 +2.6
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +7.5
General election 1983: Argyll and Bute[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John MacKay 13,380 38.6 -1.7
Liberal Ray Michie 9,536 27.5 +13.7
SNP Ian Smith 8,514 24.6 -4.6
Labour Charles McCafferty 3,204 9.3 -7.4
Majority 3,844 11.1
Turnout 34,634 72.9
Conservative win (new seat)

References

  1. ^ Boundary Commission Scotland 2023 Review Report
  2. ^ "Argyll & Bute to welcome Lochaber communities to fold in boundary change". The Oban Times. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023 – via PressReader.
  3. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 2)
  4. ^ "UK Parliamentary Election - 12th December 2019". Argyll & Bute Council. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Argyll & Bute parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  6. ^ "General Election: SNP reselects 54 MPs". The Scotsman. 22 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ^ Council, Argyll and Bute (22 January 2015). "UK Parliamentary Election - Results - Thursday 7 May 2015". Argyll and Bute Council.
  9. ^ "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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