Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)

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Not to be confused with Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency).

Glasgow Govan
Former Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of ScotlandGlasgow City
Major settlementsGovan
1885–2005
SeatsOne
Created fromNorth Lanarkshire
Replaced byGlasgow Central
Glasgow South
Glasgow South West

Glasgow Govan was a parliamentary constituency in the Govan district of Glasgow. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for 120 years; from 1885 until 2005, returning one Member of Parliament (MP) elected by the first-past-the-post system.

It was a Conservative-Liberal marginal seat for the first three decades of its existence, before breaking this trend when the Labour Party won the seat in 1918. It remained a Labour-controlled seat for the next fifty-five years, except for a five-year Conservative interlude between 1950 and 1955, until being seized by the Scottish National Party at a by-election in 1973, only to be regained by Labour the following year. The SNP regained the seat at a 1988 by-election, only to lose it again to Labour in 1992. It remained under Labour control until its abolition thirteen years later.

The area which the constituency represented is now covered by Glasgow Central, Glasgow South and Glasgow South West.

Boundaries[edit]

1885–1918: "That part of the parish of Govan which lies south of the Clyde beyond the boundary of the Municipal Burgh of Glasgow".[1]

1918–1950: "That portion of the city which is bounded by a line commencing at a point on the municipal boundary at the centre of the River Clyde in line with the continuation of the centre line of Balmoral Street, thence eastward along the centre line of the River Clyde to a point in line with the continuation of the centre line of the portion of Govan Road to the west of Princes Dock, thence southward to and along the centre line of the said portion of Govan Road, Whitefield Road, Church Road and continuation thereof to the centre, of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, thence westward along the centre line of the said Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway to the municipal boundary, thence north-westward, northward, and eastward along the municipal boundary to the point of commencement."

1950–1955: The Craigton and Fairfield wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of the Govan ward.[2]

1955–1974: The Govan and Kinning Park wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of the Fairfield and Kingston wards.[3]

1974–1983: The Glasgow wards of Fairfield, Govan, Kingston, and Kinning Park.

1983–1997: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Drumoyne/Govan, Mosspark/Bellahouston, and Penilee/Cardonald.

1997–2005: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Govan/Drumoyne, Kingston/Pollokshields, and Langside/Shawlands.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member Party
1885 Sir William Pearce Conservative
1889 by-election John Wilson Liberal
1900 Robert Hunter Craig Liberal
1906 Robert Duncan Unionist
1910 William Hunter Liberal
1911 by-election Daniel Holmes Liberal
1918 Neil Maclean Labour and Independent Labour Party
1931[4] Labour
1950 Jack Browne Unionist
1955 John Rankin Labour Co-operative
1973 by-election Margo MacDonald SNP
Feb 1974 Harry Selby Labour
1979 Andy McMahon Labour
1983 Bruce Millan Labour
1988 by-election Jim Sillars SNP
1992 Ian Davidson Labour Co-operative
1997 Mohammad Sarwar Labour
1997 Independent[5]
1999 Labour
2005 constituency abolished

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

General election 1885: Glasgow Govan[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Pearce 3,677 51.0
Lib-Lab Bennet Burleigh 3,522 48.8
Independent Liberal David George Hoey 11 0.2 '
Majority 155 2.2
Turnout 7,210 80.1
Registered electors 8,998
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Glasgow Govan[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Pearce 3,574 52.7 +1.7
Liberal Thomas Alexander Dickson[8] 3,212 47.3 −1.5
Majority 362 5.4 +3.2
Turnout 6,786 75.4 −4.7
Registered electors 8,998
Conservative hold Swing +1.6

Pearce's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 18 January 1889[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Wilson 4,420 56.9 +9.6
Liberal Unionist John Pender 3,349 43.1 −9.6
Majority 1,071 13.8 N/A
Turnout 7,769 84.1 +8.7
Registered electors 9,240
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +9.6

Elections in the 1890s[edit]

General election 1892: Glasgow Govan[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Wilson 4,829 55.8 +8.5
Conservative Nathaniel Spens 3,829 44.2 −8.5
Majority 1,000 11.6 N/A
Turnout 8,658 77.6 +2.2
Registered electors 11,151
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.5
General election 1895: Glasgow Govan[11][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Wilson 4,290 49.0 −6.8
Liberal Unionist George Ferguson 4,029 46.1 +1.9
Ind. Labour Party Alexander Haddow 430 4.9 New
Majority 261 2.9 −8.7
Turnout 8,749 76.6 −1.0
Registered electors 11,416
Liberal hold Swing −4.4

