Glasgow East (UK Parliament Constituency)
History
Glasgow East is entirely within the Glasgow City Council area, taking in the areas of: Baillieston, Carmyle, Parkhead, Shettleston and Tollcross. It formerly included Easterhouse and Gartloch.
It was once one of the safest seats for the Labour Party, the areas included in the constituency having returned solely Labour MPs since the 1930s. However, it achieved national prominence when a by-election in 2008 saw the Scottish National Party overturn a majority of over 13,000 votes to gain the seat. Since then, it has been tightly fought by Labour and the SNP.
During the 2015 general election there was a nationwide surge of support for the SNP, as pro-independence voters rallied to support the party in unprecedented numbers. After votes were counted The Guardian reported: "The SNP swept aside once-unassailable majorities for Labour with swings as high as 35%, as voters threw out Jim Murphy, the Scottish Labour leader, its former deputy leader, Anas Sarwar, and Margaret Curran, the shadow Scottish secretary [in Glasgow East]."
At the 2016 EU referendum, the House of Commons Library estimates that 53% of local voters opted for Britain to Remain a member of the EU, while 47% voted to leave.
The 2017 general election result in the constituency was that election's tenth-closest result, with the SNP holding the seat by a margin of 75 votes. Amid a nationwide backlash against Nicola Sturgeon's plans for a second independence referendum, the SNP's share of the vote dropped by 18%, the Conservative vote nearly trebled and Labour picked up votes from left-wing voters excited by Jeremy Corbyn and the British Labour Party's socialist platform.
In 2019, Linden was re-elected with an increased majority of 5,566 votes, making the seat a comfortable SNP majority.
Boundaries
Glasgow East is one of six constituencies covering the Glasgow City council area.
Prior to the 2005 general election, the city area was covered by ten constituencies, of which two straddled boundaries with other council areas. The Glasgow East constituency includes the area of the former Glasgow Baillieston constituency and parts of the former Glasgow Shettleston constituency. Scottish Parliament constituencies retain the names and boundaries of the older Westminster constituencies.
At the 2024 general election the constituency has been significantly re-drawn, to take in significant areas south of the River Clyde, in Gorbals and Govanhill.
It currently consists of the following electoral wards of the City of Glasgow:
- Southside Central (part), Calton, Anderston/City/Yorkhill (part), Shettleston, and Baillieston (part).
Constituency profile
Glasgow Baillieston had always been represented by MPs from the Labour Party until 2008, as was the predecessor Glasgow Provan constituency from its creation in 1955. Glasgow Shettleston was won by the Labour Party at every general election from 1950 onwards (in 1945 it was won by the Independent Labour Party). In 2008, the SNP succeeded in winning the seat from Labour in a by-election on a very large swing. Prior to the by-election, it had been one of the safest Labour seats in the UK. At the 2010 general election, the seat was regained for Labour by Margaret Curran from John Mason of the SNP; with a large majority of more than 11,000 votes.
It is one of the most deprived constituencies in the UK. In 2008, nearly 40% of adults smoke (UK average at the time was 19.2%), and on average there were 25 drug-related deaths a year. Average male life expectancy is 68, five years less than the Scottish average, while in the Shettleston area it is 63. A 2008 World Health Organization report gave the average male life expectancy in Calton as 54, which is lower than it was before the Second World War.
2008 by-election
On 28 June 2008, the sitting MP David Marshall announced he would step down because of a stress-related illness; he was appointed Steward of the Manor of Northstead on 30 June 2008, thus effectively resigning from the House of Commons. Although the seat represented Labour's third-largest majority in Scotland, it faced a strong challenge from the Scottish National Party, hot on the heels of Labour's disastrous performance at the 2008 Henley by-election. Nominations for candidates closed at 4pm on 9 July, and the election took place on 24 July.
On 25 July 2008, and after a recount, the SNP candidate John Mason won the seat with a narrow majority of 365 votes over the Labour Party candidate, Margaret Curran.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | David Marshall | Labour | |
| 2008 by-election | John Mason | SNP | |
| 2010 | Margaret Curran | Labour | |
| 2015 | Natalie McGarry | SNP | |
| 2015 | Independent | ||
| 2017 | David Linden | SNP | |
| 2024 | John Grady | Labour | |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | John Grady | 15,543 | 43.8 | +10.4 | |
| SNP | David Linden | 11,759 | 33.2 | −15.5 | |
| Scottish Green | Amy Kettyles | 2,727 | 7.7 | +6.3 | |
| Reform UK | Donnie McLeod | 2,371 | 6.7 | +6.6 | |
| Conservative | Thomas Kerr | 1,707 | 4.8 | −7.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Matthew Clark | 872 | 2.5 | −1.6 | |
| Scottish Socialist | Liam McLaughlan | 466 | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 3,784 | 10.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 35,445 | 51.4 | −7.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 68,988 | ||||
| Labour gain from SNP | Swing | +13.0 | |||
Elections in the 2010s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | David Linden | 18,357 | 47.7 | +8.9 | |
| Labour | Kate Watson | 12,791 | 33.2 | −5.4 | |
| Conservative | Thomas Kerr | 5,709 | 14.8 | −4.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | James Harrison | 1,626 | 4.2 | +2.6 | |
| Majority | 5,566 | 14.5 | +14.3 | ||
| Turnout | 38,483 | 57.1 | +2.5 | ||
| SNP hold | Swing | +7.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | David Linden | 14,024 | 38.8 | −18.1 | |
| Labour | Kate Watson | 13,949 | 38.6 | +6.2 | |
