# Rutherglen (UK Parliament constituency)

Rutherglen is a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat first existed between 1918 and 2005 (known latterly as Glasgow Rutherglen) and was re-established under the final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Scotland as part of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election. In the intervening period, the seat was largely replaced by Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
The seat has been held since 2024 by Michael Shanks of Scottish Labour. Shanks had been the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West since a by-election victory in 2023.

## Boundaries

1918–1949: "The burgh of Rutherglen and the parts of the Lower Ward and Middle Ward County Districts which are contained within the parishes of Carmunnock, Cambuslang, and Blantyre, and the extra-burghal portion of the parish of Rutherglen."
1950–1974: The Burgh of Rutherglen, and the eighth district [of Lanarkshire].
* Map of the constituency in Lanarkshire electoral region, 1950 boundary
1974–1983: The Burgh of Rutherglen, and parts of the eighth and ninth districts.
1983–1997: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Toryglen/Rutherglen, Glenwood/Fernhill, and Cambuslang/Halfway.
Under the Fifth Review of UK Parliament constituencies, the constituency was abolished and largely absorbed into Rutherglen and Hamilton West with small areas becoming parts of Glasgow Central and Glasgow South.
2024–present: The South Lanarkshire council wards of Blantyre, Bothwell and Uddingston, Cambuslang East, Cambuslang West, Rutherglen Central and North, and Rutherglen South.
The re-established constituency comprised the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency with the addition of Bothwell and Uddingston (previously in the abolished Lanark and Hamilton East constituency) and the loss of territory within Hamilton which was assigned to the new Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1918–2005

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Adam Keir Rodger | Coalition Liberal |
| | 1922 | William Wright | Labour |
| | 1931 by-election | David Hardie | Labour |
| | 1931 | Herbert James Moss | Conservative |
| | 1935 | Allan Chapman | Conservative |
| | 1945 | Gilbert McAllister | Labour |
| | 1951 | Richard Brooman-White | Conservative |
| | 1964 by-election | Gregor Mackenzie | Labour |
| | 1987 | Tommy McAvoy | Labour Co-operative |
| 2005 | 2005 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

### MPs 2024–present

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 2024 | Michael Shanks | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Shanks | 21,460 | 50.5 | +19.3 |
| | SNP | Katy Loudon | 12,693 | 29.9 | −13.2 |
| | Reform UK | David Stark | 2,685 | 6.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Gary Burns | 2,420 | 5.7 | −11.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gloria Adebo | 1,714 | 4.0 | −3.2 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Bill Bonnar | 541 | 1.3 | N/A |
| | Alba | Jim Eadie | 497 | 1.2 | N/A |
| | Scottish Family | John McArthur | 321 | 0.8 | N/A |
| | Independent | Andrew Daly | 153 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,767 | 20.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,484 | 58.5 | −9.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 72,674 | | |
| | Labour gain from SNP | Labour gain from SNP | Swing | +16.2 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Glasgow Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Tommy McAvoy | 16,760 | 57.4 | −0.1 |
| | SNP | Anne McLaughlin | 4,135 | 14.1 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Jackson | 3,689 | 12.6 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm MacAskill | 3,301 | 11.3 | +2.0 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Bill Bonnar | 1,328 | 4.5 | +3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,625 | 43.3 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,213 | 56.3 | −13.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,855 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.5 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Glasgow Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Tommy McAvoy | 20,430 | 57.52 | +4.14 |
| | SNP | Ian Gray | 5,423 | 15.27 | −0.31 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Brown | 5,167 | 14.55 | +2.89 |
| | Conservative | David Campbell Bannerman | 3,288 | 9.26 | −9.90 |
| | Independent Labour | George Easton | 812 | 2.29 | New |
| | Scottish Socialist | Rosie Kane | 251 | 0.71 | New |
| | Referendum | Julia Kerr | 150 | 0.42 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,007 | 42.25 | +3.75 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,521 | 70.10 | −5.12 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,673 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.22 | |
General election 1992: Glasgow Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Tommy McAvoy | 21,962 | 55.38 | −0.63 |
| | Conservative | Brian Cooklin | 6,692 | 16.88 | +5.38 |
| | SNP | John Higgins | 6,470 | 16.32 | +8.22 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Baillie | 4,470 | 11.27 | −13.12 |
| | International Communist Party | Barbara Slaughter | 62 | 0.16 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,270 | 38.50 | +6.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,656 | 75.22 | −2.00 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 52,719 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.01 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Glasgow Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Tommy McAvoy | 24,790 | 56.01 | +7.67 |
| | Liberal | Robert Brown | 10,795 | 24.39 | −3.44 |
| | Conservative | Graeme Hamilton | 5,088 | 11.50 | −6.52 |
| | SNP | John Higgins | 3,584 | 8.10 | +2.62 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,995 | 31.62 | +11.11 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,257 | 77.22 | +2.07 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,313 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.56 | |
General election 1983: Glasgow Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gregor Mackenzie | 21,510 | 48.34 | −2.40 |
| | Liberal | Robert Brown | 12,384 | 27.83 | +11.18 |
| | Conservative | Helen Hodgins | 8,017 | 18.02 | −5.15 |
| | SNP | Kenneth Fee | 2,438 | 5.48 | −3.79 |
| | Workers Revolutionary | Christopher Corrigan | 148 | 0.33 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,126 | 20.51 | +0.31 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,497 | 75.15 | −5.27 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,209 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.79 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gregor Mackenzie | 18,546 | 46.70 | +2.31 |
| | Conservative | Paul Burns | 10,523 | 26.50 | +2.47 |
| | Liberal | Robert Brown | 7,315 | 18.42 | +12.12 |
| | SNP | Michael Grieve | 3,325 | 8.37 | −16.91 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,023 | 20.20 | +1.09 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,709 | 80.42 | +1.58 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,379 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.08 | |
General election October 1974: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gregor Mackenzie | 17,099 | 44.39 | −3.19 |
| | SNP | Ian Ogilvie Bayne | 9,732 | 25.28 | +10.04 |
| | Conservative | John Thomson | 9,248 | 24.03 | −13.14 |
| | Liberal | Robert Brown | 2,424 | 6.30 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,356 | 19.11 | +8.70 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,492 | 78.84 | −3.78 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,824 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.61 | |
General election February 1974: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gregor Mackenzie | 19,005 | 47.58 | −4.70 |
| | Conservative | John Thomson | 14,852 | 38.17 | −6.16 |
| | SNP | Louisa Leslie | 6,089 | 15.24 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,153 | 10.41 | +1.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,946 | 82.62 | +3.11 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,351 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.73 | |
General election 1970: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gregor Mackenzie | 17,751 | 52.28 | −1.82 |
| | Conservative | Peter C Hutchison | 14,710 | 43.33 | +3.80 |
| | Independent Scottish Nationalist | David H Livingstone | 1,490 | 4.39 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,041 | 8.95 | −5.62 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,951 | 79.51 | −4.71 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 42,702 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.81 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gregor Mackenzie | 18,621 | 54.10 | +1.50 |
| | Conservative | John H Young | 13,607 | 39.53 | −3.27 |
| | SNP | Andrew Peacock | 2,194 | 6.37 | +1.77 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,014 | 14.57 | +4.77 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,422 | 84.22 | −2.00 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 40,870 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.39 | |
General election 1964: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gregor Mackenzie | 18,943 | 52.60 | +4.67 |
| | Unionist | Iain Sproat | 15,413 | 42.80 | −9.27 |
| | SNP | Robert N Armstrong | 1,657 | 4.60 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,530 | 9.80 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,013 | 86.22 | +0.37 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 41,771 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +6.97 | |
1964 Rutherglen by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gregor Mackenzie | 18,885 | 55.51 | +7.58 |
| | Unionist | Iain Sproat | 15,138 | 44.49 | −7.58 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,747 | 11.02 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,023 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +7.6 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Richard Brooman-White | 19,146 | 52.07 | −0.83 |
| | Labour | Eddie Milne | 17,624 | 47.93 | +0.83 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,522 | 4.14 | −1.67 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,770 | 85.85 | +1.74 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 42,833 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -0.83 | |
General election 1955: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Richard Brooman-White | 19,141 | 52.90 | +2.45 |
| | Labour | Gilbert McAllister | 17,040 | 47.10 | −2.45 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,101 | 5.80 | +4.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,181 | 84.11 | −3.63 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 43,016 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +2.45 | |
General election 1951: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Richard Brooman-White | 19,554 | 50.45 | +2.76 |
| | Labour | Gilbert McAllister | 19,202 | 49.55 | +0.02 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 352 | 0.90 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,756 | 87.74 | +1.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,173 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +1.37 | |
General election 1950: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gilbert McAllister | 18,779 | 49.53 | −10.12 |
| | Unionist | Richard Brooman-White | 18,084 | 47.69 | +7.34 |
| | Liberal | Christian Beveridge Goodfellow | 1,055 | 2.78 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 695 | 1.83 | −17.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,918 | 86.09 | +1.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,044 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.73 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gilbert McAllister | 24,738 | 59.65 | +10.36 |
| | Unionist | Allan Chapman | 16,736 | 40.35 | −10.36 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,002 | 19.30 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,474 | 76.55 | −3.44 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,180 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +10.36 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Allan Chapman | 20,712 | 50.71 | −6.10 |
| | Labour | David Hardie | 20,131 | 49.29 | +6.10 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 581 | 1.42 | −12.20 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,843 | 79.99 | −1.62 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,063 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | -6.10 | |
General election 1931: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Herbert Moss | 22,185 | 56.81 | +20.3 |
| | Labour | David Hardie | 16,866 | 43.19 | −9.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,319 | 13.62 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,051 | 81.61 | +5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,848 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +14.65 | |
Rutherglen by-election, 1931 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Hardie | 16,736 | 51.3 | −0.9 |
| | Unionist | Herbert Moss | 15,853 | 48.6 | +12.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 883 | 2.7 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,589 | 69.6 | −6.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.7 | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Wright | 17,538 | 52.2 | +0.1 |
| | Unionist | Arthur Patterson Duffes | 12,249 | 36.5 | −11.4 |
| | Liberal | James MacDougall | 2,945 | 8.8 | New |
| | Communist | Alex Moffat | 842 | 2.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,289 | 15.7 | +11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,574 | 75.7 | −4.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,378 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
General election 1924: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Wright | 13,796 | 52.1 | −2.4 |
| | Unionist | Robert McLaren | 12,707 | 47.9 | +15.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,089 | 4.2 | −18.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,503 | 80.1 | +7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,081 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −9.1 | |
General election 1923: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Wright | 13,021 | 54.5 | −0.6 |
| | Unionist | Robert McLaren | 7,652 | 32.1 | New |
| | Liberal | John Taylor | 3,201 | 13.4 | −31.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,369 | 22.4 | +12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,874 | 72.3 | −6.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,007 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +15.5 | |
General election 1922: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Wright | 14,029 | 55.1 | +14.2 |
| | National Liberal | John Train | 11,440 | 44.9 | −14.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,589 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,469 | 78.4 | +21.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,487 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +14.2 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Adam Keir Rodger | 12,641 | 59.1 | |
| | Labour | William Regan | 8,759 | 40.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,882 | 18.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,400 | 57.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,518 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||