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Rutherglen and Hamilton West (UK Parliament constituency)

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Rutherglen and Hamilton West was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which was created for the 2005 general election. It covered almost all of the former constituency of Glasgow Rutherglen and most of the former constituency of Hamilton South, and it elected one member of parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system.

Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Former burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Rutherglen and Hamilton West in Scotland
Subdivisions of ScotlandSouth Lanarkshire
Major settlementsBlantyre, Burnbank, Burnside, Cambuslang, Hillhouse, Newton, Rutherglen
2005–2024
Created fromGlasgow Rutherglen and Hamilton South
Replaced byRutherglen

Margaret Ferrier won the seat at the 2019 snap general election for the Scottish National Party; she had previously held the seat from 2015 to 2017. Ferrier had the SNP whip withdrawn on 1 October 2020 after a breach of COVID-19 pandemic regulations, and sat as an independent from that date onward.[1]

In June 2023, Ferrier was handed a 30-day suspension from the Commons for her actions, triggering a recall petition which ran until 31 July 2023.[2] On 1 August, South Lanarkshire Council confirmed the recall petition had been successful, as more than 10% of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West electorate had signed. As a result, Ferrier lost her seat and the seat immediately became vacant. A by-election was held on 5 October to elect a new Member of Parliament, won by Labour's Michael Shanks.[3]

Historically a safe Labour seat, in 2015 it was gained by the Scottish National Party, when they won a record 56 of the 59 Scottish seats in the House of Commons; ending 51 years of Labour Party dominance at UK general elections in Scotland. Two years later, at the 2017 general election, the seat was taken back by Labour by just 265 votes. Coincidentally in the neighbouring Lanark and Hamilton East, sitting MP Angela Crawley held her seat by just 266 votes.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. Subject to boundary changes entailing the loss of "Hamilton West" (assigned to a new Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency), it reverted to the name of Rutherglen, and was first contested at the 2024 general election.[4]

Boundaries

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Map of boundaries 2005-2024

The Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency covered part of the South Lanarkshire council area. The rest of the council area was covered by the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow and Lanark and Hamilton East constituencies. The Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale constituency also covered part of the Dumfries and Galloway council area and part of the Scottish Borders council area.

The terms of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West name refer to the town of Rutherglen and the west of the town of Hamilton.[5]

The constituency was composed of the electoral wards:

Constituency profile

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Rutherglen and Hamilton West was an urban seat in Greater Glasgow. It contained commuter areas into the city of Glasgow, with train travel times as short as 15 minutes from the city centre.

The seat can be understood as socially divided, and it contains many areas of high deprivation, particularly on the outskirts of Rutherglen, eastern Cambuslang, Blantyre and western Hamilton; however, parts of central Rutherglen, western Cambuslang and the Earnock area of Hamilton have markedly lower rates of deprivation.[6][7][8][9]

The seat itself voted approximately 62% in favour of remaining within the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum[10] and voters in the constituency voted approximately 50% No, 50% Yes in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.[11] Historically dominated by Labour, Margaret Ferrier of the SNP gained the seat for the party for the first time in 2015, lost the seat to Labour in 2017, before regaining it in 2019 with an increased majority. The seat was regarded as an important battleground constituency between Labour and the SNP, having changed hands three times in the past 10 years.[12]

At the 2022 South Lanarkshire Council election, Low Blantyre and the Bankhead and Fernhill areas of Rutherglen voted Labour, while the Burnside area of Rutherglen voted Liberal Democrat, and the rest of the constituency voted SNP.[13]

Overall, the town of Rutherglen was the SNP's poorest performing area, Blantyre was Labour and the SNP's best performing area, and Cambuslang and Hamilton sat close to the constituency average.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member Party
2005 Tommy McAvoy[14] Labour Co-op
2010 Tom Greatrex
2015 Margaret Ferrier SNP
2017 Gerard Killen Labour Co-op
2019 Margaret Ferrier SNP
2020 Independent[1]
2023 by-election Michael Shanks Labour Co-op

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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2023 Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Michael Shanks 17,845 58.6 24.1
SNP Katy Loudon 8,399 27.6 –16.6
Conservative Thomas Kerr 1,192 3.9 –11.1
Liberal Democrats Gloria Adebo 895 2.9 –2.3
Scottish Green Cameron Eadie 601 2.0 New
Reform UK David Stark 403 1.3 New
Scottish Family Niall Fraser 319 1.0 New
Scottish Socialist Bill Bonnar 271 0.9 New
ISP Colette Walker 207 0.7 New
TUSC Christopher Sermanni 178 0.6 New
Independent Andrew Daly 81 0.3 New
Volt Ewan Hoyle 46 0.2 New
No description Prince Ankit Love, Emperor of India 34 0.1 New
No description Garry Cooke 6 0.0 New
Majority 9,446 31.0 N/A
Turnout 30,477 37.2 –29.3
Labour Co-op gain from SNP Swing 20.4

