# East Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

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.

## Constituency profile

The constituency covers the northern edge of Greater Glasgow, and includes commuter towns on the North Clyde and Croy railway corridors.
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
### 2005–2024

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.
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.
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.
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

The historic constituency was created under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949, and first used in the 1950 general election.
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.
East Dunbartonshire covered the Cumbernauld, Kirkintilloch, and New Kilpatrick districts of the county and the burghs of Clydebank, Kirkintilloch, and Milngavie.
For the 1951 general election the constituency boundaries were adjusted to take account of a change to the boundaries of the burgh of Clydebank.
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.
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, 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.
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.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | 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 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |
| 2005 | Jo Swinson | | Liberal Democrats |
| 2015 | John Nicolson | | SNP |
| 2017 | Jo Swinson | | Liberal Democrats |
| 2019 | Amy Callaghan | | SNP |

## Election results

* East Dunbartonshire election history

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 149 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,031 | 80.3 | 1.5 |
| | SNP gain from Liberal Democrats | SNP gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 5.3 | |
This was the largest constituency turnout, and the smallest SNP majority, at the 2019 general election.
General election 2017: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 5,339 | 10.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,801 | 78.8 | 3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from SNP | Liberal Democrats gain from SNP | Swing | 7.2 | |
General election 2015: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 2,167 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,871 | 81.9$^1$ | 6.7 |
| | SNP gain from Liberal Democrats | SNP gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 16.0 | |
$^1$ This was the highest turnout in the May 2015 general election.
General election 2010: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 2,184 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,948 | 75.2 | 2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 2.1 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 4,061 | 8.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,724 | 73.1 | +10.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +7.4 | |
UK General Election, 2001 Notional Result: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 2,601 | 6.2 |
| | Labour hold | 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

General election 1979: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 2,324 | 3.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,466 | 83.9 | +3.3 |
| | Labour gain from SNP | 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 :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 22 | 0.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,838 | 80.6 | −4.4 |
| | SNP gain from Conservative | SNP gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 3,676 | 7.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,079 | 85.0 | +7.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1970: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 5,555 | 7.6 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 72,872 | 77.6 | −3.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 9,987 | 15.79 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,252 | 80.62 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 7,811 | 13.18 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,256 | 81.70 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 3,349 | 6.12 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,735 | 84.26 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,130 | 2.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,750 | 81.55 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 3,426 | 6.58 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,088 | 86.83 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1950: East Dunbartonshire :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 4,576 | 9.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,262 | 86.0 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |