Glasgow Kelvin (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Glasgow Kelvin (UK Parliament constituency).

Glasgow Kelvin
Burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Glasgow Kelvin shown within the Glasgow electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	93,212 (2019)
Current constituency
Created	1999
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Kaukab Stewart
Council area	Glasgow City

Glasgow Kelvin (Gaelic: Glaschu Ceilbhinn) is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood), being one of eight constituencies within the Glasgow City council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It is also one of nine constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

The seat has been held by Kaukab Stewart of the Scottish National Party since the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region

See also: Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the Glasgow region are: Glasgow Anniesland, Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Provan, Glasgow Shettleston, Glasgow Southside and Rutherglen.

The region covers the Glasgow City council area and a north-western portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.

Constituency boundaries

The original Glasgow Kelvin 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.

Boundary review

Following its First Periodic review into Scottish Parliament constituencies, a newly shaped Kelvin was formed in time for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. The Glasgow City Council electoral wards used in the creation of the new Glasgow Kelvin seat are:

• In full: Anderston/City, Hillhead
• In part: Canal, Partick West

Constituency profile

Glasgow city centre is in this constituency, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery, the cathedral, and the SEC Centre. All three of Glasgow's universities are here as well, making it reputedly the most educated constituency in Scotland; the large student population is an important factor in elections. It is also home to the Merchant City: described as 'yuppie housing', it was built out of the disused cotton and tobacco warehouses. This area is a symbol of the rebirth of the city, and Kelvin is arguably the most affluent constituency in Glasgow, although it also includes more deprived areas.

History

The predecessor to the Westminster constituency seat, Glasgow Hillhead, was the last Conservative seat in the city until Roy Jenkins won it for the Social Democratic Party at a by-election in 1982. He held it in 1983 general election but it was taken by Labour's George Galloway in 1987.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1999	Pauline McNeill	Labour
	2011	Sandra White	SNP
	2021	Kaukab Stewart

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Kaukab Stewart	14,535	40.3	1.8	14,227	39.4	2.8
	Scottish Green	Patrick Harvie	9,077	25.2	0.9	7,568	21.0	0.8
	Labour	Pam Duncan-Glancy	8,605	23.9	2.9	7,279	20.2	1.3
	Conservative	Grahame Cannell	2,850	7.9	3.9	3,910	10.8	2.2
	Liberal Democrats	David McKenzie	977	2.7	1.0	1,049	2.9	0.4
	Alba					613	1.7	New
	Independent Green Voice					256	0.7	New
	All for Unity					254	0.7	New
	Scottish Family					179	0.5	New
	Women's Equality					145	0.4	1.6
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					136	0.4	New
	Communist					103	0.3	New
	Reform UK					78	0.2	New
	TUSC					77	0.2	New
	Scottish Libertarian					57	0.2	New
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					56	0.2	New
	Independent	Craig Ross				26	0.1	New
	Reclaim					25	0.1	New
	UKIP					25	0.1	1.2
	SDP					21	0.1	New
	Independent	Daniel Donaldson				12	0.03	New
	Renew					8	0.02	New
Majority			5,458	15.1	0.9
Valid Votes			36,044			36,104
Invalid Votes			185			96
Turnout			36,229	54.54	8.6	36,200	54.50	8.6
	SNP hold		Swing		0.5
Notes

Elections in the 2010s

In 2016 the Scottish Greens overtook Scottish Labour to take second place in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency on the constituency element of the vote. This was their best ever first past the post election result, with party co-convenor Patrick Harvie finishing behind the SNP's Sandra White by 14.2% of the vote.

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Sandra White	10,964	38.5	4.8	10,416	36.6	0.6
	Scottish Green	Patrick Harvie	6,916	24.3	New	5,760	20.2	4.8
	Labour	Michael Shanks	5,968	21.0	18.8	5,373	18.9	8.1
	Conservative	Sheila Mechan	3,346	11.8	4.2	3,701	13.0	6.0
	Liberal Democrats	Carole Ford	1,050	3.7	4.0	945	3.3	1.6
	Independent	Tom Muirhead	198	0.7	1.0
	Women's Equality					573	2.0	New
	RISE					506	1.8	New
	UKIP					367	1.3	0.6
	Solidarity					234	0.8	New
	Animal Welfare					231	0.8	New
	BUP					160	0.6	New
	Scottish Christian					158	0.6	0.1
	Independent	Andrew McCullagh				40	0.1	New
Majority			4,048	14.2	10.7
Valid Votes			28,442			28,464
Invalid Votes			113			87
Turnout			28,555	45.9	5.8	28,551	45.9	5.8
	SNP hold		Swing		14.6
Notes

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Sandra White	10,640	43.3	N/A	8,867	35.9	N/A
	Labour	Pauline McNeill	9,758	39.8	N/A	6,662	27.0	N/A
	Scottish Green					3,820	15.5	N/A
	Conservative	Ruth Davidson	1,845	7.5	N/A	1,732	7.0	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Natalie McKee	1,900	7.7	N/A	1,225	5.0	N/A
	Respect					985	4.0	N/A
	Independent	Tom Muirhead	405	1.6	N/A
	Scottish Socialist					247	1.0	N/A
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					204	0.8	N/A
	Socialist Labour					187	0.8	N/A
	Scottish Christian					160	0.6	N/A
	UKIP					160	0.6	N/A
	BNP					157	0.6	N/A
	Pirate					136	0.6	N/A
	Scottish Unionist					74	0.3	N/A
	Independent	Caroline Johnstone				34	0.1	N/A
	Scottish Homeland Party					19	0.1	N/A
Majority			882	3.5	N/A
Valid Votes			24,548			24,669
Invalid Votes			246			135
Turnout			24,794	40.1	N/A	24,804	40.1	N/A
	SNP win (new boundaries)
Notes

Elections in the 2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Pauline McNeill	7,875	33.5	−2.2
	SNP	Sandra White	6,668	28.4	+7.6
	Scottish Green	Martin Bartos	2,971	12.6	New
	Liberal Democrats	Katy Gordon	2,843	12.1	−3.0
	Conservative	Brian Cooklin	1,943	8.3	+0.1
	Independent	Niall Walker	744	3.2	New
	Scottish Christian	Isobel Macleod	456	1.9	New
Majority			1,207	5.1	−9.8
Turnout			23,500	42.7	+3.3
	Labour hold		Swing

2003 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Pauline McNeill	7,880	35.7	−9.1
	SNP	Sandra White	4,591	20.8	−8.5
	Liberal Democrats	Douglas Herbison	3,334	15.1	+2.0
	Scottish Socialist	Andy Harvey	3,159	14.3	+9.5
	Conservative	Gawaine Towler	1,816	8.2	+0.3
	Independent Green Voice	Alistair McConnachie	1,300	5.9	New
Majority			3,289	14.9	−0.6
Turnout			22,080	39.4	−6.7
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

1999 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Kelvin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Pauline McNeill	12,711	44.8
	SNP	Sandra White	8,303	29.3
	Liberal Democrats	Moira Craig	3,720	13.1
	Conservative	Assad Rasul	2,253	7.9
	Scottish Socialist	Heather Ritchie	1,375	4.8
Majority			4,408	15.5
Turnout			28,362	46.1
	Labour win (new seat)

See also

• Politics of Glasgow

External links

• "Glasgow Kelvin constituency map" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved 7 July 2021.