| East Fife | |
|---|---|
| Formercounty constituency for theHouse of Commons | |
| Subdivisions of Scotland | Fife |
| 1885–1983 | |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Fife and (from 1918)St Andrews Burghs |
| Replaced by | North East Fife andCentral Fife[1] |
East Fife was acounty constituency represented in theHouse of Commons of theParliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. Along withWest Fife, it was formed by splitting the oldFife constituency.
It elected oneMember of Parliament using thefirst-past-the-post voting system, and from 1886 to 1918 it was represented by theLiberalPrime Minister (1908–16),H. H. Asquith.
In 1885, the constituency comprised the parishes ofAbdie,Abernethy,Anstruther Wester,Anstruther Easter,Auchtermuchty,Balmerino, Cameron,Carnbee,Ceres,Collessie,Crail,Creich,Cults,Cupar,Dairsie,Dunbog,Dunino,Elie,Falkland,Ferry-Port-on-Craig,Flisk,Forgan,Kemback,Kennoway,Kettle,Kilconquhar,Kilmany,Kilrenny,Kingsbarns,Largo,Leuchars,Logie,Monimail,Moonzie,Newburgh,Newburn,Pittenweem,St Andrews,St Leonards,St Monance,Scoonie andStrathmiglo.[2]
In 1918, on the dissolution of theSt Andrews Burghs constituency, the burghs ofSt Andrews,Anstruther Easter,Anstruther Wester,Crail,Cupar,Kilrenny andPittenweem were added to the constituency.It then consisted of "The Cupar and St. Andrews County Districts, inclusive of all burghs situated therein, together with the burgh of Leven and so much of the Kirkcaldy County District as is contained within the extra-burghal portion of the parish of Scoonie and the parish of Kennoway."
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Boyd Kinnear | 4,533 | 63.8 | ||
| Conservative | John Gilmour | 2,577 | 36.2 | ||
| Majority | 1,956 | 27.6 | |||
| Turnout | 7,110 | 77.0 | |||
| Registered electors | 9,233 | ||||
| Liberalwin (new seat) | |||||

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 2,863 | 53.5 | −10.3 | |
| Liberal Unionist | John Boyd Kinnear | 2,489 | 46.5 | +10.3 | |
| Majority | 374 | 7.0 | −20.6 | ||
| Turnout | 5,352 | 58.0 | −19.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,233 | ||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | −10.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 3,743 | 52.0 | −1.5 | |
| Conservative | John Gilmour | 3,449 | 48.0 | +1.5 | |
| Majority | 294 | 4.0 | −3.0 | ||
| Turnout | 7,192 | 78.7 | +20.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,133 | ||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | −1.5 | |||
Asquith is appointedSecretary of State for the Home Department, requiring a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | Unopposed | |||
| Liberalhold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 4,332 | 54.5 | +2.5 | |
| Conservative | John Gilmour | 3,616 | 45.5 | −2.5 | |
| Majority | 716 | 9.0 | +5.0 | ||
| Turnout | 7,948 | 84.3 | +5.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,432 | ||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | +2.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 4,141 | 60.4 | +5.9 | |
| Conservative | Arthur Constable | 2,710 | 39.6 | −5.9 | |
| Majority | 1,431 | 20.8 | +11.8 | ||
| Turnout | 6,851 | 72.1 | −12.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,505 | ||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | +5.9 | |||

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 4,723 | 59.0 | −1.4 | |
| Conservative | John Gilmour | 3,279 | 41.0 | +1.4 | |
| Majority | 1,444 | 18.0 | −2.8 | ||
| Turnout | 8,002 | 80.0 | +7.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,998 | ||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | −1.4 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 5,242 | 62.2 | +3.2 | |
| Conservative | Alexander Sprot | 3,183 | 37.8 | −3.2 | |
| Majority | 2,059 | 24.4 | +6.4 | ||
| Turnout | 8,425 | 81.2 | +1.2 | ||
| Liberalhold | Swing | ||||

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 5,149 | 60.6 | −1.6 | |
| Conservative | Alexander Sprot | 3,350 | 39.4 | +1.6 | |
| Majority | 1,799 | 21.2 | −3.2 | ||
| Turnout | 8,499 | 78.0 | −3.2 | ||
| Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | Unopposed | |||
| Liberalhold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Alexander Sprot | 8,996 | 54.2 | +14.8 | |
| Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 6,996 | 42.2 | −18.4 | |
| Independent Progressive | William Pritchard Morgan | 591 | 3.6 | New | |
| Majority | 2,002 | 12.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 16,581 | 54.0 | −24.0 | ||
| Unionistgain fromLiberal | Swing | ||||

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 12,697 | 56.0 | +13.8 | |
| Unionist | Alexander Sprot | 9,987 | 44.0 | −10.2 | |
| Majority | 2,710 | 12.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 22,684 | 67.2 | +13.2 | ||
| Liberalgain fromUnionist | Swing | +12.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 12,825 | 55.5 | −0.5 | |
| Unionist | Alexander Sprot | 10,275 | 44.5 | +0.5 | |
| Majority | 2,550 | 11.0 | −1.0 | ||
| Turnout | 23,100 | 67.8 | +0.6 | ||
| Liberalhold | Swing | -0.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Archibald Cochrane | 12,664 | 53.0 | +8.5 | |
| Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 11,242 | 47.0 | −8.5 | |
| Majority | 1,422 | 6.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 23,906 | 69.2 | +1.4 | ||
| Unionistgain fromLiberal | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | James Duncan Millar | 14,329 | 42.9 | −4.1 | |
| Unionist | Archibald Cochrane | 13,748 | 41.1 | −11.9 | |
| Labour | W R Garson | 5,350 | 6.0 | New | |
| Majority | 581 | 1.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 33,427 | 73.3 | +4.1 | ||
| Liberalgain fromUnionist | Swing | +3.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal | James Duncan Millar | Unopposed | |||
| National Liberalgain fromLiberal | |||||

