East Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2005 onwards

East Dunbartonshire

Former county constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of East Dunbartonshire in Scotland

Local government in East Dunbartonshire| East Dunbartonshire
Major settlements| Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Milngavie
2005–2024
Seats| One
Created from| Strathkelvin & Bearsden
Clydebank & Milngavie
Coatbridge & Chryston
Replaced by| Mid Dunbartonshire
1950–1983
Seats| One
Type of constituency| County constituency
Created from| Dunbartonshire
Dumbarton Burghs
Replaced by| Strathkelvin & Bearsden and Cumbernauld and Kilsyth[1]

East Dunbartonshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster). It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The seat is possibly best known for formerly being the constituency of Jo Swinson, the former Leader of the Liberal Democrats who was defeated at the 2019 general election.

This version of the constituency was first used at the 2005 general election. There was also an earlier East Dunbartonshire constituency, from 1950 to 1983.

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was expanded and renamed Mid Dunbartonshire, and was first contested at the 2024 general election.[2]

## Constituency profile

[edit]

The constituency covers the northern edge of Greater Glasgow, and includes commuter towns on the North Clyde and Croy railway corridors.[3]

Since 1974, the constituency has had the unusual distinction of having been represented by all four of the main political parties in Scotland, typically with small majorities (under 10%) at each general election.

## Boundaries

[edit]

Map of boundaries 2005–2024

### 2005–2024

[edit]

The existing constituency was created as a result of the Fifth Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, as one of two covering the East Dunbartonshire council area and one of five covering the East Dunbartonshire council area and the North Lanarkshire council area.[4]

The East Dunbartonshire constituency is entirely within the East Dunbartonshire council area, and the rest of the council area is covered by the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency, which also covers part of the North Lanarkshire council area. The rest of the North Lanarkshire area is covered by the Airdrie and Shotts, Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, and Motherwell and Wishaw constituencies.[4]

The East Dunbartonshire constituency replaced most of the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency and some of the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency and some of the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency.[4]

The Fifth Periodical Review did not affect the boundaries of Scottish Parliament constituencies, which retain the boundaries of Westminster constituencies prior to implementation of the results of the review.

### Historic

[edit]

The historic constituency was created under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949, and first used in the 1950 general election.[5]

As created in 1950, the constituency was one of two covering the county of Dunbarton. The other was West Dunbartonshire. The two new constituencies replaced the earlier constituencies of Dunbartonshire and Dumbarton Burghs.[5]

East Dunbartonshire covered the Cumbernauld, Kirkintilloch, and New Kilpatrick districts of the county and the burghs of Clydebank, Kirkintilloch, and Milngavie.[5]

For the 1951 general election the constituency boundaries were adjusted to take account of a change to the boundaries of the burgh of Clydebank.[5]

The results of the First Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission were implemented for the 1955 general election, but there was no change to the boundaries of East Dunbartonshire, and the boundaries of 1951 and 1955 were used also in the general elections of 1959, 1964, 1966 and 1970.[5]

The results of the Second Periodical Review were implemented for the February 1974 general election. The review took account of population growth in the county of Dunbarton, caused by overspill from the city of Glasgow into the new town of Cumbernauld and elsewhere,[citation needed] and East Dunbartonshire became one of three constituencies covering the county. East Dunbartonshire now covered the Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld districts of the county and the burghs of Bearsden, Cumbernauld, and Kirkintilloch, but it lost Clydebank and Milngavie to the new constituency of Central Dunbartonshire. These boundaries were used also for the general elections of October 1974 and 1979.[citation needed]

In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scottish counties were abolished in favour of regions and districts and islands council areas, and the county of Dunbarton was divided between several districts of the new region of Strathclyde. The Third Periodical Review took account of new local government boundaries, and the results were implemented for the 1983 general election.[citation needed]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member[6] | Party

|
|

1950 | David Kirkwood |  | Labour
1951 | Cyril Bence |  | Labour
1970 | Hugh McCartney |  | Labour
Feb 1974 | Barry Henderson |  | Conservative
Oct 1974 | Margaret Bain |  | SNP
1979 | Norman Hogg |  | Labour
1983 | constituency abolished
2005 | Jo Swinson |  | Liberal Democrats
2015 | John Nicolson |  | SNP
2017 | Jo Swinson |  | Liberal Democrats
2019 | Amy Callaghan |  | SNP

## Election results

[edit]

* East Dunbartonshire election history

### Elections in the 2010s

[edit]

General election 2019: East Dunbartonshire[7][8][9] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| SNP | Amy Callaghan | 19,672  | 37.1  |  6.8
| Liberal Democrats | Jo Swinson | 19,523  | 36.8  |  3.8
| Conservative | Pam Gosal | 7,455  | 14.1  |  0.5
| Labour | Callum McNally  | 4,839  | 9.1  |  5.4
| Scottish Green | Carolynn Scrimgeour  | 916  | 1.7  | New
| Independent | Rosie Dickson  | 221  | 0.4  | New
| UKIP | Donald MacKay  | 208  | 0.4  | New
| Scottish Family | Liam McKechnie  | 197  | 0.4  | New
Majority | 149  | 0.3  | N/A
Turnout | 53,031  | 80.3  |  1.5
| SNP gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |  5.3  |

This was the largest constituency turnout,[10] and the smallest SNP majority, at the 2019 general election.[9]

General election 2017: East Dunbartonshire [11][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | Jo Swinson | 21,023  | 40.6  |  4.3
| SNP | John Nicolson | 15,684  | 30.3  |  10.0
| Conservative | Sheila Mechan  | 7,563  | 14.6  |  6.0
| Labour | Callum McNally  | 7,531  | 14.5  |  2.2
Majority | 5,339  | 10.3  | N/A
Turnout | 51,801  | 78.8  |  3.1
| Liberal Democrats gain from SNP | Swing |  7.2  |

See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § East Dunbartonshire

General election 2015: East Dunbartonshire[13][14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| SNP | John Nicolson | 22,093  | 40.3  |  29.8
| Liberal Democrats | Jo Swinson | 19,926  | 36.3  |  2.4
| Labour | Amanjit Jhund  | 6,754  | 12.3  |  21.8
| Conservative | Andrew Polson  | 4,727  | 8.6  |  6.9
| Scottish Green | Ross Greer | 804  | 1.5  | New
| UKIP | Wilfred Arasaratnam  | 567  | 1.0  |  0.1
Majority | 2,167  | 4.0  | N/A
Turnout | 54,871  | 81.91 |  6.7
| SNP gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |  16.0  |

1 This was the highest turnout in the May 2015 general election.[15]

General election 2010: East Dunbartonshire[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | Jo Swinson | 18,551  | 38.7  |  3.1
| Labour | Mary Galbraith  | 16,367  | 34.1  |  1.0
| Conservative | Mark Nolan  | 7,431  | 15.5  |  1.0
| SNP | Iain White  | 5,054  | 10.5  |  4.7
| UKIP | James Beeley  | 545  | 1.1  | New
Majority | 2,184  | 4.6  | 4.1
Turnout | 47,948  | 75.2  |  2.1
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |  2.1  |

### Elections in the 2000s

[edit]

General election 2005: East Dunbartonshire[17] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | Jo Swinson | 19,533  | 41.8  | +14.7
| Labour | John Lyons | 15,472  | 33.1  | −0.2
| Conservative | David Jack  | 7,708  | 16.5  | −6.0
| SNP | Chris Sagan  | 2,716  | 5.8  | −8.9
| Scottish Green | Stuart Callison  | 876  | 1.9  | New
| Scottish Socialist | Pamela Page  | 419  | 0.9  | −1.5
Majority | 4,061  | 8.7  | N/A
Turnout | 46,724  | 73.1  | +10.1
| Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +7.4  |
UK General Election, 2001 Notional Result: East Dunbartonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour |  | 13,792  | 33.3  |
| Liberal Democrats |  | 11,191  | 27.1  |
| Conservative |  | 9,290  | 22.5  |
| SNP |  | 6,099  | 14.7  |
| Scottish Socialist |  | 1,006  | 2.4  |
Majority | 2,601  | 6.2  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

The constituency of 1950 to 1983 has an unusual electoral history, in that in two consecutive general elections it was gained by the party in third place at the previous election. In October 1974 the SNP leapfrogged Labour to defeat the Conservatives, and in 1979 Labour leapfrogged the Conservatives to beat the SNP. Furthermore, the constituency went the opposite way to the nation in two consecutive changes of government. In February 1974, the Conservatives gained it from Labour, though losing nationally, while in 1979 Labour regained the seat from the SNP, though losing nationally. Apart from Ynys Môn in Wales, East Dunbartonshire is the only seat to have been represented by the three main parties and the nationalists.

### Elections in the 1970s

[edit]

General election 1979: East Dunbartonshire[18] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Norman Hogg | 23,268  | 37.9  | +7.6
| Conservative | Michael Hirst | 20,944  | 34.1  | +2.9
| SNP | Margaret Bain | 12,654  | 20.6  | −10.6
| Liberal | R Waddell  | 4,600  | 7.5  | +0.2
Majority | 2,324  | 3.8  | N/A
Turnout | 61,466  | 83.9  | +3.3
| Labour gain from SNP | Swing |  |

The October 1974 result was particularly unusual since it produced both the smallest majority in the country at that election, and the closest three-way result since 1945.

