The Scottish National Party is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party. The party holds 63 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and 43 out of the 59 Scottish seats in the House of Commons in Westminster. It has 453 local councillors of 1,227.
Winifred Margaret Ewing was a Scottish politician,lawyer and figure within the independence movement who served as President of the Scottish National Party from 1987 to 2005. Ewing was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Highlands and Islands from 1999 to 2003 and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the equivalent seat from 1979 to 1999. She was also a member of the British House of Commons for Hamilton from a 1967 by-election until 1970,and for Moray and Nairn from 1974 to 1979.
Cambuslang is a town on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater Glasgow,Scotland. With approximately 30,000 residents,it is the 27th largest town in Scotland by population,although,never having had a town hall,it may also be considered the largest village in Scotland. It is within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire and directly borders the town of Rutherglen to the west. Historically,it was a large civil parish incorporating the nearby hamlets of Newton,Flemington,Westburn and Halfway.
Annabelle Janet Ewing is a Scottish politician and lawyer who has served as Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament,alongside Liam McArthur,since May 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP),she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Cowdenbeath constituency since 2016,having previously been an MSP for the Mid Scotland and Fife region from 2011 to 2016.
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2014 to 2023. She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999,first as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region,and as the member for Glasgow Southside from 2007.
Rutherglen and Hamilton West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom,which was created for the 2005 general election. It covers almost all of the former constituency of Glasgow Rutherglen and most of the former constituency of Hamilton South,and it elects one member of parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system.
James Anthony Kelly is a Scottish politician who has served as General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party since 2021. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region between 2016 and 2021,having previously been MSP for Rutherglen from 2007 to 2016.
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond is a Scottish politician,economist and television host,who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure in the Scottish nationalist movement,he has served as Leader of the Alba Party since 2021. Salmond was leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP),on two occasions,from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014. He served as the party's depute leader from 1987 to 1990. Salmond hosted The Alex Salmond Show (2017–2022) on RT UK. He currently hosts Scotland Speaks with Alex Salmond (2023–present).
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021,under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The election was held alongside the Senedd election,English local elections,London Assembly and mayoral election and the Hartlepool by-election.
Elections to South Lanarkshire Council took place on 3 May 2012 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections,it was held using single transferable vote (STV) –a form of proportional representation –in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh OBE WS NP is a Scottish politician,serving as chair of the Alba Party since 2021. She was also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ochil and South Perthshire from 2015 to 2017. A former member of the Scottish Conservatives,Labour,and the Scottish National Party (SNP),Ahmed-Sheikh served as the SNP's Trade and Investment spokesperson,Deputy Shadow Leader of the House in the House of Commons,and the SNP's National Women's and Equalities Convener. A solicitor and businessperson,and a former actress,Ahmed-Sheikh founded and formerly chaired the Scottish Asian Women's Association.
Clare Joan Haughey is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Children and Young People from 2021 to 2023,having previously served as Minister for Mental Health from 2018 to 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP),she has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Rutherglen since in the 2016.
Elections to South Lanarkshire Council took place on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections,it was held using single transferable vote (STV) –a form of proportional representation –in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Gerard Killen is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Rutherglen and Hamilton West from 2017 to 2019.
The Alba Party is a Scottish nationalist and pro-independence political party in Scotland,founded in February 2021,led by former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond. Salmond launched the party's 2021 Scottish Parliament election campaign in March 2021,with the party standing list-only candidates. Two members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK House of Commons defected from the Scottish National Party (SNP) to the Alba Party on 27 March 2021,and member of the Scottish parliament Ash Regan defected on 28 October 2023. Several former SNP MPs also joined the party.
Nicola Sturgeon's term as first minister of Scotland began on 20 November 2014 when she was formally sworn into office at the Court of Session. It followed Alex Salmond's resignation following the defeat of the Yes campaign in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. She is the first female and longest serving officeholder. Sturgeon's premiership was dominated by Brexit,which she used as an argument to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence,however,opposition from the UK Government,the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,the cost of living crisis and the ruling against her government holding an advisory referendum would be obstacles for Sturgeon securing her legacy of gaining Scottish independence. Sturgeon's term ended on 29 March 2023,following her resignation announcement on 15 February,in which she claimed occupational burnout was the reason for her resignation.
Events from the year 2023 in Scotland.
A by-election took place in the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Rutherglen and Hamilton West on 5 October 2023,following the recall of incumbent MP Margaret Ferrier.
Michael Graeme Shanks is a Scottish Labour politician. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Rutherglen and Hamilton West since winning a by-election on 5 October 2023.
