Glasgow North East

History

From the seat's creation until 2009, the constituency was represented by Michael Martin, previously MP for Glasgow Springburn from 1979. Martin was elected Speaker of the House of Commons in October 2000, but in May 2009 he announced that he would be resigning as Speaker on 21 June 2009 because of his perceived role in the MPs' expenses controversy. He was the first Speaker in 300 years to be forced out of office by a motion of no confidence. He also resigned as an MP the following day, resulting in a by-election on 12 November 2009, which was won by Willie Bain of the Labour Party with 59% of the vote.

Bain retained the seat the following year at the 2010 general election, but was defeated by Anne McLaughlin of the SNP in 2015. The seat was regained by Labour's candidate Paul Sweeney at the 2017 snap general election, only to be regained by McLaughlin at the 2019 general election.

Constituency profile

Glasgow North East is one of six constituencies covering the Glasgow City council area. All are entirely within the council area. The population of the constituency was 88,156 at the time of the 2011 UK Census. The 2005–2024 version of the seat comprises the communities of Ruchill, Hamiltonhill, Possilpark, Port Dundas, Sighthill, Lambhill, Colston, Milton, Springburn, Royston, Balornock, Barmulloch, Blackhill, Blochairn, Dennistoun, Germiston, Haghill, Carntyne, Robroyston, Provanmill, Riddrie, Hogganfield, Wallacewell, Millerston and Ruchazie.

Voting pattern

Glasgow North East and its predecessor constituencies had been represented by MPs from the Labour Party with large majorities for eighty years from the 1935 general election until the 2015 general election, when the seat was gained by the SNP during their landslide victory; which ended 51 years of dominance by Scottish Labour. The change at Glasgow North East was the largest swing recorded at the general election that year of 39.3% from Labour to SNP. At the following snap election, held just two years later, the seat was regained on a 12% swing by the Labour and Co-operative candidate Paul Sweeney with a narrow majority of 242 votes (0.7%). However, the SNP regained the seat with a marginal majority of 7% in 2019.

According to the British Election Study, it is the most left-wing seat in the country.

It had the lowest turnout of any constituency at the 2017 general election.

Boundaries

2005–2024

Prior to the 2005 general election, the city area was covered by ten constituencies, two of which straddled the boundaries of other council areas. The North East constituency includes most of the former Glasgow Springburn constituency and a small part of the former Glasgow Maryhill constituency.

The constituency partially overlaps with two Scottish Parliament seats: Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn and Glasgow Provan.

Under the Fifth Review of UK Parliament constituencies which came into effect for the 2005 general election, the boundaries were defined in accordance with the ward structure in place on 30 November 2004 as containing the Glasgow City Council wards of Milton, Ashfield, Keppochhill, Royston, Cowlairs, Springburn, Wallacewell, Milnbank, Dennistoun, Carntyne, Robroyston and Gartcraig. Further to reviews of local government ward boundaries which came into effect in 2007 and 2017, but did not affect the parliamentary boundaries, the constituency comprised the City of Glasgow Council wards or part wards of: Calton (small part), Canal (majority), Springburn/Robroyston, East Centre (minority), North East (minority), and Dennistoun.

2024–present

Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election the constituency boundaries were significantly re-drawn to take in areas of Glasgow East to the north of the main east-west railway, including the districts of Queenslie, Greenfield, Barlanark, Garthamlock and Easterhouse. To compensate, western areas, including Milton, Cowlairs and Port Dundas, were transferred to Glasgow North.

The constituency currently consists of the following wards or part wards of the City of Glasgow:

• A small part of Calton ward - comprising the strip between the main east-west railway and Duke Street;
• a small part of Anderston/City/Yorkhill ward around Townhead;
• a very small part of Canal ward;
• the whole of Springburn/Robroyston ward;
• the whole of East Centre ward;
• a small part of Baillieston ward - comprising the area between the main east-west railway and the M8;
• the whole of North East ward; and
• the whole of Dennistoun ward.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

This was the largest swing of any UK constituency in the 2015 election.

Elections in the 2000s

A by-election was held in November 2009, caused by the resignation of former Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin. Labour won fairly comfortably, compared to the surprising SNP win in the neighbouring constituency of Glasgow East in the previous year. The turnout was the lowest in Scottish history.

1 Michael Martin stood as 'the Speaker seeking re-election'. The Speaker is elected by the House of Commons after each General Election.

As is conventional, Michael Martin (a member of the Labour Party when first elected Speaker) stood as Speaker of the House of Commons in the general election of 2005. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats did not stand against him. Other parties did, including the Scottish National Party (the Constitution of which requires that the party fight every seat in Scotland).

The most notable feature of the result was the relatively large vote for Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party, in an area where it had very little base. This was considered to be a result of voter confusion (and not the first recorded example of its kind). A large number of traditional Labour Party voters may have voted for the Socialist Labour Party in the absence of a named Labour Party candidate on the ballot paper.

Notes

References

References

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21. Macwhirter, Iain. (7 May 2015). "Iain Macwhirter's Election Blog". The Herald.
22. "2010 election result, Glasgow North East". glasgow.gov.uk.
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25. Johnson, Simon. (13 November 2009). "Labour 'can win fourth general election after Glasgow North East'". The Telegraph.
26. link. (24 September 2015 31 Aug 2015)