Central Dunbartonshire
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1974-1983
Central Dunbartonshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster) from 1974 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Boundaries
The constituency was created as a result of the Second Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission, and first used in the February 1974 general election.
The review took account of population growth in the county of Dunbarton, caused by overspill from the city of Glasgow into the new town of Cumbernauld and elsewhere, and Central Dunbartonshire was defined as one of three constituencies to replace the two constituencies of East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire. The other two constituencies took forward the names of the earlier constituencies.
Central Dunbartonshire consisted mainly of the burgh of Clydebank, but it also included the burgh of Milngavie and the Old Kilpatrick district of the county.
The same boundaries were used also for the general elections of October 1974 and 1979.
The constituency was represented by Hugh McCartney, who had previously been MP for East Dunbartonshire, throughout its relatively short existence. Its main claim to fame is that it was the scene of Jimmy Reid's candidature in 1974, when he gained the best vote by a Communist candidate for some time.
In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scottish counties were abolished in favour of regions and districts and islands council areas, and the county of Dunbarton was divided between several districts of the new region of Strathclyde.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Central Dunbartonshire” as parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1974-1983. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1974-1983. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5061013. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1974, 1983, 1979 and 1975.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Central Dunbartonshire”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Central Dunbartonshire primary sources, Central Dunbartonshire archive and Central research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Central Dunbartonshire”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Central Dunbartonshire” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.