Hamilton North and Bellshill (Scottish Parliament constituency)
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| Scottish Parliament constituency | |
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| Hamilton North and Bellshill shown within the Central Scotland electoral region |
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| Created: | 1999 |
| MSP: | Michael McMahon |
| Party: | Labour |
| Council area: | North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire |
Hamilton North and Bellshill is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, however, it is one of ten constituencies in the Central Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
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[edit] Electoral region
The other nine constituencies of the South of Scotland region are Airdrie and Shotts, Coatbridge and Chryston, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, East Kilbride, Falkirk East, Falkirk West, Hamilton South, Kilmarnock and Loudoun and Motherwell and Wishaw.
The region covers all of the Falkirk council area, all of the North Lanarkshire council area, part of the South Lanarkshire council area, part of the East Ayrshire council area and a small part of the East Dumbartonshire council area.
[edit] Constituency boundaries and council areas
The constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies[1].
The Holyrood constituency covers a western portion of the North Lanarkshire council area and a northern portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.
[edit] North Lanarkshire council area
The rest of the North Lanarkshire area is covered by Airdrie and Shotts, Coatbridge and Chryston, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and Motherwell and Wishaw, which are also within the Central Scotland electoral region. Coatbridge and Chryston straddles the North Lanarkshire boundary with the East Dunbartonshire council area, which is otherwise within the West of Scotland electoral region.
[edit] South Lanarkshire council area
The rest of the South Lanarkshire area is covered by another four constituencies: East Kilbride and Hamilton South, which are within the Central Scotland region, Glasgow Rutherglen, within the Glasgow region, and Clydesdale, within the South of Scotland region. Glasgow Rutherglen straddles the South Lanarkshire boundary with the Glasgow City council area, which is entirely within the Glasgow electoral region.
[edit] Member of the Scottish Parliament
The constituency is currently represented by Labour MSP Michael McMahon.
