Hamilton North and Bellshill (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Hamilton North and Bellshill
Former burgh constituency
for the Scottish Parliament

Hamilton North and Bellshill shown within the Central Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Former constituency
Created 1999
Abolished 2011
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.

For the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, Hamilton North and Bellshill, and Hamilton South constituencies are being significantly redrawn. Two new seats - Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and Uddingston and Bellshill - will be fought on the new boundaries.

Electoral region

See also Central Scotland Scottish Parliament 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.

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.

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.

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.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
1999 Michael McMahon Labour
2003
2007

Election results

Scottish Parliament election, 2007: Hamilton North and Bellshill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McMahon 12,334 48.6 -4.4
SNP Alex Neil 7,469 29.4 +9.1
Conservative James Callander 2,835 11.2 +0.4
Liberal Democrats Douglas Herbison 1,726 6.8 +0.7
Scottish Voice Joseph Gorman 571 2.2 +2.2
Independent Gordon Weir 431 1.7 +1.7
Majority 4,865 19.2 -13.47
Turnout 25,366 47.1 +0.5
Labour hold Swing
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Hamilton North and Bellshill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McMahon 12,812 52.95 +4.17
SNP Alex Neil 4,907 20.28 -10.54
Conservative Charles Ferguson 2,625 10.85 +0.60
Scottish Socialist Shareen Blackhall 1,932 7.99 +7.99
Liberal Democrats Siobhan Mathers 1,477 6.10 -0.64
Majority 7,905 32.67 +14.71
Turnout 24,195 51,965 -11.26
Labour hold Swing
Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Hamilton North and Bellshill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McMahon 15,227 48.78
SNP Kathleen McAlorum 9,621 30.82
Conservative Stuart Thomson 3,199 10.25
Liberal Democrats Jayne Struthers 2,105 6.74
Socialist Labour Katherine McGavigan 1,064 3.41
Majority 5,606 17.96
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

Notes

  1. ↑ See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland