Subdivisions of Scotland Orkney and Shetland Created 1708 European Parliament constituency Scotland Number of members 1 | Electorate 33,229 Created from Orkney and Shetland Member of parliament Alistair Carmichael Replaced by Orkney, Shetland | |
 | ||
Orkney and Shetland is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. In the Scottish Parliament, Orkney and Shetland are separate constituencies. The constituency was historically known as Orkney and Zetland (an alternative name for Shetland).
Contents
Boundaries
The constituency is made up of the two island groups, Orkney and Shetland. A constituency of this name has existed continuously since 1708. However before 1918 the town of Kirkwall (the capital of Orkney) formed part of the Northern Burghs constituency.
The constituency is one of three "protected constituencies", the others being Na h-Eileanan an Iar and the Isle of Wight. The constituency contains the areas of the Orkney Islands Council and the Shetland Islands Council. Before 2011 the constituency had been unique in having its boundaries protected by legislation.
The constituency has the second smallest electorate of any UK parliamentary constituency, after Na h-Eileanan an Iar.
Member of Parliament
The constituency has elected only Liberal and Liberal Democrat MPs since 1950, the longest run of any British parliamentary constituency. In each general election from 1955 until 1979, in 1987 and again in 2010 it was the safest Liberal Democrat seat in Britain. In the May 2015 general election it was the only seat in Scotland to elect a Liberal Democrat MP.
Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1939/40: Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;