Smallest majorities at Westminster

saltire shield'Are you thinking what I'm thinking? The Queen's Speech yesterday sounded remarkably like the Conservative Party election manifesto.'
Iain MacWhirter in the Herald, 18 th May 2005.		Lion Rampant

Smallest majorities (less than 100) at Westminster Parliamentary Elections since 1832

In the 19 th century, even after the Reform Act of 1832, many Scottish seats returned MPs without any electoral contest, and where a seat was contested, it was not unusal to find two or even more Liberals as candidates. A number of Scottish constituencies had less than 1,000 voters and therefore majorities of two figures or less were not uncommon. One of the closest election results was in Dumbartonshire on 20 th July 1865 when Conservative Patrick Boyle Smollett, the sitting MP, and Liberal James Stirling of Cordale both polled 574 votes in a 71.9 % turnout. The Sheriff made a double return, but Mr Smollett, the sitting MP, was allowed to retain the seat. Twenty years later, on the 27 th of November 1885, Sir Robert Anstruther of Balcaskie Bt, and Stephen Williamson, both Liberals, polled 1,256 votes each on a 88.5 % turnout. After a scrunity on 16 th February 1886, one vote was added to the totals for Sir Robert Anstruther who became the MP.

MajorityMPConstituencyPartyDate2 nd place
0 Patrick Boyle Smollett Dumbartonshire Conservative 1865 James Stirling, Liberal
4 Charles Lennox Cumming Bruce Inverness Burghs Conservative 1835 Edward Ellice, Liberal
5 Hon Grenville R. Vernon Ayrshire South Conservative 1886 Eugene Wason, Liberal
6 W. H. Elliot, Viscount Melgund Greenock Liberal 1847 Alexander Murray Dunlop, Liberal
6 E.L. Gandar-Dower Caithness & Sutherland Conservative 1945 R.I.A. MacInnes, Labour
7 William Birkmyre Ayr Burghs Liberal 1892 James Somervell, Conservative
7 Rt Hon Charles Grant, later Lord Glenelg of Glenelg Inverness-shire Liberal 1835 Norman McLeod of McLeod, Conservative
9 James Maitland Balfour of Whittinghame Haddington Burghs Conservative 1841 Robert Steuart, Liberal
9 Edward Henry John Craufurd Ayr Burghs Liberal 1852 Archibald T. Boyle, Conservative
9 Archibald Orr Ewing Dumbartonshire Conservative 1880 James William Burns, Liberal
9 Rt Hon. David Mure Buteshire Conservative 1859 James Lamont, Liberal
11 Henry Pelham Clinton, Earl of Lincoln, later 5 th Duke of Newcastle Falkirk Burghs Conservative 1846 John Wilson, Liberal
11 James Lamont Berwickshire Liberal 1865 Hon. George Frederick Boyle, Conservative
13 Sir J.G.T. Sinclair Bt. Caithness-shire Liberal 1874 William Kidston, Conservative
13 Lord Patrick James Herbert Crichton Stewart Ayr Burghs Liberal 1837 Alexander Johnston, Liberal
14 Sir W.J. Montgomery Cuninghame Bt Ayr Burghs Conservative 1874 Edward Henry John Craufurd, Liberal
14 Sir Andrew Leith Hay Elgin Burghs Liberal 1841 Thomas Abercromby Duff, Conservative
14 William Miller Berwickshire Liberal 1873 Charles Alexander Home, Lord Dunglass, Conservative
15 Hon George Frederick Boyle Buteshire Conservative 1865 James Lamont, Liberal
16 Lord Patrick James Herbert Crichton Stewart Ayr Burghs Liberal 1835 Alexander Johnston, Liberal
17 Thomas Russell Buteshire Liberal 1880 Charles Dalrymple, Conservative
19 Roderick Macleod Inverness Burghs Liberal 1837 J.J.R. Mackenzie, Conservative
20 William Pirrie Sinclair, ex MP for North Antrim Falkirk Burghs Unionist 1886 Harry Smith, Liberal
22 Margaret A. Bain (Ewing) Dunbartonshire East Scottish National Party Oct 1974 Barrie Henderson, Conservative
23 Sir George Sinclair Bt. Caithness-shire Liberal 1837 George Traill, Liberal
25 Sir David Wedderburn Bt Ayrshire South Liberal 1868 Claud Alexander, Conservative
