Comments on: Midlothian

By: Dalek

Dalek — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:39:58 +0000

“From 1885-1918 the Midlothian seat was generally known as Edinburghshire (though I think the names were interchangeable), rather as Angus was sometimes known as Forfarshire”

East Lothian was also known as Haddingtonshire.

I also think that West Lothian was called Linlithgowshire (but am not certain on this one).

By: Joe James B

Joe James B — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:22:07 +0000

The Midlothian Question will be resolved in the fullness of time.

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:24:11 +0000

Yes Richard the N.Midlothian seat did reach the sea – the Linlithgow division was to its west. Incidentally in 1945 there was still a seat called Howdenshire though it became known as Howden thereafter, and the name of Richmondshire as a local authority has survived long after this (is it perhaps short for Richmond Yorkshire to distinguish it from the other Richmond?). The Angus seat was still called Forfar until 1950 when new divisions of North Angus & Mearns and South Angus were created.

By: Pete Whitehead

Pete Whitehead — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:07:42 +0000

From 1885-1918 the Midlothian seat was generally known as Edinburghshire (though I think the names were interchangeable), rather as Angus was sometimes known as Forfarshire

By: Dalek

Dalek — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:54:38 +0000

Edinburgh and Leith were part of Midlothian before the city corporation was established just as Dundee was part of Angus and Glasgow part of Lanarkshire.

Oh….and Aberdeen was part of Aberdeenshire

By: richard

richard — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:36:40 +0000

Did North Midlothian reach as far north as the sea?

If not surely it was in reality Mid Midlothian?

By: Harry Porter

Harry Porter — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:24:23 +0000

Pentlands was certainly marginal in the last 30 or so years of its existence, being held at the time by Malcolm Rifkind who was then defeated by Lynda Clark. Its area is now represented by Alistair Darling and Ian Murray.

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:39:18 +0000

For some years Harry there was a South Midlothian & Peebles seat which was Labour-held (the mining areas in Midlothian outvoted the villages in Peebles) and a North Midlothian which included some very prosperous suburbs of Edinburgh such as Balerno & Currie which are still as solidly Tory as anywhere in Scotland. It is rather remarkable that their voting strength is not sufficient to prevent Alistair Darling holding a healthy majority in the constituency in which they are now included. North Midlothian wasn’t won by Labour up to its abolition & effective replacement by Edinburgh Pentlands.

By: Harry Porter

Harry Porter — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:05:08 +0000

Eadie’s predecessor was James Hill (not of course to be confused with the Southampton Tory MP of the same name).

There was also a much more sprawling constituency of the same name for many years until it was abolished for the 1918 general election. The last incumbent for that seat was the Tory Sir John Hope. The present constituency was created for the 1955 general election.

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:47:19 +0000

He was a right-winger in the NUM, this being historically a strong mining constituency. Perhaps with a view to reselection, he very surprisingly and out of character voted for Tony Benn for deputy leader in 1981 and was indeed reselected. Both subsequent Labour MPs here have been miners too, Eric Clarke who succeeded him having previously been the NUM’s representative on the party NEC. I think Alex Eadie’s predecessor was a miner as well.