# Kirkcaldy (UK Parliament constituency)

Kirkcaldy was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Fife, returning one Member of Parliament (MP). It existed from the February 1974 election until its abolition in 2005.

## History

This was a safe Labour seat throughout its existence.

## Boundaries

1974–1983: The burghs of Buckhaven and Methil, Burntisland, Kinghorn, and Kirkcaldy, the district of Kirkcaldy (except the electoral divisions of Markinch North and Markinch South) and the district of Wemyss (except the electoral divisions of Kennoway and Scoonie).
1983–1997: The Kirkcaldy District electoral divisions of Auchtertool/Linktown/Invertiel, Bennochy/Chapel/Cluny, Bennochy/Dunearn, Buckhaven/East Wemyss, Burntisland/Kinghorn, Dunnikier, Gallatown/Dysart/Coaltown of Wemyss/Thornton, Hayfield/Kirkcaldy Central, and Smeaton/Sinclairtown.
1997–2005: The Kirkcaldy District electoral divisions of Buckhaven, Thornton and Wemyss; Burntisland and Auchtertool; Dunearn and Torbain; Dunnikier and Fair Isle; Dysart and Gallatown; Hayfield and Bennochy; Kinghorn and Linktown; Pathhead, Sinclairtown and Smeaton; and Raith and Valley.
The constituency was centred on the town of Kirkcaldy. It was created at the February 1974 election, mostly replacing Kirkcaldy Burghs. In 2005 the seat was abolished, being mostly replaced by Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath with a small portion becoming part of Glenrothes.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| Feb 1974 | Harry Gourlay | Labour | Previously MP for Kirkcaldy Burghs from 1959. Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means 1968–1970. Died April 1987 |
| 1987 | Lewis Moonie | Labour Co-operative |
| 2005 | constituency abolished: see Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath & Glenrothes | constituency abolished: see Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath & Glenrothes |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1970s

General election February 1974: Kirkcaldy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Gourlay | 22,469 | 47.0 | |
| | Conservative | Arthur John Armstrong Bell | 13,087 | 27.3 | |
| | SNP | Roger Thompson Knox | 12,311 | 25.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,382 | 19.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,867 | 79.4 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
General election October 1974: Kirkcaldy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Gourlay | 20,688 | 45.4 | −1.6 |
| | SNP | Roger Thompson Knox | 14,587 | 32.0 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative | Robert Jones | 7,539 | 16.5 | −10.8 |
| | Liberal | Fergus Gray Young | 2,788 | 6.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,101 | 13.4 | −6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,602 | 75.0 | −4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Kirkcaldy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Gourlay | 25,449 | 53.9 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative | Jean Hazel Stewart | 12,386 | 26.2 | +9.7 |
| | SNP | Andrew Currie | 9,416 | 19.9 | −12.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,063 | 27.7 | +14.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,251 | 77.4 | +2.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Kirkcaldy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Gourlay | 15,380 | 40.3 | −10.4 |
| | Conservative | Iain Walker | 10,049 | 26.3 | −2.8 |
| | SDP | Malcolm Black | 9,274 | 24.3 | New |
| | SNP | David Wood | 3,452 | 9.1 | −11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,331 | 14.0 | −13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,078 | 71.9 | −5.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1987: Kirkcaldy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lewis Moonie | 20,281 | 49.6 | +9.3 |
| | Conservative | Iain Mitchell | 8,711 | 21.3 | −5.0 |
| | SDP | David Stewart | 7,118 | 17.4 | −6.9 |
| | SNP | Roger Mullin | 4,794 | 11.7 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,570 | 28.3 | +14.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,439 | 76.5 | +4.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Kirkcaldy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lewis Moonie | 17,887 | 46.0 | −3.6 |
| | SNP | Stewart Hosie | 8,761 | 22.5 | +10.8 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Wosley | 8,476 | 21.8 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sue Leslie | 3,729 | 9.6 | −7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,126 | 23.5 | −4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,853 | 74.8 | −1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −7.2 | |
General election 1997: Kirkcaldy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lewis Moonie | 18,730 | 53.6 | +8.0 |
| | SNP | Stewart Hosie | 8,020 | 22.9 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | Charlotte Black | 4,779 | 13.7 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Mainland | 3,031 | 8.7 | −1.0 |
| | Referendum | Victor Baxter | 413 | 1.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,710 | 30.7 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,973 | 66.5 | −8.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.8 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Kirkcaldy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lewis Moonie | 15,227 | 54.1 | +0.5 |
| | SNP | Shirley-Anne Somerville | 6,264 | 22.2 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Scott Campbell | 3,013 | 10.7 | −3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Weston | 2,849 | 10.1 | +1.4 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Douglas Kinnear | 804 | 2.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,963 | 31.9 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,157 | 54.6 | −11.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.6 | |