55°50′57″N 4°34′13″W / 55.849108°N 4.570312°W / 55.849108; -4.570312

West Renfrewshire
Former county constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
West Renfrewshire shown within the West of Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Former constituency
Created1999
Abolished2011
Council areaInverclyde/
Renfrewshire
Replaced byRenfrewshire North and West, and Renfrewshire South

West Renfrewshire was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it was one of nine constituencies in the West of Scotland electoral region, which elected seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

For the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, West Renfrewshire was abolished. Two new seats were created: Renfrewshire North and West, and Renfrewshire South.

Electoral region

See also: West of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the West of Scotland region were: Dumbarton, Clydebank and Milngavie, Cunninghame North, Eastwood, Paisley North, Greenock and Inverclyde, Paisley South and Strathkelvin and Bearsden.

The region covers the West Dunbartonshire council area, the East Renfrewshire council area, the Inverclyde council area, most of the Renfrewshire council area, most of the East Dunbartonshire council area, part of the Argyll and Bute council area and part of the North Ayrshire council area.

Constituency boundaries

The West Renfrewshire 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, the Westminster (House of Commons) constituency was divided between new constituencies.[1]

Council areas

The Holyrood constituency covered a western portion of the Renfrewshire council area and an eastern portion of the Inverclyde council area. The rest of the Renfrewshire area was covered by the Paisley North, Paisley South and Glasgow Govan constituencies; Glasgow Govan was in the Glasgow electoral region. The Greenock and Inverclyde constituency covered the rest of the Inverclyde area. The boundaries of these other constituencies were also redrawn in 2011.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
1999 Trish Godman Labour
2011 constituency abolished: replaced by
Renfrewshire North and West, and Renfrewshire South

Election results

2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: West Renfrewshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Trish Godman 10,467 35.9 +1.8
Conservative Annabel Goldie 8,289 28.5 +4.2
SNP Bill Wilson 8,167 28.0 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Simon Hutton 2,206 7.6 -2.7
Majority 2,178 7.4 -1.3
Turnout 29,129 58.3 +2.8
Labour hold Swing
2003 Scottish Parliament election: West Renfrewshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Trish Godman 9,671 34.1 -3.3
SNP Bruce McFee 7,179 25.4 -3.6
Conservative Annabel Goldie 6,867 24.3 +3.0
Liberal Democrats Alison King 2,902 10.3 +2.5
Scottish Socialist Gerry MaCartney 1,683 5.95 New
Majority 2,492 8.7 +0.1
Turnout 28,302 55.5 -9.4
Labour hold Swing +0.3

1990s

1999 Scottish Parliament election: West Renfrewshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Trish Godman 12,708 37.4 N/A
SNP Colin Campbell 9,815 28.8 N/A
Conservative Annabel Goldie 7,243 21.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Neal Ascherson 2,659 7.8 N/A
Independent Allan McGraw 1,136 3.3 N/A
Socialist Workers Patrick Clark 476 1.4 N/A
Majority 2,893 8.6 N/A
Turnout 34,037 64.9 N/A
Labour win (new seat)

Notes and references

  1. ^ See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland
Categories