Ross, Skye and Inverness West (UK Parliament constituency)

Ross, Skye and Inverness West was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2005. The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

Ross, Skye and Inverness West
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Ross, Skye and Inverness West in Scotland for the 2001 general election
Subdivisions of ScotlandHighland
19972005
Number of membersOne
Replaced byRoss, Skye & Lochaber
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey
Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross
Created fromRoss, Cromarty & Skye
Inverness, Nairn & Lochaber

The constituency was formed by merging most of the former Ross, Cromarty and Skye constituency (that constituency minus an Easter Ross area) with part of the former Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber constituency.

When abolished in 2005 much of the area of the constituency became part of the then new Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency. Most of the rest went to Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey while a tiny portion joined Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.

There was also a Ross, Skye and Inverness West constituency of the Scottish Parliament, which was created in 1999 with the same boundaries as the former House of Commons constituency.

Boundaries

Skye and Lochalsh District, the Inverness District electoral divisions of Aird North, Aird South, Ballifeary-Columba, Caledonian Canal, Merkinch, and Scorguie, and the Ross and Cromarty District electoral divisions of Alness and Ardross, Black Isle East, Black Isle West, Dingwall, Ferindonald, Lochbroom, Ord and Conon, Strathconon, and Wester Ross.

Council area

See also Politics of the Highland council area

The constituency area was entirely within the Highland unitary council area. In terms of Highland Council committee areas it covered Ross and Cromarty minus an Easter Ross area, all of Skye and Lochalsh, and part of Inverness.

Members of Parliament

Charles Kennedy of the Liberal Democrats was elected in 1997 and re-elected in 2001. Most of Kennedy's tenure as leader of his party coincided with his time as MP for this seat. When the constituency was abolished in 2005, Kennedy was elected MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber.

Election results

Ross and successor constituencies election results


Elections of the 2000s

General election 2001: Ross, Skye and Inverness West[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy 18,832 54.1 +15.4
Labour Donald Crichton 5,880 16.9 11.8
SNP Jean Urquhart 4,901 14.1 5.5
Conservative Angus Laing 3,096 8.9 2.0
Scottish Green Eleanor Scott 699 2.0 +1.2
Scottish Socialist Stuart Topp 683 2.0 New
UKIP Philip Anderson 456 1.3 New
Countryside James Crawford 265 0.8 New
Majority 12,952 37.2 +27.2
Turnout 34,812 61.6 10.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Elections of the 1990s

General election 1997: Ross, Skye and Inverness West[3][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy 15,472 38.7 0.0
Labour Donnie Munro 11,453 28.7 +9.8
SNP Margaret Paterson 7,821 19.6 +0.8
Conservative Mary MacLeod 4,368 10.9 -10.9
Referendum Les Durance 535 1.3
Scottish Green Alan Hopkins 306 0.8
Majority 4,019 10.0
Turnout 39,955 71.6
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

References

  1. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  2. "Ross Skye & Inverness West". Richard Kimber's political science resources. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  3. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
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