Perth
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Perth in Scotland for the 2001 general election
Subdivisions of ScotlandPerth and Kinross
1997–2005
SeatsOne
Created fromPerth and Kinross
Replaced byOchil & South Perthshire
Perth & North Perthshire
1918–1950
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Replaced byPerth and East Perthshire
1832–1918
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyBurgh constituency
Created fromPerthshire
Perth Burghs

Perth was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918, 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005. From 1832 to 1918 it was a burgh constituency. From 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005, it was a county constituency. During each of the three periods it elected one Member of Parliament (MP).

Boundaries

Boundaries 1832 to 1918

As created by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, and first used in the 1832 general election, the constituency included the burgh of Perth and was one of two constituencies covering the county of Perth. The other was the Perthshire constituency (except that five detached parishes of the county were within the Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire constituency[1]).

The boundaries of the constituency, as set out in the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, were-

"From the North-western Corner of the North Inch, on the Right Bank of the River Tay, in a straight Line to the Bridge on the Mill Lead at the Boot of Balhousie; thence in a straight Line to the Bridge on the Glasgow Road over the Scouring Burn; thence in a straight Line to the Southern Corner of the Water Reservoir of the Dept; thence in a straight Line to the Southern Corner of the Friarton Pier on the River Tay; thence across the River Tay (passing to the South of the Friarton Island) to the Point at which the same is met by the Boundary of the respective Parishes of Kinfauns and Kinnoul; thence, Northward, along the Boundary of the Parish of Kinfauns to the Point at which the several Boundaries of the Properties of Kinfauns, Kinnoul, and Barnhill meet; thence in a straight Line to the North-eastern Corner of Lord Kinnoul's Lodge, at the Gate of Approach to Kinnoul Hill; thence in a straight Line to the North-eastern Corner of the Enclosure of the Lunatic Asylum; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the Annatty Burn crosses the Blairgowrie Road; thence down the Annatty Burn to the Point at which the same joins the River Tay; thence in a straight Line to the Point first described."[2]

Prior to the 1832 general election, the county (including the detached parishes) had been covered by the Perthshire constituency and Perth Burghs. Perth Burghs consisted of the burgh of Perth and burghs in the county of Fife and the county of Forfar.

The 1832 boundaries of the Perth constituency were used also in the general elections of 1835, 1837, 1841, 1847, 1852, 1857, 1859, 1865, 1868, 1874 and 1880.

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided the Perthshire constituency to create Eastern Perthshire and Western Perthshire. There was no change to the boundaries of the Perth constituency.[1] Therefore, the 1832 boundaries of the Perth constituency were used again in the general elections of 1885, 1886, 1892, 1895, 1900, 1906, January 1910 and December 1910.

Boundaries 1918 to 1950

By 1918 county boundaries had been redefined under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and, in creating new constituency boundaries, the Representation of the People Act 1918 took account of new local government boundaries. The Perth constituency became one of two county constituencies covering the county of Perth and the county of Kinross, and was first used as such in the 1918 general election. The other constituency was Kinross and West Perthshire.

The Perth constituency was defined as consisting of the burghs of Abernethy, Alyth, Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus, Perth, and Rattray in the county of Perth and the Blairgowrie and Perth districts of the county,[1] and the same boundaries were used for the general elections of 1922, 1923, 1924, 1929, 1931, 1935 and 1945.

For the 1950 general election the constituency was replaced by the Perth and East Perthshire constituency, which was defined by the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 to have exactly the same boundaries as the former Perth constituency.[1]

1997 to 2005

For the 1997 general election Perth was recreated, and was a constituency entirely within the Perth and Kinross council area, which had been established the year before, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994.[3] The council area was otherwise covered by North Tayside to the north, which also covered part of the Angus council area, Angus to the east, which also covered part of the Angus council area and part of the Dundee City council area, and Ochil to the south, which also covered the Clackmannanshire council area and part of the Stirling council area.

The same boundaries were used for the 2001 general election.