| Conservative | Thomas Kerr | 6,816 | 18.8 | +12.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Matthew Clark | 567 | 1.6 | +0.9 | |
| UKIP | John Ferguson | 502 | 1.4 | −1.2 | |
| Independent | Karin Finegan | 158 | 0.4 | New | |
| SDP | Steven Marshall | 148 | 0.4 | New | |
| Majority | 75 | 0.2 | −24.3 | ||
| Turnout | 36,175 | 54.6 | −5.7 | ||
| SNP hold | Swing | -12.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | Natalie McGarry | 24,116 | 56.9 | +32.2 | |
| Labour | Margaret Curran | 13,729 | 32.4 | −29.2 | |
| Conservative | Andrew Morrison | 2,544 | 6.0 | +1.5 | |
| UKIP | Arthur Thackeray | 1,105 | 2.6 | +2.0 | |
| Scottish Green | Kim Long | 381 | 0.9 | New | |
| Liberal Democrats | Gary McLelland | 318 | 0.7 | −4.3 | |
| Scottish Socialist | Liam McLaughlan | 224 | 0.5 | −0.9 | |
| Majority | 10,387 | 24.5 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 42,417 | 60.3 | +8.3 | ||
| SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +30.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Margaret Curran | 19,797 | 61.6 | +0.9 | |
| SNP | John Mason | 7,957 | 24.7 | +7.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Kevin Ward | 1,617 | 5.0 | −6.8 | |
| Conservative | Hamira Khan | 1,453 | 4.5 | −2.4 | |
| BNP | Joe T Finnie | 677 | 2.1 | New | |
| Scottish Socialist | Frances Curran | 454 | 1.4 | −2.1 | |
| UKIP | Arthur Thackeray | 209 | 0.6 | New | |
| Majority | 11,840 | 36.9 | −6.8 | ||
| Turnout | 32,164 | 52.0 | +3.8 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +18.5 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | John Mason | 11,277 | 43.1 | +26.1 | |
| Labour | Margaret Curran | 10,912 | 41.7 | −19.0 | |
| Conservative | Davena Rankin | 1,639 | 6.3 | −0.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ian Robertson | 915 | 3.5 | −8.3 | |
| Scottish Socialist | Frances Curran | 555 | 2.1 | −1.4 | |
| Solidarity | Tricia McLeish | 512 | 2.0 | New | |
| Scottish Green | Eileen Duke | 232 | 0.9 | New | |
| Independent | Chris Creighton | 67 | 0.3 | New | |
| Freedom-4-Choice | Hamish Howitt | 65 | 0.2 | New | |
| Majority | 365 | 1.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 26,219 | 42.25 | −5.95 | ||
| SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +22.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | David Marshall | 18,775 | 60.7 | −3.0 | |
| SNP | Lachlan McNeill | 5,268 | 17.0 | −0.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | David Jackson | 3,665 | 11.8 | +6.0 | |
| Conservative | Carl Thomson | 2,135 | 6.9 | +0.8 | |
| Scottish Socialist | George Savage | 1,096 | 3.5 | −3.4 | |
| Majority | 13,507 | 43.7 | −2.9 | ||
| Turnout | 30,939 | 48.2 | |||
| Labour win (new seat) | |||||
See also
References
- ^ Carrell, Severin; Brooks, Libby; MacAskill, Ewen; McVeigh, Karen (8 May 2015). "SNP avalanche sweeps aside Douglas Alexander and Jim Murphy". The Guardian.
- ^ Dempsey, Noel (6 February 2017). "Brexit: votes by constituency" – via commonslibrary.parliament.uk.
- ^ "General election 2017: Sturgeon says Indyref2 'a factor' in SNP losses". 9 June 2017 – via www.bbc.com.
- ^ MacAskill, Ewen (23 August 2017). "'Labour is coming back in Scotland': party predicts revival as Corbyn heads north". The Guardian.
- ^ Library, House of Commons (23 June 2017). "GE2017: Marginal seats and turnout".
- ^ "Fifth Periodical Report, Boundary Commission for Scotland". Archived from the original on 21 September 2007.
- ^ "New Seat Details – Glasgow East". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ McSmith, Andy (12 June 2008). "Struggle for survival in Labour heartland". The Independent. London. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ Johnson, Simon (2 July 2008). "Glasgow as bad as the Gaza Strip, says SNP leader". London: The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
- ^ "Social factors key to ill health". BBC News. 28 August 2008.
- ^ "Manor of Northstead". hm-treasury.gov.uk. 2008. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
- ^ "Gordon Brown faces by-election test as veteran Scots MP David Marshal quits over illness". The Daily Record. 28 June 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
- ^ "Notice of By-election for the UK Parliament". Retrieved 12 July 2008.
- ^ BBC Scotland election coverage, Friday 25 July 2008
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 1)
- ^ "Westminster Elections 2024 – Glasgow East". Glasgow City Council. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Glasgow East results". BBC News. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll".
- ^ "Glasgow East parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ Glasgow Young Scot, 20 Trongate (11 May 2017). "General Election 2017 – Glasgow candidates announced". Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Glasgow East parliamentary constituency – Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ election result25Aug15 Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Glasgow East: Constituency". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ Press Association (2 July 2008). "By-election candidates selected". Deeside Piper and Herald. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ "In full: Glasgow East candidates". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ "Freedom-4-Choice party registration". Register of political parties. Electoral Commission. 6 September 2006. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Glasgow East". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ "Election 2005 Result: Glasgow East". BBC. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
This reference gives all recent Glasgow City Westminster election results. You select the year and then the constituency to view the result.
External links
- Scottish Election Results 1997 – present
- Glasgow East UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2005 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
- Glasgow East UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK
