# Glasgow Southside (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Southside is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood), being one of eight constituencies within the Glasgow City council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It is also one of nine constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole. The seat is currently held by Nicola Sturgeon who was First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023, who has held it for the Scottish National Party since the seat was created for 2011 Scottish Parliament election.

## Electoral region

The other eight constituencies of the Glasgow region are; Glasgow Anniesland, Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Kelvin, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Provan, Glasgow Shettleston and Rutherglen.
The region covers the Glasgow City council area and a north-western portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.

## Constituency boundaries and council areas

The electoral wards used in the creation of Southside were:
* In full: Southside Central, Pollokshields
* In part: Govan (shared with Pollok)

## Member of the Scottish Parliament

The former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has represented the constituency since its creation in 2011 election. She was previously an MSP for the Glasgow regional list from 1999 to 2007, and Glasgow Govan between 2007 and 2011 until the abolition of that constituency.

## Constituency profile

The constituency has attracted a high amount of media interest over the years due to its status as the constituency of the First Minister. A profile in The Scotsman described it as, "one of Scotland’s most diverse constituencies. It takes in the gated mansions of Pollokshields as well as Ibrox and Govan, which once teemed with shipyard workers. It takes in Strathbungo, with its Greek Thomson terraces as well as the Gorbals, a former melting pot of Irish, Italian and Jewish immigration."
Problems with slum landlords, vermin and refuse collections have been highlighted as particular issues in the area. During the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow City Council were accused of dispatching cleaners to the constituency to spruce it up prior to press events in the area.
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 2011 | Nicola Sturgeon | Scottish National Party |

## Elections
### 2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Southside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | 19,735 | 60.2 | 1.2 | 13,661 | 41.6 | 3.7 |
| | Labour Co-op | Anas Sarwar | 10,279 | 31.3 | 8.4 | 7,729 | 23.5 | 3.6 |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 6,063 | 18.4 | 4.8 |
| | Conservative | Kyle Thornton | 1,790 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 2,901 | 8.8 | 2.8 |
| | Alba | Alba | Alba | Alba | Alba | 636 | 1.9 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carole Ford | 504 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 575 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | 295 | 0.9 | New |
| | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | 223 | 0.7 | New |
| | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | 161 | 0.5 | New |
| | No label | Greg Energy Adviser | 147 | 0.4 | New | | | |
| | Liberal | Derek Jackson | 102 | 0.3 | New | | | |
| | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Carol Dobson | 204 | 0.6 | New | 99 | 0.3 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 95 | 0.3 | New |
| | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | 88 | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 81 | 0.3 | New |
| | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | 52 | 0.2 | New |
| | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | 51 | 0.2 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 48 | 0.2 | 1.5 |
| | Independent | Jayda Fransen | 46 | 0.1 | New | | | |
| | SDP | SDP | SDP | SDP | SDP | 32 | 0.1 | New |
| | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | 31 | 0.1 | New |
| | Independent | Craig Ross | Craig Ross | Craig Ross | Craig Ross | 19 | 0.1 | New |
| | Reclaim | Reclaim | Reclaim | Reclaim | Reclaim | 16 | 0.1 | New |
| | Renew | Renew | Renew | Renew | Renew | 10 | 0.0 | New |
| | Independent | Daniel Donaldson | Daniel Donaldson | Daniel Donaldson | Daniel Donaldson | 10 | 0.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,456 | 28.9 | 9.6 | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 32,807 | | | 32,876 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 220 | | | 113 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,027 | 59.78 | 11.5 | 32,989 | 59.71 | 11.3 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | Swing | 4.8 | | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency ↑ Sarwar stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote is for Scottish Labour only. ↑ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency |||||||||

### 2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Southside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | 15,287 | 61.4 | 7.0 | 11,393 | 45.3 | 3.2 |
| | Labour | Fariha Thomas | 5,694 | 22.9 | 12.3 | 5,002 | 19.9 | 9.4 |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 3,444 | 13.7 | 5.8 |
| | Conservative | Graham Hutchison | 3,100 | 12.4 | 4.7 | 2,935 | 11.7 | 5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kevin Lewsey | 822 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 516 | 2.1 | 0.1 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 420 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| | RISE | RISE | RISE | RISE | RISE | 387 | 1.5 | New |
| | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | 335 | 1.3 | New |
| | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | 209 | 0.8 | New |
| | BUP | BUP | BUP | BUP | BUP | 190 | 0.8 | New |
| | Animal Welfare | Animal Welfare | Animal Welfare | Animal Welfare | Animal Welfare | 172 | 0.7 | New |
| | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | 136 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| | Independent | Andrew McCullagh | Andrew McCullagh | Andrew McCullagh | Andrew McCullagh | 15 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,593 | 38.5 | 19.3 | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 24,903 | | | 25,154 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 279 | | | 68 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,182 | 48.3 | 4.7 | 25,222 | 48.4 | 4.8 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | Swing | 9.7 | | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency |||||||||
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Southside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | 12,306 | 54.4 | N/A | 9,548 | 42.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Stephen Curran | 7,957 | 35.2 | N/A | 6,648 | 29.3 | N/A |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 1,779 | 7.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | David Meikle | 1,733 | 7.7 | N/A | 1,518 | 6.7 | N/A |
| | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | 1,359 | 6.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenn Elder | 612 | 2.7 | N/A | 497 | 2.2 | N/A |
| | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | 319 | 1.4 | N/A |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 261 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 200 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | 149 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | 119 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 114 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | 68 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Scottish Unionist | Scottish Unionist | Scottish Unionist | Scottish Unionist | Scottish Unionist | 68 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | Caroline Johnstone | Caroline Johnstone | Caroline Johnstone | Caroline Johnstone | 17 | 0.1 | N/A |
| | Scottish Homeland Party | Scottish Homeland Party | Scottish Homeland Party | Scottish Homeland Party | Scottish Homeland Party | 16 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,349 | 19.2 | N/A | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 22,608 | | | 22,680 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 203 | | | 147 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,811 | 43.6 | N/A | 22,827 | 43.6 | N/A |
| | SNP win (new seat) | SNP win (new seat) | SNP win (new seat) | SNP win (new seat) | SNP win (new seat) | SNP win (new seat) | SNP win (new seat) | SNP win (new seat) |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for the Glasgow Govan constituency |||||||||