Comments on: Dumfriesshire Clydesdale and Tweeddale

By: Dalek

Dalek — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:44:13 +0000

“The Tories are competitive in the Eastwood constituency. This year they were 2,000 votes from winning it.”

The Tories would have won Eastwood by over 3000 on the new Holyrood boundaries in 2007 but Labour would have been around 5000 votes ahead even on these boundaries at the 2010 General Election.

If you use the 2007 Holyrood result as a benchmark the result was sensational for Labour but if you use the 2010 general election as a benchmark the Tories made some comeback by cutting the Labour lead in more than half.

By: David

David — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:07:02 +0000

But that Eastwood at the Scottish Parliament is even more favourable to the Tories than the long-term Eastwood (East Renfrewshire) constituency at Westminster. I think Tim Jones is referring to the Westminster boundaries.

The Eastwood seat that the Tories lost by a couple of thousand of votes does not include Labour’s best area of Barrhead. I think the Eastwood seat at the Scottish Parliament, had it existed in 1997, might even have been held by the Tories as Jim Murphy’s original lead was around 3,000 (Barrhead probably accounted for more than that by itself)

By: Andy JS

Andy JS — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:58:49 +0000

The Tories are competitive in the Eastwood constituency. This year they were 2,000 votes from winning it.

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:15:28 +0000

No not a peeress in her own right but the spouse of the Duke. I think she was originally Conservative, then became Independent Conservative, but my memory may be astray. The seat was dead safe for many many years, and of course was for some years represented by Sir Alec Douglas-Home (as he became at that point).

By: Tim Jones

Tim Jones — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:44:47 +0000

‘Miss Harvie Anderson’s East Renfrewshire was once a solid Tory banker but they can’t win it back now, let alone any others in the Glasgow area.’

What stands out about East Renfrewshire/Eastwood is that unlike other seats like Manchester Moss Side, Croydon North – where demographic change has rendered these seats unrecognisable from their former selfs – it is still the home of wealthy A/B professionals so you would assume that the Tories would have a strong enough core vote to be competitive

By: sbjme19

sbjme19 — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:26:53 +0000

Presumably not a peeress in her own right so was not barred from sitting in the Commons.
Talking about these ladies reminds you how Tory fortunes have changed over the years. Miss Horsbrugh moved on to Manchester Moss Side! Miss Harvie Anderson’s East Renfrewshire was once a solid Tory banker but they can’t win it back now, let alone any others in the Glasgow area.

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:22:58 +0000

Wasn’t the Duchess of Atholl Conservative MP for Kinross & W Perthshire?

By: David

David — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:23:36 +0000

From what I can see very few indeed, just one -
Florence Horsbrugh (Baroness) represented Dundee from 1931 to 1945

By: Pete Whitehead

Pete Whitehead — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:22:17 +0000

The only other I can think of is Lady Tweedsmuir who was MP for Aberdeen South from 1946 to 1966. I think half a dozen may be an overestimate

By: swanarcadian

swanarcadian — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:57:04 +0000

How many women have been Conservative MPs for Scottish constituencies?
The last one was Anna McCurley (Renfrew West & Inverclyde 1983-7) but even she defected to the LibDems.
I can also think of Betty Harvie Anderson, who was the first woman Deputy Speaker 1970-3. I wonder what she would have made of the Tories’ decline in Scotland?
There can’t be many more, maybe half a dozen?