For the 2005 general election, the Perth constituency was largely replaced by Ochil and South Perthshire, covering the Clackmannanshire council area and a southern portion of the Perth and Kinross council area. Perth and North Perthshire was created to cover the rest of the Perth and Kinross council area.[4]

Constituency profile

Main article: Perth (Scottish Parliament constituency) § Constituency profile

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1918

Election Member[5][6][7] Party
1832 Laurence Oliphant Whig[8]
1837 Arthur Kinnaird Whig[8][9][10][11]
1839 by-election David Greig Whig[8][12][13]
1841 Hon. Fox Maule Whig[8][14][15][16][17]
1852 by-election Arthur Kinnaird Whig[8][9][10][11]
1859 Liberal
1878 by-election Charles Stuart Parker Liberal
1885 Independent Liberal
1886 Liberal
1892 William Whitelaw Conservative
1895 Robert Wallace Liberal
1907 by-election Sir Robert Pullar Liberal
1910 (January) Frederick Whyte Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

MPs 1918–1950

Election Member[5][18] Party Notes
1918 William Young Coalition Liberal Previously MP for East Perthshire
1922 Noel Skelton Unionist
1923 Robert Macgregor Mitchell Liberal
1924 Noel Skelton Unionist From 1931, MP for the Combined Scottish Universities
1931 Mungo Murray Unionist Later 7th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield
1935 by-election Francis Norie-Miller National Liberal
1935 Sir Thomas Hunter Unionist
1945 Alan Gomme-Duncan Unionist Subsequently, MP for Perth and East Perthshire
1950 constituency abolished

MPs 1997–2005

Election Member[5] Party Notes
1997 Roseanna Cunningham Scottish National Party previously MP for Perth and Kinross
2001 Annabelle Ewing Scottish National Party daughter of Winnie Ewing
2005 constituency abolished

Election results

1832 to 1918

General Election 1832: Perth [19][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Laurence Oliphant 458 69.1
Whig Patrick Crichton-Stuart 205 30.9
Majority 253 38.2
Turnout 663 85.0
Registered electors 780
Whig win (new seat)
General Election 1835: Perth [19][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Laurence Oliphant Unopposed
Registered electors 874
Whig hold
General Election 1837: Perth [19][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Arthur Kinnaird 355 65.4
Conservative Patrick Murray Threipland[20] 188 34.6
Majority 167 30.8
Turnout 543 60.3
Registered electors 900
Whig hold

Kinnaird's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election, 19 August 1839: Perth [19][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig David Greig (MP) 9 100.0 N/A
Whig Laurence Oliphant 0 0.0 N/A
Majority 9 100.0 +69.2
Turnout 9 c. 1.0 c. −59.3
Registered electors c. 900
Whig hold Swing N/A
General Election 1841: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Fox Maule 356 61.1 −4.3
Conservative William Fechney Black[21] 227 38.9 +4.3
Majority 129 22.2 −8.6
Turnout 583 53.9 −6.4
Registered electors 1,082
Whig hold Swing −4.3

Maule was appointed Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 11 July 1846: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Fox Maule Unopposed
Whig hold
General Election 1847: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Fox Maule Unopposed
Registered electors 1,030
Whig hold

Maule was appointed President of the Board of Control, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 9 February 1852: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Fox Maule Unopposed
Whig hold

Maule succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Panmure and causing a by-election.

By-election, 15 May 1852: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Arthur Kinnaird 325 59.1 N/A
Radical Charles Gilpin 225 40.9 New
Majority 100 18.2 N/A
Turnout 550 53.2 N/A
Registered electors 1,034
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1852: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Arthur Kinnaird Unopposed
Registered electors 1,034
Whig hold
General election 1857: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Arthur Kinnaird Unopposed
Registered electors 947
Whig hold
General election 1859: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Kinnaird Unopposed
Registered electors 966
Liberal hold
General election 1865: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Kinnaird Unopposed
Registered electors 982
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Perth [19][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Kinnaird Unopposed
Registered electors 2,801
Liberal hold
General election 1874: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Kinnaird 1,648 63.7 N/A
Conservative Charles Scott[23] 940 36.3 New
Majority 708 27.4 N/A
Turnout 2,588 67.0 N/A
Registered electors 3,863
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Kinnaird succeeded to the peerage, becoming Lord Kinnaird.

