Ross, Cromarty and Skye (UK Parliament constituency)

Ross, Cromarty and Skye was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997. The constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

Ross, Cromarty and Skye
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of ScotlandHighland
19831997
SeatsOne
Created fromRoss & Cromarty
Inverness
Replaced byRoss, Skye & Inverness West
Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross

It was formed by merging the former Ross and Cromarty constituency with the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Raasay areas of the former Inverness constituency.

In 1997 most of the constituency became part of the then new Ross, Skye and Inverness West constituency. An Easter Ross area became part of the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency.

Boundaries

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Ross and Cromarty District, Skye and Lochalsh District, and the Inverness District electoral divisions of Aird North, Aird South, and Charleston.

Local government areas

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1983 to 1996

From 1983 to 1996 the constituency covered the Highland districts of Ross and Cromarty and Skye and Lochalsh.

1996 to 1997

See also Politics of the Highland Council area

Local government districts were abolished in 1996, and the constituency became an area within the Highland unitary council area. Throughout the remaining life of the constituency Highland Council maintained area committees named for the former districts, Ross and Cromarty and Skye and Lochalsh.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[1] Party
1983 Charles Kennedy SDP
1988 Liberal Democrats
1997 constituency abolished: see Ross, Skye and Inverness West

Elections results

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Ross and successor constituencies election results

Elections of the 1980s

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General election 1983: Ross, Cromarty and Skye[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDP Charles Kennedy 13,528 38.5 +17.3
Conservative Hamish Gray 11,824 33.7 −5.5
Labour Murray Elder 4,901 14.0 −3.1
SNP Katrine Matheson 4,863 13.9 −8.6
Majority 1,704 4.8 N/A
Turnout 35,036 72.6
SDP win (new seat)
General election 1987: Ross, Cromarty and Skye[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDP Charles Kennedy 18,809 49.4 +10.9
Conservative Christopher Nairn 7,490 19.7 −14.0
Labour Michael MacMillan 7,287 19.1 +5.1
SNP Rob Gibson 4,492 11.8 −2.1
Majority 11,319 29.7 +24.9
Turnout 38,078 72.7 +0.1
SDP hold Swing +12.5

Elections of the 1990s

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General election 1992: Ross, Cromarty and Skye[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy 17,066 41.6 −7.8
Conservative James Gray 9,436 23.0 +3.3
SNP Rob Gibson 7,618 18.5 +6.7
Labour James MacDonald 6,275 15.3 −3.8
Scottish Green David Jardine 642 1.6 New
Majority 7,630 18.6 −11.1
Turnout 41,037 73.6 +0.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing −5.6

References

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  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)
  2. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.