East Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Constituency profile

The constituency covers the northern edge of Greater Glasgow, and includes commuter towns on the North Clyde and Croy railway corridors.

Since 1974, the constituency has had the unusual distinction of having been represented by all four of the main political parties in Scotland, typically with small majorities (under 10%) at each general election.

Boundaries

2005–2024

The existing constituency was created as a result of the Fifth Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, as one of two covering the East Dunbartonshire council area and one of five covering the East Dunbartonshire council area and the North Lanarkshire council area.

The East Dunbartonshire constituency is entirely within the East Dunbartonshire council area, and the rest of the council area is covered by the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency, which also covers part of the North Lanarkshire council area. The rest of the North Lanarkshire area is covered by the Airdrie and Shotts, Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, and Motherwell and Wishaw constituencies.

The East Dunbartonshire constituency replaced most of the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency and some of the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency and some of the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency.

The Fifth Periodical Review did not affect the boundaries of Scottish Parliament constituencies, which retain the boundaries of Westminster constituencies prior to implementation of the results of the review.

Historic

The historic constituency was created under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949, and first used in the 1950 general election.

As created in 1950, the constituency was one of two covering the county of Dunbarton. The other was West Dunbartonshire. The two new constituencies replaced the earlier constituencies of Dunbartonshire and Dumbarton Burghs.

East Dunbartonshire covered the Cumbernauld, Kirkintilloch, and New Kilpatrick districts of the county and the burghs of Clydebank, Kirkintilloch, and Milngavie.

For the 1951 general election the constituency boundaries were adjusted to take account of a change to the boundaries of the burgh of Clydebank.

The results of the First Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission were implemented for the 1955 general election, but there was no change to the boundaries of East Dunbartonshire, and the boundaries of 1951 and 1955 were used also in the general elections of 1959, 1964, 1966 and 1970.

The results of the Second Periodical Review were implemented for the February 1974 general election. The review took account of population growth in the county of Dunbarton, caused by overspill from the city of Glasgow into the new town of Cumbernauld and elsewhere, and East Dunbartonshire became one of three constituencies covering the county. East Dunbartonshire now covered the Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld districts of the county and the burghs of Bearsden, Cumbernauld, and Kirkintilloch, but it lost Clydebank and Milngavie to the new constituency of Central Dunbartonshire. These boundaries were used also for the general elections of October 1974 and 1979.

In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scottish counties were abolished in favour of regions and districts and islands council areas, and the county of Dunbarton was divided between several districts of the new region of Strathclyde. The Third Periodical Review took account of new local government boundaries, and the results were implemented for the 1983 general election.

Members of Parliament

Election results

File:East Dunbartonshire election history.png|East Dunbartonshire election history

Elections in the 2010s

This was the largest constituency turnout, and the smallest SNP majority, at the 2019 general election.

1 This was the highest turnout in the May 2015 general election.

Elections in the 2000s

The constituency of 1950 to 1983 has an unusual electoral history, in that in two consecutive general elections it was gained by the party in third place at the previous election. In October 1974 the SNP leapfrogged Labour to defeat the Conservatives, and in 1979 Labour leapfrogged the Conservatives to beat the SNP. Furthermore, the constituency went the opposite way to the nation in two consecutive changes of government. In February 1974, the Conservatives gained it from Labour, though losing nationally, while in 1979 Labour regained the seat from the SNP, though losing nationally. Apart from Ynys Môn in Wales, East Dunbartonshire is the only seat to have been represented by the three main parties and the nationalists.

Elections in the 1970s

The October 1974 result was particularly unusual since it produced both the smallest majority in the country at that election, and the closest three-way result since 1945.

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

References

References

1. "'Dunbartonshire East', Feb 1974 – May 1983". Cognitive Computing Limited.
2. [https://www.bcomm-scotland.independent.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023_review_final/bcs_2023_review_report_web_version.pdf Boundary Commission Scotland 2023 Review Report]
3. (5 June 2017). "Constituency profile: Lib Dems pin hopes on East Dunbartonshire".
4. "Fifth Periodical Review".
5. ''[[Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972]]'' ({{ISBN. 0-900178-09-4), [[F. W. S. Craig]], 1972
6. {{Rayment-hc. d. 4. (March 2012)
7. (8 November 2019). "UK Parliamentary General Election 2019".
8. "Dunbartonshire East parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". [[BBC News]].
9. (28 January 2020). "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis". [[House of Commons Library]].
10. (7 January 2020). "General Election 2019: Turnout". [[House of Commons Library]].
11. (22 April 2017). "SNP to meet over election candidate selection". [[BBC News]].
12. (29 January 2019). "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis". [[House of Commons Library]].
13. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
14. "East Dunbartonshire Council – UK Parliamentary Election – 7 May 2015 – Results".
15. "Turnout – General Elections Online".
16. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
17. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
18. Whitaker's Almanack, 1980
19. Whitaker's Almanack, 1977
20. Whitaker's Almanack, 1963