# Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)

Na h-Eileanan an Iar (/nə ˈhɪlənən ən jɪər/; Scottish Gaelic pronunciation:), formerly Western Isles, is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created in 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It has been represented since 2024 Torcuil Crichton of Scottish Labour.
The constituency was formed by merging areas which were formerly within the Ross and Cromarty constituency and the Inverness-shire constituency.
Na h-Eileanan an Iar is Scottish Gaelic for the Western Isles, which was the constituency's name prior to the 2005 general election. An identical constituency with the same name is used by the Scottish Parliament.
With around 21,000 registered voters, it has the smallest electorate of any constituency in the United Kingdom. It is expressly protected from being combined with other constituencies by the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011.

## History and boundaries

The constituency area is that of the Outer Hebrides, known also as Na h-Eileanan Siar, and has remained unchanged since its creation under the Representation of the People Act 1918 for the general election of that year. It is currently defined as being coterminous with the area of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, previously known as the Western Isles Islands Area before 1996. Prior to the creation of the unitary authority, the constituency was divided between the two historic counties of Ross and Cromarty and Inverness-shire and was defined as comprising:
* the burgh of Stornoway;
* the district of Lewis in Ross and Cromarty; and
* the districts of Barra, Harris, North Uist and South Uist in Inverness-shire.

## Status

The constituency has the smallest electorate in the United Kingdom, just over one quarter of the size of the electoral quota under the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies. It has been suggested that Na h-Eileanan an Iar could be combined with the Orkney and Shetland constituency; the resulting combined electorate would still be well below the average constituency quota.
The Scottish Boundary Commission in 1980 proposed that the seat should be extended to include the Skye and Lochalsh areas; this was overturned at a public enquiry. Generally, considerations of geographical size, a disparate population and convenience for the MPs concerned, as well as tradition and identity, have tended to override the arguments about numerical imbalance. Furthermore, a change in the Boundary Commission's rules in 2000 added a rule which forbade Orkney or Shetland being combined with another council area.
The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, as amended by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020, prevented Na h-Eileanan an Iar being combined with any other constituency by designating it as a protected constituency, alongside Isle of Wight (two seats), Orkney and Shetland, and Ynys Môn.

## Electoral history

From its creation in 1918 until the 1935 general election, the seat was held by Liberal MPs of varying descriptions. In 1935, the seat was captured by Malcolm Macmillan of the Labour Party, who would go on to retain the seat for the following 35 years. Macmillan was defeated at the 1970 general election by the Scottish National Party candidate Donald Stewart – who thus became the first SNP member to be represented at Westminster. Since 1970, the seat has alternated between SNP and Labour. Stewart held the seat until he stood down for the 1987 general election, when the seat was regained for Labour by Calum MacDonald.
In 2005 it became a safe seat for the Scottish National Party, with the election of Angus MacNeil. This trend was reversed in the 2017 general election, when the SNP suffered a swing against them for the first time since 1997, but at the 2019 general election the constituency became a safe seat for the SNP again. In August 2023, MacNeil was expelled from the SNP, having earlier lost the parliamentary whip. At the 2024 general election he stood as an independent gaining 10% of the vote, helping to swing the seat heavily to Labour, represented by Torcuil Crichton.
For the Conservatives, their vote had increased in recent years, since losing their deposit in the 2005 and 2010 elections, but they lost their deposit once again at the 2024 election.
During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum the constituency voted against independence by a margin of 53.42% (10,544) to 46.58% (9,195) in favour on a turnout of 86.2%
The constituency is notable for having the highest percentage of Scottish Gaelic speakers of any constituency in the world.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1918 | Donald Murray | Liberal |
| 1922 | Sir William Cotts | National Liberal |
| 1923 | Alexander Livingstone | Liberal |
| 1929 | Thomas Ramsay | Liberal |
| 1931 | Thomas Ramsay | National Liberal |
| 1935 | Malcolm Macmillan | Labour |
| 1970 | Donald Stewart | SNP |
| 1987 | Calum MacDonald | Labour |
| 2005 | Angus MacNeil | SNP |
| 2023 | Angus MacNeil | Independent |
| 2024 | Torcuil Crichton | Labour |

