- Glasgow Rutherglen (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Scottish Parliament constituency infobox
Name = Glasgow Rutherglen
Type = burgh
Region = Glasgow
Year = 1999
MSP = James Kelly (Scottish politician)
Party = Labour
Council =Glasgow City (part)
South Lanarkshire (part)Glasgow Rutherglen is a constituency of the
Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, however, it is one of ten constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form ofproportional representation for the region as a whole.Electoral region
:"See also "
Glasgow Scottish Parliament region The other nine constituencies of the Glasgow region are Glasgow Anniesland, Glasgow Baillieston, Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Govan, Glasgow Kelvin, Glasgow Maryhill, Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Shettleston and Glasgow Springburn.
The region covers the Glasgow City council area and a north-western portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.
Constituency boundaries and council areas
The Glasgow Rutherglen constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.
The Holyrood constituency is east of the Cathcart constituency and south of the Shettleston and Baillieston constituencies, which are all entirely within the Glasgow City council area. The Rutherglen constituency, however, covers a south-eastern portion of the city area and a north-western portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.
In the South Lanarkshire area, Glasgow Rutherglen is one of five constituencies covering the area: Glasgow Rutherglen, East Kilbride, Hamilton South, Hamilton North and Bellshill and Clydesdale. Glasgow Rutherglen borders the East Kilbride and Hamilton South constituencies.
The East Kilbride constituency, the Hamilton constituency and the Hamilton North and Bellshill constituency are all in the Central Scotland electoral region. The Clydesdale constituency is in the South of Scotland region.
Characteristics
The town of Rutherglen is the oldest
royal burgh inScotland , and 500 years older than the royal burgh ofGlasgow . It was traditionally a Conservative seat, and has always striven to maintain some autonomy since it was absorbed by Glasgow in the 1970s. However, the changes in the 1970s led the Westminster constituency to be mostly made up of vastcouncil estate s south-east of the Glasgow city centre and it became a Labour safe seat. At its northern border it blends into Glasgow's suburbs and the vast Castlemilk housing scheme. The seat includes not only Rutherglen itself but also the town ofCambuslang , and the housing scheme atFernhill and Whitlawburn.Steel andpottery have been major industries in the past, but both have been in decline over the last 30 years. Although now mostly outside Glasgow local government area, the constituency is still seen as a safe Labour seat. There were no surprises in the 1999 elections, which sawJanis Hughes win the seat with a majority of 25% of the vote.Member of the Scottish Parliament
Election results
Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = James Kelly
votes = 10,237
percentage = 42.2
change = -3.6 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Margaret Park
votes = 5,857
percentage = 24.2
change = +9.2 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Robert Brown
votes = 5,516
percentage = 22.7
change = +3.6 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Christina Harcus
votes = 2,094
percentage = 8.6
change = -2.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Christian Party
candidate = Tom Greig
votes = 548
percentage = 2.3
change = +2.3Election box majority
votes = 4,380
percentage = 18.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 24,252
percentage = 48.5
change = +0.9Election box hold with party link
winner = Scottish Labour Party
loser =
swing = -6.5%Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate =Janis Hughes
votes = 10,794
percentage = 45.8%
change = -0.5% Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Robert Brown
votes = 4,491
percentage = 19.1%
change = -0.9% Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Anne McLaughlin
votes = 3,517
percentage = 14.9%
change = -6.3 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Gavin Brown
votes = 2,499
percentage = 10.6%
change = +2.6% Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Socialist Party
candidate = Bill Bonnar
votes = 2,259
percentage = 9.6%
change = +6.7% Election box majority
votes = 6,303
percentage = 26.8%
change = +1.7%Election box turnout
votes = 23,560
percentage = 47.6%
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Scottish Labour Party
loser =
swing = -0.5% Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate =Janis Hughes
votes = 13,442
percentage = 46.31%
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Tom Chalmers
votes = 6,155
percentage = 21.21%
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Robert Brown
votes = 5,798
percentage = 19.98%
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Iain Stewart
votes = 2,315
percentage = 7.98%
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Socialist Party
candidate = William Bonnar
votes = 832
percentage = 2.87%
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Socialist Labour Party (UK)
candidate = James Nisbet
votes = 481
percentage = 1.66%
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 7,287
percentage = 25.10%
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 15,583
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Scottish Labour Party
loser = N/A
swing = N/Aee also
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Politics of Glasgow
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