East Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)

East Renfrewshire
County constituency
East Renfrewshire shown within Scotland
Created: 1885, 2005
MP: Jim Murphy
Party: Labour
Type: House of Commons
Council areas: East Renfrewshire
EP constituency: Scotland

East Renfrewshire is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in Scotland to the south of Glasgow. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the First-past-the-post system of voting.

Before 1997, it was the safest Conservative seat in Scotland. However it failed to survive the 1997 Labour landslide, and the Labour Party's Jim Murphy has held the seat ever since. Murphy was the Secretary of State for Scotland (2009–10) and is currently the Shadow Defence Secretary (2010-). The seat currently gives Murphy a healthy majority of over 10,000 votes, with the strongest challenge coming from the Conservatives. In terms of turnout, the constituency was the highest across the country in 2010.

The constituency itself has a mostly middle-class electorate, and takes in the East Renfrewshire council area, with the towns of Barrhead, Clarkston, Giffnock and Newton Mearns.

Contents

History

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. It was abolished for the 1983 general election, when it was partially replaced by the new Eastwood constituency.

The East Renfrewshire constituency was re-established for the 2005 general election, with the same boundaries as the previous Eastwood constituency. Despite the change of name, it is the only constituency in mainland Scotland whose boundaries were unchanged by the 2005 revision of Scottish constituencies.

Boundaries and local government areas

As created in 1885 the constituency was one of four covering the area of the county of Renfrewshire (except the burgh of Renfrew and the burgh of Port Glasgow, which were components of Kilmarnock Burghs until 1918). The four constituencies were: East Renfrewshire, West Renfrewshire, Paisley and Greenock. Greenock was enlarged and renamed Greenock and Port Glasgow in 1974.

From 1885 the constituency consisted of the parishes of Eastwood, Cathcart, Mearns and Eaglesham, and part of the parish of Govan.[1]

From 1918 the constituency consisted of "The Upper County District, inclusive of all burghs situated therein, except the burghs of Paisley and Johnstone, together with so much of the burgh of Renfrew as is contained within the parish of Govan in the county of Lanark."

The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election, eight years after the creation of local government regions and districts in 1975. The new constituency, with revised boundaries, was called Eastwood.

In 1996 the area of the Eastwood constituency became, also, the East Renfrewshire unitary council area.

In 1999 a Scottish Parliament constituency was created with the name and boundaries of the Eastwood Westminster constituency.

In the widespread redistribution of Scottish seats for the 2005 general election, the name of the Eastwood Westminster constituency was changed back to East Renfrewshire.

Population and politics

The constituency is on the borders of Glasgow, and is mostly middle-class residential territory for Glasgow. The area was looked on as safely Conservative before Labour gained the seat in 1997.

Members of Parliament

It is currently represented by Jim Murphy, the Shadow Defence Secretary (2010-).

MPs 1885-1983

Election Member[2] Party
1885 James Finlayson Liberal
1886 Michael Hugh Shaw-Stewart Conservative
1906 Sir Robert Laidlaw Liberal
Jan 1910 John Gilmour Unionist
1918 Joseph Johnstone Coalition Liberal
1922 Robert Nichol Labour
1924 Alexander Munro MacRobert Unionist
1930 Marquess of Clydesdale Unionist
1940 Guy Lloyd Unionist
1959 Betty Harvie Anderson Unionist/Conservative
1979 Allan Stewart Conservative
1983 constituency abolished: see Eastwood

MPs 2005-present

Election Member Party
2005 Jim Murphy Labour

Election Results

Election Political result Candidate Party Votes % ±%
General Election 2010
Turnout: 51,181 (77.3%) +5.1		 Labour hold
Majority: 10,420 (20.4%) +6.4
Swing: +3.2% from Con to Lab		 Jim Murphy Labour 25,987 50.8 +6.9
Richard Cook Conservative 15,567 30.4 +0.5
Gordon MacDonald Liberal Democrat 4,720 9.2 -9.0
Gordon Archer SNP 4,535 8.9 +2.0
Donald McKay UKIP 372 0.7 N/A
General Election 2005
Turnout: 47,405 (72.1%) +1.4		 Labour hold
Majority: 6,657 (14.0%) -4.9
Swing: -2.4% from Lab to Con		 Jim Murphy Labour 20,815 43.9 -3.7
Richard Cook Conservative 14,158 29.9 +1.1
Gordon MacDonald Liberal Democrat 8,659 18.3 +5.4
Osama Bhutta SNP 3,245 6.8 -1.7
Ian Henderson Scottish Socialist 528 1.1 -0.6

