Banff and Buchan (UK Parliament constituency)

For the Scottish Parliament constituency, see Banff and Buchan (Scottish Parliament constituency).

Coordinates: 57°28′19″N 2°27′04″W / 57.472°N 2.451°W / 57.472; -2.451

Banff and Buchan
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Banff and Buchan in Scotland.
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of parliament Eilidh Whiteford (SNP)
Created from Aberdeenshire East and Banffshire[1]
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency Scotland

Banff and Buchan is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the north-east of Scotland within the Aberdeenshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post system of voting.

The seat has been held by the Scottish National Party since 1987, with former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond representing the seat until 2010. In 2010, Eilidh Whiteford succeeded Salmond as the constituency's MP; however, the SNP vote share fell below 50% for the first time since 1992, due to a strong challenge by the Conservative Party. In the 2015 election the SNP achieved its best ever result in the constituency, with Whiteford winning over 60% of the vote and increasing her majority to 31.5%.

The constituency was reported to have voted in favour of Scottish independence at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum[2] and is estimated to have voted to leave the European Union at the 2016 European Union membership referendum on a margin of 54% Leave to 46% Remain.[3]

A mostly rural constituency, it takes in the towns of Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Turriff, and the main industries are fishing and tourism.[4]

Boundaries

1983-1997: Banff and Buchan District.

1997-2005: The Banff and Buchan District electoral divisions of Banff and Portsoy, Deveron, Fraserburgh North, Fraserburgh South, Mid Buchan, Peterhead North, Peterhead South, and Ugie, Cruden and Boddam.

2005-present: The Aberdeenshire Council wards of Durn, Banff West and Boyndie, Banff, Aberchirder, Macduff, Gamrie King Edward, Buchan North, Fraserburgh West, Fraserburgh North, Fraserburgh East, Fraserburgh South, Buchan North East, South Buchan, Central Buchan, Lonmay and St Fergus, Mintlaw Old Deer, Mintlaw Longside, Boddam Inverugie, Blackhouse, Buchanhaven, Peterhead Central Roanheads, Clerkhill, Dales Towerhill, Cruden, Turriff West, Turriff East, Upper Ythan, and Fyvie Methlick.

As created in 1983, the constituency replaced part of East Aberdeenshire and part of Banffshire.

New boundaries were used for the 2005 general election, as recommended by the Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland,[5] and the constituency is now one of five covering the Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City council areas. The Banff and Buchan constituency is entirely within the Aberdeenshire area, covering a northern portion of it. To the south, Gordon includes part of the Aberdeenshire area and part of the Aberdeen City area. Further south, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine is entirlely within the Aberdeenshire area and Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South are entirely within the Aberdeen City area.

The Banff and Buchan constituency continues to include the port towns of Peterhead and Fraserburgh. It also now includes Turriff, which was formerly within the Gordon constituency.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1983 Albert McQuarrie Conservative
1987 Alex Salmond SNP
2010 Eilidh Whiteford SNP

Alex Salmond was the MP for Banff and Buchan from 1987 to 2010. He also represented the coterminous Scottish Parliament constituency between 1999 and 2001. He was later re-elected to Holyrood for the neighbouring seat of Gordon, and then for the re-drawn Aberdeenshire East seat, which he represented until 2016. Salmond stood down at the 2010 general election so that he could focus on his jobs as an MSP and First Minister of Scotland, and was succeeded by Eilidh Whiteford. He returned to the Commons in 2015, representing Gordon.

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Banff and Buchan[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Eilidh Whiteford 27,487 60.2 +18.9
Conservative Alex Johnstone 13,148 28.8 −2.0
Labour Sumon Hoque1 2,647 5.8 −8.2
Liberal Democrat David Evans 2,347 5.1 −6.2
Majority 14,339 31.4 +18.9
Turnout 45,629 66.5 +6.7
SNP hold Swing +10.5

1: After nominations were closed, Hoque was suspended from the Labour Party when he was charged with multiple driving offences.[8]

General Election 2010: Banff and Buchan[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Eilidh Whiteford 15,868 41.3 −9.9
Conservative Jimmy Buchan 11,841 30.8 +11.4
Labour Glen David Reynolds 5,382 14.0 +2.0
Liberal Democrat Galen Milne 4,365 11.3 −2.0
BNP Richard Payne 1,010 2.6 N/A
Majority 4,027 12.5
Turnout 38,466 59.8 +3.2
SNP hold Swing −10.6

The swing of 10.6% to the Conservatives in Banff and Buchan was the largest swing in Scotland at the 2010 General Election.

