European Parliament constituency Scotland Party Scottish National Party | Member of parliament Eilidh Whiteford | |
 | ||
Created from Aberdeenshire East and Banffshire Created United Kingdom general election, 1983 Replaced by East Aberdeenshire, Banffshire | ||
Banff and Buchan is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the north-east of Scotland within the Aberdeenshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post system of voting.
Contents
The seat has been held by the Scottish National Party since 1987, with former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond representing the seat until 2010. In 2010, Eilidh Whiteford succeeded Salmond as the constituency's MP; however, the SNP vote share fell below 50% for the first time since 1992, due to a strong challenge by the Conservative Party. In the 2015 election the SNP achieved its best ever result in the constituency, with Whiteford winning over 60% of the vote and increasing her majority to 31.4%.
The constituency was reported to have voted in favour of Scottish independence at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and is estimated to have voted to leave the European Union at the 2016 European Union membership referendum on a margin of 54% Leave to 46% Remain.
A mostly rural constituency, it takes in the towns of Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Turriff, and the main industries are fishing and tourism.
Boundaries
1983-1997: Banff and Buchan District.
1997-2005: The Banff and Buchan District electoral divisions of Banff and Portsoy, Deveron, Fraserburgh North, Fraserburgh South, Mid Buchan, Peterhead North, Peterhead South, and Ugie, Cruden and Boddam.
2005-present: The Aberdeenshire Council wards of Durn, Banff West and Boyndie, Banff, Aberchirder, Macduff, Gamrie King Edward, Buchan North, Fraserburgh West, Fraserburgh North, Fraserburgh East, Fraserburgh South, Buchan North East, South Buchan, Central Buchan, Lonmay and St Fergus, Mintlaw Old Deer, Mintlaw Longside, Boddam Inverugie, Blackhouse, Buchanhaven, Peterhead Central Roanheads, Clerkhill, Dales Towerhill, Cruden, Turriff West, Turriff East, Upper Ythan, and Fyvie Methlick.
As created in 1983, the constituency replaced part of East Aberdeenshire and part of Banffshire.
New boundaries were used for the 2005 general election, as recommended by the Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, and the constituency is now one of five covering the Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City council areas. The Banff and Buchan constituency is entirely within the Aberdeenshire area, covering a northern portion of it. To the south, Gordon includes part of the Aberdeenshire area and part of the Aberdeen City area. Further south, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine is entirlely within the Aberdeenshire area and Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South are entirely within the Aberdeen City area.
The Banff and Buchan constituency continues to include the port towns of Peterhead and Fraserburgh. It also now includes Turriff, which was formerly within the Gordon constituency.
Members of Parliament
Alex Salmond was the MP for Banff and Buchan from 1987 to 2010. He also represented the coterminous Scottish Parliament constituency between 1999 and 2001. He was later re-elected to Holyrood for the neighbouring seat of Gordon, and then for the re-drawn Aberdeenshire East seat, which he represented until 2016. Salmond stood down at the 2010 general election so that he could focus on his jobs as an MSP and First Minister of Scotland, and was succeeded by Eilidh Whiteford. He returned to the Commons in 2015, representing Gordon.
Elections in the 2010s
1: After nominations were closed, Hoque was suspended from the Labour Party when he was charged with multiple driving offences.
The swing of 10.6% to the Conservatives in Banff and Buchan was the largest swing in Scotland at the 2010 General Election.