# Paisley (UK Parliament constituency)

Paisley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1983, when it was divided into Paisley North and Paisley South. These two constituencies were in turn amalgamated into Paisley and Renfrewshire South and Paisley and Renfrewshire North in 2005.

## Boundaries

The constituency covered the burgh of Paisley.
The boundaries of the constituency, as set out in the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832, were-
    "From the Summit of Byres Hill, on the North-east of the Town, in a straight Line to the Point near Knock Hill at which the Renfrew Road is joined by a Road from Glasgow; thence in a straight Line to the Summit of Knock Hill; thence in a straight Line to the Northern Gable of the Moss Toll House on the Greenock Road; thence in a straight Line in the Direction of the Chimney of Linwood Cotton Mill to the Point at which such straight Line cuts the Candren Burn; thence up the Candren Burn to the Point at which the same is joined by the Braidiland Burn at the Bridge over the same on the Johnstone Road; thence up the Braidiland Burn to a Point which is distant Five hundred Yards (measured along the Braidiland Burn) above the said Bridge; thence in a straight Line to Meikleridge Bridge over the Candren Burn; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the old Neilston Road leaves the new Neilston Road; thence in a straight Line to the Summit of Dykebar Hill; thence in a straight Line to a Point which is One hundred Yards due North-east of the Summit of Bathgo Hill; thence in a straight Line to the Point first described."

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1832 | Sir John Maxwell | Whig |
| | 1834 by-election | Sir Daniel Sandford | Whig |
| | 1835 | Alexander Speirs | Whig |
| | 1836 by-election | Archibald Hastie | Radical |
| | 1857 by-election | Humphrey Crum-Ewing | Whig |
| | 1859 | Humphrey Crum-Ewing | Liberal |
| | 1874 | William Holms | Liberal |
| | 1884 by-election | Stewart Clark | Liberal |
| | 1885 | William Barbour | Liberal |
| | 1891 by-election | Sir William Dunn | Liberal |
| | 1906 | Sir John McCallum | Liberal |
| | 1920 by-election | H. H. Asquith | Liberal |
| | 1924 | Edward Mitchell | Labour |
| | 1929 | James Welsh | Labour |
| | 1931 | Joseph Maclay | Liberal |
| | 1945 | Oliver Baldwin | Labour |
| | 1948 by-election | Douglas Johnston | Labour |
| | 1961 by-election | John Robertson | Labour |
| | 1976 | John Robertson | Scottish Labour Party (1976) |
| | 1979 | Allen Adams | Labour |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Maxwell | 775 | 81.2 |
| | Tory | John McKerrell | 180 | 18.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 595 | 62.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 955 | 76.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,242 | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
Maxwell resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 24 March 1834: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Daniel Sandford | 542 | 50.2 | −31.0 |
| | Radical | John Crawfurd | 509 | 47.1 | N/A |
| | Tory | James Edward Gordon (MP) | 29 | 2.7 | −16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33 | 3.1 | −59.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,080 | 85.6 | +8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,261 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −7.5 | |
* Gordon retired in favour of Sandford
General election 1835: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Alexander Graham Speirs | 661 | 58.1 | −23.1 |
| | Conservative | Horatio Ross | 477 | 41.9 | +23.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 184 | 16.2 | −46.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,138 | 75.4 | −1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,510 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −23.1 | |
Speirs resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 17 March 1836: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Archibald Hastie | 680 | 56.2 | N/A |
| | Radical | James Aytoun | 529 | 43.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 151 | 12.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,209 | 82.5 | +7.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,465 | | |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1837: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | Archibald Hastie | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,610 | |
| | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig | Radical gain from Whig |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Archibald Hastie | 157 | 100.0 | N/A |
| | Chartist | William Thomason | 0 | 0.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 157 | 100.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 157 | 11.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,324 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1847: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Archibald Hastie | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,060 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Archibald Hastie | 406 | 52.1 | N/A |
| | Radical | William Taylor Haly | 374 | 47.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32 | 4.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 780 | 58.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,342 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Archibald Hastie | 611 | 53.6 | +1.5 |
| | Whig | Humphrey Crum-Ewing | 524 | 46.0 | N/A |
| | Chartist | Charles Favell Forth Wordsworth | 4 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 87 | 7.6 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,139 | 87.3 | +29.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,305 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |
Hastie's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 11 December 1857: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Humphrey Crum-Ewing | 767 | 88.7 | +42.7 |
| | Radical | William Taylor Haly | 98 | 11.3 | −42.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 669 | 77.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 865 | 64.1 | −23.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,349 | | |
| | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Swing | +42.5 | |
General election 1859: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Humphrey Crum-Ewing | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,370 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Humphrey Crum-Ewing | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,361 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Humphrey Crum-Ewing | 1,576 | 54.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Archibald Campbell | 921 | 31.6 | New |
| | Liberal | Archibald Kintrea | 421 | 14.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 655 | 22.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,918 | 89.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,264 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Holms | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,083 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Holms | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,979 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Holms' resignation caused a by-election.
By-election, 18 Feb 1884: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Stewart Clark | 3,049 | 62.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Ernest Hamilton | 1,806 | 37.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,243 | 25.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,855 | 85.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,688 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1885: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Barbour | 3,390 | 57.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Robert Mure McKerrell | 2,523 | 42.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 867 | 14.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,913 | 87.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,794 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1886: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Barbour | 3,057 | 55.1 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | James Smith | 2,491 | 44.9 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 566 | 10.2 | −4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,548 | 81.7 | −5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,794 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.2 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1891 Paisley by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Dunn | 4,145 | 59.6 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Robert Mure McKerrell | 2,807 | 40.4 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,338 | 19.2 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,952 | 85.8 | +4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,107 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
General election 1892: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Dunn | 4,262 | 63.6 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Nicholson Johnston | 2,441 | 36.4 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,821 | 27.2 | +17.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,703 | 81.5 | −0.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,223 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +8.5 | |
General election 1895: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Dunn | 4,404 | 59.0 | −4.6 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Moffat | 3,062 | 41.0 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,342 | 18.0 | −9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,466 | 82.0 | +0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,105 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −4.6 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Dunn | 4,532 | 56.6 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative | George Swinton | 3,474 | 43.4 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,058 | 13.2 | −4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,006 | 74.4 | −7.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,758 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.4 | |
General election 1906: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John McCallum | 5,664 | 52.7 | −3.9 |
| | Liberal Unionist | James MacKean | 2,594 | 24.2 | −19.2 |
| | Scottish Workers | Robert Smillie | 2,482 | 23.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,070 | 28.5 | +15.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,740 | 88.2 | +13.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,179 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +7.7 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John McCallum | 6,812 | 63.7 | +11.0 |
| | Conservative | Duncan Campbell | 3,890 | 36.3 | +12.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,922 | 27.4 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,702 | 86.8 | −1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,331 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.6 | |
General election December 1910: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John McCallum | 6,039 | 64.3 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | Alfred Jephcott | 3,350 | 35.7 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,689 | 28.6 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,389 | 74.9 | −11.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,541 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.6 | |
General Election 1914–15: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal: John McCallum
* Unionist:
General election 1918: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John McCallum | 7,542 | 34.0 | −30.3 |
| | Co-operative Party | John Biggar | 7,436 | 33.5 | New |
| C | National Democratic | John Taylor | 7,201 | 32.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 106 | 0.5 | −28.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,179 | 57.6 | −17.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 38,508 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