26 James Duff Banffshire Liberal 1852 Hay Macdowall Grant, Conservative
28 Alexander William Chisholm of Chisholm Inverness-shire Conservative 1835 James Murray Grant, Liberal
29 Donald Cameron of Locheil Inverness-shire Conservative 1880 Sir Kenneth Smith McKenzie Bt., Liberal
29 William Ewart Dumfries Burghs Liberal 1859 George G. Walker, Conservative
30 Alexander Laing Brown Hawick Burghs Liberal 1886 Rt. Hon. George Otto Trevelyan Bt., Conservative
30 George H. Thompson Galloway Scottish National Party Oct 1974 K. Ross, Conservative
31 Sir George Clerk Edinburghshire (Midlothian) Conservative 1835 William Gibson-Craig, Liberal
31 Henry Pelham Clinton, Earl of Lincoln, later 5 th Duke of Newcastle Falkirk Burghs Conservative 1847 W. Sprott Boyd, Liberal
31 Robert Steuart Haddington Burghs Liberal 1837 Sir Thomas Buchan-Hepburn Bt., Conservative
32 Archibald Orr Ewing Dumbartonshire Conservative 1886 R.C. Munro Ferguson, Liberal
33 J.P. Hay Glasgow Cathcart Labour 1922 Sir A.R. Duncan, Conservative
33 David Robertson Berwickshire Liberal 1832 Sir John Marjoribanks, Conservative
34 C.E.G.C. Emmott Glasgow Springburn Conservative 1931 George Hardie, Labour
36 George G. Walker Dumfriesshire Conservative 1869 Sir Sydney H. Waterlow, Liberal
37 Alexander Dennistoun Dumbartonshire Liberal 1835 Alexander Smollett, Conservative
37 Robert Ferguson Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) Liberal 1835 John Thomas Hope, Conservative
39 Henry James Baillie Inverness-shire Conservative 1865 Sir George McPherson Grant Bt, Liberal
39 James Balfour of Whittinghame Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) Conservative 1832 Sir David Baird Bt., Liberal
41 Sir James Colquhoun Bt Dumbartonshire Liberal 1837 Alexander Smollett, Conservative
41 George Traill Caithness-shire Liberal 1852 John George Tollemache Sinclair, Liberal
42 William Gibson-Craig Edinburghshire (Midlothian) Liberal 1837 Sir George Clerk, Conservative
42 Robert Jardine Dumfries Burghs Liberal 1868 Ernest Noel, Liberal
44 Francis Wemyss Charteris, Lord Elcho, later 10 th Earl of Wemyss & March Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) Conservative 1880 Thomas Ryburn Buchanan, Liberal
44 Sir Sydney H. Waterlow Dumfriesshire Liberal 1868 George G. Walker, Conservative
44 Norman R. Wylie Edinburgh Pentlands Conservative 1966 W. Wallace, Labour
45 Charles Dalrymple Buteshire Conservative 1880 Thomas Russell, Liberal
46 James Baird Falkirk Burghs Conservative 1851 George Loch, Liberal
46 Thomas Ryburn Buchanan Edinburgh West Liberal 1888 Thomas Raleigh, Unionist
46 Sir James Fergusson Ayrshire Conservative 1859 James Campbell, Liberal
46 James Morrison Inverness Burghs Liberal 1840 John Fraser, Conservative
47 Lord John Colquhoun of Killermont Dumbartonshire Liberal 1832 Sir James Colquhoun Bt, Liberal
47 Rt Hon Charles Grant, later Lord Glenelg of Glenelg Inverness-shire Liberal 1832 Norman McLeod of McLeod, Conservative
48 Annabelle Ewing Perth Scottish National Party 2001 Elizabeth Smith, Conservative
48 Alexander Matheson Inverness Burghs Liberal 1857 Alexander Campbell, Conservative
50 George Skene Duff Elgin Burghs Liberal 1847 Alexander Bannerman, Liberal
51 William Baird Falkirk Burghs Conservative 1841 William Downe Gillon, Liberal
52 Lieut.-General M. Sharpe Dumfries Burghs Liberal 1835 David Hannay, Liberal
53 Gilbert Beith Inverness Burghs Liberal 1892 R.B. Finlay QC, Conservative
53 Archibald Orr Ewing Dumbartonshire Conservative 1874 James William Burns, Liberal
53 Nicolas H. Fairbairn Kinross & West Perthshire Conservative Oct 1974 D. Cameron, Scottish National Party
