Glasgow Gorbals (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Gorbals

Former burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland| County of city of Glasgow
1918–1974 (1974)
Seats| One
Created from| Mid Lanarkshire
Replaced by| Glasgow Queen's Park, Glasgow Govan[1]

Glasgow Gorbals was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Glasgow. From 1918 until 1974, it returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post system.

## Boundaries

[edit]

The Representation of the People Act 1918 provided that the constituency was to consist of "That portion of the city which is bounded by a line commencing at a point on the municipal boundary at the centre line of the River Clyde about 77 yards east of the centre of Rutherglen Bridge, thence southwestward along the municipal boundary to the centre of the Caledonian Railway Main Line from Glasgow to Rutherglen, thence north-westward along the centre line of the said Caledonian Railway to the centre line of the Glasgow and South Western Railway, thence south-westward along the centre line of the said Glasgow and South Western Railway to the centre line of Victoria Road, thence northward along the centre line of Victoria Road, Eglinton Street, Bridge Street and Glasgow Bridge to the centre line of the River Clyde, thence south-eastward along the centre line of the River Clyde to the point of commencement."[2]

1950–1955: The County of the City of Glasgow wards of Gorbals and Hutchesontown, and part of Govanhill ward.

1955–1974: The County of the City of Glasgow wards of Gorbals and Hutchesontown, and parts of Govanhill and Kingston wards.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member [3] | Party

|
|

| 1918 | George Barnes | Coalition Labour
| 1922 | George Buchanan | Labour
| 1931 | Ind. Labour
| 1939 | Labour Party
| 1948 by-election | Alice Cullen | Labour
| 1969 by-election | Frank McElhone | Labour
Feb 1974 | constituency abolished: see Glasgow Queen's Park

## Election results

[edit]

### Elections in the 1970s

[edit]

General election 1970: Glasgow Gorbals[4] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Frank McElhone | 10,260  | 69.3  | −3.8
| Conservative | William Shearer  | 3,071  | 20.8  | −2.0
| SNP | Thomas Brady  | 1,089  | 7.4  | N/A
| Communist | John Kay  | 376  | 2.5  | −1.6
Majority  | 7,189  | 48.6  | −1.6
Turnout | 14,796  | 59.7  | −2.0
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1960s

[edit]

1969 Glasgow Gorbals by-election[5] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Frank McElhone | 7,834  | 53.4  | −19.7
| SNP | Thomas Brady  | 3,671  | 25.0  | New
| Conservative | William Shearer  | 2,732  | 18.6  | −4.2
| Communist | John Kay  | 361  | 2.5  | −1.6
| Workers (Scotland) | Matt Lygate | 72  | 0.5  | New
Majority  | 4,163  | 28.4  | −21.8
Turnout | 14,670  | 58.5  | −3.3
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1966: Glasgow Gorbals[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Alice Cullen | 14,453  | 73.1  | +1.7
| Conservative | William C Hunter  | 4,513  | 22.8  | −0.2
| Communist | Margaret Hunter | 819  | 4.1  | −1.5
Majority  | 9,940  | 50.2  | +1.8
Turnout | 19,785  | 61.7  | −2.8
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1964: Glasgow Gorbals[7] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Alice Cullen | 16,931  | 71.4  | +8.1
| Unionist | William C Hunter  | 5,455  | 23.0  | −7.8
| Communist | Margaret Hunter | 1,339  | 5.6  | −0.3
Majority  | 11,476  | 48.4  | +15.8
Turnout | 23,725  | 64.5  | −3.7
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1950s

[edit]

General election 1959: Glasgow Gorbals  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Alice Cullen | 20,731  | 63.3  | +2.1
| Unionist | William C Hunter  | 10,072  | 30.8  | −1.3
| Communist | Peter Kerrigan | 1,932  | 5.9  | −0.9
Majority  | 10,659  | 32.6  | +3.5
Turnout | 32,735  | 68.2  | +3.0
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1955: Glasgow Gorbals  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Alice Cullen | 22,567  | 61.2  | −0.6
| Unionist | William B Thomson  | 11,839  | 32.1  | +0.1
| Communist | Peter Kerrigan | 2,491  | 6.8  | +0.6
Majority  | 10,728  | 29.1  | −0.8
Turnout | 36,897  | 65.2  | −10.9
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1951: Glasgow Gorbals  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Alice Cullen | 25,288  | 61.8  | +2.8
| Unionist | James A Young  | 13,069  | 32.0  | +0.5
| Communist | Peter Kerrigan | 2,553  | 6.2  | +0.3
Majority  | 12,219  | 29.9  | +3.3
Turnout | 40,910  | 76.1  | −0.7
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1950: Glasgow Gorbals  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Alice Cullen | 24,137  | 58.0  | −22.0
| Unionist | James A Young  | 13,078  | 31.4  | +11.5
| Communist | Peter Kerrigan | 2,435  | 5.9  | New
| Anti-Partition | William McGuinness  | 1,959  | 4.7  | New
Majority  | 11.059  | 26.6  | −33.4
Turnout | 41,609  | 77.3  | +19.9
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1940s

