Coatbridge, Chryston And Bellshill
It was created for the 2024 general election, covering most of the old Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency. A small area in the eastern side of Coatbridge lies within the Airdrie and Shotts constituency. Traditionally, the area served by the seat and its predecessors was the safest Labour area in Scotland.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to boundary changes which resulted in the loss of Chryston. As a consequence, it was renamed Coatbridge and Bellshill, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.
Boundaries
The constituency covers the west of the North Lanarkshire council area, and is predominantly urban. Coatbridge lies relatively central within the constituency, with the urban/rural mix to the north encompassing the villages of Glenboig, Moodiesburn and Gartcosh. Bellshill lies within the southern most part of the constituency.
Constituency profile
Electoral Calculus characterises the seat as 'Traditionalist', with left-wing economic views but more liberal social attitudes. The average age in the constituency is 47.6, which puts it just below the UK and Scottish averages. Employment in the constituency is at 64%, putting it broadly in line with the rest of Scotland and above the overall UK average of 58%. Home ownership in the constituency is below both the Scottish and UK averages, at 59%. Additionally, Electoral Calculus puts the ethnic demography of the constituency as 98% white, above both Scottish and UK averages.
The constituency consistently returned Labour MPs from 1935 until 2015 when the Scottish National Party gained the seat from Scottish Labour on an unprecedented 36% swing, unseating the incumbent Tom Clarke MP who had represented the constituency since the 1982 Coatbridge and Airdrie by-election. Since 2015, the seat has changed hands several times. Once back to Labour in 2017, with Hugh Gaffney unseating the Scottish National Party incumbent Phil Boswell. The seat then swung back to the SNP in 2019, with Steven Bonnar gaining the seat from Scottish Labour incumbent Hugh Gaffney. In 2024, the seat again swung back to Scottish Labour with Frank McNally gaining the seat from the SNP incumbent Steven Bonnar.
The constituency from 2005 to 2024 was formed by the following electoral divisions:
- In full: Gartcosh, Glenboig and Moodiesburn, Stepps, Chryston and Muirhead, Coatbridge North, Coatbridge South, Coatbridge West, Thorniewood.
- In part: Bellshill, Cumbernauld North, Mossend and Holytown.
After the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will lose Chryston to Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch.
Members of Parliament
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Tom Clarke | Labour | |
2015 | Phil Boswell | Scottish National Party | |
2017 | Hugh Gaffney | Labour | |
2019 | Steven Bonnar | Scottish National Party |
Coatbridge and Bellshill
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Frank McNally | Labour |
Election results
Elections in the 2020s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Frank McNally | 19,291 | 49.8 | +13.5 | |
SNP | Steven Bonnar | 12,947 | 33.4 | -13.9 | |
Reform UK | Fionna McRae | 2,601 | 6.7 | +6.7 | |
Conservative | Christina Sandhu | 1,382 | 3.6 | -8.3 | |
Scottish Green | Patrick McAleer | 1,229 | 3.2 | +1.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Emma Farthing | 671 | 1.7 | -1.3 | |
Scottish Family | Leo Lanahan | 429 | 1.1 | +1.1 | |
Communist | Drew Gilchrist | 181 | 0.5 | +0.5 | |
Majority | 6,344 | 16.38 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 38,731 | 53.3 | -13.0 | ||
Labour gain from SNP | Swing | +13.73 |
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Steven Bonnar | 22,680 | 47.0 | +7.9 | |
Labour | Hugh Gaffney | 17,056 | 35.4 | -7.2 | |
Conservative | Nathan Wilson | 6,113 | 12.7 | -3.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Stevens | 1,564 | 3.2 | +1.2 | |
Scottish Green | Patrick McAleer | 808 | 1.7 | New | |
Majority | 5,624 | 11.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 48,221 | 66.3 | +3.0 | ||
SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +7.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Gaffney | 19,193 | 42.6 | +8.7 | |
SNP | Phil Boswell | 17,607 | 39.1 | -17.5 | |
Conservative | Robyn Halbert | 7,318 | 16.2 | +9.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Bennie | 922 | 2.0 | +0.9 | |
Majority | 1,586 | 3.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 45,040 | 63.3 | -5.3 | ||
Labour gain from SNP | Swing | +13.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Phil Boswell | 28,696 | 56.6 | +39.7 | |
Labour | Tom Clarke | 17,195 | 33.9 | -32.7 | |
Conservative | Mhairi Fraser | 3,209 | 6.3 | -1.8 | |
UKIP | Scott Cairns | 1,049 | 2.1 | New | |
Liberal Democrats | Robert Simpson | 549 | 1.1 | -7.4 | |
Majority | 11,501 | 22.7 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 50,698 | 68.6 | +9.2 | ||
SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +36.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Tom Clarke | 27,728 | 66.6 | +2.1 | |
SNP | Frances M. McGlinchey | 7,014 | 16.9 | +3.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Kenneth C. Elder | 3,519 | 8.5 | −3.5 | |
Conservative | Fiona Houston | 3,374 | 8.1 | +0.9 | |
Majority | 20,714 | 49.7 | −1.2 | ||
Turnout | 41,635 | 59.4 | +2.5 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −0.6 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Tom Clarke | 24,725 | 64.5 | −4.8 | |
SNP | Duncan Ross | 5,206 | 13.6 | −1.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Rodney Ackland | 4,605 | 12.0 | +6.4 | |
Conservative | Lindsay S. Paterson | 2,775 | 7.2 | +2.2 | |
Scottish Socialist | Joan Kinloch | 1,033 | 2.7 | −2.4 | |
Majority | 19,519 | 50.9 | -3.6 | ||
Turnout | 38,344 | 56.9 | −3.0 | ||
Labour win (new seat) |