# Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Govan was a parliamentary constituency in the Govan district of Glasgow. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for 120 years; from 1885 until 2005, returning one Member of Parliament (MP) elected by the first-past-the-post system.
It was a Conservative-Liberal marginal seat for the first three decades of its existence, before breaking this trend when the Labour Party won the seat in 1918. It remained a Labour-controlled seat for the next fifty-five years, except for a five-year Conservative interlude between 1950 and 1955, until being seized by the Scottish National Party at a by-election in 1973, only to be regained by Labour the following year. The SNP regained the seat at a 1988 by-election, only to lose it again to Labour in 1992. It remained under Labour control until its abolition thirteen years later.
The area which the constituency represented is now covered by Glasgow Central, Glasgow South and Glasgow South West.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: "That part of the parish of Govan which lies south of the Clyde beyond the boundary of the Municipal Burgh of Glasgow".
1918–1950: "That portion of the city which is bounded by a line commencing at a point on the municipal boundary at the centre of the River Clyde in line with the continuation of the centre line of Balmoral Street, thence eastward along the centre line of the River Clyde to a point in line with the continuation of the centre line of the portion of Govan Road to the west of Princes Dock, thence southward to and along the centre line of the said portion of Govan Road, Whitefield Road, Church Road and continuation thereof to the centre, of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, thence westward along the centre line of the said Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway to the municipal boundary, thence north-westward, northward, and eastward along the municipal boundary to the point of commencement."
1950–1955: The Craigton and Fairfield wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of the Govan ward.
1955–1974: The Govan and Kinning Park wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of the Fairfield and Kingston wards.
1974–1983: The Glasgow wards of Fairfield, Govan, Kingston, and Kinning Park.
1983–1997: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Drumoyne/Govan, Mosspark/Bellahouston, and Penilee/Cardonald.
1997–2005: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Govan/Drumoyne, Kingston/Pollokshields, and Langside/Shawlands.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Sir William Pearce | Conservative |
| 1889 by-election | John Wilson | Liberal |
| 1900 | Robert Hunter Craig | Liberal |
| 1906 | Robert Duncan | Unionist |
| 1910 | William Hunter | Liberal |
| 1911 by-election | Daniel Holmes | Liberal |
| 1918 | Neil Maclean | Labour and Independent Labour Party |
| 1931 | Neil Maclean | Labour |
| 1950 | Jack Browne | Unionist |
| 1955 | John Rankin | Labour Co-operative |
| 1973 by-election | Margo MacDonald | SNP |
| Feb 1974 | Harry Selby | Labour |
| 1979 | Andy McMahon | Labour |
| 1983 | Bruce Millan | Labour |
| 1988 by-election | Jim Sillars | SNP |
| 1992 | Ian Davidson | Labour Co-operative |
| 1997 | Mohammad Sarwar | Labour |
| 1997 | Mohammad Sarwar | Independent |
| 1999 | Mohammad Sarwar | Labour |
| 2005 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Pearce | 3,677 | 51.0 | |
| | Lib-Lab | Bennet Burleigh | 3,522 | 48.8 | |
| | Independent Liberal | David George Hoey | 11 | 0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 2.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,210 | 80.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,998 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Pearce | 3,574 | 52.7 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Alexander Dickson | 3,212 | 47.3 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 362 | 5.4 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,786 | 75.4 | −4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,998 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |
Pearce's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 18 January 1889 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Wilson | 4,420 | 56.9 | +9.6 |
| | Liberal Unionist | John Pender | 3,349 | 43.1 | −9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,071 | 13.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,769 | 84.1 | +8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,240 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.6 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Wilson | 4,829 | 55.8 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative | Nathaniel Spens | 3,829 | 44.2 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,000 | 11.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,658 | 77.6 | +2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,151 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.5 | |
General election 1895: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Wilson | 4,290 | 49.0 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal Unionist | George Ferguson | 4,029 | 46.1 | +1.9 |
| | Ind. Labour Party | Alexander Haddow | 430 | 4.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 261 | 2.9 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,749 | 76.6 | −1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,416 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −4.4 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Hunter Craig | 5,744 | 50.7 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Robert Duncan | 5,580 | 49.3 | +3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 164 | 1.4 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,324 | 76.5 | −0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,807 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.8 | |
General election 1906: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Duncan | 5,224 | 35.9 | −13.4 |
| | Liberal | H. S. Murray | 5,096 | 35.1 | −15.6 |
| | Labour Repr. Cmte. | John Hill | 4,212 | 29.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 128 | 0.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,532 | 82.9 | +6.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,538 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.1 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Hunter | 6,556 | 43.0 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative | Robert Duncan | 5,127 | 33.7 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | James Thomas Brownlie | 3,545 | 23.3 | −5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,429 | 9.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,228 | 84.6 | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,994 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.1 | |
Hunter is appointed Solicitor General for Scotland, prompting a by-election.
