Rutherglen (Scottish Parliament constituency)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rutherglen | |
|---|---|
| Former burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament | |
.svg) | |
.svg) Rutherglen shown within the Glasgow electoral region and the region shown within Scotland | |
| Population | 77,568 (2019)[1] |
| Former constituency | |
| Created | 2011 |
| Abolished | 2026 |
| Council area | South Lanarkshire |
| Created from | Glasgow Rutherglen |
| Replaced by | Rutherglen and Cambuslang |
Rutherglen was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament covering part of the council area of South Lanarkshire. Under the additional-member system used for elections to the Scottish Parliament, the seat elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election, and was also one of nine constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region, which elected seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole. Originally called Glasgow Rutherglen, the boundaries were altered and the new constituency renamed simply Rutherglen ahead of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.
As a result of the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025, Rutherglen was replaced by a new Rutherglen and Cambuslang constituency ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. The new constituency covers the entire area of the former Rutherglen constituency, along with a very small portion of Uddingston and Bellshill.[2][3]
The seat was held by Clare Haughey of the Scottish National Party from the 2016 Scottish Parliament election until its abolition.
During the period the Rutherglen constituency was in existence, the other eight constituencies of the Glasgow region were: Glasgow Anniesland, Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Kelvin, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Provan, Glasgow Shettleston and Glasgow Southside.
In this period the region covered the Glasgow City council area and a north-western portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.[4]
Constituency boundaries and council areas
The boundaries of the seat were altered by the first periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries; the first election under these new boundaries was the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. The following electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council were used to define Rutherglen at this review:
- In full: Rutherglen South; Rutherglen Central and North; Cambuslang West; Cambuslang East
- In part: Blantyre (shared with Uddingston and Bellshill)
Constituency profile
The BBC provided the following profile of the Rutherglen constituency as part of its coverage of the 2016 election:[5]
Rutherglen was once a burgh - the oldest in Scotland - until local government reorganisation in 1975, and lies to the south east of Glasgow city centre. The name Rutherglen is said to come from Gaelic for "reddish glen" after the red clay found here. At its northern border it blends into Glasgow's suburbs, though the town has always striven to maintain a distinct identity from Glasgow, which it predates by 500 years. The seat includes not only Rutherglen itself but also the town of Cambuslang, Burnside and the housing scheme at Fernhill, as well as Blantyre, all of which lie within the local government control of South Lanarkshire. Steel and pottery have been major industries in the past, but both have been in decline. Janis Hughes won the seat for the Labour Party in the 1999 and 2003 elections. James Kelly then held the seat in 2007 and 2011.
— BBC News
Member of the Scottish Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | James Kelly | Labour | |
| 2016 | Clare Haughey | SNP | |
