Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Glasgow Govan was a special area in Glasgow, Scotland, that elected one person to represent it in the UK Parliament. This area, called a parliamentary constituency, existed for 120 years, from 1885 until 2005. The person elected was known as a Member of Parliament (MP). They were chosen using a system called first-past-the-post, where the candidate with the most votes wins.

For the first 30 years, the seat was often a close race between the Conservative and Liberal parties. However, in 1918, the Labour Party won the seat. Govan then mostly stayed with Labour for the next 55 years, except for a short time between 1950 and 1955 when the Conservatives held it.

Later, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won the seat in a special election in 1973, but Labour won it back the very next year. The SNP took it again in another special election in 1988, but Labour won it back in 1992. Labour kept control until the Govan constituency was removed in 2005.

Today, the areas that used to be part of Glasgow Govan are now covered by other constituencies: Glasgow Central, Glasgow South, and Glasgow South West.

Boundaries: What Area Govan Covered

The area that the Glasgow Govan constituency represented changed several times over the years. This happens when the population changes or when new rules are made about how constituencies should be drawn. Each change meant that the MP for Govan represented slightly different parts of the city.

• 1885–1918: It covered the part of Govan parish south of the River Clyde, outside the main city of Glasgow.
• 1918–1950: The area became more defined, following specific street lines and the River Clyde.
• 1950–1955: It included the Craigton and Fairfield areas of Glasgow, plus part of the Govan area.
• 1955–1974: This time, it included the Govan and Kinning Park areas, and parts of Fairfield and Kingston.
• 1974–1983: The constituency covered the Glasgow areas of Fairfield, Govan, Kingston, and Kinning Park.
• 1983–1997: It was made up of specific electoral divisions like Drumoyne/Govan, Mosspark/Bellahouston, and Penilee/Cardonald.
• 1997–2005: The final version included the electoral divisions of Govan/Drumoyne, Kingston/Pollokshields, and Langside/Shawlands.

Members of Parliament for Govan

Here are the people who served as the MP for Glasgow Govan:

Images for kids

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  John Hill was a trade unionist and politician.

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  Helen Fraser was a Scottish feminist and politician.