Rutherglen and Hamilton West (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Rutherglen and Hamilton West is an area in Scotland that chooses one person to represent it in the UK Parliament. This area is called a burgh constituency. It was created for the general election in 2005.

The constituency covers most of the old Glasgow Rutherglen area. It also includes much of the former Hamilton South area. The person elected to represent the area is called a Member of Parliament (MP). They are chosen using a system called first-past-the-post. This means the candidate with the most votes wins.

Margaret Ferrier won the seat in the 2019 election for the Scottish National Party. She had also been the MP from 2015 to 2017. Later, she became an independent MP after a rule-breaking incident.

Because of this, a special vote called a recall petition was held. This petition allowed people to decide if they wanted to remove their MP. On August 1, 2023, it was confirmed that enough people had signed the petition. This meant Margaret Ferrier lost her seat. A by-election will now be held to choose a new MP for the area.

Historically, this area was usually represented by the Labour Party. But in 2015, the Scottish National Party won the seat. This was part of a big change where the SNP won many seats in Scotland. Two years later, in the 2017 election, Labour won the seat back by a very small number of votes.

The boundaries of this area will change soon. This means the name will also change back to just Rutherglen. This new name will be used for the next general election.

Area Covered by the Constituency

The Rutherglen and Hamilton West area is part of the South Lanarkshire council area. Other parts of South Lanarkshire are covered by different constituencies. These include Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, and Lanark and Hamilton East.

The name "Rutherglen and Hamilton West" comes from the town of Rutherglen and the western part of the town of Hamilton.

The constituency is made up of several local areas called wards. These include:

• All of: Blantyre, Cambuslang East, Cambuslang West, Rutherglen Central and North, Rutherglen South.
• Parts of: Hamilton North and East, Hamilton South, Hamilton West and Earnock.

About the Area

Rutherglen and Hamilton West is a city-like area near Greater Glasgow. Many people who live here travel to Glasgow for work or school. Train journeys to Glasgow city centre can be as short as 15 minutes.

The area has different types of communities. Some parts, like areas on the edge of Rutherglen, eastern Cambuslang, Blantyre, and western Hamilton, have more challenges. Other parts, such as central Rutherglen, western Cambuslang, and the Earnock area of Hamilton, are more well-off.

In the 2016 Brexit vote, about 62% of voters in this area wanted to stay in the European Union. In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, voters were split almost equally, with about 50% voting "No" and 50% voting "Yes" to Scottish independence.

This constituency is seen as an important area where the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party often compete closely. The seat has changed hands three times in the last 10 years.

Members of Parliament

Election Results

This section shows the results of past elections in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s