Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency) explained

Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency) should not be confused with Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency).

Glasgow Govan
Parliament:uk
Year:1885
Abolished:2005
Type:Burgh
Elects Howmany:One
Region:Scotland
Towns:Govan

Glasgow Govan was a parliamentary constituency in the Govan district of Glasgow. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for 120 years; from 1885 until 2005, returning one Member of Parliament (MP) elected by the first-past-the-post system.

It was a Conservative-Liberal marginal seat for the first three decades of its existence, before breaking this trend when the Labour Party won the seat in 1918. It remained a Labour-controlled seat for the next fifty-five years, except for a five-year Conservative interlude between 1950 and 1955, until being seized by the Scottish National Party at a by-election in 1973, only to be regained by Labour the following year. The SNP regained the seat at a 1988 by-election, only to lose it again to Labour in 1992. It remained under Labour control until its abolition thirteen years later.

The area which the constituency represented is now covered by Glasgow Central, Glasgow South and Glasgow South West.

Boundaries

1885–1918: "That part of the parish of Govan which lies south of the Clyde beyond the boundary of the Municipal Burgh of Glasgow".[1]

1918–1950: "That portion of the city which is bounded by a line commencing at a point on the municipal boundary at the centre of the River Clyde in line with the continuation of the centre line of Balmoral Street, thence eastward along the centre line of the River Clyde to a point in line with the continuation of the centre line of the portion of Govan Road to the west of Princes Dock, thence southward to and along the centre line of the said portion of Govan Road, Whitefield Road, Church Road and continuation thereof to the centre, of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, thence westward along the centre line of the said Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway to the municipal boundary, thence north-westward, northward, and eastward along the municipal boundary to the point of commencement."

1950–1955: The Craigton and Fairfield wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of the Govan ward.[2]

1955–1974: The Govan and Kinning Park wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of the Fairfield and Kingston wards.[3]

1974–1983: The Glasgow wards of Fairfield, Govan, Kingston, and Kinning Park.

1983–1997: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Drumoyne/Govan, Mosspark/Bellahouston, and Penilee/Cardonald.

1997–2005: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Govan/Drumoyne, Kingston/Pollokshields, and Langside/Shawlands.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1885Sir William PearceConservative
1889 by-electionJohn WilsonLiberal
1900Robert Hunter CraigLiberal
1906Robert DuncanUnionist
1910William HunterLiberal
1911 by-electionDaniel HolmesLiberal
1918Neil MacleanLabour and Independent Labour Party
1931[4] Labour
1950Jack BrowneUnionist
1955John RankinLabour Co-operative
1973 by-electionMargo MacDonaldSNP
Feb 1974Harry SelbyLabour
1979Andy McMahonLabour
1983Bruce MillanLabour
1988 by-electionJim SillarsSNP
1992Ian DavidsonLabour Co-operative
1997Mohammad SarwarLabour
1997Independent[5]
1999Labour
2005constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

Pearce's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1910s

Hunter is appointed Solicitor General for Scotland, prompting a by-election.

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 2000s

Notes and References

  1. Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
  2. act . 1948 . 65 . Representation of the People Act 1948 . 1 . 23 July 2023 .
  3. Book: . 1956 . Statutory Instruments 1955 . Part II . The Parliamentary Constituencies (Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Craigton, Glasgow Govan and Glasgow Gorbals) Order 1955. SI 1955/26 . London . . 2198–2201 .
  4. [Neil Maclean (politician)|Neil Maclean]
  5. Web site: BBC Politics 97 . BBC . 2017-03-31.