Coatbridge and Chryston (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Coatbridge and Chryston (UK Parliament constituency).

Coatbridge and Chryston
Burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Coatbridge and Chryston shown within the Central Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	56,877 (2022) [1]
Current constituency
Created	1999
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Fulton MacGregor
Council area	North Lanarkshire

Coatbridge and Chryston (Gaelic: Coatbridge agus Chryston) is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament covering part of the council area of North Lanarkshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Since 2011 it has also been one of nine constituencies in the Central Scotland 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. Following the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries, Almond Valley will form part of the Central Scotland and Lothians West from the 2026 Scottish Parliament election onwards.

The seat has been held by Fulton MacGregor of the Scottish National Party since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region

See also: Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the Central Scotland region are: Airdrie and Shotts, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, East Kilbride, Falkirk East, Falkirk West, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Motherwell and Wishaw and Uddingston and Bellshill. The region covers all of the Falkirk council area, all of the North Lanarkshire council area and part of the South Lanarkshire council area.

From 2026, the other eight constituencies of the Central Scotland and Lothians West region will be Airdrie, Almond Valley, Bathgate, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Falkirk West, Motherwell and Wishaw, and Uddingston and Bellshill. ^[2]

Constituency boundaries and council areas

Map of boundaries from 2005

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. ^[3] On the 2011-2026 borders the Holyrood constituency is one of four covering the North Lanarkshire council area, the others being Airdrie and Shotts, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, and Motherwell and Wishaw; Uddingston and Bellshill spans parts of both North and South Lanarkshire. All five are within the Central Scotland electoral region.

Following the first Scottish Parliamentary Boundary Review the electoral wards used in the creation of Coatbridge and Chryston were:

• In full: Coatbridge North, Coatbridge South, Coatbridge West, Gartcosh, Glenboig and Moodiesburn, Stepps, Chryston and Muirhead

When redrawn following the second review of Scottish Parliament boundaries, the following electoral wards were used to redefine the seat: ^[4]

• In full: Stepps, Chryston and Muirhead, Gartcosh, Glenboig and Moodiesburn, Coatbridge North, Coatbridge West, and Coatbridge South

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1999	Elaine Smith	Labour
	2016	Fulton MacGregor	SNP

Election results

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston ^{[5] [6]}

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Fulton MacGregor [a]	20,577	57.5	9.5	18,191	50.8	2.3
	Labour	Michael McPake	11,140	31.1	3.6	8,724	24.3	5.2
	Conservative	Gordon Macdonald	3,028	8.5	1.6	4,546	12.7	1.4
	Green					2,125	5.9	1.2
	Alba					684	1.9	New
	Liberal Democrats	Mhairi Macdonald	622	1.7	0.2	534	1.5	0.3
	All for Unity					248	0.7	New
	Scottish Family	Leo Lanahan	411	1.1	New	240	0.7	New
	Independent Green Voice					220	0.7	New
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					76	0.2	New
	Scottish Libertarian					62	0.2	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					54	0.2	New
	Reform					47	0.1	New
	Independent	Paddy Hogg				43	0.1	New
	UKIP					35	0.1	2.7
Majority			9,437	26.4	13.1
Valid Votes			35,778			35,829
Invalid Votes			113			75
Turnout			35,891	63.2	9.8	35,904	63.2	9.8
	SNP hold		Swing
Notes Incumbent member for this constituency

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston ^{[7] [8]}

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Fulton MacGregor	13,605	48.0	7.5	13,775	48.5	7.0
	Labour	Elaine Smith	9,826	34.7	17.5	8,369	29.5	12.6
	Conservative	Robyn Halbert	2,868	10.1	4.4	3,201	11.3	6.5
	Green	John Wilson	1,612	5.7	New	1,347	4.7	2.7
	UKIP					503	2.7	1.4
	Solidarity					394	1.4	1.0
	Liberal Democrats	Jenni Lang	423	1.5	0.1	353	1.2	0.1
	RISE					184	0.6	New
	Scottish Christian					219	0.8	0.8
	Independent	Deryck Beaumont				34	0.1	New
Majority			3,779	13.3	N/A
Valid Votes			28,334			28,379
Invalid Votes			73			34
Turnout			28,407	53.4	7.6	28,413	53.4	7.7
	SNP gain from Labour		Swing		12.6

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Elaine Smith	12,161	52.2	N/A	9,805	42.1	N/A
	SNP	John Wilson	9,420	40.5	N/A	9,675	41.5	N/A
	Conservative	Jason Lingiah	1,317	5.7	N/A	1,123	4.8	N/A
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					525	2.3	N/A
	Green					463	2.0	N/A
	Scottish Christian					364	1.6	N/A
	Socialist Labour					342	1.5	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Rod Ackland	381	1.6	N/A	247	1.1	N/A
	BNP					219	0.9	N/A
	Scottish Socialist					119	0.5	N/A
	Solidarity					90	0.4	N/A
	Independent	Hugh O'Donnell				85	0.4	N/A
	UKIP					72	0.3	N/A
	Others					183	0.8	N/A
Majority			2,741	11.7	N/A
Valid Votes			23,279			23,312
Invalid Votes			105			76
Turnout			23,279	45.7	N/A	23,388	45.7	N/A
	Labour win (new boundaries)
Notes

2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Elaine Smith	11,860	46.1	−10.1
	SNP	Frances McGlinchey	7,350	28.6	+8.3
	Conservative	Ross Thomson	2,305	9.0	+0.5
	Independent	Julie McAnulty	1,843	7.2	New
	Liberal Democrats	Doreen Nisbet	1,519	5.9	−1.0
	Scottish Voice	Gaille McCann	848	3.3	New
Majority			4,510	17.5	−18.4
Turnout			25,725	47.3	+1.0
	Labour hold		Swing	-9.2

2003 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Elaine Smith	13,422	56.25	−3.10
	SNP	James Gribben	4,851	20.33	−4.57
	Conservative	Donald Reece	2,041	8.55	−0.94
	Scottish Socialist	Gordon Martin	1,911	8.01	New
	Liberal Democrats	Doreen Nisbit	1,637	6.86	+0.60
Majority			8,571	35.92	+1.47
Turnout			23,862	46.32	−11.56
	Labour hold		Swing

1990s

1999 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Elaine Smith	17,923	59.35	N/A
	SNP	Peter Kearney	7,519	24.90	N/A
	Conservative	Gordon Lind	2,867	9.49	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Jane Hook	1,889	6.26	N/A
Majority			10,404	34.45	N/A
Turnout			30,198	57.88	N/A
	Labour win (new seat)

References

Citations

1. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 25.
2. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 28.
3. See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland Archived September 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
4. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 140.
5. Constituencies A-Z | Coatbridge & Chryston, BBC News; retrieved 7 May 2021
6. "Scottish Parliament Elections 6 May 2021". North Lanarkshire Council. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
7. "Central Scotland – 2016 Results and 2021 Candidates". Ballot Box Scotland. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
8. "Results and turnout at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
9. "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 June 2021.

Bibliography

• "Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. April 2025. Retrieved 5 November 2011.

External links

• Coatbridge and Chryston constituency map (2026 borders) - Boundaries Scotland
• "Coatbridge and Chryston constituency map (2011-2026 borders)" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland . Retrieved 7 July 2021.