Aberdeen North (UK Parliament constituency)

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Aberdeen North is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was first used in the 1885 general election, but has undergone various boundary changes since that date. The seat has been held by Kirsty Blackman of the Scottish National Party since 2015.

At the 2019 general election, the constituency had the largest SNP vote share and relative majority, effectively making it the safest SNP seat, although this majority was heavily reduced at the subsequent 2024 election.^[1]^[2]

There was also an Aberdeen North constituency of the Scottish Parliament, created in 1999 with the boundaries of the Westminster seat of that time. This constituency was abolished in 2011, its area thereafter being covered by the new constituencies of Aberdeen Donside and Aberdeen Central. (See also Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions.)

Constituency profile

The seat covers much of the northern half of the Aberdeen Council Area. It includes affluent suburbs like Kingswells and Bridge of Don, alongside areas with significant social housing within the city proper such as Tillydrone, Northfield, Mastrick and Bucksburn. ^[3]

Boundaries

Historic

1885 to 1918

From 1832 to 1885 there was a single Aberdeen constituency. Prior to 1832, the burgh of Aberdeen had been represented as a component of the Aberdeen Burghs constituency.

When Aberdeen North was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and first used in the 1885 general election, so was Aberdeen South. Aberdeen North then consisted of the municipal wards of St Clement, St Andrew, St Machar and Greyfriars, and the 10th and 11th Parliamentary Polling Districts.^[4] The rest of the county of Aberdeen was covered by the county constituencies of Eastern Aberdeenshire and Western Aberdeenshire.^[5]

The same boundaries were used in the 1886 general election, the 1892 general election, the 1895 general election, the 1900 general election, the 1906 general election, the January 1910 general election and the December 1910 general election.

1918 to 1950

In 1918 constituency boundaries were redefined by the Representation of the People Act 1918. By then the county of city of Aberdeen had been created and, together with Aberdeen North, Aberdeen South became one of two constituencies covering the city (which was one of four counties of cities in Scotland) and entirely within the city. The new boundaries were first used in the 1918 general election, and Aberdeen North then consisted of the wards of Greyfriars, St Andrew, St Clement, St Machar, Torry and Woodside.^[5] The county of Aberdeen was covered by Aberdeen and Kincardine East, Central Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and West Aberdeenshire. Aberdeen and Kincardine East and Central Aberdeenshire were entirely within the county of Aberdeen. Kincardine and West Aberdeenshire covered the county of Kincardine minus the burgh of Inverbervie, which was covered by Montrose Burghs, and part of the county of Aberdeen.

The same boundaries were used in the 1922 general election, the 1923 general election, the 1924 general election, the 1929 general election, the 1931 general election, the 1935 general election and the 1945 general election.

1950 to 1955

For the 1950 general election boundaries were redefined again, by the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949. A new list of wards defined Aberdeen North - Glimonston, Greyfriars, St Clement, St Machar, St Nicholas and Woodside^[5] - but the county of city of Aberdeen remained a two-constituency city, divided between Aberdeen South and Aberdeen North, with both constituencies entirely within the city.

The county of Aberdeen was now again divided between East Aberdeenshire and West Aberdeenshire, with both of these constituencies entirely within the county.

The same boundaries were used for the 1951 general election.

1955 to 1983

By the time of the 1955 general election, a boundary review had taken account of a small enlargement of the city area, and Aberdeen North was defined as consisting of the wards of Cairncry, St Andrews, St Clement's, St Machar, St Nicholas and Woodside.^[5] The same boundaries were used for the 1959 general election, the 1964 general election, the 1966 general election and the 1970 general election.

For the February 1974 general election there was, again, no change to the boundaries of Aberdeen North, but a review had defined the constituency in terms of a new list of wards. The new wards were Mastrick, Northfield, St Clement's, St Machar, St Nicholas, and Woodside.^[5] February 1974 boundaries were used also for the October 1974 general election.

In 1975, throughout Scotland, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, counties were abolished, and the enlarged City of Aberdeen district was formed by including areas formerly within the county of Aberdeen and the county of Kincardine. The City of Aberdeen district became a district within the Grampian region. The enlarged district included areas covered by the constituencies of West Aberdeenshire and North Angus and Mearns. North Angus and Mearns had been created in 1950 to cover the county of Kincardine and part of the county of Angus.

The 1979 general election was held before a review of constituency boundaries took account of new local government boundaries.

1983 to 1997

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In this period the constituency was made up of the City of Aberdeen District electoral divisions of Ashgrove, Brimmond, Kittybrewster, Mastrick, Northfield East, Northfield West, St Machar, Seaton, Summerfield, and Woodside.

The 1983 general election, the 1987 general election and the 1992 general election took place during this period.

In 1996, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, local government regions and districts were abolished and the city became one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. Also, the name of the city became, officially, Aberdeen City.

1997 to 2005

In this period the constituency was made up of the City of Aberdeen District electoral divisions of Balgownie, Brimmond, Danestone, Mastrick, Middleton, Northfield, Summerfield, and West Don, as provided for by the Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1995.^[6]

As redefined for the 1997 general election, Aberdeen North was one of three constituencies covering and entirely within the Aberdeen City area, the other two being Aberdeen South and Aberdeen Central. Aberdeen South shared boundaries with both of the other two constituencies.

2005 to 2024

Template:MaplinkAs redefined by the Fifth Review of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, and subsequently first used in the 2005 general election,^[7] Aberdeen North was entirely within the Aberdeen City council area and one of five constituencies covering that council area and the Aberdeenshire council area.

In this period the constituency was made up of the Aberdeen City Council wards of Auchmill, Berryden, Castlehill, Cummings Park, Donmouth, Hilton, Kittybrewster, Mastrick, Midstocket, Newhills, Pittodrie, St Machar, Seaton, Sheddocksley, Springhill, Stockethill, Summerhill, Sunnybank, and Woodside, as provided for by the Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 2005.^[8]

Fifth Review changes included the transfer of Bridge of Don, Dyce and Danestone areas from Aberdeen North to Gordon, and the new Aberdeen North has boundaries which are very different from those of the earlier constituency. The northern boundary of the earlier constituency coincided with the northern boundary of the Aberdeen City council area. At that time, Aberdeen Central and Aberdeen South covered the rest of the Aberdeen City council area, and all three Aberdeen constituencies were entirely within the council area.

Current

Template:Maplink Following the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the newly redrawn Aberdeen North consists of the following:^[9]^[10]

In full: the Aberdeen City Council wards of Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone, Bridge of Don, Kingswells/Sheddocksley/Summerhill, Northfield/Mastrick North, Hilton/Woodside/Stockethill, Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen;
In part: the Aberdeen City Council ward of Midstocket/Rosemount (excluding a small area in the southeast of the ward).

The Bridge of Don, Dyce and Danestone areas were transferred back from the now abolished constituency of Gordon. To partly compensate, the city centre and harbour areas (George Street/Harbour ward) were transferred to Aberdeen South.

Members of Parliament

Year		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1885	William Hunter	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1895	Duncan Pirie	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1918	Frank Herbert Rose	Independent Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1922	Frank Herbert Rose	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1928	William Wedgwood Benn	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1931	John George Burnett	Unionist
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1935	George Garro-Jones	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1945	Hector Hughes	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1970	Robert Hughes	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	1997	Malcolm Savidge	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	2005	Frank Doran	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" \|	2015	Kirsty Blackman	SNP