## Election results
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Na h-Eileanan an Iar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Torcuil Crichton | 6,692 | 49.5 | +21.2 |
| | SNP | Susan Thomson | 2,856 | 21.1 | −24.0 |
| | Independent | Angus MacNeil | 1,370 | 10.1 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Tony Ridden | 697 | 5.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Kenny Barker | 647 | 4.8 | −17.4 |
| | Scottish Christian | Donald Boyd | 496 | 3.7 | N/A |
| | Scottish Family | Steven Welsh | 388 | 2.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jamie Dobson | 382 | 2.8 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,836 | 28.4 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,528 | 63.7 | −4.9 |
| | Labour gain from SNP | Labour gain from SNP | Swing | +22.6 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Na h-Eileanan an Iar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Angus MacNeil | 6,531 | 45.1 | +4.5 |
| | Labour | Alison McCorquodale | 4,093 | 28.3 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative | Jennifer Ross | 3,216 | 22.2 | +5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Mitchison | 637 | 4.4 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,438 | 16.8 | +10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,447 | 68.6 | −0.9 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | +5.0 | |
MacNeil was suspended from the SNP in July 2023. He had decided to sit as an independent MP after having an argument with the SNP Chief Whip.
General election 2017: Na h-Eileanan an Iar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Angus MacNeil | 6,013 | 40.6 | −13.7 |
| | Labour | Ealasaid MacDonald | 5,006 | 33.8 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Daniel McCroskrie | 2,441 | 16.5 | +8.9 |
| | Scottish Christian | John Cormack | 1,108 | 7.5 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Paterson | 250 | 1.7 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,007 | 6.8 | −18.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,818 | 69.7 | −3.5 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | −9.5 | |
General election 2015: Na h-Eileanan an Iar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Angus MacNeil | 8,662 | 54.3 | +8.6 |
| | Labour | Alasdair Morrison | 4,560 | 28.6 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | Mark Brown | 1,215 | 7.6 | +3.2 |
| | Scottish Christian | John Cormack | 1,045 | 6.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ruaraidh Ferguson | 456 | 2.9 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,102 | 25.7 | +12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,938 | 73.2 | +7.1 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | +6.5 | |
General election 2010: Na h-Eileanan an Iar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Angus MacNeil | 6,723 | 45.7 | +0.8 |
| | Labour | Donald MacSween | 4,838 | 32.9 | −1.6 |
| | Independent | Murdo Murray | 1,412 | 9.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Davis | 1,097 | 7.5 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative | Sheena Norquay | 647 | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,885 | 12.8 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,717 | 66.1 | +2.0 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | +1.2 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Na h-Eileanan an Iar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Angus MacNeil | 6,213 | 44.9 | +8.0 |
| | Labour | Calum MacDonald | 4,772 | 34.5 | −10.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Davis | 1,096 | 7.9 | +1.4 |
| | Christian Vote | George Hargreaves | 1,048 | 7.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Andy Maciver | 610 | 4.4 | −5.1 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Joanne Telfer | 97 | 0.7 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,441 | 10.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,836 | 64.1 | +3.5 |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +9.3 | |
General election 2001: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Calum MacDonald | 5,924 | 45.0 | −10.6 |
| | SNP | Alasdair Nicholson | 4,850 | 36.9 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Douglas Taylor | 1,250 | 9.5 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Horne | 849 | 6.5 | +3.4 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Joanne Telfer | 286 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,074 | 8.1 | −14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,159 | 60.6 | −9.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −7.1 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Calum MacDonald | 8,955 | 55.6 | +7.8 |
| | SNP | Anne Lorne Gillies | 5,379 | 33.4 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Jamie McGrigor | 1,071 | 6.6 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Mitchison | 495 | 3.1 | −0.3 |
| | Referendum | Ralph Lionel | 206 | 1.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,576 | 22.2 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,106 | 70.1 | −0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
General election 1992: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Calum MacDonald | 7,664 | 47.8 | +5.1 |
| | SNP | Frances M. MacFarlane | 5,961 | 37.2 | +8.7 |
| | Conservative | Robert J. Heany | 1,362 | 8.5 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Mitchison | 552 | 3.4 | −16.7 |
| | Independent | Andrew R. Price | 491 | 3.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,703 | 10.6 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,030 | 70.4 | +0.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −1.8 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Calum MacDonald | 7,041 | 42.7 | +12.6 |
| | SNP | Ian Smith | 4,701 | 28.5 | −26.0 |
| | SDP | Kenneth MacIver | 3,419 | 20.7 | +14.9 |
| | Conservative | Murdo Morrison | 1,336 | 8.1 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,340 | 14.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,497 | 70.2 | +3.7 |
| | Labour gain from SNP | Labour gain from SNP | Swing | +19.3 | |
General election 1983: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Donald Stewart | 8,272 | 54.5 | +2.0 |
| | Labour | Brian Wilson | 4,560 | 30.1 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | Murdo Morrison | 1,460 | 9.6 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal | Neil M. MacLeod | 876 | 5.8 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,712 | 24.4 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,168 | 66.5 | −1.0 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | +2.1 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Donald Stewart | 7,941 | 52.5 | −9.0 |
