# Glasgow North East (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow North East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (at Westminster). It was first contested at the 2005 general election. The current Member of Parliament (MP) is Maureen Burke of the Labour Party who gained the seat from Scottish National Party's Anne McLaughlin at the 2024 general election.

## History

From the seat's creation until 2009, the constituency was represented by Michael Martin, previously MP for Glasgow Springburn from 1979. Martin was elected Speaker of the House of Commons in October 2000, but in May 2009 he announced that he would be resigning as Speaker on 21 June 2009 because of his perceived role in the MPs' expenses controversy. He was the first Speaker in 300 years to be forced out of office by a motion of no confidence. He also resigned as an MP the following day, resulting in a by-election on 12 November 2009, which was won by Willie Bain of the Labour Party with 59% of the vote.
Bain retained the seat the following year at the 2010 general election, but was defeated by Anne McLaughlin of the SNP in 2015. The seat was regained by Labour's candidate Paul Sweeney at the 2017 snap general election, only to be regained by McLaughlin at the 2019 general election.

## Constituency profile

Glasgow North East is one of six constituencies covering the Glasgow City council area. All are entirely within the council area. The population of the constituency was 88,156 at the time of the 2011 UK Census. The 2005-2024 version of the seat comprises the communities of Ruchill, Hamiltonhill, Possilpark, Port Dundas, Sighthill, Lambhill, Colston, Milton, Springburn, Royston, Balornock, Barmulloch, Blackhill, Blochairn, Dennistoun, Germiston, Haghill, Carntyne, Robroyston, Provanmill, Riddrie, Hogganfield, Wallacewell, Millerston and Ruchazie.

### Voting pattern

Glasgow North East and its predecessor constituencies had been represented by MPs from the Labour Party with large majorities for eighty years from the 1935 general election until the 2015 general election, when the seat was gained by the SNP during their landslide victory; which ended 51 years of dominance by Scottish Labour. The change at Glasgow North East was the largest swing recorded at the general election that year of 39.3% from Labour to SNP. At the following snap election, held just two years later, the seat was regained on a 12% swing by the Labour and Co-operative candidate Paul Sweeney with a narrow majority of 242 votes (0.7%). However, the SNP regained the seat with a marginal majority of 7% in 2019.
According to the British Election Study, it is the most left-wing seat in the country.
It had the lowest turnout of any constituency at the 2017 general election.

## Boundaries
### 2005–2024

Prior to the 2005 general election, the city area was covered by ten constituencies, two of which straddled the boundaries of other council areas. The North East constituency includes most of the former Glasgow Springburn constituency and a small part of the former Glasgow Maryhill constituency.
The constituency partially overlaps with two Scottish Parliament seats: Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn and Glasgow Provan.
Under the Fifth Review of UK Parliament constituencies which came into effect for the 2005 general election, the boundaries were defined in accordance with the ward structure in place on 30 November 2004 as containing the Glasgow City Council wards of Milton, Ashfield, Keppochhill, Royston, Cowlairs, Springburn, Wallacewell, Milnbank, Dennistoun, Carntyne, Robroyston and Gartcraig. Further to reviews of local government ward boundaries which came into effect in 2007 and 2017, but did not affect the parliamentary boundaries, the constituency comprised the City of Glasgow Council wards or part wards of: Calton (small part), Canal (majority), Springburn/Robroyston, East Centre (minority), North East (minority), and Dennistoun.

### 2024–present

Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election the constituency boundaries were significantly re-drawn to take in areas of Glasgow East to the north of the main east-west railway, including the districts of Queenslie, Greenfield, Barlanark, Garthamlock and Easterhouse. To compensate, western areas of Glasgow North, including Milton, Cowlairs and Port Dundas, were added.
Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election the constituency boundaries were significantly re-drawn to take in areas of Glasgow East to the north of the main east-west railway, including the districts of Queenslie, Greenfield, Barlanark, Garthamlock and Easterhouse. To compensate, western areas of Glasgow North, including Milton, Cowlairs and Port Dundas, were added.
The constituency currently consists of the following wards or part wards of the City of Glasgow:
* A small part of Calton ward - comprising the strip between the main east-west railway and Duke Street;
* a small part of Anderston/City/Yorkhill ward around Townhead;
* a very small part of Canal ward;
* the whole of Springburn/Robroyston ward;
* the whole of East Centre ward;
* a small part of Baillieston ward - comprising the area between the main east-west railway and the M8;
* the whole of North East ward; and
* the whole of Dennistoun ward.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 2005 | Michael Martin | Speaker | Previously MP for Glasgow Springburn from 1979. Resigned the Speakership and from Parliament in 2009 |
| 2009 by-election | Willie Bain | Labour | |
| 2015 | Anne McLaughlin | SNP | |
| 2017 | Paul Sweeney | Labour Co-op | |
| 2019 | Anne McLaughlin | SNP | |
| 2024 | Maureen Burke | Labour |

