# Dumbarton Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)

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 | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | John Taylor | Coalition Liberal |
| | 1922 | David Kirkwood, later Baron Kirkwood | Labour |
| 1950 | 1950 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1910s

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

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Dumbarton Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Kirkwood | 16,397 | 64.29 | +16.91 |
| | National Liberal | John Taylor | 9,107 | 35.71 | −16.91 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,290 | 28.58 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,504 | 76.22 | +5.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,463 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +16.91 | |
General election 1923: Dumbarton Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Kirkwood | 13,472 | 61.26 | −3.03 |
| | Unionist | Walter Black Munro | 8,520 | 38.74 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,952 | 22.52 | −6.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,992 | 67.98 | −8.24 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,349 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.03 | |
General election 1924: Dumbarton Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Kirkwood | 14,562 | 59.22 | −2.04 |
| | Unionist | Walter Black Munro | 10,027 | 40.78 | +2.04 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,535 | 18.44 | −4.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,589 | 76.14 | +8.16 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,293 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.03 | |
General election 1929: Dumbarton Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Kirkwood | 19,193 | 63.10 | +3.88 |
| | Unionist | Charles Milne | 11,225 | 36.90 | −3.88 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,968 | 26.20 | +7.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,418 | 77.06 | +0.92 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,474 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.88 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Dumbarton Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Labour | David Kirkwood | 16,335 | 51.57 | −11.53 |
| | Unionist | MJ McCracken | 15,338 | 48.43 | +11.53 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 997 | 3.14 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,673 | 80.69 | +3.63 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,253 | | |
| | Independent Labour gain from Labour | Independent Labour gain from Labour | Swing | −11.53 | |
General election 1935: Dumbarton Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Kirkwood | 20,409 | 65.17 | +13.60 |
| | Unionist | MJ McCracken | 10,909 | 34.83 | −13.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,500 | 30.34 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,318 | 78.80 | −1.89 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,744 | | |
| | Labour gain from Independent Labour | Labour gain from Independent Labour | Swing | +13.60 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

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