James Dempsey (6 February 1917 - 12 May 1982) was a Scottish Labour Party politician.

Dempsey was educated at Holy Family School, Mossend, the Co-operative College in Loughborough, and at the National Council of Labour Colleges. He was a clerk with a haulage firm and a councillor on Lanarkshire County Council from 1945. He later worked as a lecturer on political economy and a writer on local government.

Dempsey was Member of Parliament for Coatbridge and Airdrie from 1959 until he died in office in 1982. His successor in the resulting by-election was Tom Clarke.