Eastwood (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Electoral region

The other nine constituencies of the West Scotland region are: Cunninghame North, Cunninghame South, Clydebank and Milngavie, Dumbarton, Inverclyde, Paisley, Renfrewshire North and Cardonald, Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley, and Strathkelvin and Bearsden.

Constituency boundaries and council area

Eastwood is one of two constiuencies covering the council area of East Renfrewhire; it covers the majority of this council area. The westernmost part of East Renfrewshire, comprising the villages of Barrhead, Neilston and Uplawmoor in the valley of the Levern Water forms part of the Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley constituency, which predominantly covers parts of the Renfrewshire council area.

An Eastwood constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the existing Eastwood constituency of the UK Parliament. Ahead of the 2005 United Kingdom general election the House of Commons constituencies in Scotland were altered, whilst the exisiting Scottish Parliament constituencies were retained: the entirity of East Renfrewshire now forms the East Renfrewshire constituency for UK elections.

In boundary changes in time for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the constituency of Eastwood was redrawn. The 2011 boundaries were retained by the Second Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries in 2025. The electoral wards of East Renfrewshire Council used in the current creation of Eastwood are:

• In full:

  • Giffnock and Thornliebank
  • Clarkston, Netherlee and Williamwood
  • Newton Mearns South and Eaglesham

• In part:

  • Newton Mearns North and Neilston (shared with Renfrewshire South)

Constituency profile

The Eastwood constituency is a highly affluent, middle-class commuter seat located south-west of Glasgow. It covers a majority of the East Renfrewshire council area, based principally around the towns of Newton Mearns, Eaglesham, Giffnock, Thornliebank, Netherlee, Busby and Clarkston which adjoin the City of Glasgow. According to data derived from the Scottish Index for Multiple Deprivation 60% of the seat's datazones are among the 10% most affluent areas in Scotland, with a further 15% of the seat's datazones being among the 20% most affluent areas in Scotland.

Data from the 2011 Scottish Census suggests that the seat has a substantial number of home-owners residing in large bungalows in comparison to the national average, with large portion of the seat's working population being employed in managerial, administrative and professional occupations.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

The MSP for this constituency from its creation in 1999 was Ken Macintosh of Labour. In the 2016 election, Macintosh lost the seat, finishing third behind the Conservative victor Jackson Carlaw; however, he was returned as an additional MSP for the West Scotland region, following which he was elected as the Scottish Parliament's fifth Presiding Officer.

Election results

2020s

This was the smallest Conservative majority at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

2010s

2000s

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1990s

References

Citations

Bibliography

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References

1. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 25.
2. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 141.
3. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 29.
4. The region covers the whole of the council areas of [[East Dunbartonshire]], [[East Renfrewshire]], [[Inverclyde]], [[North Ayrshire]], [[Renfrewshire]], and [[West Dunbartonshire]]; and parts of the council areas of [[Argyll and Bute]], [[East Ayrshire]], and [[Glasgow]].Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 143.
5. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 140-143.
6. See [http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ ''The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland''] {{webarchive. link. (21 September 2007)
7. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 89-97.
8. Scottish Government. (11 July 2013). "Eastwood".
9. "Standard Outputs - Census Data Explorer - Scotland's Census - Log in".
10. (7 May 2025). "SNP announce candidates for 2026 Scottish Parliament elections".
11. (8 May 2021). "Scottish parliamentary elections 2021". East Renfrewshire Council.
12. "Scottish parliamentary elections 2016". East Renfrewshire Council.
13. (7 August 2019). "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission.
14. [http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/scotlandoffice/files/updatedversionJune08.xls Sub-constituency election results for the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections - data] {{Webarchive. link. (6 December 2010 - [[Scotland Office]]; 30 April 2008; retrieved 5 April 2011)