Dumbarton Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

Dumbarton Burghs
Dumbarton Burghs
Former District of burghs constituency; for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland	Dunbartonshire
Major settlements	Dumbarton and Clydebank
1918–1950
Seats	One
Created from	Kilmarnock Burghs; Dunbartonshire
Replaced by	Dunbartonshire East ; Dunbartonshire West

Dumbarton Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1950.

Boundaries

It consisted of the burghs of Dumbarton and Clydebank in Dunbartonshire. The rest of the county formed the rural (or county) constituency of Dunbartonshire.

History

Before the creation of the Dumbarton Burghs constituency, the burgh of Dumbarton had formed as part of the constituency of Kilmarnock Burghs, and Clydebank had been within the Dunbartonshire county constituency. When Dumbarton Burghs was abolished, the whole county of Dunbartonshire was re-organised into two new county constituencies, Dunbartonshire East and Dunbartonshire West.

For almost all of its history, Dumbarton Burghs was represented by David Kirkwood of the Labour Party, an important Red Clydesider. The only exception was 1918 to 1922, when it was represented by John Taylor, a supporter of David Lloyd George's coalition government.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member^[1]	Party
	1918	John Taylor	Coalition Liberal
	1922	David Kirkwood, later Baron Kirkwood	Labour
1950		constituency abolished

Election results

General election 1918: Dumbarton Burghs^[2]^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
C	Liberal	John Taylor	11,734	52.62
	Labour	David Kirkwood	10,566	47.38
Majority			1,168	5.24
Turnout			22,300	70.40
Registered electors			31,678
	Liberal win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

General election 1922: Dumbarton Burghs ^[4]^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kirkwood	16,397	64.29	+16.91
	National Liberal	John Taylor	9,107	35.71	−16.91
Majority			7,290	28.58	N/A
Turnout			25,504	76.22	+5.82
Registered electors			33,463
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing	+16.91

General election 1923: Dumbarton Burghs^[4]^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kirkwood	13,472	61.26	−3.03
	Unionist	Walter Black Munro	8,520	38.74	New
Majority			4,952	22.52	−6.06
Turnout			21,992	67.98	−8.24
Registered electors			32,349
	Labour hold		Swing	−3.03

General election 1924: Dumbarton Burghs^[5]^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kirkwood	14,562	59.22	−2.04
	Unionist	Walter Black Munro	10,027	40.78	+2.04
Majority			4,535	18.44	−4.08
Turnout			24,589	76.14	+8.16
Registered electors			32,293
	Labour hold		Swing	−3.03

General election 1929: Dumbarton Burghs ^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kirkwood	19,193	63.10	+3.88
	Unionist	Charles Milne	11,225	36.90	−3.88
Majority			7,968	26.20	+7.76
Turnout			30,418	77.06	+0.92
Registered electors			39,474
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.88

General election 1931: Dumbarton Burghs^[6]^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Labour	David Kirkwood	16,335	51.57	−11.53
	Unionist	MJ McCracken	15,338	48.43	+11.53
Majority			997	3.14	N/A
Turnout			31,673	80.69	+3.63
Registered electors			39,253
	Independent Labour gain from Labour		Swing	−11.53

General election 1935: Dumbarton Burghs ^[7]^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kirkwood	20,409	65.17	+13.60
	Unionist	MJ McCracken	10,909	34.83	−13.60
Majority			9,500	30.34	N/A
Turnout			31,318	78.80	−1.89
Registered electors			39,744
	Labour gain from Independent Labour		Swing	+13.60

General election 1945: Dumbarton Burghs ^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kirkwood	16,262	65.21	+0.04
	Unionist	John Richardson	8,676	34.79	−0.04
Majority			7,586	30.42	+0.08
Turnout			24,938	73.20	−5.60
Registered electors			34,067
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.04

References

^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 576. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
^ ^a ^b The Times, 8 December 1923
^ Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939

[1] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)

[2] Whitaker's Almanack, 1920

[craig1918-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 576. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.

[The_Times,_8_December_1923-4] The Times, 8 December 1923

[5] Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927

[6] Whitaker's Almanack, 1934

[7] Whitaker's Almanack, 1939

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