General election October 1974: East Dunbartonshire[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| SNP | Margaret Bain | 15,551  | 31.2  | +8.9
| Conservative | Barry Henderson | 15,529  | 31.2  | −5.5
| Labour | Edward McGarry  | 15,122  | 30.3  | +0.7
| Liberal | Alan Thompson  | 3,636  | 7.3  | −4.1
Majority | 22  | 0.0  | N/A
Turnout | 49,838  | 80.6  | −4.4
| SNP gain from Conservative | Swing |  |
General election February 1974: East Dunbartonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Barry Henderson | 19,092  | 36.7  | −0.3
| Labour | Edward McGarry  | 15,416  | 29.6  | −15.0
| SNP | Margaret Bain | 11,635  | 22.3  | +11.0
| Liberal | J. Cameron  | 5,936  | 11.4  | +6.6
Majority | 3,676  | 7.1  | N/A
Turnout | 52,079  | 85.0  | +7.4
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |  |
General election 1970: East Dunbartonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Hugh McCartney | 32,527  | 44.6  | −7.5
| Conservative | Barry Henderson | 26,972  | 37.0  | +0.6
| SNP | Gordon Murray | 8,257  | 11.3  | +2.3
| Liberal | James G Brown  | 3,460  | 4.8  | New
| Communist | Jimmy Reid | 1,656  | 2.3  | −0.1
Majority | 5,555  | 7.6  | −8.2
Turnout | 72,872  | 77.6  | −3.0
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1960s

[edit]

General election 1966: East Dunbartonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Cyril Bence | 32,988  | 52.15  |
| Conservative | Kenneth B Miller  | 23,001  | 36.36  |
| SNP | William Johnston  | 5,715  | 9.04  | New
| Communist | Jimmy Reid | 1,548  | 2.45  |
Majority | 9,987  | 15.79  |
Turnout | 63,252  | 80.62  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1964: East Dunbartonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Cyril Bence | 32,948  | 55.60  |
| Unionist | T Warren Strachan  | 25,137  | 42.42  |
| Communist | Jimmy Reid | 1,171  | 1.98  |
Majority | 7,811  | 13.18  |
Turnout | 59,256  | 81.70  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1950s

[edit]

General election 1959: East Dunbartonshire[20] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Cyril Bence | 27,942  | 51.05  |
| Unionist | David Anderson | 24,593  | 44.93  |
| Communist | Arnold E Henderson  | 2,200  | 4.02  |
Majority | 3,349  | 6.12  |
Turnout | 54,735  | 84.26  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1955: East Dunbartonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Cyril Bence | 24,216  | 48.68  |
| Unionist | Norman Macleod Glen  | 23,086  | 46.40  |
| Communist | Arnold E Henderson  | 2,448  | 4.92  |
Majority | 1,130  | 2.28  |
Turnout | 49,750  | 81.55  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1951: East Dunbartonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Cyril Bence | 26,678  | 51.22  |
| Unionist | William Whitelaw | 23,252  | 44.64  |
| Communist | Arnold E Henderson  | 2,158  | 4.14  | New
Majority | 3,426  | 6.58  |
Turnout | 52,088  | 86.83  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1950: East Dunbartonshire  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | David Kirkwood | 25,943  | 52.7  |
| Unionist | William Whitelaw | 21,367  | 43.4  |
| Liberal | Charles E Forrester  | 1,952  | 4.0  |
Majority | 4,576  | 9.3  |
Turnout | 49,262  | 86.0  |
| Labour win (new seat)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "'Dunbartonshire East', Feb 1974 – May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 10 January 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
2. ^ Boundary Commission Scotland 2023 Review Report
3. ^ "Constituency profile: Lib Dems pin hopes on East Dunbartonshire". www.scotsman.com. 5 June 2017.
4. ^ a b c "Fifth Periodical Review". Boundary Commission for Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007.
5. ^ a b c d e Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972 (ISBN 0-900178-09-4), F. W. S. Craig, 1972
6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
7. ^ "UK Parliamentary General Election 2019". East Dunbartonshire Council. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
8. ^ "Dunbartonshire East parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
9. ^ a b "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
10. ^ "General Election 2019: Turnout". House of Commons Library. 7 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
11. ^ "SNP to meet over election candidate selection". BBC News. 22 April 2017.
12. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
13. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
14. ^ "East Dunbartonshire Council – UK Parliamentary Election – 7 May 2015 – Results". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
15. ^ "Turnout – General Elections Online". geo.digiminster.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
16. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
17. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
18. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1980
19. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1977
20. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1963

## External links

[edit]

* East Dunbartonshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2005 – May 2024) at MapIt UK

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Jo Swinson

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