| | Labour | Alexander Matheson | 4,878 | 32.3 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative | Murdo Morrison | 1,600 | 10.6 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | Neil Munro MacLeod | 700 | 4.6 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,063 | 20.2 | −16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,119 | 67.5 | +4.1 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | −8.3 | |
General election October 1974: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Donald Stewart | 8,758 | 61.5 | −5.6 |
| | Labour | Mary Doig | 3,526 | 24.7 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Norman K. Wilson | 1,180 | 8.3 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal | Neil Macmillan | 789 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,232 | 36.8 | −11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,253 | 63.4 | −2.9 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | −5.6 | |
General election February 1974: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Donald Stewart | 10,079 | 67.1 | +24.0 |
| | Labour | Andrew W. Wilson | 2,879 | 19.2 | −19.2 |
| | Conservative | John Mackay | 1,042 | 6.9 | −11.6 |
| | United Labour Party | Malcolm Macmillan | 1,031 | 6.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,200 | 47.9 | +43.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,031 | 66.3 | −1.4 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | +21.6 | |
General election 1970: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Donald Stewart | 6,568 | 43.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 5,842 | 38.4 | −22.6 |
| | Conservative | Roderick Murray MacLeod | 2,812 | 18.5 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 726 | 4.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,533 | 64.7 | +3.2 |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +32.9 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 8,565 | 61.0 | +5.9 |
| | Conservative | Charles Alexander Cameron | 2,832 | 20.2 | +6.2 |
| | Liberal | John Francis Matheson Macleod | 2,638 | 18.8 | −12.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,733 | 40.8 | +16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,035 | 61.5 | −5.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 8,740 | 55.1 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal | Donny MacLeod | 4,894 | 30.9 | N/A |
| | Unionist | Charles Alexander Cameron | 2,217 | 14.0 | −32.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,846 | 24.2 | +17.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,851 | 66.9 | +2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 8,663 | 53.6 | +4.8 |
| | National Liberal | Donny MacLeod | 7,496 | 46.4 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,167 | 7.2 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,159 | 64.2 | +4.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 8,487 | 48.8 | ±0.0 |
| | National Liberal | John C Frame | 6,315 | 42.7 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,172 | 6.1 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,802 | 59.5 | −1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 8,039 | 48.8 | −4.4 |
| | National Liberal | John Mitchell | 6,709 | 40.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | David Murray | 916 | 5.6 | −38.5 |
| | SNP | Calum Maclean | 820 | 5.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,330 | 8.1 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,664 | 60.5 | +4.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1950: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 8,387 | 53.2 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal | Huntley McDonald Sinclair | 6,950 | 44.1 | +11.1 |
| | Scottish Home Rule | David Murray | 425 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,437 | 9.1 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,762 | 55.7 | +2.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 5,914 | 45.7 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal | Huntly McDonald Sinclair | 4,277 | 33.0 | N/A |
| | Unionist | Iain Macleod | 2,756 | 21.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,637 | 12.7 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,947 | 53.3 | +6.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Macmillan | 5,421 | 41.0 | N/A |
| | National Liberal | Thomas Ramsay | 4,076 | 30.9 | −23.9 |
| | SNP | Alexander MacEwen | 3,704 | 28.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,345 | 10.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,947 | 46.8 | +10.0 |
| | Labour gain from National Liberal | Labour gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | Thomas Ramsay | 5,793 | 54.8 | +10.7 |
| | Unionist | Iain Moffat-Pender | 4,785 | 45.2 | +21.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,008 | 9.6 | −12.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,578 | 36.8 | −3.7 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Ramsay | 4,877 | 44.1 | −10.1 |
| | Labour | John M MacDiarmid | 3,589 | 32.5 | +15.3 |
| | Unionist | Iain Moffat-Pender | 2,593 | 23.4 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,288 | 21.6 | −4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,059 | 40.5 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −12.7 | |
General election 1924: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Alexander Livingstone | 4,579 | 54.2 | +14.6 |
| | Unionist | William Morrison | 2,318 | 28.6 | −8.3 |
| | Labour | A. G. Burns | 1,454 | 17.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,161 | 25.6 | +22.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,451 | 39.1 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +11.5 | |
General election 1923: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Alexander Livingstone | 3,391 | 39.6 | −6.3 |
| | Unionist | William Morrison | 3,158 | 36.9 | N/A |
| | Independent Labour | Hugh McCowan | 2,011 | 23.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 233 | 2.7 | −5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,549 | 40.1 | −14.0 |
| | Liberal gain from National Liberal | Liberal gain from National Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1922: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | William Cotts | 6,177 | 54.1 | +11.6 |
| | Liberal | Donald Murray | 5,238 | 45.9 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 939 | 8.2 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,415 | 54.1 | +10.5 |
| | National Liberal gain from Liberal | National Liberal gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.5 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Western Isles :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Donald Murray | 3,765 | 47.3 | |
| | National Liberal | William Cotts | 3,375 | 42.5 | |
| | Highland Land League | Hugh MacGowan | 809 | 10.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 390 | 4.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,949 | 43.6 | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |