Central Fife (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Central Fife was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, however, it is one of nine constituencies in the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Not to be confused with Central Fife (UK Parliament constituency).

Central Fife
Former county constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Central Fife shown within the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Former constituency
Created1999
Abolished2011
Council areaFife

The former First Minister Henry McLeish represented the constituency from 1999 to 2003.

From the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, Central Fife was redrawn and renamed Mid Fife and Glenrothes.

Electoral region
See also Mid Scotland and Fife Scottish Parliament region

The other eight constituencies of the South of Scotland region are Dunfermline East, Dunfermline West, Fife North East, Kirkcaldy, Ochil, Perth, Stirling and Tayside North.

The region covers all of the Clackmannanshire council area, all of the Fife council area, all of the Perth and Kinross council area, all of the Stirling council area and parts of the Angus council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of a pre-existing Westminster (House of Commons) constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.[1] Most of the Fife Central Westminster constituency was merged into the Glenrothes constituency.

The Holyrood constituency of Central Fife is one of five Mid Scotland and Fife constituencies covering the Fife council area, the others being Dunfermline East, Dunfermline West, Fife North East and Kirkcaldy. All are entirely within the council area.

Fife Central covers a central portion of the council area, south-west of Fife North East, north of Kirkcaldy, and north-west of Dunfermline East.

Constituency profile

The constituency includes the new town of Glenrothes and the industrial ports of Leven and Methil. The main industries in this region were once coal and linoleum, but nowadays Glenrothes is a centre for the electronics and off-shore oil industries.

Member of the Scottish Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1999 Henry McLeish Labour
2003 Christine May
2007 Tricia Marwick Scottish National Party
2011 Constituency abolished; see Mid Fife and Glenrothes

Election results
2007 Scottish Parliament election: Central Fife
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Tricia Marwick 11,920 44.2 +13.6
Labour Christine May 10,754 39.9 -1.5
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Riches 2,288 8.5 +1.8
Conservative Maurice Golden 2,003 7.4 +0.4
Majority 1,166 4.3 N/A
Turnout 26,965 46.3 +1.9
SNP gain from Labour Swing +7.6
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Central Fife
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christine May 10,591 41.4 -15.9
SNP Tricia Marwick 7,829 30.6 -0.3
Independent Andrew Rodger 2,258 8.8 N/A
Conservative James North 1,803 7.0 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Richies 1,725 6.7 +0.8
Scottish Socialist Morag Balfour 1,391 5.4 N/A
Majority 2,762 10.8 -15.6
Turnout 25,597 44.4
Labour hold Swing -15.9
1999 Scottish Parliament election: Central Fife
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry McLeish 18,828 57.31 N/A
SNP Tricia Marwick 10,153 30.91 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jane Ann Liston 1,953 5.94 N/A
Conservative Keith Harding 1,918 5.84 N/A
Majority 8,675 26.4 N/A
Turnout 32,852
Labour win (new seat)

Footnotes
  1. See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland Archived September 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
Preceded by
Glasgow Anniesland		 Constituency represented by the First Minister
2000–2001		 Succeeded by
Motherwell and Wishaw


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