53 John Sinclair Ayr Burghs Liberal 1888 Hon Evelyn Ashley (ex MP for Isle of Wight), Unionist
54 Alexander William Chisholm of Chisholm Inverness-shire Conservative 1837 James Murray Grant, Liberal
55 R.W. Cochran-Patrick Ayrshire North Conservative 1880 John Blair Balfour, Liberal
55 Sir Thomas Sutherland KCMG Greenock Unionist 1892 John Bruce, Liberal
57 J.C. Welsh Coatbridge Labour 1924 T.C.R. Moore, Conservative
60 William Ewart Dumfries Burghs Liberal 1841 Sir Andrew Johnstone, Liberal
62 Rt Hon Sir William Rae Buteshire Conservative 1841 Henry Dunlop 1, Liberal
64 Robert A.R. MacLennan Caithness & Sutherland Labour 1966 George Mackie, Liberal
65 Francis Wemyss Charteris, Lord Elcho, later 10 th Earl of Wemyss & March Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) Conservative 1865 Lord William Montagu Hay, Liberal
65 Sir John H. Dalrymple Bt Edinburghshire (Midlothian) Liberal 1832 Sir George Clerk Bt., Conservative
65 James Johnstone Clackmannan & Kinross Liberal 1851 William Patrick Adam, Liberal
66 Edward Henry John Craufurd Ayr Burghs Liberal 1865 Alexander H. Oswald, Liberal
66 John Fergus Fife Liberal 1847 John Balfour, Conservative
67 Charles Lennox Cumming Bruce Inverness Burghs Conservative 1833 John Stewart, Liberal
68 James Baird Falkirk Burghs Conservative 1852 James Anderson, Liberal
68 Charles Marjoriebanks Berwickshire Liberal 1832 Hon Anthony Maitland of Thirlestane, Conservative
68 R. Spence Berwickshire & Haddingtonshire Labour 1923 C. de W. Crookshank, Conservative
72 Robert Jardine Dumfriesshire Liberal 1880 George G. Walker, Conservative
72 J.H. Hoy Edinburgh Leith Labour 1951 E.C. Mekie, National Liberal & Conservative
72 Sir J.G.T. Sinclair Bt. Caithness-shire Liberal 1869 James C. Traill, Liberal
73 A.W. Maconochie Aberdeenshire East Liberal Unionist 1900 T.T. Buchanan, Liberal
74 Rear Admiral T.B.S. Adair Glasgow Shettleston Coalition Conservative 1918 John Wheatley, Labour
74 Peter Duncan Galloway & Upper Nithsdale Conservative 2001 Malcolm Fleming, Scottish National Party
74 Edward Marjoribanks Berwickshire Conservative 1874 William Miller, Liberal
75 William Finnie Ayrshire North Liberal 1868 Roger Montgomerie, Conservative
78 James Duff Banffshire Liberal 1837 Viscount Reidhaven, Conservative
80 Dr Robert Farquharson Aberdeenshire West Liberal 1886 Sir Arthur H. Grant Bt, Unionist
80 Donald Horne Macfarlane Argyllshire Liberal 1892 J.W. Malcolm, Conservative
81 Alexander Matheson Inverness Burghs Liberal 1847 Richard Hartley Kennedy MD, Liberal
85 Phil R. Gallie Ayr Conservative 1992 Rev Alastair Osborne, Labour
87 Sir W.H. Cowan Aberdeenshire Eastern & Kincardineshire Coalition, Liberal 1918 F.L. Wallace, Independent Labour
88 J.L. Williams Glasgow, Kelvingrove Labour 1945 Rt Hon Walter Elliot, Conservative
89 Hon Francis Scott Berwickshire Conservative 1857 David Robertson, Liberal
91 Edward Henry John Craufurd Ayr Burghs Liberal 1868 James Anderson QC, Liberal
91 James Andrew Broun Ramsay, Lord Ramsay, later 10 th Earl and 1st Marquis of Dalhousie Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) Conservative 1837 Robert Ferguson, Liberal
91 Patrick Boyle Smollett Dumbartonshire Conservative 1859 William Cunninghame Bontine, Liberal
44 Hugo Richard Wemyss Charteris, Lord Elcho, later 11 th Earl of Wemyss & March Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) Conservative 1883 Robert Bannatyne Finlay, Liberal
92 Lord Patrick James Herbert Crichton Stewart Ayr Burghs Liberal 1834 John Taylor, Liberal
97 Robert Wallace Greenock Liberal 1841 Sir Thomas John Cochrane, Conservative

1 Dunlop retired at the close of the first day of polling.

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