Mothers & Fathers of the House

'We're All Right! We're All Right! We're All Right!'
Labour leader Neil Kinnock's jubilent victory chant on the eve of the 1992 general election - which Labour lost.

Date of Election to Westminister Parliament

Date	# MPs	MPs
1970	1	Gavin Strang
Feb 1974	0	-
Oct 1974	0	-
1979	1	Michael Martin ¹
1982 (by-election)	1	Tom Clarke
1983	4	Gordon Brown, Malcolm Bruce, Charles Kennedy, John Reid
1987	9	Menzies Campbell, Alistair Darling, Frank Doran ², Nigel Griffiths, Jimmy Hood, Adam Ingram, Tom McAvoy, John McFall, Alex Salmond³
1992	3	Michael Connarty, Ian Davidson, Brian Donohoe
1997	11	Anne Begg, Russell Brown, Desmond Browne, Anne McGuire, Rosemary McKenna, Michael Moore, Jim Murphy, Sandra Osborne, Frank Roy, Mohammad Sarwar, Sir Robert Smith,
Nov 1997 (by-election)	1	Douglas Alexander
Nov 2000 (by-election)	1	John Robertson
Dec 2000 (by-election)	1	Major Eric Joyce
2001	14	John Barrett, David Cairns, Alistair Carmichael, David Hamilton, Tom Harris, Mark Lazarowicz, Ann McKechin, Anne Picking (now Moffat), Alan Reid, Angus Robertson, Jim Sheridan, John Sinclair, 3 rd Viscount Thurso, Michael Weir, Pete Wishart
2005	8	Daniel Alexander, Gordon Banks, Katy Clark, Stewart Hosie, Angus B. MacNeil, David Mundell⁴, Jo Swinson, James McGovern
Sept 2005 (by-election)	1	Jim Devine
February 2006 (by-election)	1	William Rennie
July 2008 (by-election)	1	John Mason

¹ Elected Speaker of the House of Commons on the 23 rd October 2000.
² Not MP continually since first elected.
³ Alex Salmond was also SNP MSP for Banff & Buchan from 1999 until 2001 and has been MSP for Gordon from 2007
⁴ David Mundell was a Conservative MSP for the South of Scotland region from 1999 until he was elected to Westminster in 2005.

