Election 97

Western Isles


Result 97 gain
from Labour
Current MP 97 Calum Macdonald
Majority 0 ( 0.0%)
Conservative 97 1,071 ( 6.6%)
Labour 97 8,955 (55.6%)
LibDem 97 495 ( 3.1%)
Nationalist 97 5,379 (33.4%)
Other 97 206 ( 1.3%)
Elected party 97
Electorate 97 22,983
Turnout 97 16,106 (70.1%)



1992 MP Calum Macdonald
Old constituency name Western Isles
Majority 92 1,703 (10.6%)
Conservative 92 1,362 ( 8.5%)
Labour 92 7,664 (47.8%)
LibDem 92 552 ( 3.4%)
Nationalist 92 5,961 (37.2%)
Other 92 491 ( 3.1%)
Elected party 92 Labour
Electorate 92 23,015
Turnout 92 16,030 (69.7%)
Western Isles



Tory change -1.8%
Labour change +7.8%
Lib Dem change -0.4%
Nationalist change -3.8%
Other change -1.8%
Electorate change -0.1%
Turnout Change +0.4%
Robert Waller wrote

Scotland's far-flung western archipelago is quite different from any other constituency. The only part of the UK that almost universally observes or enforces the Sabbath, it has the smallest electorate of any seat (22,785 at the last election), the highest proportion of detached houses, and is the only seat in Scotland with a majority of Gaelic speakers (68 per cent). Individual loyalties are the key to electoral success in the islands. Labour's Malcolm Macmillan held the seat for held the seat from 1935 to 1970, when it passed to Donald Stewart of the Scottish Nationalists - at the time the only SNP MP. On Stewart's retirement in 1987, Labour's Calum MacDonald took it back and he is probably favourite ths time - although the only thing certain in the Western Isles is that the Tories will not get a look in.


Super Profiles

1,994 15.80 9.03 175
695 5.51 11.17 49
1,181 9.36 11.25 83
579 4.59 14.70 31
0 0.00 10.45 0
5,319 42.14 2.81 1497
356 2.82 8.01 35
1,430 11.33 15.25 74
683 5.41 7.13 76
386 3.06 10.17 30