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Rutherglen and Hamilton West[17][18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Margaret Ferrier 23,775 44.2 7.2
Labour Co-op Ged Killen 18,545 34.5 –3.0
Conservative Lynne Nailon 8,054 15.0 –4.5
Liberal Democrats Mark McGeever 2,791 5.2 1.0
UKIP Janice MacKay 629 1.2 0.3
Majority 5,230 9.7 N/A
Turnout 53,794 66.5 3.0
SNP gain from Labour Co-op Swing 5.1
General election 2017: Rutherglen and Hamilton West[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Ged Killen 19,101 37.5 2.3
SNP Margaret Ferrier 18,836 37.0 –15.6
Conservative Ann Le Blond 9,941 19.5 11.9
Liberal Democrats Robert Brown 2,158 4.2 2.4
UKIP Caroline Santos 465 0.9 –1.4
Independent Andy Dixon 371 0.7 New
Majority 265 0.5 N/A
Turnout 50,872 63.5 –5.1
Labour Co-op gain from SNP Swing 8.9
General election 2015: Rutherglen and Hamilton West[21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Margaret Ferrier 30,279 52.6 36.5
Labour Co-op Tom Greatrex 20,304 35.2 –25.6
Conservative Taylor Muir 4,350 7.6 –2.1
UKIP Janice Mackay[23] 1,301 2.3 0.9
Liberal Democrats Tony Hughes 1,045 1.8 –10.2
CISTA Yvonne Maclean 336 0.6 New
Majority 9,975 17.4 N/A
Turnout 57,615 69.6 8.1
SNP gain from Labour Co-op Swing 31.1
General election 2010: Rutherglen and Hamilton West[24][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Tom Greatrex 28,566 60.8 5.2
SNP Graeme Horne 7,564 16.1 2.2
Liberal Democrats Ian Robertson 5,636 12.0 –6.4
Conservative Malcolm Macaskill 4,540 9.7 1.3
UKIP Janice Murdoch 675 1.4 0.3
Majority 21,002 44.7 7.5
Turnout 46,981 61.5 3.0
Labour Co-op hold Swing 1.5

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Tommy McAvoy 24,054 55.6 –4.1
Liberal Democrats Ian Robertson 7,942 18.4 6.7
SNP Margaret Park 6,023 13.9 –1.3
Conservative Peter Crerar 3,621 8.4 –0.2
Scottish Socialist Bill Bonnar 1,164 2.7 –1.9
UKIP Janice Murdoch 457 1.1 0.9
Majority 16,112 37.2
Turnout 43,261 58.5
Labour Co-op win (new seat)

References

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Specific
  1. ^ a b "MP Margaret Ferrier's Covid Parliament trip 'indefensible'". BBC News. 1 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Scotland's first recall petition published with details of where to sign". HeraldScotland. 9 June 2023. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Margaret Ferrier: Covid breach MP loses seat after recall petition". BBC. 1 August 2023. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Boundary Commission Scotland 2023 Review Report" (PDF). Boundary Commission Scotland. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  5. ^ "UK Parliament constituencies 2005 onwards: Rutherglen and Hamilton West" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Scotland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  6. ^ "SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation)". Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  7. ^ Rutherglen and Cambuslang communities at top of list of most deprived areas in Scotland Archived 1 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Edel Kenealy, Daily Record, 8 September 2016
  8. ^ Shock stats show Rutherglen has more unemployment, highest rate of alcohol and drug admissions and more social work referrals than anywhere else in South Lanarkshire Archived 1 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Record, 19 December 2018
  9. ^ Rutherglen and Cambuslang areas among Scotland's poorest, according to Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation stats Archived 1 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Record, 12 February 2020
  10. ^ "Revised estimates of leave vote in Westminster constituencies". Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  11. ^ Council, South Lanarkshire. "South Lanarkshire Council area breakdown Elections – South Lanarkshire Council". Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Scotland 'key battleground' for Labour at next UK general election, Scottish Fabians report finds". Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  13. ^ "South Lanarkshire Council 2022". 14 April 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  14. ^ From a pawnbrokers to Parliament - Tommy McAvoy looks back on a career that took him to the House of Lords Archived 1 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Marc McLean, Daily Record, 11 September 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Rutherglen and Hamilton West By-election - Thursday 5 October 2023". South Lanarkshire Council. 12 September 2023. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  16. ^ Meighan, Craig (6 October 2023). "Scottish Labour wins key Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election". STV News. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  17. ^ "UK Parliamentary general election - Thursday 12 December 2019". South Lanarkshire Council. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Rutherglen & Hamilton West parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ "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.
  21. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  22. ^ Council, South Lanarkshire. "UK Parliamentary General Election Results South Lanarkshire Council 2015 Elections - South Lanarkshire Council". www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  23. ^ "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  24. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  25. ^ http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/downloads/download/631/uk_parliamentary_election_results_2010 [dead link‍]
General
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55°49′12″N 4°10′30″W / 55.820°N 4.175°W / 55.820; -4.175

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