# West Stirlingshire (UK Parliament constituency)

West Stirlingshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to which it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post electoral system.
The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, as one of two divisions of the Parliamentary County of Stirling and Clackmannan. It was then defined as the Central and Western County Districts of the County of Stirling including all burghs within their boundaries, save for the Burgh of Stirling. From 1950 onwards, due to local government changes, it was defined as the Burghs of Bridge of Allan, Denny and Dunipace and the Central No. 1, Central No. 2, Western No. 1, Western No. 2 and Western No. 3 Districts of the County of Stirling.
The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Harry Hope | Unionist Party |
| | 1922 | Tom Johnston | Labour |
| | 1924 | Guy Dalrymple Fanshawe | Unionist Party |
| | 1929 | Tom Johnston | Labour |
| | 1931 | James Campbell Ker | Unionist Party |
| | 1935 | Tom Johnston | Labour |
| | 1945 | Alfred Balfour | Labour |
| | 1959 | William Baxter | Labour |
| | Oct 1974 | Dennis Canavan | Labour |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Harry Hope | 6,893 | 51.9 | |
| | Labour | Tom Johnston | 3,809 | 28.7 | |
| | Liberal | Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham | 2,582 | 19.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,084 | 23.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,284 | 59.1 | |
| | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Johnston | 8,919 | 52.4 | +23.7 |
| | Unionist | Harry Hope | 8,104 | 47.6 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 815 | 4.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,023 | 74.1 | +15.0 |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +14.0 | |
The Liberal nomination, William Wright, died the day after being nominated, so his name did not appear on the ballot.
General election 1923: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Johnston | 9,242 | 51.9 | −0.5 |
| | Unionist | Harry Hope | 6,182 | 34.7 | −12.9 |
| | Liberal | Robert Ian Aonas MacInnes | 2,390 | 13.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,060 | 17.2 | +12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,814 | 74.7 | +0.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.2 | |
General election 1924: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Guy Dalrymple Fanshawe | 10,043 | 50.7 | +16.0 |
| | Labour | Tom Johnston | 9,749 | 49.3 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 294 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,792 | 81.0 | +6.3 |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +9.3 | |
General election 1929: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Johnston | 15,179 | 56.7 | +7.4 |
| | Unionist | Guy Dalrymple Fanshawe | 11,589 | 43.3 | −7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,590 | 13.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,768 | 82.7 | +1.7 |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +7.4 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | James Campbell Ker | 14,771 | 53.3 | +10.0 |
| | Labour | Tom Johnston | 12,952 | 46.7 | −10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,819 | 6.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,723 | 84.0 | +1.3 |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +10.0 | |
General election 1935: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Johnston | 16,015 | 55.1 | +8.4 |
| | Unionist | Arthur Paterson Duffes | 13,053 | 44.9 | −8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,962 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,068 | 82.3 | −1.7 |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +8.4 | |
General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Labour: Alfred Balfour
* Conservative:

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alfred Balfour | 16,066 | 54.4 | −0.7 |
| | Unionist | J.C.L. Anderson | 13,489 | 45.6 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,577 | 8.8 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,555 | 75.0 | −7.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.7 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alfred Balfour | 19,930 | 55.63 | +1.27 |
| | Unionist | Betty Harvie Anderson | 15,894 | 44.37 | −1.27 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,036 | 11.26 | +2.54 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,824 | 85.68 | +10.50 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alfred Balfour | 20,893 | 56.03 | +0.4 |
| | Unionist | Betty Harvie Anderson | 16,396 | 43.97 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,497 | 12.06 | +0.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,289 | 86.67 | +0.99 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alfred Balfour | 18,836 | 54.59 | −1.44 |
| | Unionist | W Allan Gay | 15,669 | 45.41 | +1.44 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,167 | 9.18 | −2.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,505 | 80.06 | −6.61 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Baxter | 21,008 | 57.55 | +2.96 |
| | Unionist | W Allan Gay | 15,497 | 42.45 | −2.96 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,511 | 15.10 | +5.92 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,505 | 83.56 | +3.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Baxter | 21,144 | 58.77 | +1.22 |
| | Unionist | John Barr | 14,834 | 41.23 | −1.22 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,310 | 17.54 | +2.44 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,978 | 81.19 | −2.37 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Baxter | 17,513 | 48.59 | −10.18 |
| | SNP | Robert McIntyre | 9,381 | 26.03 | New |
| | Conservative | J. Donald M. Hardie | 9,148 | 25.38 | −15.85 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,132 | 22.56 | +5.02 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,042 | 82.42 | +1.23 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Baxter | 18,884 | 48.89 | +0.30 |
| | Conservative | John Glen | 11,465 | 29.68 | +4.30 |
| | SNP | Robert McIntyre | 8,279 | 21.43 | −4.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,419 | 19.21 | −3.35 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,628 | 78.94 | −3.48 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Baxter | 17,730 | 40.85 | −8.04 |
| | SNP | Janette Jones | 12,886 | 29.69 | +8.26 |
| | Conservative | T. Price | 12,789 | 29.46 | −0.22 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,844 | 11.16 | −8.05 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,405 | 82.07 | +3.13 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dennis Canavan | 16,698 | 39.04 | −1.81 |
| | SNP | Janette Jones | 16,331 | 38.18 | +6.49 |
| | Conservative | David Mitchell | 7,875 | 18.41 | −11.05 |
| | Liberal | Iain MacFarlane | 1,865 | 4.36 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 367 | 0.86 | −10.30 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,769 | 80.71 | −1.36 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: West Stirlingshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dennis Canavan | 22,516 | 47.70 | +8.66 |
| | Conservative | Anna McCurley | 12,160 | 25.76 | +7.35 |
| | SNP | Janette Jones | 8,627 | 18.27 | −19.91 |
| | Liberal | David Stewart Patrick Cant | 3,905 | 8.27 | +3.91 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,356 | 21.94 | +21.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,208 | 81.96 | +1.25 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |