Caithness and Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Caithness and Sutherland County constituency |
|
|---|---|
| Created: | 1918 |
| Abolished: | 1997 |
| Type: | House of Commons |
| Members: | one |
Caithness and Sutherland was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament| (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
The constituency was created by merging together the constituencies of Caithness and Sutherland and the Dornoch and Wick components of the Wick Burghs constituency.
In 1997 the constituency was superseded by the creation of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which merged together Caithness and Sutherland and an Easter Ross area of Ross, Cromarty and Skye.
Caithness and Sutherland was geographically the largest constituency in the United Kingdom.
Contents |
[edit] 1918 constituency reform
The creation of Caithness and Sutherland as a single constituency was a part of a package of reform affecting also many other parts of the United Kingdom. The reform was the first since the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885, and its main aim was to make constituencies more equal in terms of the sizes of their electorates.
[edit] Local government areas
1918 to 1975
When created the constituency covered the county of Caithness and the county of Sutherland, including the burghs of Dornoch, Thurso and Wick.
1975 to 1983
In 1975 counties and burghs were abolished and the constituency became an area within the Highland region. The region included two new local government districts, called Caithness and Sutherland. The Caithness district was entirely within the constituency. The Sutherland district had a small area, the Kincardine electoral division, within the Ross and Cromarty constituency.
1983 to 1996
Constituency boundaries were redrawn in 1983, and the Caithness and Sutherland constituency was enlarged to cover the whole of the Sutherland district.
1996 to 1997
In 1996 the districts were abolished and the Highland region became a unitary council area. Throughout the remainder of the life of the constituency the Highland Council had area committees representing the areas of the former districts.
[edit] Members of Parliament
| Period | Member of Parliament | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 to 1922 |
Sir Robert Leicester Harmsworth | Liberal |
| 1922 to 1945 |
Archibald Sinclair (Became 1st Viscount Thurso in 1952 |
1922 - 1945: Liberal (elected as "National Liberal" in 1922) |
| 1945 to 1950 |
Eric Leslie Gandar Dower | Conservative |
| 1950 to 1964 |
Sir David Robertson | 1950 - 1959: Conservative 1959 - 1964: Independent |
| 1964 to 1966 |
George Yull Mackie (Later Baron Mackie of Benshie) | Liberal |
| 1966 to 1997 |
Robert Adam Ross Maclennan |
1966 - 1981: Labour 1981 - 1988: Social Democrat 1988 - 1997: Liberal Democrat |
At the time of the 1918 general election Sir Robert Harmsworth had been, immediately before the election, MP for the constituency of Caithness.
In the general election of 1997 Robert Maclennan was elected MP for the then new constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