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

General election 2024: Glasgow North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Maureen Burke | 15,639 | 45.9 | +8.2 |
| | SNP | Anne McLaughlin | 11,002 | 32.3 | −15.4 |
| | Scottish Green | Ewan Lewis | 2,471 | 7.2 | +7.0 |
| | Reform UK | Jonathan Walmsley | 2,272 | 6.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Robert Henry Connelly | 1,182 | 3.5 | −7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sheila Thomson | 592 | 1.7 | −1.7 |
| | Alba | Catherine McKernan | 551 | 1.6 | N/A |
| | TUSC | Chris Sermanni | 236 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | Communist | Gary Steele | 146 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,637 | 13.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,091 | 47.1 | −9.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 72,610 | | |
| | Labour gain from SNP | Labour gain from SNP | Swing | +11.85 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Glasgow North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Anne McLaughlin | 15,911 | 46.9 | +4.7 |
| | Labour Co-op | Paul Sweeney | 13,363 | 39.4 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | Lauren Bennie | 3,558 | 10.5 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicolas Moohan | 1,093 | 3.2 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,548 | 7.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,925 | 55.5 | +2.5 |
| | SNP gain from Labour Co-op | SNP gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | +4.1 | |
General election 2017: Glasgow North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Paul Sweeney | 13,637 | 42.9 | +9.2 |
| | SNP | Anne McLaughlin | 13,395 | 42.2 | −15.9 |
| | Conservative | Jack Wylie | 4,106 | 12.9 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Daniel Donaldson | 637 | 2.0 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 242 | 0.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,775 | 53.0 | −3.8 |
| | Labour Co-op gain from SNP | Labour Co-op gain from SNP | Swing | +12.6 | |
General election 2015: Glasgow North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Anne McLaughlin | 21,976 | 58.1 | +44.0 |
| | Labour | Willie Bain | 12,754 | 33.7 | −34.6 |
| | Conservative | Annie Wells | 1,769 | 4.7 | −0.6 |
| | Scottish Green | Zara Kitson | 615 | 1.6 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eileen Baxendale | 300 | 0.8 | −6.9 |
| | CISTA | Geoff Johnson | 225 | 0.6 | New |
| | TUSC | Jamie Cocozza | 218 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,222 | 24.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,857 | 56.8 | +7.7 |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +39.3$^1$ | |
This was the largest swing of any UK constituency in the 2015 election.
General election 2010: Glasgow North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Willie Bain | 20,100 | 68.3 | N/A |
| | SNP | Billy McAllister | 4,158 | 14.1 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eileen Baxendale | 2,262 | 7.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Ruth Davidson | 1,569 | 5.3 | N/A |
| | BNP | Walter Hamilton | 798 | 2.7 | −0.5 |
| | TUSC | Graham Campbell | 187 | 0.6 | New |
| | Scottish Socialist | Kevin McVey | 179 | 0.6 | −4.3 |
| | Socialist Labour | Jim Berrington | 156 | 0.5 | −13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,942 | 54.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,409 | 49.1 | +3.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.4 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

A by-election was held in November 2009, caused by the resignation of former Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin. Labour won fairly comfortably, compared to the surprising SNP win in the neighbouring constituency of Glasgow East in the previous year. The turnout was the lowest in Scottish history.
2009 Glasgow North East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Willie Bain | 12,231 | 59.4 | New |
| | SNP | David Kerr | 4,120 | 20.0 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Ruth Davidson | 1,075 | 5.2 | New |
| | BNP | Charlie Baillie | 1,013 | 4.9 | +1.7 |
| | Solidarity | Tommy Sheridan | 794 | 3.9 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eileen Baxendale | 474 | 2.3 | New |
| | Scottish Green | David Doherty | 332 | 1.6 | New |
| | Jury Team | John Smeaton | 258 | 1.2 | New |
| | Scottish Socialist | Kevin McVey | 152 | 0.7 | −4.2 |
| | No Label | Mikey Hughes | 54 | 0.3 | New |
| | Socialist Labour | Louise McDaid | 47 | 0.2 | −14.0 |
| | Independent | Mev Brown | 32 | 0.2 | New |
| | The Individuals Labour and Tory (TILT) | Colin Campbell | 13 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,111 | 39.4 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,595 | 33.2 | −12.6 |
| | Labour gain from Speaker | Labour gain from Speaker | Swing | | |
General election 2005: Glasgow North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Speaker | Michael Martin $^1$ | 15,153 | 53.3 | −13.8 |
| | SNP | John McLaughlin | 5,019 | 17.7 | −0.5 |
| | Socialist Labour | Doris Kelly | 4,036 | 14.2 | New |
| | Scottish Socialist | Graham Campbell | 1,402 | 4.9 | −3.2 |
| | Scottish Unionist | Daniel Houston | 1,266 | 4.5 | +0.3 |
| | BNP | Scott McLean | 920 | 3.2 | New |
| | Independent | Joe Chambers | 622 | 2.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,134 | 35.6 | −13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,418 | 45.8 | +1.9 |
| | Speaker hold | Speaker hold | Swing | −6.6 | |
$^1$ Michael Martin stood as 'the Speaker seeking re-election'. The Speaker is elected by the House of Commons after each General Election.
As is conventional, Michael Martin (a member of the Labour Party when first elected Speaker) stood as Speaker of the House of Commons in the general election of 2005. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats did not stand against him. Other parties did, including the Scottish National Party (the Constitution of which requires that the party fight every seat in Scotland).
The most notable feature of the result was the relatively large vote for Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party, in an area where it had very little base. This was considered to be a result of voter confusion (and not the first recorded example of its kind). A large number of traditional Labour Party voters may have voted for the Socialist Labour Party in the absence of a named Labour Party candidate on the ballot paper.