Longest Serving Current Scottish Members Of the Westminster Parliament

Rank	MP	Born	Party	Term	Constituencies
1	Rt Hon Dr Gavin Strang	10 July 1943	Labour	1970 - 1997	Edinburgh East
				1997 - 2005	Edinburgh East & Musselburgh
				2005 -	Edinburgh East
2 =	Rt Hon Michael Martin	3 July 1945	Labour	1979 - 2000	Glasgow Springburn
			Speaker	2000 - 2005	Glasgow Springburn
			Speaker	2005 -	Glasgow North East
3	Rt Hon Tom Clarke	10 Jan 1941	Labour	Jun 1982 (by-election) - 1983	Coatbridge & Airdrie
				1983 - 1997	Monklands West
				1997 - 2005	Coatbridge & Chryston
				2005 -	Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill
4 =	Rt Hon Dr J. Gordon Brown	20 Feb 1951	Labour	1983 - 2005	Dunfermline East
4 =	Rt Hon Dr J. Gordon Brown	20 Feb 1951	Labour	2005 -	Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath
4 =	Rt Hon Malcolm Bruce	17 Nov 1944	Lib/ SLD/ Lib Dem	1983 -	Gordon
4 =	Rt Hon Charles Kennedy	25 Nov 1959	SDP/ SLD/ Lib Dem	1983 - 1997	Ross, Cromarty & Skye
				1997 - 2005	Ross, Skye & Inverness West
				2005 -	Ross, Skye & Lochabert
4 =	Rt Hon Dr John Reid	8 May 1947	Labour	1983 - 1997	Motherwell North
				1997 - 2005	Hamilton North & Bellshill
				2005 -	Airdrie & Shotts
8 =	Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell	22 May 1941	Lib/ SLD/ Lib Dem	1987 -	Fife North East
8 =	Rt Hon Alistair Darling	28 Nov 1953	Labour	1987 - 2005	Edinburgh Central
8 =	Rt Hon Alistair Darling	28 Nov 1953	Labour	2005 -	Edinburgh South West
8 =	Nigel Griffiths	20 May 1955	Labour	1987 -	Edinburgh South
8 =	James Hood	7 Dec 1948	Labour	1987 - 2005	Clydesdale
8 =	James Hood	7 Dec 1948	Labour	2005 -	Lanark & Hamilton East
8 =	Rt Hon Adam Ingram	1 Feb 1947	Labour	1987 - 2005	East Kilbride
8 =	Rt Hon Adam Ingram	1 Feb 1947	Labour	2005 -	East Kilbride, Strahaven & Lesmahagow
8 =	Rt Hon Tom McAvoy	14 Dec 1943	Labour	1987 - 2005	Glasgow Rutherglen
8 =	Rt Hon Tom McAvoy	14 Dec 1943	Labour	2005 -	Rutherglen & Hamilton West
8 =	Rt Hon John McFall	4 Oct 1944	Labour	1987 - 2005	Dumbarton
8 =	Rt Hon John McFall	4 Oct 1944	Labour	1987 -	West Dunbartonshire
8 =	Rt Hon Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland	31 Dec 1954	Scottish National Party	1987 -	Banff & Buchan
16 =	Michael Connarty	3 Sept 1947	Labour	1992 - 2005	Falkirk East
16 =	Michael Connarty	3 Sept 1947	Labour	2005 -	Linlithgow & East Falkirk
16 =	Ian Davidson	8 Sept 1950	Labour	1992 - 1997	Glasgow Govan
				1997 - 2005	Glasgow Pollok
				2005 -	Glasgow South West
16 =	Brian Donohoe	10 Sept 1948	Labour	1992 - 2005	Cunninghame South
16 =	Brian Donohoe	10 Sept 1948	Labour	2005 -	Central Ayrshire
19	Frank Doran	13 Apr 1950	Labour	1987 - 1992	Aberdeen South
				1997 - 2005	Aberdeen Central
				2005 -	Aberdeen North
20 =	Anne Begg	6 Dec 1955	Labour	1997 -	Aberdeen South
20 =	Russell Brown	17 Sept 1951	Labour	1997 - 2005	Dumfries
20 =	Russell Brown	17 Sept 1951	Labour	2005 -	Dumfries & Galloway
20 =	Rt Hon Desmond Browne	22 Mar 1952	Labour	1997 -	Kilmarnock & Loudoun
20 =	Anne McGuire	26 May 1949	Labour	1997 -	Stirling
20 =	Rosemary McKenna	8 May 1941	Labour	1997 -	Cumbernauld & Kilsyth
20 =	Rosemary McKenna	8 May 1941	Labour	1997 -	Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East
20 =	Michael Moore	3 June 1965	Lib Dem	1997 - 2005	Tweedale, Ettrick & Lauderdale
20 =	Michael Moore	3 June 1965	Lib Dem	2005 -	Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk
20 =	Jim Murphy	23 Aug 1967	Labour	1997 - 2005	Eastwood
20 =	Jim Murphy	23 Aug 1967	Labour	2005 -	East Renfrewshire
20 =	Sandra Osborne	23 Feb 1956	Labour	1997 - 2005	Ayr
20 =	Sandra Osborne	23 Feb 1956	Labour	2005 -	Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock
20 =	Frank Roy	29 Aug 1958	Labour	1997 -	Motherwell & Wishaw
20 =	Mohammad Sarwar	18 Aug 1952	Labour	1997 - 2005	Glasgow Govan
20 =	Mohammad Sarwar	18 Aug 1952	Labour	2005 -	Glasgow Central
20 =	Sir Robert Smith Bt.	15 Apr 1958	Lib Dem	1997 -	Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine
31	Rt Hon Douglas Alexander	26 Oct 1967	Labour	Nov 1997 (by-election) - 2005	Paisley South