By-election, 29 Jan 1878: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Stuart Parker 2,206 72.1 +8.4
Conservative Alexander Mackie[24] 855 27.9 −8.4
Majority 1,351 44.2 +16.8
Turnout 3,061 72.5 +5.5
Registered electors 4,224
Liberal hold Swing +8.4
General election 1880: Perth [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Stuart Parker 2,315 74.9 +11.2
Conservative David Robertson Williamson[25] 774 25.1 −11.2
Majority 1,541 49.8 +22.4
Turnout 3,089 77.2 +10.2
Registered electors 4,000
Liberal hold Swing +11.2
General election 1885: Perth [26][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Liberal Charles Stuart Parker 1,652 44.4 New
Conservative John Chisholm 1,099 29.6 +4.5
Liberal Alexander Macdougall junior 967 26.0 −48.9
Majority 553 14.8 N/A
Turnout 3,718 85.1 +7.9
Registered electors 4,369
Independent Liberal gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1886: Perth [26][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Stuart Parker 1,573 58.4 +32.4
Liberal Unionist William Fowler 1,120 41.6 +12.0
Majority 453 16.8 N/A
Turnout 2,693 61.6 −23.5
Registered electors 4,369
Liberal gain from Independent Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1892: Perth [28][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Whitelaw 1,398 40.2 −1.4
Liberal Charles Stuart Parker 1,171 33.7 −24.7
Perth Liberal and Radical Association James Woollen 907 26.1 New
Majority 227 6.5 N/A
Turnout 3,476 81.3 +19.7
Registered electors 4,274
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +11.7
General election 1895: Perth [29][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Wallace 2,137 54.8 +21.1
Conservative William Whitelaw 1,763 45.2 +5.0
Majority 374 9.6 N/A
Turnout 3,900 87.5 +6.2
Registered electors 4,456
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.1
Wallace
General election 1900: Perth [29][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Wallace 2,171 54.3 −0.5
Conservative William Whitelaw 1,827 45.7 +0.5
Majority 344 8.6 −1.0
Turnout 3,998 82.0 −5.5
Registered electors 4,873
Liberal hold Swing −0.5
General election 1906: Perth [30][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Wallace 2,875 60.6 +6.3
Conservative Samuel Chapman 1,867 39.4 −6.3
Majority 1,008 21.2 +12.6
Turnout 4,742 87.8 +5.8
Registered electors 5,398
Liberal hold Swing +6.3
By-election, 1907[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Pullar Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election January 1910: Perth [31][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Whyte 2,841 57.5 −3.1
Conservative Samuel Chapman 2,103 42.5 +3.1
Majority 738 15.0 −6.2
Turnout 4,944 91.0 +3.2
Registered electors 5,433
Liberal hold Swing −3.1
General election December 1910: Perth [31][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Whyte 2,852 60.3 +2.8
Conservative Charles Telfer-Smollett 1,878 39.7 −2.8
Majority 974 20.6 +5.6
Turnout 4,730 85.8 −5.2
Registered electors 5,514
Liberal hold Swing +2.8

1918 to 1950

William Young
General election 1918: Perth [32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal William Young Unopposed
Liberal hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
General election 1922: Perth [33][34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Noel Skelton 11,387 46.3 New
Liberal William Henderson 5,874 23.9 N/A
Labour William Westwood 4,651 18.9 New
National Liberal William Robert Gourlay 2,689 10.9 New
Majority 5,513 22.4 N/A
Turnout 24,601 71.1 N/A
Registered electors 34,590
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1923: Perth [35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert MacGregor Mitchell 12,655 53.2 +29.3
Unionist Noel Skelton 11,134 46.8 +0.5
Majority 1,521 6.4 N/A
Turnout 23,789 68.7 −2.4
Registered electors 34,635
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +14.4
General election 1924: Perth [36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Noel Skelton 13,022 49.4 +2.6
Liberal Robert MacGregor Mitchell 7,998 30.4 −22.8
Labour Cameron Roberts 5,316 20.2 New
Majority 5,024 19.0 N/A
Turnout 26,336 75.3 +6.6
Registered electors 34,992
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +12.7
General election 1929: Perth [36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Noel Skelton 14,229 40.4 −9.0
Liberal Francis Norie-Miller 12,699 36.1 +5.7
Labour Helen E Gault 8,291 23.5 +3.3
Majority 1,530 4.3 −14.7
Turnout 35,219 76.7 +1.4
Registered electors 45,923
Unionist hold Swing −7.4

