Orkney and Shetland is a
constituency of the
House of Commons of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one
Member of Parliament (MP) by the
first past the post system of election. In the
Scottish Parliament ,
Orkney and
Shetland are separate constituencies.
The constituency was historically known as Orkney and Zetland (an alternative name for Shetland).
In the
2014 Scottish independence referendum , 65.4% of the constituency's electors voted for Scotland to stay part of the United Kingdom.
[2]
Creation
The British parliamentary constituency was created in 1708 following the
Acts of Union, 1707 and replaced the former
Parliament of Scotland shire constituency of
Orkney & Zetland .
Boundaries
The constituency is made up of the two northernmost island groups of
Scotland ,
Orkney and
Shetland . A constituency of this name has existed continuously since 1708. However, before 1918 the town of
Kirkwall (the capital of Orkney) formed part of the
Northern Burghs constituency. It is the most northerly of the 650 UK Parliament constituencies.
The constituency is one of five "protected constituencies", the others being
Na h-Eileanan an Iar , two on the
Isle of Wight , and
Ynys Môn , defined exclusively by geography rather than by size of electorate.
[3] The constituency contains the areas of the
Orkney Islands Council and the
Shetland Islands Council . Before 2011 the constituency had been unique in having its boundaries protected by legislation.
[4]
The constituency has the second smallest electorate of any UK parliamentary constituency, after
Na h-Eileanan an Iar .
[1]
History
The constituency has elected one
Member of Parliament (MP) by the
first past the post since its creation in 1707.
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
The constituency has remained largely unchanged since its creation. The town of
Kirkwall was added in 1918, having previously been part of
Wick Burghs .
Members of Parliament
The constituency has elected only Liberal and Liberal Democrat MPs since 1950; the longest run of any British parliamentary constituency.
[10]
[11] At each general election from
1955 until
1979 , in
1987 ,
2010 and again in
2017 it was the
safest Liberal Democrat seat in the UK. At the
2015 general election , it was the only seat in Scotland to return a Liberal Democrat MP.
Elections
Orkney & Shetland election results
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
General election 1939–40 :
Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
Elections in the 1920s
Hamilton
Elections in the 1910s
Cathcart Wason
Elections in the 1900s
McKinnon Wood
Cathcart Wason
Elections in the 1890s
Lyell
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1840s
Elections in the 1830s
References
^
a
b
Office for National Statistics (24 February 2016).
"Parliamentary Electors by Parliamentary Constituencies 2010–2015" . Retrieved 17 February 2017 .
^
"Scottish referendum: North east and Northern Isles vote "No" " . BBC News . 19 September 2014.
^
"Ynys Môn constituency 'protected' from cut in number of MPS" . BBC News . 30 June 2020.
^ Rule 3A of the
Boundary Commission rules stated "A constituency which includes the Orkney Islands or the Shetland Islands shall not include the whole or any part of a local government area other than the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands."
Boundary Commission Rules
Archived 2014-09-24 at the
Wayback Machine This rule was added in the
Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 and retained in the
Scotland Act 1998 , which established the Scottish Parliament.
^
"Orkney and Shetland" . History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 9 June 2019 .
^
"Orkney and Shetland" . History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 9 June 2019 .
^
"Orkney and Shetland" . History of Parliament Online (1754–1790). Retrieved 9 June 2019 .
^
"Orkney and Shetland" . History of Parliament Online (1790–1820). Retrieved 9 June 2019 .
^
"Orkney and Shetland" . History of Parliament Online (1820–1832). Retrieved 9 June 2019 .
^
"Candidates and Constituency Assessments"
Archived January 18, 2012, at the
Wayback Machine . alba.org.uk - "The almanac of Scottish elections and politics". Retrieved 9 February 2010.
^
"The Untouchable Orkney & Shetland Isles "
Archived 2 June 2013 at the
Wayback Machine (1 October 2009) www.snptacticalvoting.com Retrieved 9 February 2010.
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h Smith, Henry Stooks (1842).
The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 207–208. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via
Google Books .
^
Churton, Edward (1838).
The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838 . p. 77. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via
Google Books .
^
"Orkney" . Fife Herald . 3 August 1837. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" . 7 June 2024.
^
"Candidates announced for Orkney and Shetland constituency - 14 November" . Orkney Islands Council . Retrieved 14 November 2019 .
^
"Orkney & Shetland parliamentary constituency - Election 2019" . Retrieved 15 December 2019 .
^
"shetnews: Barton for Labour" . shetnews. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017 .
^
"shetnews: Hill to Stand for Parliament" . shetnews. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017 .
^
"Election Data 2015" .
Electoral Calculus . Archived from
the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015 .
^
"Archived copy" (PDF) . Archived from
the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2015 . {{
cite web }}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link )
^
"Alistair Carmichael reselected for Orkney and Shetland" . Liberal Democrat Voice . Archived from
the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2014 .
^
"Conservative candidate named" . The Shetland Times . 16 March 2015.
^
"UKIP to field Robert Smith again" . Shetland News . 4 March 2015.
^
"Election Data 2010" .
Electoral Calculus . Archived from
the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015 .
^
"Press Association Elections" . pressassociation.com . Archived from
the original on 4 May 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010 .
^
"BBC News — Election 2010 - Constituency - Orkney & Shetland" . bbc.co.uk .
^
"Election Data 2005" .
Electoral Calculus . Archived from
the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015 .
^
"Election Data 2001" .
Electoral Calculus . Archived from
the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015 .
^
"Election Data 1997" .
Electoral Calculus . Archived from
the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015 .
^
"Politics Resources" . Election 1997 . Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Archived from
the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2010 .
^ C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.130 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
^
"Election Data 1992" .
Electoral Calculus . Archived from
the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015 .
^
"Politics Resources" . Election 1992 . Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from
the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010 .
^
"Election Data 1987" .
Electoral Calculus . Archived from
the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015 .
^
"Election Data 1983" .
Electoral Calculus . Archived from
the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015 .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918 . London: Macmillan Press.
ISBN
9781349022984 .
^
"Orkney and Shetland Election" .
Hampshire Advertiser . 28 July 1886. p. 4. Retrieved 6 December 2017 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"Every Man's Duty" .
The Shetland Times . 5 December 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 6 December 2017 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
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 .
^
"Candidate" .
The Shetland Times . 24 April 1880. p. 3. Retrieved 6 December 2017 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"Orkney and Shetland Election" .
The Shetland Times . 16 December 1872. p. 4. Retrieved 14 January 2018 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"The County Contest" .
Orkney Herald . 10 November 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 14 March 2018 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"Orkney and Shetland" .
London Evening Standard . 12 November 1868. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 14 March 2018 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"Orkney and Shetland Election" . John o'Groat Journal . 23 July 1852. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 14 September 2018 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
"Orkney and Zetland Election" . Fife Herald . 24 January 1833. p. 1. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via
British Newspaper Archive .
^
a
b Fisher, David R.
"Orkney and Shetland" . The History of Parliament . Retrieved 8 May 2020 .
Further reading
External links
Current constituencies (2024)
59°46′30″N 1°48′11″W / 59.775°N 1.803°W / 59.775; -1.803