 | 'People in Scotland remember that, during the previous referendum campaign, Lord Home said that we must not accept the 1979 scheme, and that we should bring forward a better one. We are now 18 years on, and the hon. Gentleman says that this scheme is not the better scheme. When will we get the better scheme?' Alasdair Morgan Hansard, 6 th May 1998. |  |
| Constituency | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|
| Glasgow Cathcart |  |
 |
| Aberdeenshire East | |
 |
| Angus South | |
|
| Argyll | |
|
| Ayrshire South | |
 |
| Banff | |
|
| Clackmannan & East Stirlingshire | |
|
| Dunbartonshire East | |
|
| Galloway | |
|
| Moray & Nairn | |
|
| Paisley | |
|
| Perth & East Perthshire | |
|
Eleven of Scotland's 71 MPs - seven Labour, three Tory and one Scottish Labour - retired at the 1979 General Election. MPs of the same party were returned in each seat except Paisley which was recoved by Labour from the Scottish Labour Party.
| MP | Constituency | Party | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rt Hon. Margaret Betty Harvie Anderson Later Boroness Skrimshire of Quarter |
Renfrewshire East 1959 - 1979 | |
Allan Stewart |
| Richard Buchanan | Glasgow Springburn 1964 - 1979 | |
Michael Martin |
| Peter Doig | Dundee West Nov 1963 (by) - 1979 | |
Ernie Ross |
| Sir John Gilmour | East Fife Nov 1961 (by) - 1979 | |
Barrie Henderson |
| Adam Hunter | Dunfermline 1964 - 1979 | |
Dick Douglas |
| Michael Clark Hutchieson | Edinburgh South May 1957 (by) - 1979 | |
Michael Kerr, Earl of Ancram (later 13 th Marquis of Lothian) |
| Ronald King Murray | Edinburgh Leith 1970 - 1979 | |
Ron Brown |
| John Robertson | Labour MP for Paisley Apr 1961 (by) - July 1976 Scottish Labour MP for Paisley July 1976 - 1979 |
|
Brian Monaghan (not elected) |
| Willie Ross Later Lord Ross of Marnock |
Kilmarnock 1945 (by) - 1979 | |
Willie McKelvey |
| Harry Selby | Glasgow Govan Feb 1974 - 1979 | |
Andy McMahon |
| Sir Myer Galpern Later Lord Galpern |
Glasgow Shettleston 1959 - 1979 | |
David Marshall |
60 of Scotland's 71 MPs stood for re-election in 1979. Of these, 49 were elected and 11 were defeated - nine SNP, one Tory and one Scottish Labour. Several MPs who lost their seats in 1979 have made political comebacks. Margaret Bain (now Margaret Ewing) has been SNP MP for Moray since 1987 and SNP MSP for Moray since 1999. Winnie Ewing was SNP MEP for the Highland & Islands between 1979 and 1999, and has been SNP MSP for the Highlands & Islands since 1999. She became the longest serving member of the European Parliament in 1996 is currently Mother of the Scottish Parliament. George Reid was elected as SNP MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife in 1999 and is a Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. Jim Sillars won the Glasgow Govan by-election for the SNP in November 1988 and held the seat until 1992. Teddy Taylor was elected Tory MP for Southend East in a by-election in 1980, and has represented Rochford & Southend East since 1997. Andrew Welsh was SNP MP for Angus East between 1987 and 1997 and has been SNP MP for Angus since 1997 and SNP MSP for Angus since 1999.
| MP | Constituency | Party | Defeated by | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Bain | Dunbartonshire East Oct 1974 - 1979 | |
Norman Hogg | |
| Douglas Crawford | Perth & East Perthshire Oct 1974 - 1979 | |
Bill Walker | |
| Winnie Ewing | Hamilton Nov 67 - 1970 Moray & Nairn Feb 1974 - 1979 |
|
Alex Pollock | |
| Douglas Henderson | Aberdeenshire East Feb 1974 - 1979 | |
Albert McQuarrie | |
| Iain MacCormick | Argyll Feb 1974 - 1979 | |
John MacKay | |
| George Reid | Clackmannan & East Stirlingshire Feb 1974 - 1979 | |
Martin O'Neill | |
| Jim Sillars | Labour MP for South Ayrshire Mar 1970 - Sep 1975 Scottish Labour MP for South Ayrshire Sep 1975 - 1979 |
|
George Foulkes | |
| Teddy Taylor | Glasgow Cathcart 1964 - 1979 | |
John Maxton | |
| George Thompson | Galloway Oct 1974 - 1979 | |
Ian Lang | |
| Hamish Watt | Banff Feb 1974 - 1979 | |
David Myles | |
| Andrew Welsh | Angus South Oct 1974 - 1979 | |
Peter Fraser | |
At the 1979 general election, Scotland elected 22 new MPs - 12 Labour and 10 Conservatives.
| MP | Constituency | Party | Means of Election |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Adams | Paisley | |
Defeated Brain Monahan (Scottish Labour) following retirement of John Robertson MP (Scottish Labour) |
| Ron Brown | Edinburgh Leith | |
Succeeded Ronald King Murray MP |
| Dick Douglas MP for Clackmann & East Stirlingshire 1970 - Feb 1974 |
Dunfermline | |
Succeeded Adam Hunter MP |
| George Foulkes (later Lord Foulkes of Cumnock) | Ayrshire South | |
Defeated Jim Sillars MP (Scottish Labour) |
| Peter Fraser (later Lord Fraer of Carmyllie) | Angus South | |
Defeated Andrew Welsh MP (SNP) |
| Barrie Henderson | East Fife | |
Succeeded Sir John Gilmour MP |
| Norman Hogg (later Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld) | Dunbartonshire East | |
Defeated Margaret Bain MP (SNP) |
| Michael Kerr, Earl of Ancram (later 13 th Marquis of Lothian) |
Edinburgh South | |
Succeeded Michael Clark Hutchison MP |
| Ian Lang (later Lord Lang of Monkton) | Galloway | |
Defeated Iain MacCormick MP (SNP) |
| David Marshall | Glasgow Shettleston | |
Succeeded Sir Myer Galpern MP |
| Michael Martin | Glasgow Springburn | |
Succeeded Richard Buchanan MP |
| John Maxton | Glasgow Cathcart | |
Defeated Teddy Taylor MP (Conservative) |
| John MacKay (Later Lord MacKay or Ardbrecknish) | Argyll | |
Defeated George Thompson MP (SNP) |
| Willie McKelvey | Kilmarnock | |
Succeeded Willie Ross MP |
| Andy McMahon | Glasgow Govan | |
Succeeded Harry Selby MP |
| Albert McQuarrie | Aberdeenshire East | |
Defeated Douglas Henderson MP (SNP) |
| David Myles | Banff | |
Defeated Hamish Watt MP (SNP) |
| Martin O'Neill (Later Lord O'Neill of Clackmannan) | Clackmannan & East Stirlingshire | |
Defeated George Reid MP (SNP) |
| Alex Pollock | Moray & Nairn | |
Defeated Winnie Ewing MP (SNP) |
| Ernie Ross | Dundee West | |
Succeeded Peter Doig MP |
| Allan Stewart | Renfrewshire East | |
Succeeded Betty Harvie Anderson MP |
| Bill Walker | Perth & East Perthshire | |
Defeated Douglas Crawford MP (SNP) |
Return to home page