By-election, 1910: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Hunter | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election December 1910: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Hunter | 8,409 | 56.9 | +13.9 |
| | Conservative | George Balfour | 6,369 | 43.1 | +9.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,040 | 13.8 | +4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,778 | 79.9 | −4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,504 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
1911 Govan by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Daniel Holmes | 7,508 | 53.5 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | George Balfour | 6,522 | 46.5 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 986 | 7.0 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,030 | 76.3 | −3.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,395 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −3.4 | |
General election 1918: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Maclean | 9,577 | 47.8 | New |
| C | Unionist | Alexander McClure | 8,762 | 43.8 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal | Daniel Holmes | 1,678 | 8.4 | −48.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 815 | 4.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,017 | 63.2 | −16.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,652 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Maclean | 15,441 | 62.3 | +14.5 |
| | National Liberal | Helen Fraser | 9,336 | 37.7 | +29.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,105 | 24.6 | +20.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,777 | 81.1 | +17.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 30,539 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −7.4 | |
General election 1923: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Maclean | 13,987 | 66.3 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal | Henry Anderson Watt | 7,095 | 33.7 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,892 | 32.6 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,082 | 68.5 | −12.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 30,790 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.0 | |
General election 1924: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Maclean | 15,132 | 63.2 | −3.1 |
| | Unionist | H. Stanley | 8,815 | 36.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,317 | 26.4 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,947 | 76.0 | +7.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,497 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.1 | |
General election 1929: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ind. Labour Party | *Neil Maclean | 17,384 | 57.7 | −5.5 |
| | Unionist | Douglas Douglas-Hamilton | 12,736 | 42.3 | +5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,646 | 15.4 | −11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,122 | 75.1 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 40,103 | | |
| | Ind. Labour Party gain from Labour | Ind. Labour Party gain from Labour | Swing | −5.5 | |
* candidature not endorsed by Labour Party HQ

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | *Neil Maclean | 15,047 | 51.0 | −6.7 |
| | Unionist | Alexander McClure | 14,442 | 49.0 | +6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 605 | 2.0 | −13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,489 | 75.4 | +0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
* Maclean had been expelled by the ILP but was endorsed by Labour Party HQ.
General election 1935: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Maclean | 15,791 | 51.0 | ±0.0 |
| | Unionist | Alexander McClure | 10,211 | 33.0 | −16.0 |
| | Ind. Labour Party | Thomas Taylor | 4,959 | 16.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,580 | 18.0 | +16.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,961 | 74.7 | −0.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil Maclean | 18,668 | 66.1 | +15.1 |
| | Unionist | Jack Browne | 9,586 | 33.9 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,082 | 32.2 | +14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,254 | 64.08 | −10.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Jack Browne | 19,267 | 46.6 | +12.7 |
| | Labour | John Davis | 18,894 | 45.7 | −20.4 |
| | Liberal | Ronnie Fraser | 1,628 | 3.9 | New |
| | Communist | William Lauchlan | 1,547 | 3.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 373 | 0.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,336 | 84.0 | +19.9 |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Jack Browne | 20,936 | 50.3 | +3.7 |
| | Labour | John Davis | 20,695 | 49.7 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 241 | 0.58 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,631 | 84.92 | +0.9 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 24,818 | 62.0 | +12.3 |
| | Unionist | Alexander G Hutton | 15,216 | 38.0 | −12.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,602 | 23.98 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,034 | 71.82 | −13.1 |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Unionist | Labour Co-op gain from Unionist | Swing | | |
* the boundaries of the seat were heavily redrawn and much of the 1950-55 version of Govan ended up in the new Craigton seat
General election 1959: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 23,139 | 60.4 | −1.6 |
| | Unionist | Alexander G Hutton | 13,319 | 34.7 | −3.3 |
| | Communist | Gordon McLennan | 1,869 | 4.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,820 | 25.62 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,327 | 75.03 | +3.2 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 20,326 | 64.99 |
| | Unionist | Peter Breuer | 9,571 | 30.60 |
| | Communist | Gordon McLennan | 1,378 | 4.41 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,755 | 34.39 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,275 | 70.25 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 18,533 | 67.8 | +2.8 |