31	Rt Hon Douglas Alexander	26 Oct 1967	Labour	2005 -	Paisley & Renfrewshire South
32	John Robertson	17 Apr 1952	Labour	Nov 2000 (by-election) - 2005	Glasgow Anniesland
32	John Robertson	17 Apr 1952	Labour	2005 -	Glasgow North West
33	Major Eric Joyce	13 Oct 1960	Labour	Dec 2000 (by-election) - 2005	Falkirk West
33	Major Eric Joyce	13 Oct 1960	Labour	2005 -	Falkirk
34 =	John Barrett	11 Feb 1954	Lib Dem	2001 -	Edinburgh West
34 =	Father David Cairns	7 Aug 1966	Labour	2001 - 2005	Greenock & Inverclyde
34 =	Father David Cairns	7 Aug 1966	Labour	2005 -	Inverclyde
34 =	Alistair Carmichael	15 July 1965	Lib Dem	2001 -	Orkney & Shetland
34 =	David Hamilton	24 Oct 1950	Labour	2001 -	Midlothian
34 =	Tom Harris	20 Feb 1964	Labour	2001 - 2005	Glasgow Cathcart
34 =	Tom Harris	20 Feb 1964	Labour	2005 -	Glasgow South
34 =	Marek Lazarowicz	8 Aug 1953	Labour	2001 -	Edinburgh North & Leith
34 =	Ann McKechin	22 Apr 1961	Labour	2001 - 2005	Glasgow Maryhill
34 =	Ann McKechin	22 Apr 1961	Labour	2005 -	Glasgow North
34 =	Anne Picking (now Moffat)	30 Mar 1958	Labour	2001 -	East Lothian
34 =	Alan Reid	7 Aug 1954	Lib Dem	2001 -	Argyll & Bute
34 =	Angus Robertson	28 Sept 1969	Scottish National Party	2001 -	Moray
34 =	Jim Sheridan	24 Nov 1952	Labour	2001 - 2005	Renfrewshire West
34 =	Jim Sheridan	24 Nov 1952	Labour	2005 -	Paisley & Renfrewshire North
34 =	Sir John Sinclair, 3 rd Viscount Thurso	10 Sept 1953	Lib Dem	2001 -	Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross
34 =	Michael Weir	24 Mar 1957	Scottish National Party	2001 -	Angus
34 =	Pete Wishart	9 Mar 1962	Scottish National Party	2001 - 2005	Tayside North
34 =	Pete Wishart	9 Mar 1962	Scottish National Party	2005 -	Perth & North Perthshire
48 =	Daniel Alexander	15 May 1972	Lib Dem	2005 -	Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey
48 =	Gordon Banks	14 June 1955	Labour	2005 -	Ochil & South Perthshire
48 =	Katy Clark	3 July 1967	Labour	2005 -	North Ayrshire & Arran
48 =	Stewart Hosie	3 Jan 1963	Scottish National Party	2005 -	Dundee East
48 =	Angus B. MacNeil	21 July 1970	Scottish National Party	2005 -	Na h-Eileanan An Iar (Western Isles)
48 =	David Mundel	27 May 1962	Conservative & Unionist	2005 -	Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale
48 =	Jo Swinson	5 Feb 1980	Lib Dem	2005 -	East Dunbartonshire
48 =	James McGovern	17 Nov 1956	Labour	2005 -	Dundee West
56	Jim Devine	1953	Labour	Sept 2005 (by-election) -	Livingston
57	William Rennie		Lib Dem	Feb 2006 (by-election) -	Dunfermline & West Fife
58	John Mason		Scottish National Party	July 2008 (by-election) -	Glasgow East
The longest serving Scottish (and British MP) of the 20 th century was the Conservative Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill who served for 61 years 332 days. He was Liberal MP for Dundee (a two-member constituency) between a by-election on 9 th May 1908 and the general election on 15 th November 1922 when he was defeated by Labour and the prohibitionist Ernest Scrymgeour. The longest serving MP and Father of the House in the 1997 - 2001 parliament was the ex-Conservative Prime Minister, Sir Edward Health who represented various manifestations of Old Bexley & Sidcup continually since the 1950 General election. In March 2000 he celebrated 50 years as an MP. Sir Edward retired in 2001. The longest serving MP in the 2001-2005 parliament was Sir Thomas (Tam) Dalyell of the Binns who represented West Lothian from the by-election of 14 th June 1962 until the constituency was abolished in 1983, and Linlithgow since then. After the 2001 General election, he became the new Father of the House of Commons. The current longest serving Scottish MP is the Rt Hon Dr Gavin Strang who was elected for Edinburgh East at the 1970 Westminster election. The second longest serving Scottish MP at the 2005 election was the Rt Hon Robin Cook, who was elected in February 1974, died on 6 th August 2005 while hillwalking in Sutherland.

I am grateful to Niniane Mackenzie and Dr Aidan Thomson for supplying additional information for this page.

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