1920 Paisley by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 14,736 | 48.4 | +14.4 |
| | Labour Co-op | John Biggar | 11,902 | 39.1 | +5.6 |
| C | Unionist | James Anderson Dunlop MacKean | 3,795 | 12.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,834 | 9.3 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,433 | 77.6 | +20.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,235 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.4 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
General election 1922: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | H. H. Asquith | 15,005 | 50.5 | +16.5 |
| | Labour Co-op | John Biggar | 14,689 | 49.5 | +16.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 316 | 1.0 | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,694 | 78.0 | +22.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 38,093 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
General election 1923: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | H H Asquith | 9,723 | 33.4 | −17.1 |
| | Labour Co-op | John Biggar | 7,977 | 27.4 | −22.1 |
| | Unionist | McInnes Shaw | 7,758 | 26.6 | New |
| | Independent Labour | D.D. Cormack* | 3,685 | 12.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,746 | 6.0 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,143 | 77.1 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,792 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
* Cormack was the nominee of the local branch of the Labour party, which did not accept Biggar as the official candidate.
General election 1924: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Mitchell | 17,057 | 53.5 | +26.1 |
| | Liberal | H H Asquith | 14,829 | 46.5 | +13.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,228 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,886 | 84.1 | +7.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,901 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.5 | |
General election 1929: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James C. Welsh | 22,425 | 55.8 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | James McCulloch | 10,640 | 26.5 | −20.0 |
| | Unionist | Minna Cowan | 7,094 | 17.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,785 | 29.3 | +22.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,159 | 78.2 | −5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,385 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.2 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Maclay | 26,187 | 61.8 | +35.3 |
| | Labour | James C. Welsh | 16,183 | 38.2 | −17.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,004 | 23.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,370 | 79.4 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal gain from Labour | Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Maclay | 22,466 | 50.4 | −11.4 |
| | Labour | Oliver Baldwin | 22,077 | 49.6 | +11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 389 | 0.8 | −22.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,543 | 79.7 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal National: Joseph Maclay
* Labour: Oliver Baldwin

