Politics of Glasgow
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| Glasgow City Shown as one of the council areas of Scotland |
Politics in Glasgow, Scotland, are evident in the deliberations and decisions of the city council of Glasgow (Glaschu in Gaelic), in elections to the council, and in elections to the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) and the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster).
In the European Parliament, the city area is within the Scotland constituency, which covers all of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
Glasgow City became a unitary council area in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994,[1] with boundaries somewhat different from those of the City of Glasgow district of the Strathclyde region: a Rutherglen and Fernhill area, a Cambuslang and Halfway area, and part of a King's Park and Toryglen area, were transferred from the city area to the new South Lanarkshire council area.
The district had been created in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to include: the former county of city of Glasgow and a number of areas previously within county of Lanark: a Bankhead area, Cambuslang areas (Central and North, and South lying outwith the East Kilbride New Town), a Hallside area, a Rutherglen area (including the burgh of Rutherglen), part of a Carmunnock area (that lying outwith the East Kilbride New Town), and Baillieston, Garrowhill, Mount Vernon and Carmyle, and Springboig areas.
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[edit] City Council
 The Logo of Glasgow City Council |
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| Council area | Glasgow City |
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| Control | Labour |
| Official Website | www.glasgow.gov.uk |
[edit] History
The early city was run by the old Glasgow Town Council. In 1895, the Town Council formally became The Corporation of the City of Glasgow (Glasgow Corporation or City Corporation). It retained this title until local government re-organisation in 1975, when it became Glasgow City Council. The latter name has survived re-organisation in 1996, although the new council area was called, initially, prior to full implementation of legislation, the City of Glasgow.
The title Lord Provost of Glasgow, used now for the civic leader of the city council, has history dating from the 15th century.
Glasgow Corporation Transport, was under the control of the Glasgow Corporation, and ran the local buses and Glasgow Trams, until creation of the Strathclyde region in 1975.
During the period of two tier local government, 1975 to 1996, the city council was responsible for refuse collection, museums, libraries and housing, while the regional council had responsibilites for policing, fire service, water, education, social work and transport.
The city council established in 1996 is a unitary authority, with powers and reponsibilites previously divided between councils of the Glasgow City district and the Strathclyde region.
The unitary council area borders onto the Renfrewshire council area, the West Dunbartonshire council area, the East Dunbartonshire council area, the North Lanarkshire council, the South Lanarkshire council area and the East Renfrewshire council area.
[edit] Council structure
The council has both a Leader of the Council who is head of the Executive Branch, at present Councillor Steven Purcell, elected by the controlling group,(currently the Labour Party), and a civic leader, who is Speaker of the council, called the Lord Provost.
[edit] Elections
The council consists of councillors elected from subdivisions of the city area called wards. At present 79 councillors are elected form 79 single-member wards by the plurality (first past the post) system of election. As a result, 69 of the 79 councillors represent the Labour Party although that party gained only around half the votes cast in the last general election to the council, and the Scottish National Party is represented by just four councillors despite gaining some 20% of the votes. There are also three Liberal Democrat councillors, one Conservative councillor, one Scottish Socialist Party councillor and one independent councillor.
General elections to the council are held on a four year cycle, and the next is due in 2007, with polling on Thursday 5 May.
As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004,[2] new wards are to be introduced for the 2007 election, each electing three or four members by the single transferable vote system of election, to produce a form of proportional representation.
[edit] Wards
Existing wards were first used in the general election to the council in 1999:
| Ward | Ward | Ward |
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[edit] Scottish Parliament
The Glasgow electoral region of the Scottish Parliament covers Glasgow City, a Rutherglen area of South Lanarkshire and a small eastern area of Renfrewshire. It includes ten constituencies, each electing one of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituency members. Also, the region elects seven of the parliament's 56 additional members. The system of election is designed to produce a form of proportional representation, and both kinds of member are known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).
Until the United Kingdom general election, 2005, the first past the post seats were the same for the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) as for the United Kingdom Parliament (Westminster) (apart from Orkney and Shetland, which formed separate constituencies at Holyrood, but not Westminster). In 2005 the number of Westminster Members of Parliament (MPs) was cut to 59, with new constituencies being formed, while the existing number of constituencies and MSPs was retained for Holyrood.
[edit] First past the post constituencies
The ten Scottish Parliament constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region, and current MSPs, are:-
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[edit] Additional members
The current additional member MSPs are:
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[edit] Parliament of the United Kingdom
For elections to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster) Glasgow City is now divided between seven constituencies. All seven are entirely within the Glasgow City council area, with boundaries first used in the 2005 general election, and each elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the plurality (first past the post) system of election.
Prior to the 2005 election, Glasgow City was divided between Westminster constituencies with the same names and boundaries as now existing Holyrood constituencies.
The seven Westminster constituencies created in 2005, and current MPs, are:-
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[edit] Footnotes
- ^ See also Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website (OPSI home page)
- ^ See also Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website
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