Dumbarton (Scottish Parliament constituency) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dumbarton |
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| county constituency for the Scottish Parliament |
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Dumbarton shown within the West Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
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| Population | 72,921 (2019) |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1999 |
| Party | Labour |
| MSP | Jackie Baillie |
| Council area | West Dunbartonshire Argyll and Bute |
Dumbarton (in Gaelic: Dùn Breatann) is a special area in Scotland that gets to choose one person to represent it in the Scottish Parliament. This parliament, also known as Holyrood, makes laws for Scotland. The Dumbarton area includes parts of Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire.
The person chosen to represent Dumbarton is called a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). They are elected using a system called "first past the post." This means the candidate with the most votes wins. Dumbarton is also part of a larger area called the West Scotland electoral region. This region elects extra MSPs to make sure different groups are fairly represented.
Since the Scottish Parliament started in 1999, the Dumbarton seat has always been held by Jackie Baillie from the Scottish Labour party.
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What is the Dumbarton Constituency?
A "constituency" is like a voting district. It's an area that elects one person to represent it in a parliament or assembly. The Dumbarton constituency was created when the Scottish Parliament began in 1999. It was named after the town of Dumbarton.
Where is the Dumbarton Constituency?
The Dumbarton constituency covers parts of two different council areas in Scotland: Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire.
It includes the towns of Helensburgh and the area around Loch Lomond from Argyll and Bute. From West Dunbartonshire, it covers the town of Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven. The rest of West Dunbartonshire is part of the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency.
Since the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the boundaries of Dumbarton were changed slightly. It now includes these specific local areas, called "wards":
- From West Dunbartonshire: Dumbarton, Leven, Lomond
- From Argyll and Bute: Lomond North, Helensburgh Central, Helensburgh and Lomond South
Who Represents Dumbarton?
The current MSP for Dumbarton is Jackie Baillie. She has been the MSP for this area since the very first Scottish Parliament election in 1999. She belongs to the Scottish Labour party.
| Election | Member | Party | |
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| 1999 | Jackie Baillie | Labour | |
What Makes Dumbarton Unique?
Dumbarton is the only constituency in the Scottish Parliament that has always voted for the Labour party in every election since the parliament was created.
The area is quite varied. It includes two main towns, Dumbarton and Helensburgh, which are very different. Dumbarton has faced challenges like unemployment. It's traditionally been a strong area for the Labour party.
Helensburgh, on the other hand, is a more well-off town. It has a nice waterfront and has benefited from being close to the Faslane naval base.
In the 2021 election, some people thought the Scottish National Party (SNP) might win the seat for the first time. However, Jackie Baillie actually won by a larger number of votes than before. Many believe this was because voters who usually support other parties chose to vote for Labour to prevent the SNP from winning.
West Scotland Electoral Region
The Dumbarton constituency is part of the larger West Scotland electoral region. This region includes nine other constituencies:
- Clydebank and Milngavie
- Cunninghame North
- Cunninghame South
- Eastwood
- Greenock and Inverclyde
- Paisley
- Renfrewshire North and West
- Renfrewshire South
- Strathkelvin and Bearsden
This region covers parts of several council areas, including Argyll and Bute, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and West Dunbartonshire.
