Airdrie and Shotts (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Airdrie and Shotts
County constituency
for the House of Commons
AirdrieShottsConstituency.svg
Boundary of Airdrie and Shotts in Scotlandfor the 2005 general election
Subdivisions of Scotland North Lanarkshire
Major settlements Airdrie, Caldercruix, Shotts
Current constituency
Created 1997
Member of Parliament Anum Qaisar (SNP)
Created from Monklands East
Overlaps
Scottish Parliament Central Scotland

Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency of the UK House of Commons, located in central Scotland within the North Lanarkshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post system of voting.

Contents

The constituency has existed since 1997; however, it underwent significant boundary changes in 2005. Before 2015, it could have been described as a safe seat for the Labour Party, who held it with a majority of over 12,000 votes until Neil Gray of the Scottish National Party (SNP) was elected at that year's general election. Former MPs for the constituency include: Pamela Nash, former Baby of the House, John Reid, former Labour Home Secretary and Defence Secretary, and Helen Liddell, former Labour Scottish Secretary.

It is a generally working-class, urban seat, and contains the towns of Airdrie, Calderbank, Chapelhall, Glenmavis and Shotts.

From 2015-21, the Member of Parliament for the seat was Neil Gray of the SNP. He resigned in March 2021 to run for a seat in the Scottish Parliament, triggering a by-election. [1]

Constituency profile

The majority of this constituency maintains the boundaries of its predecessor. From the North Lanarkshire constituency come Holytown and Newarthill. This seat is positioned on either side of the M8 motorway to Glasgow. Small semi-urban towns such as Shotts (including Stane and Dykehead) were added to Airdrie in the 1997 redistribution to form this seat, the predecessor of which was Monklands East. An area in the eastern part of Coatbridge is also part of the constituency.

Electoral Calculus describes the seat as "Traditional", characterised by working class people with lower levels of income and formal education. [2]

Boundaries and history

Airdrie and Shotts (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of current boundaries

1997–2005: The Monklands District electoral divisions of Airdrie North and Airdrie South, and the Motherwell District electoral division of Fortissat.

2005–present: The North Lanarkshire Council wards of academy, Airdrie Central, Airdrie North, [3] Airdrie South, [3] Benhar, Calderbank, Chapelhall, Clarkston, Craigneuk and Petersburn, Dykehead, Holytown, New Monkland West, Newarthill, Newmains, North Cairnhill and Coatdyke, Plains and Caldercruix, Salsburgh, South East Cairnhill and Gartlea, Stane, and Whinhall. In 2007 these were converted into multi-member wards, with the following falling within the constituency: Airdrie Central, Airdrie North, Airdrie South, Fortissat, Mossend and Holytown (part), Murdostoun (part).

The 2005 changes saw the seat lose some territory to Motherwell and Wishaw whilst gaining part of Hamilton North and Bellshill. It proved to be a Labour Party stronghold from its creation until the Scottish National Party gained it at the 2015 general election, with Neil Gray winning the seat from Pamela Nash by 8,779 votes. Gray's majority dipped to just 195 in the 2017 election. However, in the 2019 election he won by 5,201 votes. [4]

On 24 March 2021 it was formally announced that Neil Gray had officially stood down as the Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts to contest the 2021 Scottish Parliament election seat of the same name.

Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies the constituency will be redrawn with minor changes before next general election.

Location of the constituency after boundaries review

AirdrieShotts2024Constituency.svg

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [5] Party
1997 Helen Liddell Labour
2005 John Reid Labour
2010 Pamela Nash Labour
2015 Neil Gray SNP
2021 by-election Anum Qaisar SNP

Election results

Airdrie & Shotts Results 1997-2021.png

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Airdrie and Shotts
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SNP Anum Qaisar [6]
Labour Kenneth Stevenson [7]
Majority
Turnout
By-election 2021: Airdrie and Shotts
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SNP Anum Qaisar 10,129 46.4 Increase2.svg 1.4
Labour Kenneth Stevenson8,37238.4Increase2.svg 6.5
Conservative Ben Callaghan2,81212.9Decrease2.svg 4.7
Liberal Democrats Stephen Arrundale2201.0Decrease2.svg 2.6
SDP Neil Manson1510.7New
Scottish Unionist Jonathan Stanley590.3New
Reform UK Martyn Greene450.2New
UKIP Donald Mackay390.2New
Majority1,7578.0Decrease2.svg 5.1
Turnout 21,82734.3Decrease2.svg 28.0
Registered electors 63,705
SNP hold Swing Decrease2.svg 2.5

