Orkney
County constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Orkney shown within the Highlands and Islands electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population22,190 (2019)[1][2]
Current constituency
Created1999
PartyLiberal Democrats
MSPLiam McArthur
Council areaOrkney Islands

Orkney is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering the council area of Orkney. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one of eight constituencies in the Highlands and Islands electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Orkney has been held by the Liberal Democrats at all elections since the formation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, with the current MSP being Liam McArthur, who won the seat at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. The former Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace represented the constituency from 1999 to 2007.

Electoral region

Orkney is part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region; the other seven constituencies are: Argyll and Bute, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Inverness and Nairn, Moray, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Shetland and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

The region covers most of Argyll and Bute council area, all of the Highland council area, most of the Moray council area, all of the Orkney Islands council area, all of the Shetland Islands council area and all of Na h-Eileanan Siar.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The Orkney constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, to cover the Orkney Islands council area. The constituency is protected in law due to its geographical separation from other parts of Scotland, and therefore its boundaries are not subject to review.[3]

In the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster), the council area is covered by the Orkney and Shetland constituency, which also covers the Shetland Islands council area.[4]

It contains all six of the Orkney Council wards: East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray; Kirkwall East; Kirkwall West and Orphir; North Isles; Stromness and South Isles; West Mainland.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1999 Jim Wallace Liberal Democrat
2007 Liam McArthur

Election results

Orkney election results 1999-2021

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Orkney[5][6]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Liam McArthur[lower-alpha 1] 7,238 62.4 Decrease4.9 3,616 31.2 Decrease2.1
SNP Robert Leslie 3,369 29.1 Increase4.7 3,384 29.2 Increase5.6
Conservative Sam Bown 699 6.0 Increase1.9 2,202 19.0 Increase7.7
Scottish Green 1,104 9.5 Increase2.9
Labour Coilla Drake 290 2.5 Decrease0.4 725 6.3 Increase1.5
Scottish Family 127 1.1 New
Alba 98 0.8 New
Independent Andy Wightman[lower-alpha 2] 87 0.8 New
All for Unity 63 0.5 New
Libertarian 32 0.3 New
Reform UK 31 0.3 New
UKIP 30 0.3 Decrease2.2
Abolish the Scottish Parliament 28 0.2 New
Freedom Alliance (UK) 22 0.2 New
Restore Scotland 18 0.2 New
TUSC 15 0.1 New
Independent Hazel Mansfield 4 0.0 New
Majority 3,869 33.3 Decrease9.7
Valid Votes 11,596 11,586
Invalid Votes 25 27
Turnout 11,621 65.6 Increase3.4 11,613 65.5 Increase3.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease4.9
Notes
  1. ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ↑ Incumbent member on the list for Lothian region, having been elected as a member of the Scottish Greens in 2016

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Orkney[7]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Liam McArthur[lower-alpha 1] 7,096 67.4 Increase31.7 3,515 33.4 Increase8.0
SNP Donna Heddle 2,562 24.3 Decrease0.8 2,491 23.6 Decrease12.2
Independent James Stockan 1,775 16.8 New
Conservative Jamie Halcro Johnston 435 4.1 Decrease4.3 1,193 11.3 Increase0.5
Scottish Green 696 6.6 Increase0.4
Labour Gerard McGarvey 304 2.9 Decrease2.7 506 4.8 Decrease4.2
UKIP 255 2.4 Decrease1.5
Independent Paul Dawson 137 1.3 New
Scottish Christian 49 0.5 Decrease1.0
Solidarity 30 0.3 Increase0.1
RISE 27 0.3 New
Majority 4,534 43.1 Increase32.6
Valid Votes 10,534 10,537
Invalid Votes 28 19
Turnout 10,562 62.1 Increase12.2 10,556 62.1 Increase12.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase16.3
Notes
  1. ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Orkney[8]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Liam McArthur[lower-alpha 1] 2,912 35.7 Decrease11.8 2,062 25.4
Independent James Stockan 2,052 25.2 New
SNP Donna Heddle 2,044 25.1 Increase6.2 2,906 35.8
Conservative Jamie Halcro Johnston 686 8.4 Decrease10.5 875 10.8
Labour William Sharkey 458 5.6 Decrease7.5 730 9.0
Scottish Green 501 6.2
UKIP 316 3.9
All-Scotland Pensioners Party 128 1.6
Scottish Christian 123 1.5
BNP 63 0.8
Socialist Labour 59 0.7
Scottish Socialist 30 0.4
Solidarity 18 0.2
Others 316 3.9
Majority 860 10.5 Decrease17.9
Valid Votes 8,152 8,127
Invalid Votes 29 51
Turnout 8,181 49.9 Decrease3.5 8,178 49.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease9.0
Notes
  1. ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency

2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Orkney
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Liam McArthur 4,113 47.5 +1.8
SNP John Mowat 1,637 18.9 +5.7
Conservative Helen Gardiner 1,632 18.9 -4.9
Labour Iain MacDonald 1,134 13.1 +7.2
Independent Barrie Johnson 137 1.6 New
Majority 2,476 28.6 +6.7
Turnout 8,653 53.4 +1.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +3.4
Scottish Parliament election 2003: Orkney
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jim Wallace 3,659 45.7 -21.7
Conservative Christopher Zawadski 1,904 23.8 +8.2
SNP John Mowat 1,056 13.2 +2.9
Scottish Socialist John Aberdein 914 11.42 New
Labour Richard Meade 471 5.9 -0.9
Majority 1,755 21.9 -29.9
Turnout 8,004 51.7 -5.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -15.0

1990s

Scottish Parliament election 1999: Orkney
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Jim Wallace 6,010 67.4
Conservative Christopher Zawadski 1,391 15.6
SNP John Mowat 917 10.3
Labour Angus Macleod 600 6.7
Majority 4,619 51.8
Turnout 8,918 57.0
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

References

  1. ↑ "Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based)]". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "accompanying summary notes". National Records of Scotland. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "First Periodical Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries - Descriptive Booklet" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Scotland. January 2008. p. 3. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  4. ↑ "Fifth Review of UK Parliament Constituencies (2005 onwards) Orkney and Shetland county constituency" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Scotland. 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "Scottish Parliament Election - 6 May 2021". Orkney Islands Council. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Regional votes announced". Orkney Islands Council. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Scottish Parliamentary Election - 5 May 2016" (PDF). Orkney Islands Council. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
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