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.
| Glasgow Kelvin | |
|---|---|
| burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament | |
.svg.png) | |
.svg.png) 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
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:
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.
| 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 | ||||
| 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
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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
- "Glasgow Kelvin Statement of Persons Nominated, 2016". Glasgow City Council. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- "Glasgow Kelvin". Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- Candidates Glasgow City Council