Population 93,308 (2011 census) Created 2005 Member of parliament Corri Wilson Scottish parliaments Ayr, South Scotland | Electorate 69,299 (2015) European Parliament constituency Scotland Replaced by Ayr, Carrick, Scotland | |
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Subdivisions of Scotland East Ayrshire,
South Ayrshire Created from Ayr,
Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley | ||
Ayr, Carrick, and Cumnock is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 2005 general election from parts of the old Ayr and Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituencies. It has been represented since 2015 by Corri Wilson of the Scottish National Party. Cumnock is notable as the birthplace of Keir Hardie, a founder of the Labour Party and its first leader.
Contents
Boundaries
2005 onwards
As defined by the Fifth Review of UK Parliament constituencies, the constituency covers the South Ayrshire electoral wards of Ayr Whitletts; Ayr Lochside; Ayr Newton; Ayr Craigie; Ayr Central; Ayr Fort; Ayr Forehill; Ayr Masonhill; Ayr Belmont; Ayr Old Belmont; Ayr Rozelle; Ayr Doonfoot and Seafield; Coylton and Minishant; North Carrick and Maybole West; North Carrick and Maybole East; South Carrick; Girvan Ailsa and Girvan Glendoune plus the East Ayrshire electoral wards of Patna and Dalrymple; Dalmellington; Drongan, Stair and Rankinston; Ochiltree, Skares, Netherthird and Craigens; New Cumnock; Cumnock East and Cumnock West.
The constituency covers approximately three-fifths of the South Ayrshire council area and one-fifth of the East Ayrshire council area, with the remaining portion of the South Ayrshire council area being covered by the Central Ayrshire constituency. The remainder of East Ayrshire is covered as part of Kilmarnock and Loudoun.
Constituency profile and voting patterns
In 2005 approximately two-thirds of the former Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency was attached to a third of the former marginal seat of Ayr to form the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock constituency.
Ayr is a large town located to the north-west of the constituency, consisting of a mixture of council estates and affluent middle-class areas. The town has traditionally been a strong area for the Conservative Party, with Labour performing stronger towards the north the town and in patches of east Ayr. Since the establishment of the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock constituency in 2005, support for the Conservatives has grown significantly around the town of Ayr.
South of the town is the more deprived rural region of Carrick, which has traditionally been more hospitable to the Labour Party, and more recently the Scottish National Party. On a local level Carrick has largely been represented by the Labour Party, with the Conservatives performing stronger around northern Girvan. Additionally, the constituency extends eastwards from Ayr to cover the suburban village of Coylton. Further east, the constituency stretches into the south of the East Ayrshire council area to cover a set of former mining communities around Cumnock and Doon Valley - traditionally a strong area for the Labour Party.
The constituency fell to the SNP at the 2015 SNP landslide election, with SNP candidate Corri Wilson overturning incumbent Labour MP Sandra Osborne's 13,356 lead over the SNP, securing the constituency with a majority of 11,265 votes.
The constituency overlaps the Scottish Parliamentary constituencies of Ayr and Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley. Ayr is currently represented by Conservative MSP John Scott, marginally ahead of the Scottish National Party in second place and Labour in third. Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley is represented by SNP MSP Jeane Freeman, Labour in second and the Conservatives narrowly behind in third.