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 15,770 | 52.2 | N/A | |
| Labour | Joseph Westwood | 6,635 | 22.0 | New | |
| Agricultural Party | J. L. Anderson | 4,404 | 14.6 | New | |
| Independent Liberal | David Edwin Keir | 2,296 | 7.6 | New | |
| National (Scotland) | Eric Linklater | 1,083 | 3.6 | New | |
| Majority | 9,135 | 30.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 30,188 | 65.6 | N/A | ||
| National Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 27,915 | 82.3 | +30.1 | |
| Labour | Alexander Kerr Davidson | 6,016 | 17.7 | −4.3 | |
| Majority | 21,899 | 64.6 | +34.4 | ||
| Turnout | 33,931 | 71.0 | +5.4 | ||
| National Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 24,765 | 69.4 | −12.9 | |
| Labour Co-op | Samuel McLaren | 10,920 | 30.6 | +12.9 | |
| Majority | 13,845 | 38.8 | −25.8 | ||
| Turnout | 35,685 | 70.8 | −0.2 | ||
| National Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 25,749 | 63.7 | −5.7 | |
| Labour Co-op | Samuel McLaren | 10,694 | 26.5 | −4.1 | |
| Liberal | David Alexander Freeman | 3,975 | 9.8 | N/A | |
| Majority | 15,055 | 37.2 | −1.6 | ||
| Turnout | 40,418 | 81.1 | +1.3 | ||
| National Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 28,446 | 70.6 | +6.9 | |
| Labour | John McGowan | 11,844 | 29.4 | +2.9 | |
| Majority | 16,602 | 41.2 | +4.0 | ||
| Turnout | 40,290 | 78.7 | −2.4 | ||
| National Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 26,104 | 70.6 | 0.0 | |
| Labour | John McGowan | 10,872 | 29.4 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 15,522 | 41.2 | 0.0 | ||
| Turnout | 36,976 | 73.2 | −5.5 | ||
| National Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal | James Henderson-Stewart | 26,585 | 69.9 | −0.6 | |
| Labour | John Nicol | 11,421 | 30.0 | +0.6 | |
| Majority | 15,164 | 39.9 | −1.3 | ||
| Turnout | 38,006 | 75.2 | +2.0 | ||
| National Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | John Gilmour | 15,948 | 47.5 | −22.4 | |
| Labour | John Smith | 8,882 | 26.4 | −3.6 | |
| Liberal | Donald Leach | 8,786 | 26.1 | N/A | |
| Majority | 7,066 | 21.1 | −18.8 | ||
| Turnout | 33,616 | ||||
| Unionisthold | Swing | -9.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | John Gilmour | 21,001 | 54.2 | −15.7 | |
| Labour | John Smith | 9,765 | 25.2 | −4.8 | |
| Liberal | Derek C Wood | 5,075 | 13.1 | N/A | |
| SNP | James Braid | 2,635 | 6.8 | New | |
| Independent Loyalist | Leslie M.C. Greene | 257 | 0.7 | New | |
| Majority | 11,236 | 29.0 | −10.9 | ||
| Turnout | 38,733 | 77.8 | +2.6 | ||
| Unionisthold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Gilmour | 19,323 | 51.5 | −2.7 | |
| Labour | Harry Peaker | 9,229 | 24.6 | −0.6 | |
| SNP | James Braid | 5,394 | 14.4 | +7.6 | |
| Liberal | Derek A. Barrie | 3,574 | 9.5 | −3.6 | |
| Majority | 10,094 | 26.9 | −2.1 | ||
| Turnout | 37,520 | 76.1 | −1.7 | ||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Gilmour | 21,619 | 54.6 | +3.1 | |
| Labour | Harry Ewing | 9,756 | 24.6 | 0.0 | |
| SNP | James Braid | 4,666 | 11.8 | −2.6 | |
| Liberal | Willis Pickard | 3,577 | 9.0 | −0.5 | |
| Majority | 11,863 | 30.0 | +3.1 | ||
| Turnout | 39,618 | 74.4 | −1.7 | ||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Gilmour | 21,172 | 47.9 | −6.7 | |
| SNP | James Braid | 8,593 | 19.5 | +7.7 | |
| Liberal | Willis Pickard | 7,766 | 17.6 | +8.6 | |
| Labour | Bashir Maan | 6,634 | 15.0 | −9.6 | |
| Majority | 12,579 | 28.4 | −1.6 | ||
| Turnout | 44,165 | 78.8 | +4.4 | ||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Gilmour | 16,116 | 38.8 | −9.1 | |
| SNP | James Braid | 13,202 | 31.8 | +12.3 | |
| Labour | Helen Liddell | 7,040 | 16.9 | +1.9 | |
| Liberal | D.W.C. Docherty | 5,247 | 12.6 | −5.0 | |
| Majority | 2,914 | 7.0 | −21.4 | ||
| Turnout | 41,605 | 73.7 | −5.1 | ||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Barry Henderson | 20,117 | 43.0 | +4.2 | |
| Liberal | Menzies Campbell | 10,762 | 23.0 | +10.4 | |
| Labour | Henry McLeish | 9,339 | 19.9 | +3.0 | |
| SNP | J. Marshall | 6,612 | 14.1 | −17.7 | |
| Majority | 9,355 | 20.0 | +13.0 | ||
| Turnout | 46,830 | 79.0 | +5.3 | ||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Constituency represented by thechancellor of the Exchequer 1905–1908 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Constituency represented by the prime minister 1908–1916 | Succeeded by |