Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency)

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey in Scotland
Subdivisions of ScotlandHighland
Major settlementsAviemore, Kingussie, Inverness, Nairn
2005–2024
Created fromInverness East, Nairn & Lochaber and Ross, Skye & Inverness West
Replaced byInverness, Skye and West Ross-shire

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey was a constituency of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. As with all seats since 1950 it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

The seat covered a broad south-eastern portion of the Highland council area. It had four locations in its name, the most nationwide.

Further to the completion of the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the territory was subject to major boundary changes. Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey was combined with the majority of the Moray constituency (to be renamed Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey). To compensate, parts of the disappearing seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber was added to the Inverness area, including Fort William and the Isle of Skye. As a consequence of these changes, a new constituency was created, named Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.[1]

Boundaries

Map
Map of boundaries 2005-2024

The constituency was created in 2005 by merging an area from Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber with an area from Ross, Skye and Inverness West. The rest of Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber was merged with most of the rest of Ross, Skye and Inverness West to form Ross, Skye and Lochaber. A small area of Ross, Skye and Inverness West was merged into Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.

For representation in the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) the area is divided between Inverness and Nairn and part of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

Local government area

See also Politics of the Highland council area

The Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency was one of three Westminster constituencies covering the Highland council area, the other two being Ross, Skye and Lochaber and Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross. Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey covers a south-eastern portion of the council area, with Ross, Skye and Lochaber to its north and west, and Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross further north.

When created in 2005, the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency covered 31 out of the 80 wards of the council area: 22 wards (all except Beauly and Strathglass) of the Inverness area committee, all four wards of the Nairn area committee and all five wards of the Badenoch and Strathspey area committee. Following ward boundary changes in 2007, the constituency covers all 5 Inverness wards, Culloden & Ardersier, Nairn and Badenoch & Strathspey. It contains part of Ard & Loch Ness and a few corners of Caol & Mallaig, Fort William & Ardnamurchan and Wester Ross, Strathpeffer & Lochalsh.

The City of Inverness, for which letters patent were granted in 2001, may be supposed to lie within the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency, but this city lacks clearly defined boundaries. The Highland Council management area of Inverness, as defined 1996 to 2007, included the former burgh of Inverness, as abolished in 1975, and the urban area centred on the burgh, and these do lie within the constituency. The management area included also a large rural area. As of 2007, the council has a city management area consisting of seven of the nine wards of its Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey corporate management area. The boundaries of this city management are similar to those of the older management area.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[2] Party
2005 Danny Alexander Liberal Democrats
2015 Drew Hendry SNP

Election results

Inverness election history

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey[3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Drew Hendry 26,247 47.9 +8.0
Conservative Fiona Fawcett 15,807 28.8 −1.7
Liberal Democrats Robert Rixson 5,846 10.7 −1.6
Labour Lewis Whyte 4,123 7.5 −8.7
Scottish Green Ariane Burgess 1,709 3.1 New
Brexit Party Les Durance 1,078 2.0 New
Majority 10,440 19.1 +9.7
Turnout 54,810 70.2 +1.5
SNP hold Swing +4.9
General election 2017: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Drew Hendry 21,042 39.9 −10.2
Conservative Nicholas Tulloch 16,118 30.5 +24.6
Labour Mike Robb 8,552 16.2 +8.7
Liberal Democrats Richie Cunningham 6,477 12.3 −19.0
Scottish Christian Donald Boyd 612 1.2 +0.5
Majority 4,924 9.4 −9.4
Turnout 52,801 68.7 −5.5
SNP hold Swing
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
General election 2015: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Drew Hendry[9] 28,838 50.1 +31.4
Liberal Democrats Danny Alexander 18,029 31.3 −9.4
Labour Mike Robb 4,311 7.5 −14.6
Conservative Edward Mountain 3,410 5.9 −7.4
Scottish Green Isla O'Reilly 1,367 2.4 +0.7
UKIP Les Durance 1,236 2.1 +0.9
Scottish Christian Donald Boyd[10] 422 0.7 −1.1
Majority 10,809 18.8 N/A
Turnout 57,613 74.2 +9.3
SNP gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +20.4
General election 2010: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Danny Alexander 19,172 40.7 +0.4
Labour Mike Robb 10,407 22.1 −8.8
SNP John Finnie 8,803 18.7 +5.2
Conservative Jim Ferguson 6,278 13.3 +3.0
Scottish Christian Donald Boyd 835 1.8 New
Scottish Green Donnie MacLeod 789 1.7 −0.7
UKIP Ross Durance 574 1.2 New
Solidarity (TUSC) George MacDonald 135 0.3 New
Joy of Talk Kit Fraser 93 0.2 New
Majority 8,765 18.6 +9.2
Turnout 47,086 64.9 +1.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +4.6

Elections in the 2000s

Note: The constituency was new in 2005 and +/- percentages are notional.
The 2005 election in Inverness
General election 2005: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Danny Alexander 17,830 40.3 +10.8
Labour David Stewart 13,682 30.9 −1.3
SNP David Thompson 5,992 13.5 −9.5
Conservative Robert Rowantree 4,579 10.3 −2.0
Scottish Green Donnie MacLeod 1,065 2.4 New
Publican Party Donald Lawson 678 1.5 New
Scottish Socialist George MacDonald 429 1.0 −1.1
Majority 4,148 9.4 N/A
Turnout 44,255 63.6 +0.5
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing +6.0
UK General Election, 2001 Notional Result: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 13,772 32.2
Liberal Democrats 12,638 29.5
SNP 9,836 23.0
Conservative 5,262 12.3
Scottish Socialist 885 2.1
Others 402 0.9
Majority 1,134 2.7
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. ^ Boundary Commission Scotland 2023 Review Report
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "I"
  3. ^ "Candidates confirmed for UK Parliamentary general election 2019". The Highland Council. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  5. ^ "General Election: SNP reselects 54 MPs". www.scotsman.com.
  6. ^ Butlin, Heather. "UK Parliamentary General Election". www.highland.gov.uk.
  7. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ^ MacNeill, Alison. "Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency - UK Parliamentary General Election result". www.highland.gov.uk.
  9. ^ "SNP pick Highland Council leader to fight for Danny Alexander's seat". 19 January 2015.
  10. ^ "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

57°22′52″N 3°57′54″W / 57.381°N 3.965°W / 57.381; -3.965