# Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)

Inverclyde was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaced Greenock and Inverclyde and the Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm areas from West Renfrewshire for the 2005 general election.
Iain McKenzie of the Labour Party won the ensuing Inverclyde by-election following the death of the previous Labour MP, David Cairns. At the 2015 general election, the seat was gained by Ronnie Cowan of the Scottish National Party, with a majority of 11,063 votes. At the 2017 snap election, Cowan was re-elected, but with a greatly reduced majority of just 384 votes. However, at the 2019 general election he was re-elected with a significantly increased majority of 7,512 votes, making this a safe seat for the SNP.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was expanded to include western areas of Renfrewshire, including Bridge of Weir, Houston and Crosslee. As a consequence, the constituency of Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West was contested at the 2024 general election.

## Constituency profile

Most of the population live along the Clyde in the north of the seat, and there is a more rural area to the south in Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. Residents are slightly less affluent than the Scottish and UK averages.

## Boundaries

The constituency was coterminous with the Inverclyde council area. This includes the towns and villages of Gourock, Greenock, Inverkip, Kilmacolm, Port Glasgow, Quarriers Village and Wemyss Bay.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 2005 | David Cairns | Labour |
| 2011 by-election | Iain McKenzie | Labour |
| 2015 | Ronnie Cowan | Scottish National Party |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Inverclyde :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Ronnie Cowan | 19,295 | 48.4 | +9.9 |
| | Labour | Martin McCluskey | 11,783 | 29.5 | −8.0 |
| | Conservative | Haroun Malik | 6,265 | 15.7 | −5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jacci Stoyle | 2,560 | 6.4 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,512 | 18.9 | +17.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,903 | 65.8 | −0.6 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | +9.0 | |
General election 2017: Inverclyde :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Ronnie Cowan | 15,050 | 38.5 | −16.6 |
| | Labour | Martin McCluskey | 14,666 | 37.5 | +7.2 |
| | Conservative | David Wilson | 8,399 | 21.5 | +11.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Stevens | 978 | 2.5 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 384 | 1.0 | −23.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,093 | 66.4 | −8.8 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | -11.9 | |
General election 2015: Inverclyde :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Ronnie Cowan | 24,585 | 55.1 | +37.6 |
| | Labour | Iain McKenzie | 13,522 | 30.3 | −25.7 |
| | Conservative | George Jabbour | 4,446 | 10.0 | −2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Watson | 1,106 | 2.5 | −10.8 |
| | UKIP | Michael Burrows | 715 | 1.6 | +0.4 |
| | CISTA | Craig Hamilton | 233 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,063 | 24.8 | N/A$^1$ |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,607 | 75.2 | +11.8 |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +31.7 | |
$^1$ Change to majority not useful when seat changes hands.
By-Election 2011: Inverclyde :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Iain McKenzie | 15,118 | 53.8 | –2.2 |
| | SNP | Anne McLaughlin | 9,280 | 33.0 | +15.5 |
| | Conservative | David Wilson | 2,784 | 9.9 | –2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sophie Bridger | 627 | 2.2 | –11.1 |
| | UKIP | Mitch Sorbie | 288 | 1.0 | –0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,838 | 20.8 | −17.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,097 | 45.4 | –18.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -15.5 | |
General election 2010: Inverclyde :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Cairns | 20,993 | 56.0 | +5.3 |
| | SNP | Innes Nelson | 6,577 | 17.5 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Hutton | 5,007 | 13.3 | −3.7 |
| | Conservative | David Wilson | 4,502 | 12.0 | +1.8 |
| | UKIP | Peter Campbell | 433 | 1.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,416 | 38.5 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,512 | 63.4 | +2.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Inverclyde :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Cairns | 18,318 | 50.7 | +0.5 |
| | SNP | Stuart McMillan | 7,059 | 19.6 | +5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Douglas Herbison | 6,123 | 17.0 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Fraser | 3,692 | 10.2 | −0.6 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Davy Landels | 906 | 2.5 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,259 | 31.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,098 | 60.9 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |