# Airdrie and Shotts (UK Parliament constituency)

Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency of the UK House of Commons, located in central Scotland within the North Lanarkshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post system of voting.

## Boundaries

1997–2005: The Monklands District electoral divisions of Airdrie North and Airdrie South, and the Motherwell District electoral division of Fortissat.
2005–2024: The North Lanarkshire Council wards of Academy, Airdrie Central, Airdrie North, Airdrie South, Benhar, Calderbank, Chapelhall, Clarkston, Craigneuk and Petersburn, Dykehead, Holytown, New Monkland West, Newarthill, Newmains, North Cairnhill and Coatdyke, Plains and Caldercruix, Salsburgh, South East Cairnhill and Gartlea, Stane, and Whinhall.
The 2005 changes saw the seat lose some territory to Motherwell and Wishaw whilst gaining part of Hamilton North and Bellshill.
In 2007 the North Lanarkshire wards were converted into multi-member wards, with the following falling within the constituency: Airdrie Central, Airdrie North, Airdrie South, Fortissat, Mossend and Holytown (part), Motherwell North (part), Murdostoun (part).
2024–present: Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency boundaries were redrawn with minor changes and the seat now consists of the following:
* In full: the North Lanarkshire Council wards of Airdrie North, Airdrie South, Fortissat;
* In part: the North Lanarkshire Council wards of Airdrie Central (nearly all), Mossend and Holytown (eastern parts including Holytown), Motherwell North (northern parts including Newarthill), Murdostoun (northern and eastern parts including Cleland and Newmains).

## History

The constituency has existed since 1997; however, it underwent significant boundary changes in 2005. Before 2015, it could have been described as a safe seat for the Labour Party, who held it with a majority of over 12,000 votes until Neil Gray of the Scottish National Party (SNP) was elected at that year's general election, winning the seat from Pamela Nash by 8,779 votes. Gray's majority dipped to just 195 in the 2017 election. However, in the 2019 election he won by 5,201 votes. Gray resigned on 24 March 2021 to contest the 2021 Scottish Parliament election seat of the same name, triggering a by-election, which was won by Anum Qaisar. The seat was re-gained by Labour at the 2024 general election and is currently represented by Kenneth Stevenson.
Former MPs for the constituency include: Pamela Nash, former Baby of the House, John Reid, former Labour Home Secretary and Defence Secretary, and Helen Liddell, former Labour Scottish Secretary.

## Constituency profile

It is a generally working-class, urban seat, and contains the towns of Airdrie, Calderbank, Chapelhall, Glenmavis and Shotts.
The majority of this constituency maintains the boundaries of its predecessor. From the North Lanarkshire constituency come Holytown and Newarthill. This seat is positioned on either side of the M8 motorway to Glasgow. Small semi-urban towns such as Shotts (including Stane and Dykehead) were added to Airdrie in the 1997 redistribution to form this seat, the predecessor of which was Monklands East. An area in the eastern part of Coatbridge is also part of the constituency.
Electoral Calculus describes the seat as "Traditional", characterised by working class people with lower levels of income and formal education.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1997 | Helen Liddell | Labour |
| 2005 | John Reid | Labour |
| 2010 | Pamela Nash | Labour |
| 2015 | Neil Gray | SNP |
| 2021 by-election | Anum Qaisar | SNP |
| 2024 | Kenneth Stevenson | Labour |