Elections in the 1940s

General Election, 1945: East Renfrewshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Guy Lloyd 42,310 53.6
Labour Co-op D. McArthur 36,634 46.4
Majority 5,676 +7.2
Turnout 78,944 67.2
Unionist hold Swing
East Renfrewshire by-election, 9th May 1940 [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Guy Lloyd 34,316 80.7 +25.1
Ind. Labour Party Annie Maxton 8,206 19.3 N/A
Majority 26,110 61.4 +39.8
Turnout 42,522 43.4
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election, 1935: East Renfrewshire [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist The Marquess of Cydesdale 35,121 55.6 −3.8
Labour Co-op J. Barr 21,475 34.0 +7.3
SNP W.O. Brown 6,593 10.4 −3.5
Majority 13,646 21.5 −11.2
Turnout 63,189 75.9 −4.8
Unionist hold Swing −6.6
General Election 1931: East Renfrewshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marquess of Clydesdale 27,740
Labour J. Strain 12,477
SNP W.O. Brown 6,498
East Renfrewshire by-election, 28th November 1930
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist The Marquess of Cydesdale 19,753 53.6 +1.4
Ind. Labour Party T. Irwin 12,293 33.3 N/A
SNP W. O. Brown 4,818 13.1 N/A
Majority 7,460 20.3 +15.9
Turnout 69.0 −17.8
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election, 1929: East Renfrewshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Alexander Munro MacRobert 18,487 52.2 +0.2
Labour Rev. J. M. Munro 16,924 47.8 −0.2
Majority 13,646 21.5 −11.2
Turnout 63,189 75.9 −4.8
Unionist hold Swing −6.6
By-election 1926: Renfrewshire East [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Munro MacRobert KC 11,817
Labour Rev J.M. Munro 10,889

Alexander Munro MacRobert was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland on 31 December 1925.[7]

General Election 1924: Renfrewshire East [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alexander Munro MacRobert KC 13,716
Labour Robert Nichol 10,903
General Election 1923: Renfrewshire East [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Nichol 9,857
Conservative Sir F. Lobnitz 9,349
Liberal W. Crawford 2,887
General Election 1922: Renfrewshire East [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Nichol 9,708
Conservative Sir F. Lobnitz 9,158
Liberal Joseph Johnstone 4,013

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Renfrewshire East [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Coalition Liberal Joseph Johnstone 13,107
Labour Robert Spence 5,048
General Election Dec 1910: Renfrewshire East [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Major John Gilmour 10,063
Liberal James Ian Macpherson 8,883
General Election Jan 1910: Renfrewshire East [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Capt John Gilmour 9,645
Liberal Sir Robert Laidlaw 8,771

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1906: Renfrewshire East [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Laidlaw 6,896 50.3
Conservative Sir Michael Hugh Shaw-Stewart Bt 6,801 49.7
General Election 1900: Renfrewshire East [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Hugh Shaw-Stewart unopposed

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1895: Renfrewshire East [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Hugh Shaw-Stewart unopposed
General Election 1892: Renfrewshire East [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Hugh Shaw-Stewart 4,484
Liberal John G. Murdoch 3,397

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1886: Renfrewshire East [18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Hugh Shaw-Stewart 3,806
Liberal James Samuelson 2,438
General Election 1885: Renfrewshire East [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Finlayson 3,642
Conservative Allan Gilmour, jun 3,144

References

  1. ^ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Seventh Schedule, Part II
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)
  3. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1944
  4. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  5. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  6. ^ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
  7. ^ Oliver & Boyd's Edonburgh Almanack, 1927
  8. ^ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
  9. ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
  10. ^ The Times, 17 November 1922
  11. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  12. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  13. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  14. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  15. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  16. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  17. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  18. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
  19. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889

See also

Constituencies in Scotland by Holding Party (59)
Labour (41)
Liberal Democrat (11)
Scottish National Party (6)
Conservative (1)