Elections in the 1900s[edit]

General election 1900: Glasgow Govan[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Hunter Craig 5,744 50.7 +1.7
Conservative Robert Duncan 5,580 49.3 +3.2
Majority 164 1.4 −1.5
Turnout 11,324 76.5 −0.1
Registered electors 14,807
Liberal hold Swing −0.8
John Hill
General election 1906: Glasgow Govan[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Duncan 5,224 35.9 −13.4
Liberal H. S. Murray 5,096 35.1 −15.6
Labour Repr. Cmte. John Hill 4,212 29.0 New
Majority 128 0.8 N/A
Turnout 14,532 82.9 +6.4
Registered electors 17,538
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +1.1

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

General election January 1910: Glasgow Govan[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Hunter 6,556 43.0 +7.9
Conservative Robert Duncan 5,127 33.7 −2.2
Labour James Thomas Brownlie 3,545 23.3 −5.7
Majority 1,429 9.3 N/A
Turnout 15,228 84.6 +1.7
Registered electors 17,994
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +5.1

Hunter is appointed Solicitor General for Scotland, prompting a by-election.

By-election, 1910: Glasgow Govan[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Hunter Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election December 1910: Glasgow Govan[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Hunter 8,409 56.9 +13.9
Conservative George Balfour 6,369 43.1 +9.4
Majority 2,040 13.8 +4.5
Turnout 14,778 79.9 −4.7
Registered electors 18,504
Liberal hold Swing +2.3
1911 Govan by-election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Daniel Holmes 7,508 53.5 -3.4
Conservative George Balfour 6,522 46.5 +3.4
Majority 986 7.0 -6.8
Turnout 14,030 76.3 -3.6
Registered electors 18,395
Liberal hold Swing -3.4
General election 1918: Glasgow Govan[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Maclean 9,577 47.8 New
C Unionist Alexander McClure 8,762 43.8 +0.7
Liberal Daniel Holmes 1,678 8.4 −48.5
Majority 815 4.0 N/A
Turnout 20,017 63.2 −16.7
Registered electors 31,652
Labour gain from Liberal Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

Helen Fraser
General election 1922: Glasgow Govan[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Maclean 15,441 62.3 +14.5
National Liberal Helen Fraser 9,336 37.7 +29.3
Majority 6,105 24.6 +20.6
Turnout 24,777 81.1 +17.9
Registered electors 30,539
Labour hold Swing −7.4
General election 1923: Glasgow Govan[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Maclean 13,987 66.3 +4.0
Liberal Henry Anderson Watt 7,095 33.7 −4.0
Majority 6,892 32.6 +8.0
Turnout 21,082 68.5 −12.6
Registered electors 30,790
Labour hold Swing +4.0
General election 1924: Glasgow Govan[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Maclean 15,132 63.2 −3.1
Unionist H. Stanley 8,815 36.8 New
Majority 6,317 26.4 −6.2
Turnout 23,947 76.0 +7.5
Registered electors 31,497
Labour hold Swing −3.1
General election 1929: Glasgow Govan[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Labour *Neil Maclean 17,384 57.7 −5.5
Unionist Douglas Douglas-Hamilton 12,736 42.3 +5.5
Majority 4,646 15.4 −11.0
Turnout 30,122 75.1 −0.9
Registered electors 40,103
Independent Labour gain from Labour Swing −5.5
  • candidature not endorsed by Labour Party HQ

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1931: Glasgow Govan[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour *Neil Maclean 15,047 51.0 -6.7
Unionist Alexander McClure 14,442 49.0 +6.7
Majority 605 2.0 -13.4
Turnout 29,489 75.4 +0.3
Labour hold Swing
  • Maclean had been expelled by the ILP but was endorsed by Labour Party HQ.
General election 1935: Glasgow Govan[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Maclean 15,791 51.0 0.0
Unionist Alexander McClure 10,211 33.0 -16.0
Ind. Labour Party Thomas Taylor 4,959 16.0 New
Majority 5,580 18.0 +16.0
Turnout 30,961 74.7 -0.7
Labour hold Swing

Election in the 1940s[edit]

General election 1945: Glasgow Govan[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil Maclean 18,668 66.1 +15.1
Unionist Jack Browne 9,586 33.9 +0.9
Majority 9,082 32.2 +14.2
Turnout 28,254 64.08 -10.6
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Glasgow Govan[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Jack Browne 19,267 46.6 +12.7
Labour John Davis 18,894 45.7 -20.4
Liberal Ronnie Fraser 1,628 3.9 New
Communist William Lauchlan 1,547 3.8 New
Majority 373 0.9 -22.2
Turnout 41,336 84.0 +19.9
Unionist gain from Labour Swing
General election 1951: Glasgow Govan[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Jack Browne 20,936 50.3 +3.7
Labour John Davis 20,695 49.7 +4.0
Majority 241 0.58 -0.3
Turnout 41,631 84.92 +0.9
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1955: Glasgow Govan[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op John Rankin 24,818 62.0 +12.3
Unionist Alexander G Hutton 15,216 38.0 -12.3
Majority 9,602 23.98 N/A
Turnout 40,034 71.82 -13.1
Labour Co-op gain from Unionist Swing
  • the boundaries of the seat were heavily redrawn and much of the 1950-55 version of Govan ended up in the new Craigton seat
General election 1959: Glasgow Govan[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op John Rankin 23,139 60.4 -1.6
Unionist Alexander G Hutton 13,319 34.7 -3.3
Communist Gordon McLennan 1,869 4.9 New
Majority 9,820 25.62 +1.6
Turnout 38,327 75.03 +3.2
Labour Co-op hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General election 1964: Glasgow Govan[25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op John Rankin 20,326 64.99
Unionist Peter Breuer 9,571 30.60
Communist Gordon McLennan 1,378 4.41
Majority 10,755 34.39
Turnout 31,275 70.25
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General election 1966: Glasgow Govan[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op John Rankin 18,533 67.8 +2.8
Conservative Peter Breuer 7,677 28.1 -2.5
Communist Gordon McLennan 1,103 4.0 -0.4
Majority 10,856 39.75 +5.3
Turnout 27,313 67.47 -2.7
Labour Co-op hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election 1970: Glasgow Govan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op John Rankin 13,443 60.1 -7.7
Conservative Gerald F. Belton 6,301 28.2 +0.1
SNP Michael Grieve 2,294 10.3 New
Communist Thomas Biggam 326 1.5 -2.5
Majority 7,142 31.9 -7.8
Turnout 22,364 63.2 -4.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing
1973 Glasgow Govan by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Margo MacDonald 6,360 41.5 +31.2
Labour Harry Selby 5,789 38.2 -21.9
Conservative John Mair 1,780 11.7 -16.5
Liberal Peter McMillan 1,239 8.2 New
Majority 571 3.3 N/A
Turnout 15,168
SNP gain from Labour Co-op Swing +26.7
General election February 1974: Glasgow Govan[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Selby 10,326 43.17
SNP Margo MacDonald 9,783 40.90
Conservative John Mair 3,049 12.75
Liberal Peter McMillan 763 3.19
Majority 543 2.27
Turnout 23,920 74.92
Labour gain from SNP Swing
General election October 1974: Glasgow Govan[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Selby 11,392 49.5 +6.3
SNP Margo MacDonald 9,440 41.0 +0.1
Conservative M Todd 1,623 7.1 -5.6
Liberal E Mason 444 1.9 -1.3
National Front M.A. Brooks 86 0.4 New
More Prosperous Britain T Clyde 27 0.1 New
Majority 1,952 8.48 +6.2
Turnout 23,011 71.7 -3.2
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Glasgow Govan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andy McMahon 11,676 67.9 +18.4
Conservative John Harrison Walker 3,188 18.5 +11.4
SNP Thomas Wilson 2,340 13.6 ―27.4
Majority 8,488 49.3 +40.8
Turnout 17,204 75.7 +4.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s[edit]