[edit]

1948 Glasgow Gorbals by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Alice Cullen | 13,706  | 54.56  | −25.44
| Unionist | W. Roxburgh  | 7,181  | 28.59  | +8.59
| Communist | Peter Kerrigan | 4,233  | 16.85  | +16.85
Majority  | 6,525  | 25.97  | −34.01
Turnout | 25,120  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +17.02  |
General election 1945: Glasgow Gorbals  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Buchanan | 21,073  | 80.0  | +74.1
| Unionist | Ian Mactaggart | 5,269  | 20.0  | +9.9
Majority  | 15,804  | 60.0  | N/A
Turnout | 26,342  | 56.9  |
| Labour gain from Ind. Labour Party | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1935: Glasgow Gorbals[8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Ind. Labour Party | George Buchanan | 22,860  | 75.02  |
| Unionist | M. Bloch  | 5,824  | 19.11  |
| Labour | Alexander Burnett  | 1,786  | 5.86  |
Majority  | 17,036  | 55.91  | N/A
Turnout | 31,470  |  |
| Ind. Labour Party gain from Independent Labour | Swing |  |
General election 1931: Glasgow Gorbals[9] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Independent Labour | George Buchanan | 19,278  | 58.12  |
| Unionist | M. Bloch  | 11,264  | 33.96  |
| Communist | Harry McShane | 2,626  | 7.92  | New
Majority  | 8,014  | 24.16  | N/A
Turnout | 33,168  |  |
| Independent Labour gain from Labour | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

General election 1929: Glasgow Gorbals[10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Buchanan | 25,134  | 74.8  | +8.9
| Unionist | Maurice Bloch  | 8,457  | 25.2  | −8.9
Majority  | 16,677  | 49.6  | +17.8
Turnout | 33,591  | 68.5  | −4.5
Registered electors | 49,004  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +8.9  |
General election 1924: Glasgow Gorbals[11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Buchanan | 19,480  | 65.9  | −1.3
| Unionist | Robert McLellan  | 10,092  | 34.1  | +1.3
Majority  | 9,388  | 31.8  | −2.6
Turnout | 29,572  | 73.0  | +9.5
Registered electors | 40,483  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | −1.3  |
General election 1923: Glasgow Gorbals[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Buchanan | 17,211  | 67.2  | +12.7
| Unionist | Robert McLellan  | 8,392  | 32.8  | New
Majority  | 8,819  | 34.4  | +7.3
Turnout | 25,603  | 63.5  | −11.6
Registered electors | 40,331  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 1922: Glasgow Gorbals  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Buchanan | 16,478  | 54.5  | +20.2
| National Liberal | James Erskine Harper  | 8,276  | 27.4  | New
| Independent Communist  | John Maclean | 4,027  | 13.3  | New
| Liberal | Francis John Robertson  | 1,456  | 4.8  | New
Majority  | 8,202  | 27.1  | N/A
Turnout | 30,237  | 75.1  | +21.9
Registered electors | 40,251  |  |
| Labour gain from Coalition Labour | Swing | N/A |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election 1918: Glasgow Gorbals  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Coalition Labour | *George Barnes | 14,247  | 65.7  |
| Labour | John Maclean | 7,436  | 34.3  |
Majority  | 6,811  | 31.4  |
Turnout | 21,683  | 53.2  |
Registered electors | 40,765  |  |
| Coalition Labour win (new seat)

* Barnes did not receive the Coalition Coupon and was therefore an unofficial candidate.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Statutory Instrument 1970 No. 1680 (section Two) The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1970 (Coming into force 25 November 1970)
2. ^ Representation of the People Act 1918, Schedule 9, Part I.
3. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 2)
4. ^ "UK General Election results: 1970". Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
5. ^ "1969 - 70 By Elections". 11 October 2008. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008.
6. ^ UK General Election results: March 1966
7. ^ UK General Election results: October 1964
8. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
9. ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
10. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
11. ^ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
12. ^ The Times, 8 December 1923

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