| | Conservative | Peter Breuer | 7,677 | 28.1 | −2.5 |
| | Communist | Gordon McLennan | 1,103 | 4.0 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,856 | 39.75 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,313 | 67.47 | −2.7 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | John Rankin | 13,443 | 60.1 | −7.7 |
| | Conservative | Gerald F. Belton | 6,301 | 28.2 | +0.1 |
| | SNP | Michael Grieve | 2,294 | 10.3 | New |
| | Communist | Thomas Biggam | 326 | 1.5 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,142 | 31.9 | −7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,364 | 63.2 | −4.3 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |
1973 Glasgow Govan by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Margo MacDonald | 6,360 | 41.5 | +31.2 |
| | Labour | Harry Selby | 5,789 | 38.2 | −21.9 |
| | Conservative | John Mair | 1,780 | 11.7 | −16.5 |
| | Liberal | Peter McMillan | 1,239 | 8.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 571 | 3.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,168 | | |
| | SNP gain from Labour Co-op | SNP gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | +26.7 | |
General election February 1974: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Harry Selby | 10,326 | 43.17 |
| | SNP | Margo MacDonald | 9,783 | 40.90 |
| | Conservative | John Mair | 3,049 | 12.75 |
| | Liberal | Peter McMillan | 763 | 3.19 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 543 | 2.27 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,920 | 74.92 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election October 1974: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Selby | 11,392 | 49.5 | +6.3 |
| | SNP | Margo MacDonald | 9,440 | 41.0 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative | M Todd | 1,623 | 7.1 | −5.6 |
| | Liberal | E Mason | 444 | 1.9 | −1.3 |
| | National Front | M.A. Brooks | 86 | 0.4 | New |
| | More Prosperous Britain | T Clyde | 27 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,952 | 8.48 | +6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,011 | 71.7 | −3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andy McMahon | 11,676 | 67.9 | +18.4 |
| | Conservative | John Harrison Walker | 3,188 | 18.5 | +11.4 |
| | SNP | Thomas Wilson | 2,340 | 13.6 | −27.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,488 | 49.3 | +40.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,204 | 75.7 | +4.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bruce Millan | 20,370 | 55.0 | −12.9 |
| | SDP | Ian McDonald | 7,313 | 19.7 | New |
| | Conservative | Alastair MacKenzie | 7,180 | 19.4 | +0.9 |
| | SNP | Peter M. Kindlen | 2,207 | 5.9 | −7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,057 | 35.3 | −14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,070 | 71.6 | −4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1987: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bruce Millan | 24,071 | 64.8 | +9.8 |
| | SDP | Alasdair Ferguson | 4,562 | 12.3 | −7.4 |
| | Conservative | Janet Girsman | 4,411 | 11.9 | −7.5 |
| | SNP | Felix McCabe | 3,851 | 10.4 | +4.5 |
| | Communist | Douglas Chalmers | 237 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,509 | 52.5 | +17.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,132 | 73.4 | +1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.6 | |
By-election 1988: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Jim Sillars | 14,677 | 48.8 | +38.4 |
| | Labour | Robert Gillespie | 11,123 | 36.9 | −27.9 |
| | Conservative | Graeme Hamilton | 2,207 | 7.3 | −4.6 |
| | SLD | Bernard Ponsonby | 1,246 | 4.1 | −8.2 |
| | Green | George Campbell | 345 | 1.1 | New |
| | Communist | Douglas Chalmers | 281 | 0.9 | +0.3 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Lord Sutch | 174 | 0.6 | New |
| | Independent | Fraser Clark | 51 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,554 | 11.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,104 | 60.2 | −13.2 |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +33.1 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Ian Davidson | 17,051 | 49.0 | −15.8 |
| | SNP | Jim Sillars | 12,926 | 37.1 | +26.7 |
| | Conservative | James Donnelly | 3,458 | 9.9 | −2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bob Stewart | 1,227 | 3.5 | −8.8 |
| | Scottish Green | David L. Spaven | 181 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,125 | 11.9 | −40.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,843 | 75.9 | +2.5 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |
General election 1997: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohammad Sarwar | 14,216 | 44.1 | −4.9 |
| | SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | 11,302 | 35.1 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | William Thomas | 2,839 | 8.8 | −1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bob Stewart | 1,918 | 5.9 | +2.4 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Alan McCombes | 755 | 2.3 | New |
| | Independent | Peter Paton | 325 | 1.0 | New |
| | Independent | Islam Badar | 319 | 1.0 | New |
| | Independent | Zahid Abbasi | 221 | 0.7 | New |
| | Referendum | Kenneth MacDonald | 201 | 0.6 | New |
| | BNP | James White | 149 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,914 | 9.0 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,245 | 64.5 | −11.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.2 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohammad Sarwar | 12,464 | 49.3 | +5.2 |
| | SNP | Karen Neary | 6,064 | 24.0 | −11.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert (Bob) Stewart | 2,815 | 11.1 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Mark Menzies | 2,167 | 8.6 | −0.2 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Wullie McGartland | 1,531 | 6.1 | +3.8 |
| | Communist | John Foster | 174 | 0.7 | New |
| | Independent | Badar Mirza | 69 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,400 | 25.3 | +16.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,284 | 46.8 | −17.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.2 | |