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Airdrie and Shotts [8] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SNP Neil Gray 17,929 45.0 Increase2.svg 7.4
Labour Helen McFarlane12,72831.9Decrease2.svg 5.2
Conservative Lorraine Nolan7,01117.6Decrease2.svg 5.6
Liberal Democrats William Crossman1,4193.6Increase2.svg 1.5
Scottish Green Rosemary McGowan6851.7New
Majority5,20113.1Increase2.svg 12.6
Turnout 39,77262.3Increase2.svg 3.1
Registered electors 64,011
SNP hold Swing Increase2.svg 6.3
General election 2017: Airdrie and Shotts [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SNP Neil Gray 14,291 37.6 Decrease2.svg 16.3
Labour Helen McFarlane14,09637.1Increase2.svg 3.0
Conservative Jennifer Donnellan8,81323.2Increase2.svg 15.5
Liberal Democrats Ewan McRobert8022.1Increase2.svg 0.6
Majority1950.5Decrease2.svg 19.3
Turnout 38,00259.2Decrease2.svg 6.9
Registered electors 64,146
SNP hold Swing Decrease2.svg 9.7
General election 2015: Airdrie and Shotts [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SNP Neil Gray 23,887 53.9 Increase2.svg 30.4
Labour Pamela Nash 15,10834.1Decrease2.svg 24.1
Conservative Eric Holford3,3897.7Decrease2.svg 1.0
UKIP Matthew Williams1,0882.5New
Liberal Democrats John Love6781.5Decrease2.svg 6.6
Independent Deryck Beaumont1360.3New
Majority8,77919.8New
Turnout 44,28666.3Increase2.svg 8.8
Registered electors 66,792
SNP gain from Labour Swing Increase2.svg 27.2
General election 2010: Airdrie and Shotts [12] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Pamela Nash 20,849 58.2 Decrease2.svg 0.8
SNP Sophia Coyle8,44123.5Increase2.svg 7.0
Conservative Ruth Whitfield3,1338.7Decrease2.svg 1.2
Liberal Democrats John Love2,8988.1Decrease2.svg 3.3
Independent John McGeechan5281.5New
Majority12,40834.7Decrease2.svg 7.8
Turnout 35,84957.5Increase2.svg 4.0
Registered electors 62,364
Labour hold Swing Decrease2.svg 3.9

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Airdrie and Shotts [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour John Reid 19,568 59.0 Increase2.svg 0.4
SNP Malcolm Balfour5,48416.5Decrease2.svg 2.7
Liberal Democrats Helen Watt3,79211.4Increase2.svg 3.5
Conservative Stuart Cottis3,2719.9Increase2.svg 3.8
Scottish Socialist Fraser Coats7062.1Decrease2.svg 1.6
Scottish Independence PartyJoseph Rowan3371.0New
Majority14,08442.5Increase2.svg 3.6
Turnout 33,15853.5Decrease2.svg 0.9
Registered electors 60,618
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg 1.5
General election 2001: Airdrie and Shotts [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Helen Liddell 18,478 58.2 Decrease2.svg 3.6
SNP Alison Lindsay6,13819.3Decrease2.svg 5.1
Liberal Democrats John Love2,3767.5Increase2.svg 3.3
Conservative Gordon McIntosh1,9606.2Decrease2.svg 2.7
Scottish Unionist Mark Dempsey1,4394.5New
Scottish Socialist Kenny McGuigan1,1713.7New
Socialist Labour Chris Herriot1740.5New
Majority12,34038.9Increase2.svg 1.5
Turnout 31,73654.4Decrease2.svg 17.0
Registered electors 58,349
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg 0.7

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Airdrie and Shotts [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Helen Liddell 25,460 61.8 N/A
SNP Keith R.A. Robertson10,04824.4N/A
Conservative Nicholas H. Brook3,6608.9N/A
Liberal Democrats Richard G. Wolseley1,7194.2N/A
Referendum Crawford Semple2940.7N/A
Majority15,41237.4N/A
Turnout 41,18171.4N/A
Registered electors 58,255
Labour win (new seat)

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Sim, Philip [@BBCPhilipSim] (24 March 2021). "This is now confirmed: Neil Gray has gone from being MP for Airdrie and Shotts to the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead (...which is one way of quitting Westminster) - and as of tomorrow will be the SNP candidate to be MSP for Airdrie and Shotts. By-election incoming" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 March 2021– via Twitter.
  2. ↑ "Airdrie and Shotts: Seat Details". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 Baxter, Martin (14 September 2018). "Seat Details". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 8 February 2019.[ dead link ]
  4. 1 2 "Airdrie & Shotts parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  5. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 1)
  6. ↑ "Just a third of general election candidates selected so far are women". The Herald . Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Labour select candidates in two Lanarkshire constituencies as they bid to unseat SNP". Daily Record . Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  8. ↑ "UK Parliamentary Elections 2019". North Lanarkshire Council. Retrieved 16 November 2019.[ dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2017". Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Election results". North Lanarkshire Council. 5 May 2015.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Election 2010 - Constituency - Airdrie & Shotts". BBC News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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