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Oliver Baldwin | 25,156 | 55.6 | +6.0 |
| | Unionist | Tam Galbraith | 14,826 | 32.7 | New |
| | Liberal | Louise Glen-Coats | 4,532 | 10.0 | −40.4 |
| | Independent | Allan Richard Eagles | 765 | 1.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,330 | 22.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,279 | 74.1 | −5.6 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
1948 Paisley by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Johnston | 27,213 | 56.8 | +1.2 |
| | Independent | John MacCormick | 20,668 | 43.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,545 | 13.6 | −9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,881 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Johnston | 29,204 | 56.12 | +0.5 |
| | Unionist | H Black | 19,001 | 36.52 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal | Vaughan M Shaw | 3,830 | 7.36 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,203 | 19.60 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,035 | 84.10 | +10.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,874 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.85 | |
General election 1951: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Johnston | 29,570 | 55.37 | −0.75 |
| | Unionist | John F Wilson | 16,545 | 30.98 | −5.54 |
| | Liberal | Vaughan M Shaw | 7,291 | 13.65 | +6.29 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,025 | 24.39 | +4.79 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,406 | 84.40 | +0.30 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,281 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.40 | |
General election 1955: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Johnston | 26,723 | 56.41 | +1.04 |
| | Unionist | Robert D Kernohan | 20,725 | 43.59 | +12.61 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,098 | 12.82 | −11.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,548 | 76.23 | −8.17 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 62,376 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.79 | |
General election 1959: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Douglas Johnston | 28,519 | 57.30 | +0.89 |
| | Unionist | Geoffrey R Rickman | 21,250 | 42.70 | −0.89 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,269 | 14.60 | +1.78 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,769 | 78.88 | +2.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,097 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.89 | |

### Election in the 1960s

1961 Paisley by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Robertson | 19,200 | 45.35 | −11.95 |
| | Liberal | John Bannerman | 17,542 | 41.43 | New |
| | Unionist | Geoffrey R. Rickman | 5,597 | 13.22 | −29.48 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,658 | 3.92 | −10.69 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,339 | 68.10 | −10.78 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -26.7 | |
General election 1964: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Robertson | 26,318 | 52.91 | −4.39 |
| | Liberal | John Bannerman | 16,837 | 33.85 | N/A |
| | Unionist | Maurice Crichton | 6,583 | 13.24 | −29.46 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,481 | 19.06 | +4.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,738 | 79.79 | +0.91 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 62,336 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -19.12 | |
General election 1966: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Robertson | 28,074 | 59.97 | +7.06 |
| | Conservative | Maurice Crichton | 10,871 | 23.22 | +9.98 |
| | Liberal | Vaughan M Shaw | 7,871 | 16.81 | −17.04 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,203 | 36.75 | +17.69 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,816 | 76.29 | −3.50 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,363 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.46 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Robertson | 25,429 | 54.09 | −5.88 |
| | Conservative | John Cooperwhite Workman | 15,232 | 32.40 | +9.18 |
| | SNP | Margo MacDonald | 3,432 | 7.30 | New |
| | Liberal | Alan Sked | 2,918 | 6.21 | −10.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,197 | 21.69 | −15.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,011 | 71.44 | −4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Robertson | 23,820 | 48.42 | −5.67 |
| | Conservative | John Cooperwhite Workman | 14,923 | 30.33 | −2.07 |
| | SNP | David Rollo | 10,455 | 21.25 | +13.95 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,897 | 18.09 | −3.60 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,198 | 75.16 | +3.72 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Robertson | 21,368 | 44.79 | −3.63 |
| | SNP | David Rollo | 15,778 | 33.08 | +11.83 |
| | Conservative | Ian Robertson | 7,440 | 15.60 | −14.73 |
| | Liberal | Donald Thompson | 3,116 | 6.53 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,590 | 11.71 | −6.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,702 | 72.21 | −2.95 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.72 | |
General election 1979: Paisley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Allen Adams | 25,894 | 55.79 | +11.00 |
| | Conservative | George Wills | 12,139 | 26.15 | +10.55 |
| | SNP | David Rollo | 7,305 | 15.74 | −17.34 |
| | SLP | Brian Monaghan | 811 | 1.75 | N/A |
| | Communist | June Janette Tait | 145 | 0.31 | New |
| | Workers Revolutionary | Thomas White | 122 | 0.26 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,755 | 29.64 | +17.93 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,416 | 72.79 | +0.58 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.22 | |