1930s

General election 1931: Perth [37]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Mungo Murray 19,254 50.2 +9.8
Liberal Francis Norie-Miller 15,396 40.1 +4.0
Labour Helen E Gault 3,705 9.7 -14.2
Majority 3,858 10.1 +5.8
Turnout 38,355 81.4 +4.7
Unionist hold Swing
1935 Perth by-election [38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Francis Norie-Miller 17,516 68.7 New
Labour Adam McKinlay 7,984 31.3 +21.6
Majority 9,532 37.4 N/A
Turnout 25,500
National Liberal gain from Unionist Swing
General election 1935: Perth [39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Thomas Hunter 23,011 73.7 +25.5
Labour Robert Gunn 8,209 26.3 +16.6
Majority 14,802 47.4 +37.3
Turnout 31,220 64.1 -17.3
Unionist gain from National Liberal Swing

1940s

General election 1945: Perth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Alan Gomme-Duncan 22,484 63.1 -10.6
Labour William Hughes 11,617 32.6 +6.3
SNP James Blair Brown 1,547 4.3 New
Majority 10,867 30.5 -16.9
Turnout 35,648 65.7 +1.6
Unionist hold Swing -8.5

1997 to 2005

General election 1997: Perth[40][41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Roseanna Cunningham 16,209 36.4
Conservative John Godfrey 13,068 29.3
Labour Douglas Alexander 11,036 24.8
Liberal Democrats Chic Brodie 3,583 8.0
Referendum Robert McAuley 366 0.8
UKIP Matthew Henderson 289 0.6
Majority 3,141 7.1
Turnout 44,551 73.9
SNP win (new seat)
General election 2001: Perth[42]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Annabelle Ewing 11,237 29.7 −6.7
Conservative Liz Smith 11,189 29.6 +0.3
Labour Marion Dingwall 9,638 25.5 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Vicki Harris 4,853 12.8 +4.8
Scottish Socialist Frank Byrne 899 2.4 New
Majority 48 0.1 -7.0
Turnout 37,816 61.5 −12.4
SNP hold Swing

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972 (ISBN 0-900178-09-4), F. W. S. Craig 1972
  2. ^ Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, Schedule (M).
  3. ^ Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, Office of Public Sector Information website
  4. ^ "Fifth Periodical Review". Boundary Commission for Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007.
  5. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 1)
  6. ^ Craig, FWS (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 558–559. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  7. ^ Craig, FWS (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 518. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 209.
  9. ^ a b Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 137.
  10. ^ a b Crosby, Travis L. (1997). The Two Mr. Gladstones: A Study in Psychology and History. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 163. ISBN 0-300-06827-1.
  11. ^ a b "Perthshire Courier". 3 August 1837. p. 3. Retrieved 3 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Perth City Election". The Pilot. 21 August 1839. p. 2. Retrieved 17 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "Carlisle Patriot". 24 August 1839. p. 3. Retrieved 17 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ "The Late Whig Election Dinner". Perthshire Courier. 22 July 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 3 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Perthshire Courier". 24 June 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 3 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ Beckett, Ian F. W.; Gooch, John, eds. (1981). Politicians and defence: Studies in the Formulation of British Defence Policy. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 178. ISBN 0-7190-0818-2.
  17. ^ Waugh, Alexander Sandy (Autumn 2009). "United Kingdom general election, 1841" (PDF). Journal of Liberal History. 64: 43. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  18. ^ Craig, FWS (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 643. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  20. ^ "City Election". Perthshire Courier. 20 July 1837. p. 1. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "City of Perth". Inverness Courier. 7 July 1841. p. 2. Retrieved 17 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ Debrett's House of Commons, 1870
  23. ^ "Representation of Perth". Dundee Courier. 31 January 1874. p. 3. Retrieved 15 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ "The Representation of Perth: The Candidature of Mr Alexander Mackie". Dundee Courier. 14 January 1878. p. 7. Retrieved 15 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "Nominations". Dundee Courier. 2 April 1880. p. 6. Retrieved 9 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench 1889
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  28. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1893
  29. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  30. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1907
  31. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench 1916
  32. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1920
  33. ^ The Times, 17 November 1922
  34. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  35. ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
  36. ^ a b Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
  37. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  38. ^ The Times, 18 April 1935
  39. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  40. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  41. ^ VOTE 2001, BBC
  42. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
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