Rutherglen
Burgh constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Rutherglen shown within the Glasgow electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population77,568 (2019)[1]
Current constituency
Created2011
PartyScottish National Party
MSPClare Haughey
Council areaSouth Lanarkshire

Rutherglen is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of South Lanarkshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, it is one of nine constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Originally called Glasgow Rutherglen, the boundaries were redrawn and the new constituency renamed simply Rutherglen for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. The seat has been held by Clare Haughey of the Scottish National Party since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region

See also: Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the Glasgow region are: Glasgow Anniesland, Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Kelvin, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Provan, Glasgow Shettleston and Glasgow Southside.

The region covers the Glasgow City council area and a north-western portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.[2]

Constituency boundaries and council areas

Map
Map of boundaries from 2011

The redrawn seat of Rutherglen consists of the following electoral wards:

Constituency profile

BBC profile for 2016 election:[3]

Rutherglen was once a burgh - the oldest in Scotland - until local government reorganisation in 1975, and lies to the south east of Glasgow city centre. The name Rutherglen is said to come from Gaelic for "reddish glen" after the red clay found here.

At its northern border it blends into Glasgow's suburbs, though the town has always striven to maintain a distinct identity from Glasgow, which it predates by 500 years. The seat includes not only Rutherglen itself but also the town of Cambuslang, Burnside and the housing scheme at Fernhill, as well as Blantyre, all of which lie within the local government control of South Lanarkshire. Steel and pottery have been major industries in the past, but both have been in decline.

Janis Hughes won the seat for the Labour Party in the 1999 and 2003 elections. James Kelly then held the seat in 2007 and 2011.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
2011 James Kelly Labour
2016 Clare Haughey SNP

Election results

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Rutherglen[4][5]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Clare Haughey[a] 20,249 50.5 Increase 4.3 16,970 42.3 Decrease0.8
Labour Co-op James Kelly[b][c] 15,083 37.6 Increase 2.8 11,005 27.4 Decrease1.0
Conservative Lynne Nailon 3,663 9.1 Decrease 2.2 5,903 14.7 Increase1.8
Scottish Green 2,883 7.2 Increase2.5
Liberal Democrats Sheila Thomson 1,112 2.8 Decrease 4.9 1,011 2.5 Decrease1.6
Alba 710 1.8 New
All for Unity 356 0.9 New
Independent Green Voice 273 0.7 New
Libertarian 222 0.6 New
Scottish Family 204 0.5 New
Reform UK 104 0.3 New
Abolish the Scottish Parliament 95 0.2 New
Freedom Alliance (UK) 88 0.2 New
Women's Equality 74 0.2 Decrease0.4
Communist 61 0.2 New
TUSC 59 0.1 New
UKIP 52 0.1 Decrease2.1
Independent Craig Ross 35 0.1 New
SDP 17 0.0 New
Reclaim 14 0.0 New
Independent Daniel Donaldson 10 0.0 New
Renew 8 0.0 New
Majority 5,166 12.9 Increase1.5
Valid Votes 40,107 40,154
Invalid Votes 162 82
Turnout 40,269 63.5 Increase9.0 40,236 63.3 Increase8.8
SNP hold Swing Increase3.6
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ^ Kelly stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote was for Scottish Labour only.
  3. ^ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Rutherglen[6][7]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Clare Haughey 15,222 46.2 Increase6.7 14,256 43.1 Increase4.1
Labour Co-op James Kelly[a][b] 11,479 34.8 Decrease11.3 9,372 28.4 Decrease10.0
Conservative Taylor Muir 3,718 11.3 Increase3.6 4,269 12.9 Increase6.2
Scottish Green 1,555 4.7 Increase2.1
Liberal Democrats Robert Brown 2,533 7.7 Increase3.3 1,351 4.1 Increase1.1
UKIP 719 2.2 Increase1.7
Solidarity 405 1.2 New
A Better Britain – Unionist Party 336 1.0 New
Animal Welfare 213 0.6 New
RISE 202 0.6 New
Women's Equality 188 0.6 New
Scottish Christian 161 0.5 Decrease0.3
Independent Andrew McCullagh 29 0.1 New
Majority 3,743 11.4 N/A
Valid Votes 32,952 33,056
Invalid Votes 135 56
Turnout 33,087 54.5 Increase7.4 33,112 54.5 Increase7.4
SNP gain from Labour Co-op Swing Increase9.0
Notes
  1. ^ Kelly stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote was for Scottish Labour only.
  2. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Rutherglen[8][9]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op James Kelly[a][b] 12,489 46.1 N/A 10,411 38.4 N/A
SNP James McGuigan 10,710 39.5 N/A 10,587 39.0 N/A
Conservative Martyn McIntyre 2,096 7.7 N/A 1,807 6.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats Lisa Strachan 1,174 4.4 N/A 815 3.0 N/A
Scottish Green 710 2.6 N/A
Respect 637 2.3 N/A
All-Scotland Pensioners Party 513 1.9 N/A
BNP 363 1.3 N/A
Scottish Unionist 294 1.1 N/A
Socialist Labour 274 1.0 N/A
Scottish Christian 206 0.8 N/A
Scottish Socialist 143 0.5 N/A
UKIP 142 0.5 N/A
Independent Caroline Johnstone 633 2.3 N/A 127 0.5 N/A
Pirate 54 0.2 N/A
Scottish Homeland Party 30 0.1 N/A
Majority 1,779 6.6 N/A
Valid Votes 27,102 27,113
Invalid Votes 94 82
Turnout 27,196 47.1 N/A 27,195 47.1 N/A
Labour Co-op win (new seat)
Notes
  1. ^ Kelly stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote is for Scottish Labour only.
  2. ^ Incumbent member for the Glasgow Rutherglen constituency

References

  1. ^ Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based), National Records of Scotland; retrieved 6 May 2021 (accompanying summary notes)
  2. ^ Boundary changes create new Rutherglen seat, but area remains in Glasgow region, Daily Record, 2 June 2010
  3. ^ "Rutherglen - Scottish Parliament constituency". BBC News. 2016.
  4. ^ "Constituency Declaration of Results 2021 - Rutherglen". www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk. South Lanarkshire Council. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Regional Results 2021 - Rutherglenn". www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk. South Lanarkshire Council. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Elections". www.glasgow.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Rutherglen Constituency Election Region Results". www.glasgow.gov.uk. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Return of constituency members 2011" (PDF). South Lanarkshire Council. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Return of regional members 2011" (PDF). South Lanarkshire Council. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2021.

External links

« 1999–2011 « Electoral regions and constituencies of the Scottish Parliament (2011–)
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