West of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

Not to be confused with West Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region).

West of Scotland was one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament that were created in 1999. Nine of the Parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies were sub-divisions of the region and it elected seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Thus it elected a total of 16 MSPs.

West of Scotland
Former electoral region for the Scottish Parliament
West of Scotland shown within Scotland
Former electoral region
Created	1999
Abolished	2011
Council areas	Argyll and Bute (part) East Dunbartonshire (part) East Renfrewshire Inverclyde North Ayrshire (part) Renfrewshire (part) West Dunbartonshire
Constituencies	Clydebank and Milngavie Cunninghame North Dumbarton Eastwood Greenock and Inverclyde Paisley North Paisley South Strathkelvin and Bearsden West Renfrewshire

The West of Scotland region shared boundaries with the Central Scotland, Glasgow, Highlands and Islands, and Mid Scotland and Fife regions.

Following the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries it was eventually replaced by the West Scotland region.

Constituencies and local government areas

In terms of first past the post constituencies the region covered:

Map

Constituency

Clydebank and Milngavie covers the eastern portion of the West Dunbartonshire council area and a western portion of the East Dunbartonshire council area. Cunninghame North covers a north-western portion of the North Ayrshire council area. Dumbarton covers a western portion of the West Dunbartonshire council area and a south-eastern portion of the Argyll and Bute council area. Eastwood covers the East Renfrewshire council area. Greenock and Inverclyde covers a western portion of the Inverclyde council area. Paisley North covers an eastern portion of the Renfrewshire council area. Paisley South covers a south eastern portion of the Renfrewshire council area. Strathkelvin and Bearsden covers the majority of the East Dunbartonshire council area. West Renfrewshire covers a western portion of the Renfrewshire council area and an eastern portion of the Inverclyde council area.

The constituencies were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of Westminster constituencies, as existing at that time. Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies in 2005.^[1]

In terms of local government areas the region covered:

• West Dunbartonshire
• East Renfrewshire
• Inverclyde
• Most of Renfrewshire (otherwise within the Glasgow region)
• Most of East Dunbartonshire (otherwise within the Central Scotland region)
• Part of Argyll and Bute (otherwise within the Highlands and Islands region)
• Part of North Ayrshire (otherwise within the South of Scotland region)

Boundary changes

The Boundary Commission recommended changes to the electoral regions used to elect "list" members of the Scottish Parliament. The "West Scotland" region consists of the constituencies of Clydebank and Milngavie; Cunninghame North; Cunninghame South; Dumbarton; Eastwood; Greenock and Inverclyde; Paisley; Renfrewshire North and West; Renfrewshire South; and Starthkelvin and Bearsden. These were newly formed constituencies.

Members of the Scottish Parliament

Constituency MSPs

Term	Election	Strathkelvin and Bearsden		Clydebank and Milngavie		Dumbarton		Eastwood		Paisley South		Paisley North		West Renfrewshire		Greenock and Iverclyde		Cunninghame North
1st	1999		Sam Galbraith (Labour)		Des McNulty (Labour)		Jackie Baillie (Labour)		Kenneth Macintosh (Labour)		Hugh Henry (Labour)		Wendy Alexander (Labour)		Trish Godman (Labour)		Duncan McNeil (Labour)		Allan Wilson (Labour)
			Brian Fitzpatrick (Labour)
2nd	2003		Jean Turner Independent
3rd	2007		David Whitton (Labour)																Kenneth Gibson (SNP)

Regional List MSPs

N.B. This table is for presentation purposes only

Parliament	MSP		MSP		MSP		MSP		MSP		MSP		MSP
1st (1999–2003)		Colin Campbell (SNP)		Kay Ullrich (SNP)		Lloyd Quinan (SNP)		Fiona McLeod (SNP)		Ross Finnie (Lib Dem)		Annabel Goldie (Conservative)		John Young (Conservative)
2nd (2003–07)		Stewart Maxwell (SNP)		Campbell Martin (SNP)		Bruce McFee (SNP)		Frances Curran (Socialist)						Murray Tosh (Conservative)
3rd (2007–11)				Stuart McMillan (SNP)		Bill Wilson (SNP)		Gil Paterson (SNP)						Jackson Carlaw (Conservative)

Election results

2007 Scottish Parliament election

In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:

• 8 Labour MSPs (all constituency members)
• 5 Scottish National Party MSPs (one constituency member, 4 additional members)
• 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)
• 1 Liberal Democrat MSP (additional member)

Constituency results

2007 Scottish Parliament election: West of Scotland
Constituency		Elected member	Result
	Clydebank and Milngavie	Des McNulty	Labour hold
	Cunninghame North	Kenneth Gibson	SNP gain from Labour
	Dumbarton	Jackie Baillie	Labour hold
	Eastwood	Kenneth Macintosh	Labour hold
	Greenock and Inverclyde	Duncan McNeil	Labour hold
	Paisley North	Wendy Alexander	Labour hold
	Paisley South	Hugh Henry	Labour hold
	Strathkelvin and Bearsden	David Whitton	Labour gain from Independent
	West Renfrewshire	Patricia Godman	Labour hold

