Glasgow Kelvin (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Kelvin 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 nine constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Not to be confused with Glasgow Kelvin (UK Parliament constituency).

Glasgow Kelvin
burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Glasgow Kelvin shown within the Glasgow electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Current constituency
Created	1999
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Sandra White
Council area	Glasgow City

Electoral region

See also: Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

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

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

Constituency boundaries

The original Glasgow Kelvin 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.

Boundary review

Following its First Periodic review into Scottish Parliament constituencies, a newly shaped Kelvin was formed in time for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. The Glasgow City Council electoral wards used in the creation of the new Glasgow Kelvin seat are:

• In full: Anderston/City, Hillhead
• In part: Canal, Partick West

Constituency profile

Glasgow city centre is in this constituency, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery, the cathedral, and the Scottish Exhibition Centre. All three of Glasgow's universities are here as well, making it supposedly the most educated constituency in Scotland; the large student population is an important factor in elections. The Merchant City is also here: described as 'yuppie housing', it was built out of the disused cotton and tobacco warehouses. This area is a symbol of the rebirth of the city, and Kelvin is arguably the most affluent constituency in Glasgow, although it also includes more deprived areas.

History

The predecessor to the Westminster constituency seat, Glasgow Hillhead, was the last Conservative seat in the city until Roy Jenkins won it for the Social Democratic Party at a by-election in 1982. He held it in 1983 general election but it was taken by Labour's George Galloway in 1987.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1999	Pauline McNeill	Labour
	2011	Sandra White	Scottish National Party

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

In 2016 the Scottish Greens overtook Scottish Labour to take second place in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency on the constituency element of the vote. This was their best ever First past the post election result, with party co-convenor Patrick Harvie finishing behind the SNP's Sandra White by 14.2% of the vote.

Scottish Parliament Election 2016: Glasgow Kelvin[1][2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	SNP	Sandra White	10,964	38.5	-4.8
	Scottish Green	Patrick Harvie	6,916	24.3	New
	Labour	Michael Shanks	5,968	21.0	-18.8
	Conservative	Sheila Mechan	3,346	11.8	+4.3
	Liberal Democrats	Carole Ford	1,050	3.7	-4.0
	Independent	Tom Muirhead	198	0.7	-0.9
Majority			4,048	14.2	+10.7
Turnout			28,442	45.7	+6.3
	SNP hold		Swing

[3]

Scottish Parliament Election 2011: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	SNP	Sandra White	10,640	43.3	+14.0
	Labour	Pauline McNeill	9,758	39.8	+6.0
	Liberal Democrats	Natalie McKee	1,900	7.7	-5.9
	Conservative	Ruth Davidson	1,845	7.5	-0.8
	Independent	Tom Muirhead	405	1.6	N/A
Majority			882	3.5	N/A
Turnout			24,548	39.4	-3.3
	SNP win (new boundaries)

Elections in the 2000s

Scottish Parliament Election 2007: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Pauline McNeill	7,875	33.5	-2.2
	SNP	Sandra White	6,668	28.4	+7.6
	Scottish Green	Martin Bartos	2,971	12.6	New
	Liberal Democrats	Katy Gordon	2,843	12.1	-3.0
	Conservative	Brian Cooklin	1,943	8.3	+0.1
	Independent	Niall Walker	744	3.2	New
	Scottish Christian	Isobel Macleod	456	1.9	New
Majority			1,207	5.1	-9.8
Turnout			23,500	42.7	+3.3
	Labour hold		Swing

Scottish Parliament Election 2003: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Pauline McNeill	7,880	35.7	−9.1
	SNP	Sandra White	4,591	20.8	−8.5
	Liberal Democrats	Douglas Herbison	3,334	15.1	+2.0
	Scottish Socialist	Andy Harvey	3,159	14.3	+6.5
	Conservative	Gawaine Towler	1,816	8.2	+0.3
	Independent Green Voice	Alistair McConnachie	1,300	5.9	New
Majority			3,289	14.9	-0.6
Turnout			22,080	39.4	-6.7
	Labour hold		Swing

Scottish Parliament Election 1999: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Pauline McNeill	12,711	44.8	N/A
	SNP	Sandra White	8,303	29.3	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Moira Craig	3,720	13.1	N/A
	Conservative	Assad Rasul	2,253	7.9	N/A
	Scottish Socialist	Heather Ritchie	1,375	7.8	N/A
Majority			4,408	15.5	N/A
Turnout			28,362	46.1	N/A
	Labour win (new seat)

Notes

1. "Glasgow Kelvin Statement of Persons Nominated, 2016". Glasgow City Council. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
2. "Glasgow Kelvin". Retrieved 6 May 2016.
3. Candidates Glasgow City Council

See also

• Politics of Glasgow