Glasgow Central was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 2024. A Glasgow Central constituency existed from 1885 until its abolition in 1997. Prior to the 2005 general election, boundary changes led to a new constituency named Glasgow Central being introduced. The constituency was abolished again prior to the 2024 general election.[2] Prior to its abolition, the seat was held by Alison Thewliss of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The first iteration of this constituency was the seat of the former Conservative Prime MinisterBonar Law, who was the shortest-serving UK Prime Minister of the twentieth century.
Boundaries
Map of boundaries 2005-2024
1885–1918: The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Municipal Wards.[3]
1918–1950: "That portion of the city which is bounded by a line commencing at a point at the intersection of the centre lines of Parliamentary Road and Castle Street, thence southward along the centre line of Castle Street to the centre line of Alexandra Parade, thence eastward along the centre line of Alexandra Parade to the centre line of Firpark Street, thence southward along the centre line of Firpark Street and Ark Lane to the centre line of Duke Street, thence westward along the centre line of Duke Street to the centre line of Sydney Street, thence southward along the centre line of Sydney Street to the centre line of Gallowgate, thence westward along the centre line of Gallowgate to the centre line of Saltmarket, thence southward along the centre line of Saltmarket and Albert Bridge to the centre line of the River Clyde, thence westward along the centre line of the River Clyde to a point in line with the centre line of McAlpine Street, thence northward along the centre line of McAlpine Street, Pitt Street and Scott Street to the centre line of New City Road, thence south-eastward along the centre line of New City Road and Cowcaddens to the centre line of Buchanan Street, thence southward along the centre line of Buchanan Street to the centre line of Parliamentary Road, thence north-eastward along the centre line of Parliamentary Road to the point of commencement."
1950–1975: The Exchange and Townhead wards of the county of the city of Glasgow.[4]
1955–1974: The Cowcaddens and Townhead wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of Exchange ward.[5]
1974–1983: The County of the City of Glasgow wards of Calton, Dalmarnock, Exchange, and Townhead.
1983–1997: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Central/Calton, Kingston/Hutchesontown, and Queen's Park/Crosshill.
2005–2024: The Glasgow City wards of Anderston, Bridgeton/Dalmarnock, Calton, Govanhill, Hutchesontown, Kelvingrove, Kingston, Merchant City, Pollokshields East, Strathbungo, and Toryglen.
From 2005, Glasgow Central was one of seven constituencies covering the Glasgow City council area, all entirely within the council area. Prior to the 2005 general election, the city area was covered by ten constituencies, of which two straddled boundaries with other council areas.
The Central constituency, as defined in 2005, included parts of the former Glasgow Govan, Glasgow Kelvin, Glasgow Shettleston, Glasgow Pollok and Glasgow Rutherglen constituencies.[6]Scottish Parliament constituencies for the area are predominantly Glasgow Southside on the South of the river and Glasgow Kelvin on the North of the river, with Calton, Bridgeton and Dalmarnock areas of Glasgow Shettleston as well as a single polling place each from Glasgow Cathcart and Glasgow Provan.
This former constituency took in Glasgow city centre to the north, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery, the main railway stations, Glasgow Cathedral and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. It was home to both Strathclyde and Caledonian Universities, as well as the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and still often referred to locally as RSAMD) and the Glasgow School of Art. It was home to a significant number of students attending the University of Glasgow, which is just over the boundary in Glasgow North. The large student population was an important factor in elections, and the presence of four degree-awarding institutions as well as a significant portion of the student body of a fifth has led to claims that it was the best-educated constituency in the United Kingdom. The Merchant City was also here, yuppie housing built out of the disused cotton and tobacco warehouses. This area is a symbol of the rebirth of the city.
Flora Scarabello was suspended by the Scottish Conservatives after alleged Islamophobia. Because nominations had closed at the time of her suspension, she still appeared on the ballot paper as the Conservative candidate.[13]
^"'Glasgow Central', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
^Boundary Commission for Scotland (28 June 2023). "2023 Review of UK Parliament Constituency Boundaries in Scotland" (PDF). Retrieved 22 July 2023.
^"Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 23 July 2023
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) (Glasgow Springburn, Glasgow Central and Glasgow Kelvingrove) Order 1955. SI 1955/31". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2204–2206.
^"SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) 2016". Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2016. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
^"European Referendum 2016 Glasgow Results". www.glasgow.gov.uk. 23 June 2016.
^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 1)
^"Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Glasgow City Council. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
^"Glasgow Central parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
^"Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
^"Scottish Tories suspend second election candidate over alleged Islamophobia". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
^20 Trongate Glasgow Young Scot (11 May 2017). "General Election 2017 - Glasgow candidates announced". glasgow.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
^"Comment and letters". The National. 27 November 2014. p. 25.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.