## Election results
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kenneth Stevenson | 18,871 | 51.5 | +18.4 |
| | SNP | Anum Qaisar | 11,324 | 30.9 | −13.7 |
| | Reform UK | David Hall | 2,971 | 8.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Alexandra Herdman | 1,696 | 4.6 | −12.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lewis Younie | 725 | 2.0 | −1.6 |
| | Alba | Josh Robertson | 623 | 1.7 | N/A |
| | BUP | John Jo Leckie | 456 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,547 | 20.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,666 | 52.2 | |
| | Labour gain from SNP | Labour gain from SNP | Swing | +16.2 | |
By-election 2021: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Anum Qaisar-Javed | 10,129 | 46.4 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Kenneth Stevenson | 8,372 | 38.4 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Ben Callaghan | 2,812 | 12.9 | −4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Arrundale | 220 | 1.0 | −2.6 |
| | SDP | Neil Manson | 151 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | Scottish Unionist | Jonathan Stanley | 59 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Martyn Greene | 45 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | UKIP | Donald Mackay | 39 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,757 | 8.0 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,827 | 34.3 | −28.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,705 | | |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | −2.5 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Scottish National Party | 20,667 | 44.6 |
| | Labour | 15,343 | 33.1 |
| | Conservative | 8,000 | 17.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1,652 | 3.6 |
| | Scottish Greens | 676 | 1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 46,338 | |
| Electorate | Electorate | 70,420 |
General election 2019: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Neil Gray | 17,929 | 45.0 | +7.4 |
| | Labour | Helen McFarlane | 12,728 | 31.9 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative | Lorraine Nolan | 7,011 | 17.6 | −5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Crossman | 1,419 | 3.6 | +1.5 |
| | Scottish Green | Rosemary McGowan | 685 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,201 | 13.1 | +12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,772 | 62.3 | +3.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 64,011 | | |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | +6.3 | |
General election 2017: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Neil Gray | 14,291 | 37.6 | −16.3 |
| | Labour | Helen McFarlane | 14,096 | 37.1 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | Jennifer Donnellan | 8,813 | 23.2 | +15.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ewan McRobert | 802 | 2.1 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 195 | 0.5 | −19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,002 | 59.2 | −6.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 64,146 | | |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | −9.7 | |
General election 2015: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Neil Gray | 23,887 | 53.9 | +30.4 |
| | Labour | Pamela Nash | 15,108 | 34.1 | −24.1 |
| | Conservative | Eric Holford | 3,389 | 7.7 | −1.0 |
| | UKIP | Matthew Williams | 1,088 | 2.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Love | 678 | 1.5 | −6.6 |
| | Independent | Deryck Beaumont | 136 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,779 | 19.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,286 | 66.3 | +8.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,792 | | |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +27.2 | |
General election 2010: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Pamela Nash | 20,849 | 58.2 | −0.8 |
| | SNP | Sophia Coyle | 8,441 | 23.5 | +7.0 |
| | Conservative | Ruth Whitfield | 3,133 | 8.7 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Love | 2,898 | 8.1 | −3.3 |
| | Independent | John McGeechan | 528 | 1.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,408 | 34.7 | −7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,849 | 57.5 | +4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 62,364 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.9 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Reid | 19,568 | 59.0 |
| | SNP | Malcolm Balfour | 5,484 | 16.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Watt | 3,792 | 11.4 |
| | Conservative | Stuart Cottis | 3,271 | 9.9 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Fraser Coats | 706 | 2.1 |
| | Scottish Independence Party | Joseph Rowan | 337 | 1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,084 | 42.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,158 | 53.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General election 2001: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Helen Liddell | 18,478 | 58.2 | −3.6 |
| | SNP | Alison Lindsay | 6,138 | 19.3 | −5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Love | 2,376 | 7.5 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative | Gordon McIntosh | 1,960 | 6.2 | −2.7 |
| | Scottish Unionist | Mark Dempsey | 1,439 | 4.5 | N/A |
| | Scottish Socialist | Kenny McGuigan | 1,171 | 3.7 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Chris Herriot | 174 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,340 | 38.9 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,736 | 54.4 | −17.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,349 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.7 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Airdrie and Shotts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Helen Liddell | 25,460 | 61.8 | |
| | SNP | Keith Robertson | 10,048 | 24.4 | |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Brook | 3,660 | 8.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Wolseley | 1,719 | 4.2 | |
| | Referendum | Crawford Semple | 294 | 0.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,412 | 37.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,181 | 71.4 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |