Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)
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.
Glasgow Govan | |
---|---|
Former burgh constituency for the House of Commons | |
Subdivisions of Scotland | Glasgow City |
Major settlements | Govan |
1885–2005 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | North Lanarkshire |
Replaced by | Glasgow Central Glasgow South Glasgow South West |
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
edit1885–1918: "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
editElections
editElections in the 1880s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Pearce | 3,677 | 51.0 | ||
Lib-Lab | Bennet Burleigh | 3,522 | 48.8 | ||
Independent Liberal | David George Hoey | 11 | 0.2 | ' | |
Majority | 155 | 2.2 | |||
Turnout | 7,210 | 80.1 | |||
Registered electors | 8,998 | ||||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Pearce | 3,574 | 52.7 | +1.7 | |
Liberal | Thomas Alexander Dickson[8] | 3,212 | 47.3 | −1.5 | |
Majority | 362 | 5.4 | +3.2 | ||
Turnout | 6,786 | 75.4 | −4.7 | ||
Registered electors | 8,998 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 |
Pearce's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Wilson | 4,420 | 56.9 | +9.6 | |
Liberal Unionist | John Pender | 3,349 | 43.1 | −9.6 | |
Majority | 1,071 | 13.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,769 | 84.1 | +8.7 | ||
Registered electors | 9,240 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.6 |
Elections in the 1890s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Wilson | 4,829 | 55.8 | +8.5 | |
Conservative | Nathaniel Spens | 3,829 | 44.2 | −8.5 | |
Majority | 1,000 | 11.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,658 | 77.6 | +2.2 | ||
Registered electors | 11,151 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Wilson | 4,290 | 49.0 | −6.8 | |
Liberal Unionist | George Ferguson | 4,029 | 46.1 | +1.9 | |
Ind. Labour Party | Alexander Haddow | 430 | 4.9 | New | |
Majority | 261 | 2.9 | −8.7 | ||
Turnout | 8,749 | 76.6 | −1.0 | ||
Registered electors | 11,416 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −4.4 |
Elections in the 1900s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Robert Hunter Craig | 5,744 | 50.7 | +1.7 | |
Conservative | Robert Duncan | 5,580 | 49.3 | +3.2 | |
Majority | 164 | 1.4 | −1.5 | ||
Turnout | 11,324 | 76.5 | −0.1 | ||
Registered electors | 14,807 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −0.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Duncan | 5,224 | 35.9 | −13.4 | |
Liberal | H. S. Murray | 5,096 | 35.1 | −15.6 | |
Labour Repr. Cmte. | John Hill | 4,212 | 29.0 | New | |
Majority | 128 | 0.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 14,532 | 82.9 | +6.4 | ||
Registered electors | 17,538 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.1 |
Elections in the 1910s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Hunter | 6,556 | 43.0 | +7.9 | |
Conservative | Robert Duncan | 5,127 | 33.7 | −2.2 | |
Labour | James Thomas Brownlie | 3,545 | 23.3 | −5.7 | |
Majority | 1,429 | 9.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 15,228 | 84.6 | +1.7 | ||
Registered electors | 17,994 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.1 |
Hunter is appointed Solicitor General for Scotland, prompting a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Hunter | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Hunter | 8,409 | 56.9 | +13.9 | |
Conservative | George Balfour | 6,369 | 43.1 | +9.4 | |
Majority | 2,040 | 13.8 | +4.5 | ||
Turnout | 14,778 | 79.9 | −4.7 | ||
Registered electors | 18,504 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +2.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Daniel Holmes | 7,508 | 53.5 | −3.4 | |
Conservative | George Balfour | 6,522 | 46.5 | +3.4 | |
Majority | 986 | 7.0 | −6.8 | ||
Turnout | 14,030 | 76.3 | −3.6 | ||
Registered electors | 18,395 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | -3.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Neil Maclean | 9,577 | 47.8 | New | |
C | Unionist | Alexander McClure | 8,762 | 43.8 | +0.7 |
Liberal | Daniel Holmes | 1,678 | 8.4 | −48.5 | |
Majority | 815 | 4.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 20,017 | 63.2 | −16.7 | ||
Registered electors | 31,652 | ||||
Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Neil Maclean | 15,441 | 62.3 | +14.5 | |
National Liberal | Helen Fraser | 9,336 | 37.7 | +29.3 | |
Majority | 6,105 | 24.6 | +20.6 | ||
Turnout | 24,777 | 81.1 | +17.9 | ||
Registered electors | 30,539 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | −7.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Neil Maclean | 13,987 | 66.3 | +4.0 | |
Liberal | Henry Anderson Watt | 7,095 | 33.7 | −4.0 | |
Majority | 6,892 | 32.6 | +8.0 | ||
Turnout | 21,082 | 68.5 | −12.6 | ||
Registered electors | 30,790 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Neil Maclean | 15,132 | 63.2 | −3.1 | |
Unionist | H. Stanley | 8,815 | 36.8 | New | |
Majority | 6,317 | 26.4 | −6.2 | ||
Turnout | 23,947 | 76.0 | +7.5 | ||
Registered electors | 31,497 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | −3.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ind. Labour Party | *Neil Maclean | 17,384 | 57.7 | −5.5 | |
Unionist | Douglas Douglas-Hamilton | 12,736 | 42.3 | +5.5 | |
Majority | 4,646 | 15.4 | −11.0 | ||
Turnout | 30,122 | 75.1 | −0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 40,103 | ||||
Ind. Labour Party gain from Labour | Swing | −5.5 |
- candidature not endorsed by Labour Party HQ
Elections in the 1930s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | *Neil Maclean | 15,047 | 51.0 | −6.7 | |
Unionist | Alexander McClure | 14,442 | 49.0 | +6.7 | |
Majority | 605 | 2.0 | −13.4 | ||
Turnout | 29,489 | 75.4 | +0.3 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
- Maclean had been expelled by the ILP but was endorsed by Labour Party HQ.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Neil Maclean | 15,791 | 51.0 | 0.0 | |
Unionist | Alexander McClure | 10,211 | 33.0 | −16.0 | |
Ind. Labour Party | Thomas Taylor | 4,959 | 16.0 | N/A | |
Majority | 5,580 | 18.0 | +16.0 | ||
Turnout | 30,961 | 74.7 | −0.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Election in the 1940s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Neil Maclean | 18,668 | 66.1 | +15.1 | |
Unionist | Jack Browne | 9,586 | 33.9 | +0.9 | |
Majority | 9,082 | 32.2 | +14.2 | ||
Turnout | 28,254 | 64.08 | −10.6 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Jack Browne | 19,267 | 46.6 | +12.7 | |
Labour | John Davis | 18,894 | 45.7 | −20.4 | |
Liberal | Ronnie Fraser | 1,628 | 3.9 | New | |
Communist | William Lauchlan | 1,547 | 3.8 | New | |
Majority | 373 | 0.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 41,336 | 84.0 | +19.9 | ||
Unionist gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Jack Browne | 20,936 | 50.3 | +3.7 | |
Labour | John Davis | 20,695 | 49.7 | +4.0 | |
Majority | 241 | 0.58 | −0.3 | ||
Turnout | 41,631 | 84.92 | +0.9 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 24,818 | 62.0 | +12.3 | |
Unionist | Alexander G Hutton | 15,216 | 38.0 | −12.3 | |
Majority | 9,602 | 23.98 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 40,034 | 71.82 | −13.1 | ||
Labour Co-op gain from Unionist | Swing |
- the boundaries of the seat were heavily redrawn and much of the 1950-55 version of Govan ended up in the new Craigton seat
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 23,139 | 60.4 | −1.6 | |
Unionist | Alexander G Hutton | 13,319 | 34.7 | −3.3 | |
Communist | Gordon McLennan | 1,869 | 4.9 | New | |
Majority | 9,820 | 25.62 | +1.6 | ||
Turnout | 38,327 | 75.03 | +3.2 | ||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 20,326 | 64.99 | ||
Unionist | Peter Breuer | 9,571 | 30.60 | ||
Communist | Gordon McLennan | 1,378 | 4.41 | ||
Majority | 10,755 | 34.39 | |||
Turnout | 31,275 | 70.25 | |||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 18,533 | 67.8 | +2.8 | |
Conservative | Peter Breuer | 7,677 | 28.1 | −2.5 | |
Communist | Gordon McLennan | 1,103 | 4.0 | −0.4 | |
Majority | 10,856 | 39.75 | +5.3 | ||
Turnout | 27,313 | 67.47 | −2.7 | ||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1970s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 13,443 | 60.1 | −7.7 | |
Conservative | Gerald F. Belton | 6,301 | 28.2 | +0.1 | |
SNP | Michael Grieve | 2,294 | 10.3 | New | |
Communist | Thomas Biggam | 326 | 1.5 | −2.5 | |
Majority | 7,142 | 31.9 | −7.8 | ||
Turnout | 22,364 | 63.2 | −4.3 | ||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Margo MacDonald | 6,360 | 41.5 | +31.2 | |
Labour | Harry Selby | 5,789 | 38.2 | −21.9 | |
Conservative | John Mair | 1,780 | 11.7 | −16.5 | |
Liberal | Peter McMillan | 1,239 | 8.2 | New | |
Majority | 571 | 3.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 15,168 | ||||
SNP gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | +26.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Harry Selby | 10,326 | 43.17 | ||
SNP | Margo MacDonald | 9,783 | 40.90 | ||
Conservative | John Mair | 3,049 | 12.75 | ||
Liberal | Peter McMillan | 763 | 3.19 | ||
Majority | 543 | 2.27 | |||
Turnout | 23,920 | 74.92 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Harry Selby | 11,392 | 49.5 | +6.3 | |
SNP | Margo MacDonald | 9,440 | 41.0 | +0.1 | |
Conservative | M Todd | 1,623 | 7.1 | −5.6 | |
Liberal | E Mason | 444 | 1.9 | −1.3 | |
National Front | M.A. Brooks | 86 | 0.4 | New | |
More Prosperous Britain | T Clyde | 27 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 1,952 | 8.48 | +6.2 | ||
Turnout | 23,011 | 71.7 | −3.2 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andy McMahon | 11,676 | 67.9 | +18.4 | |
Conservative | John Harrison Walker | 3,188 | 18.5 | +11.4 | |
SNP | Thomas Wilson | 2,340 | 13.6 | ―27.4 | |
Majority | 8,488 | 49.3 | +40.8 | ||
Turnout | 17,204 | 75.7 | +4.0 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1980s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Bruce Millan | 20,370 | 55.0 | ―12.9 | |
SDP | Ian McDonald | 7,313 | 19.7 | New | |
Conservative | Alastair MacKenzie | 7,180 | 19.4 | +0.9 | |
SNP | Peter M. Kindlen | 2,207 | 5.9 | ―7.7 | |
Majority | 13,057 | 35.3 | ―14.0 | ||
Turnout | 37, 070 | 71.6 | ―4.1 | ||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Bruce Millan | 24,071 | 64.8 | +9.8 | |
SDP | Alasdair Ferguson | 4,562 | 12.3 | ―7.4 | |
Conservative | Janet Girsman | 4,411 | 11.9 | ―7.5 | |
SNP | Felix McCabe | 3,851 | 10.4 | +4.5 | |
Communist | Douglas Chalmers | 237 | 0.6 | New | |
Majority | 19,509 | 52.5 | +17.2 | ||
Turnout | 37,132 | 73.4 | +1.8 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +8.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Jim Sillars | 14,677 | 48.8 | +38.4 | |
Labour | Robert Gillespie | 11,123 | 36.9 | ―27.9 | |
Conservative | Graeme Hamilton | 2,207 | 7.3 | ―4.6 | |
SLD | Bernard Ponsonby | 1,246 | 4.1 | ―8.2 | |
Green | George Campbell | 345 | 1.1 | New | |
Communist | Douglas Chalmers | 281 | 0.9 | +0.3 | |
Monster Raving Loony | Lord Sutch | 174 | 0.6 | New | |
Independent | Fraser Clark | 51 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 3,554 | 11.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 30,104 | 60.2 | ―13.2 | ||
SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +33.1 |
Elections in the 1990s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | Ian Davidson | 17,051 | 49.0 | ―15.8 | |
SNP | Jim Sillars | 12,926 | 37.1 | +26.7 | |
Conservative | James Donnelly | 3,458 | 9.9 | ―2.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Bob Stewart | 1,227 | 3.5 | ―8.8 | |
Scottish Green | David L. Spaven | 181 | 0.5 | N/A | |
Majority | 4,125 | 11.9 | ―40.6 | ||
Turnout | 34,843 | 75.9 | +2.5 | ||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Mohammad Sarwar | 14,216 | 44.1 | ―4.9 | |
SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | 11,302 | 35.1 | ―2.0 | |
Conservative | William Thomas | 2,839 | 8.8 | ―1.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Bob Stewart | 1,918 | 5.9 | +2.4 | |
Scottish Socialist | Alan McCombes | 755 | 2.3 | New | |
Independent | Peter Paton | 325 | 1.0 | New | |
Independent | Islam Badar | 319 | 1.0 | New | |
Independent | Zahid Abbasi | 221 | 0.7 | New | |
Referendum | Kenneth MacDonald | 201 | 0.6 | New | |
BNP | James White | 149 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 2,914 | 9.0 | −2.9 | ||
Turnout | 32,245 | 64.5 | −11.4 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ―3.2 |
Elections in the 2000s
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Mohammad Sarwar | 12,464 | 49.3 | +5.2 | |
SNP | Karen Neary | 6,064 | 24.0 | ―11.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Robert (Bob) Stewart | 2,815 | 11.1 | +5.2 | |
Conservative | Mark Menzies | 2,167 | 8.6 | ―0.2 | |
Scottish Socialist | Wullie McGartland | 1,531 | 6.1 | +3.8 | |
Communist | John Foster | 174 | 0.7 | New | |
Independent | Badar Mirza | 69 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,400 | 25.3 | +16.3 | ||
Turnout | 25,284 | 46.8 | ―17.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +8.2 |
References
edit- ^ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
- ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 23 July 2023
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Craigton, Glasgow Govan and Glasgow Gorbals) Order 1955. SI 1955/26". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2198–2201.
- ^ Neil Maclean was elected at the 1918 general election as a member of both the Independent Labour Party and the Labour Party. He was expelled from the ILP for deviancy from the party line in 1931.
- ^ "BBC Politics 97". BBC. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
- ^ a b c Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
- ^ "The General Election". Glasgow Herald. 16 June 1886. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 27 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
- ^ a b c British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
- ^ a b c d e British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918 by FWS Craig
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949
- ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
- ^ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1929
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1931
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1935
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1950
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1951
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1955
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1959
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1964
- ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1966
- ^ "UK General Election results: February 1974". Politicsresources.net. 28 February 1974. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ "UK General Election results: October 1974". Politicsresources.net. 10 October 1974. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.