Additional member results

2007 Scottish Parliament election: West of Scotland
Party		Elected candidates	Seats	+/−	Votes	%	+/−%
	Labour		0	0	91,725	34.2%	-1.6%
	SNP	Stewart Maxwell Gil Paterson Bill Wilson Stuart McMillan	4	+1	75,953	28.3%	+8.7%
	Conservative	Annabel Goldie Jackson Carlaw	2	±0	40,637	15.2%	-0.5%
	Liberal Democrats	Ross Finnie	1	±0	22,515	8.4%	-3.9%
	Scottish Green		0	0	8,152	3.0%	-2.6%
	Scottish Senior Citizens		0	0	5,231	2.0%	-0.8%
	Solidarity		0	0	4,774	1.8%	N/A
	Scottish Christian		0	0	3,729	1.4%	N/A
	BNP		0	0	3,241	1.2%	N/A
	CPA		0	0	3,027	1.1%	N/A
	Save NHS Group		0	0	2,682	1.0%	N/A
	Scottish Socialist		0	-1	1,716	0.6%	-6.6%
	Socialist Labour		0	0	1,557	0.6%	-0.6%
	Scottish Unionist		0	0	1,245	0.5%	-0.2%
	UKIP		0	0	888	0.3%	-0.3%
	Scottish Voice		0	0	522	0.2%	N/A
	Scottish Jacobite Party		0	0	446	0.2%	N/A
	Socialist Equality		0	0	139	0.0%	N/A

2003 Scottish Parliament election

In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:^[2]

• 8 Labour MSPs (all constituency members)
• 3 Scottish National Party MSPs (all additional members)
• 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)
• 1 Independent MSP (constituency member)
• 1 Liberal Democrat MSPs (additional member)
• 1 Scottish Socialist Party MSP (additional member)

Constituency results

2003 Scottish Parliament election: West of Scotland
Constituency		Elected member	Result
	Clydebank and Milngavie	Des McNulty	Labour
	Cunninghame North	Allan Wilson	Labour
	Dumbarton	Jackie Baillie	Labour
	Eastwood	Kenneth Macintosh	Labour
	Greenock and Inverclyde	Duncan McNeil	Labour
	Paisley North	Wendy Alexander	Labour
	Paisley South	Hugh Henry	Labour
	Strathkelvin and Bearsden	Jean Turner	Independent
	West Renfrewshire	Patricia Godman	Labour

Additional member results

2003 Scottish Parliament election: West of Scotland
Party		Elected candidates	Seats	+/−	Votes	%	+/−%
	Labour		0	0	83,931	32.6%	-5.9%
	SNP	Campbell Martin Bruce McFee Stewart Maxwell	3	−1	50,387	19.6%	-6.3%
	Conservative	Annabel Goldie Murray Tosh	2	±0	40,261	15.7%	–
	Liberal Democrats	Ross Finnie	1	±0	31,580	12.3%	+1.3%
	Scottish Socialist	Frances Curran	1	+1	18,591	7.2%	+5.3%
	Scottish Green		0	0	14,544	5.7%	+3.1%
	Scottish Senior Citizens		0	0	7,100	2.8%	N/A
	ProLife Party		0	0	3,674	1.40%	N/A
	Socialist Labour		0	0	3,155	1.2%	-0.2%
	UKIP		0	0	1,662	0.6%	N/A
	Scottish Unionist		0	0	1,617	0.6%	–
	Scottish People's		0	0	674	0.3%	N/A

1999 Scottish Parliament election

In the 1999 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:

• 9 Labour MSPs (all constituency members)
• 4 Scottish National Party MSPs (all additional members)
• 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)
• 1 Liberal Democrat MSP (additional member)

Constituency results

1999 Scottish Parliament election: West of Scotland
Constituency		Elected member	Result
	Clydebank and Milngavie	Des McNulty	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)
	Cunninghame North	Allan Wilson	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)
	Dumbarton	Jackie Baillie	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)
	Eastwood	Kenneth Macintosh	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)
	Greenock and Inverclyde	Duncan McNeil	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)
	Paisley North	Wendy Alexander	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)
	Paisley South	Hugh Henry	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)
	Strathkelvin and Bearsden	Sam Galbraith	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)
	West Renfrewshire	Patricia Godman	Scottish Labour Party win (new seat)

Changes:

• On 20 March 2001 Sam Galbraith resigned, citing health reasons. At the subsequent Strathkelvin and Bearsden by-election held 7 June 2001, Brian Fitzpatrick held the seat for Labour.

Additional member results

1999 Scottish Parliament election: West of Scotland
Party		Elected candidates	Seats	+/−	Votes	%	+/−%
	Labour		0	N/A	119,663	38.5%	N/A
	SNP	Colin Campbell Kay Ullrich Lloyd Quinan Fiona McLeod	4	N/A	80,417	25.9%	N/A
	Conservative	Annabel Goldie John Young	2	N/A	48,666	15.7%	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Ross Finnie	1	N/A	34,095	11.0%	N/A
	Scottish Green		0	N/A	8,174	2.6%	N/A
	Scottish Socialist		0	N/A	5,944	1.9%	N/A
	Socialist Labour		0	N/A	4,472	1.4%	N/A
	ProLife Alliance		0	N/A	3,227	1.0%	N/A
	Independent		0	N/A	2,761	0.9%	N/A
	Scottish Unionist		0	N/A	1,840	0.6%	N/A
	Natural Law Party		0	N/A	589	0.2%	N/A
	Independent		0	N/A	565	0.2%	N/A

Footnotes

1. See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland
2. "Scottish Parliament election: West of Scotland". BBC News. Retrieved 10 September 2016.