General election 1983: Glasgow Govan[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bruce Millan 20,370 55.0 ―12.9
SDP Ian McDonald 7,313 19.7 New
Conservative Alastair MacKenzie 7,180 19.4 +0.9
SNP Peter M. Kindlen 2,207 5.9 ―7.7
Majority 13,057 35.3 ―14.0
Turnout 37, 070 71.6 ―4.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1987: Glasgow Govan[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bruce Millan 24,071 64.8 +9.8
SDP Alasdair Ferguson 4,562 12.3 ―7.4
Conservative Janet Girsman 4,411 11.9 ―7.5
SNP Felix McCabe 3,851 10.4 +4.5
Communist Douglas Chalmers 237 0.6 New
Majority 19,509 52.5 +17.2
Turnout 37,132 73.4 +1.8
Labour hold Swing +8.6
By-election 1988: Glasgow Govan
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Jim Sillars 14,677 48.8 +38.4
Labour Robert Gillespie 11,123 36.9 ―27.9
Conservative Graeme Hamilton 2,207 7.3 ―4.6
SLD Bernard Ponsonby 1,246 4.1 ―8.2
Green George Campbell 345 1.1 New
Communist Douglas Chalmers 281 0.9 +0.3
Monster Raving Loony Lord Sutch 174 0.6 New
Independent Fraser Clark 51 0.2 New
Majority 3,554 11.9 N/A
Turnout 30,104 60.2 ―13.2
SNP gain from Labour Swing +33.1

Elections in the 1990s[edit]

General election 1992: Glasgow Govan[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Ian Davidson 17,051 49.0 ―15.8
SNP Jim Sillars 12,926 37.1 +26.7
Conservative James Donnelly 3,458 9.9 ―2.0
Liberal Democrats Bob Stewart 1,227 3.5 ―8.8
Scottish Green David L. Spaven 181 0.5 N/A
Majority 4,125 11.9 ―40.6
Turnout 34,843 75.9 +2.5
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General election 1997: Glasgow Govan[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mohammad Sarwar 14,216 44.1 ―4.9
SNP Nicola Sturgeon 11,302 35.1 ―2.0
Conservative William Thomas 2,839 8.8 ―1.1
Liberal Democrats Bob Stewart 1,918 5.9 +2.4
Scottish Socialist Alan McCombes 755 2.3 New
Independent Peter Paton 325 1.0 New
Independent Islam Badar 319 1.0 New
Independent Zahid Abbasi 221 0.7 New
Referendum Kenneth MacDonald 201 0.6 New
BNP James White 149 0.5 New
Majority 2,914 9.0 -2.9
Turnout 32,245 64.5
Labour hold Swing ―3.2

Elections in the 2000s[edit]

General election 2001: Glasgow Govan[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mohammad Sarwar 12,464 49.3 +5.2
SNP Karen Neary 6,064 24.0 ―11.1
Liberal Democrats Robert (Bob) Stewart 2,815 11.1 +5.2
Conservative Mark Menzies 2,167 8.6 ―0.2
Scottish Socialist Wullie McGartland 1,531 6.1 +3.8
Communist John Foster 174 0.7 New
Independent Badar Mirza 69 0.3 New
Majority 6,400 25.3 +16.3
Turnout 25,284 46.8 ―17.7
Labour hold Swing +8.2

References[edit]

  1. ^ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
  2. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 23 July 2023
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Craigton, Glasgow Govan and Glasgow Gorbals) Order 1955. SI 1955/26". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2198–2201.
  4. ^ Neil Maclean was elected at the 1918 general election as a member of both the Independent Labour Party and the Labour Party. He was expelled from the ILP for deviancy from the party line in 1931.
  5. ^ "BBC Politics 97". BBC. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1889
  7. ^ a b c Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  8. ^ "The General Election". Glasgow Herald. 16 June 1886. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 27 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  10. ^ a b c British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  11. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  12. ^ a b c d e British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918 by FWS Craig
  13. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  14. ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949
  15. ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
  16. ^ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
  17. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1929
  18. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1931
  19. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1935
  20. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  21. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1950
  22. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1951
  23. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1955
  24. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1959
  25. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1964
  26. ^ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  27. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1966
  28. ^ "UK General Election results: February 1974". Politicsresources.net. 28 February 1974. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  29. ^ "UK General Election results: October 1974". Politicsresources.net. 10 October 1974. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  30. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  31. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  32. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  33. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  34. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.

Bibliography[edit]

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