Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glasgow Govan
Former burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Glasgow Govan shown within the Glasgow electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Former constituency
Created	1999
Abolished	2011
Council area	Glasgow City (part) Renfrewshire (part)

Glasgow Govan was an area in Scotland that had its own representative in the Scottish Parliament. This area was called a "constituency." From 1999 to 2011, people living in Glasgow Govan voted for one person to represent them. This person was known as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP).

The way they voted was called "first past the post." This means the candidate who gets the most votes wins, even if they don't get more than half of all the votes. After the 2011 election, the Glasgow Govan constituency was changed. Its area was split and became part of two new constituencies: Glasgow Pollok and Glasgow Southside.

Glasgow Govan: An Electoral Area

The Glasgow Govan constituency was first created in 1999. This was the same year the Scottish Parliament started. Its boundaries were similar to an older area used for the UK Parliament.

The constituency covered parts of the Glasgow City area and a small part of Renfrewshire. It was located south of the Kelvin constituency and west of Shettleston. It was also north of Cathcart and Pollok, which were all within the city of Glasgow.

Changes to Constituency Boundaries

Over time, the areas that MSPs represent can change. This happens after a "boundary review." A group called the Boundary Commission for Scotland looks at how constituencies are drawn. They make sure that each area has roughly the same number of voters.

After a review for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the commission decided to get rid of the Glasgow Govan constituency. A new area called Glasgow Southside was created. This new constituency included parts of the old Govan area, along with other wards like Southside Central and Pollokshields.

Members of the Scottish Parliament for Govan

The people who represented Glasgow Govan in the Scottish Parliament were called MSPs. They worked to make sure the voices of the people in Govan were heard in Parliament.

One well-known MSP for Glasgow Govan was Nicola Sturgeon. She represented the constituency from the 2007 election until it was abolished in 2011. Before that, she was an MSP for the wider Glasgow region from 1999 to 2007. During some of that time, she was even the Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament. Later, she became the First Minister of Scotland.

Here is a list of the MSPs who represented Glasgow Govan:

Election Results Summary

People in Glasgow Govan voted in three Scottish Parliament elections: 1999, 2003, and 2007.

In the 1999 election, Gordon Jackson from the Labour Party won. He received more votes than Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party.

In the 2003 election, Gordon Jackson won again for the Labour Party. He kept his seat, though Nicola Sturgeon still came in second place.

However, in the 2007 election, Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party won the seat. She received more votes than Gordon Jackson, and her party gained the constituency from Labour.

After the 2007 election, the Glasgow Govan constituency was abolished. This meant there would be no more elections specifically for Glasgow Govan.

See also

• Politics of Scotland