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Banff and Buchan[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Alex Salmond 19,044 51.2 −3.1
Conservative Sandy Wallace 7,207 19.4 −0.8
Liberal Democrat Eleanor Anderson 4,952 13.3 +4.3
Labour Rami Okasha 4,476 12.0 −2.1
Christian Vote Victor James Ross 683 1.8 N/A
UKIP Kathleen Ritchie Kemp 442 1.2 +0.2
Scottish Socialist Steve Will 412 1.1 −0.3
Majority 11,837 31.8 −2.3
Turnout 37,216 56.6 +2.2
SNP hold Swing −1.1
General Election 2001: Banff and Buchan[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Alex Salmond 16,710 54.2 −1.5
Conservative Sandy Wallace 6,207 20.1 −3.7
Labour Ted Murray Harris 4,363 14.2 +2.3
Liberal Democrat Douglas Herbison 2,769 9.0 +3.0
Scottish Socialist Alice Janette Gilbertson Rowan 447 1.5 N/A
UKIP Eric Davidson 310 1.0 N/A
Majority 10,503 34.1 +2.1
Turnout 30,806 54.4 −14.3
SNP hold Swing +1.1

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Banff and Buchan[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Alex Salmond 22,409 55.8 +8.2
Conservative William Frain-Bell 9,564 23.8 −14.8
Labour Megan Harris 4,747 11.8 +3.6
Liberal Democrat Neil Derek Fletcher 2,398 6.0 +0.4
Referendum Alan Simpson Buchan 1,060 2.6 N/A
Majority 12,845 32.0 +23.1
Turnout 40,178 68.7 −2.5
SNP hold Swing +11.5
General Election 1992: Banff and Buchan[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Alex Salmond 21,954 47.5 +3.3
Conservative Sandy Philip Manson 17,846 38.6 −0.1
Labour Brian Robert Balcombe 3,803 8.2 +0.8
Liberal Democrat Rhona Cormack Kemp 2,588 5.6 −4.0
Majority 4,108 8.9 +3.3
Turnout 46,191 71.2 +0.4
SNP hold Swing +1.7

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Banff and Buchan[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
SNP Alex Salmond 19,462 44.3 +6.8
Conservative Albert McQuarrie 17,021 38.7 −1.0
Social Democratic George Milne Burness 4,211 9.6 −5.5
Labour James McFarlane Livie 3,281 7.5 −0.3
Majority 2,441 5.6
Turnout 43,975 70.8 +3.8
SNP gain from Conservative Swing +3.9
General Election 1983: Banff and Buchan[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Albert McQuarrie 16,072 39.7 N/A
SNP Douglas Henderson 15,135 37.4 N/A
Social Democratic Edward Allport Needham 6,084 15.0 N/A
Labour Ian Fergus Ross Lloyd 3,150 7.8 N/A
Majority 937 2.3 N/A
Turnout 40,441 67.0 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)

References

  1. ↑ "'Banff and Buchan', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  2. ↑ http://www.banffshire-journal.co.uk/Banff/Yes-camp-claim-a-local-victory-23092014.htm
  3. ↑ https://medium.com/@chrishanretty/revised-estimates-of-leave-vote-share-in-westminster-constituencies-c4612f06319d#.tbyb4pdhw
  4. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/024.stm
  5. ↑ Boundary Commission for Scotland website Archived September 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  7. ↑ http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/elections/DeclarationofResult-BanffandBuchan.pdf 7Jul15
  8. ↑ http://news.stv.tv/north/318353-labour-candidate-sumon-hoque-appears-at-aberdeen-sheriff-court/
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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