Dunfermline and West Fife was 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 all of the old Dunfermline West and parts of the old Dunfermline East constituencies. Its last MP was Douglas Chapman of the Scottish National Party (SNP).
The Dunfermline and West Fife by-election was held in early 2006, due to the death of the sitting MP, Rachel Squire. Willie Rennie of the Liberal Democrats was the surprise winner, by some 1,800 votes, in what was seen as a safe Labour seat. However, he lost the seat to Labour's Thomas Docherty at the 2010 general election. Chapman then won the seat in the SNP's Scottish landslide in the 2015 general election.
Further to the completion of the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to boundary changes which will include the small town of Dollar in Clackmannanshire. As a consequence, it was renamed Dunfermline and Dollar, first contested at the 2024 general election.Boundary Commission Scotland 2023 Review Report Graeme Downie, of The Scottish Labour Party successfully was elected as the Member of Parliament for Dunfermline and Dollar on Thursday 4th July 2024.
Boundaries
This constituency was formed in 2005 from all of the old Dunfermline West and parts of the old Dunfermline East constituencies.
Rosyth and Inverkeithing in the southeast are the only large population centres on the coast. To the north and west of Dunfermline is more rugged and robust Fife countryside. The whole seat was up against the Firth of Forth.
Places in Dunfermline and West Fife constituency Royal burghs Dunfermline - Population: 55,000 Inverkeithing - Population: 4,820 Culross - Population: 395 (2006)
Burghs, towns, and large villages (Over 1,000 population) Rosyth - Population: 13,570 Kincardine on Forth - Population: 2,940 Crossgates - Population: 2,830 Cairneyhill - Population: 2,510 Crossford - Population: 2,320 Valleyfield - Population: 2,280 Oakley - Population: 2,240 Limekilns - Population: 1,450 Saline - Population: 1,370 Townhill - Population: 1,160 North Queensferry - Population: 1,050 Torryburn - Population: 1,030
Electoral wards of Dunfermline and small, outlying villages Baldridgeburn (Ward of Dunfermline) Bellyeoman (Ward of Dunfermline) Brucefield (Ward of Dunfermline) Carnegie (Ward of Dunfermline) Garvock (Ward of Dunfermline Halbeath (Ward of Dunfermline) Headwell (Ward of Dunfermline) Linburn (Ward of Dunfermline) Milesmark (Ward of Dunfermline) Mossside (Ward of Dunfermline) Netherton (Ward of Dunfermline) Pitcorthie (Ward of Dunfermline) Pitreavie (Ward of Dunfermline) Woodmill (Ward of Dunfermline) Blairhall - Population: 930 Hill of Beath - Population: 875 Kingseat - Population: 860 Comrie - Population: 830 Carnock - Population: 790 Wellwood - Population: 608 Crombie - Population: 374 Steelend - Population: 320 Gowkhall - Population: 220
Members of Parliament
Rachel Squire (Labour) was the MP for Dunfermline West constituency from 1992 until the major revision of the composition of Scottish parliamentary constituencies for the 2005 general election. Gordon Brown was MP for the neighbouring Dunfermline East constituency from which some territory was given to Dunfermline and West Fife.
Squire won the new seat in the 2005 general election and held it until her death on 5 January 2006. The subsequent by-election was held on 9 February 2006, which Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie won in a shock defeat for Labour. The Liberal Democrats also gained the Dunfermline West Scottish Parliamentary constituency from Labour in the 2007 Holyrood Parliament elections.
In the 2010 general election, the Labour candidate Thomas Docherty won the seat back. In the 2015 general election the seat was won by the SNP's Douglas Chapman.
ElectionMemberParty 2005 Rachel Squire Labour 2006 by-election Willie Rennie Liberal Democrat 2010 Thomas Docherty Labour 2015 Douglas Chapman SNP
Election results Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
References
External links Boundary Commission for Scotland, UK Parliament constituencies 2005 onwards Dunfermline and West Fife UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2005 – May 2024) at MapIt UK