# Rutherglen (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Rutherglen is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of South Lanarkshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, it is one of nine constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
Originally called Glasgow Rutherglen, the boundaries were redrawn and the new constituency renamed simply Rutherglen for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. The seat has been held by Clare Haughey of the Scottish National Party since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

## Electoral region

The other eight constituencies of the Glasgow region are: Glasgow Anniesland, Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Kelvin, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Provan, Glasgow Shettleston and Glasgow Southside.
The region covers the Glasgow City council area and a north-western portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.

## Constituency boundaries and council areas

The redrawn seat of Rutherglen consists of the following electoral wards:
* In full: Rutherglen South; Rutherglen Central and North; Cambuslang West; Cambuslang East
* In part: Blantyre (shared with Uddingston and Bellshill)

### Constituency profile

BBC profile for 2016 election:
* Rutherglen was once a burgh - the oldest in Scotland - until local government reorganisation in 1975, and lies to the south east of Glasgow city centre. The name Rutherglen is said to come from Gaelic for "reddish glen" after the red clay found here.
* At its northern border it blends into Glasgow's suburbs, though the town has always striven to maintain a distinct identity from Glasgow, which it predates by 500 years. The seat includes not only Rutherglen itself but also the town of Cambuslang, Burnside and the housing scheme at Fernhill, as well as Blantyre, all of which lie within the local government control of South Lanarkshire. Steel and pottery have been major industries in the past, but both have been in decline.
* Janis Hughes won the seat for the Labour Party in the 1999 and 2003 elections. James Kelly then held the seat in 2007 and 2011.

## Member of the Scottish Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 2011 | James Kelly | Labour |
| | 2016 | Clare Haughey | SNP |

## Election results
### 2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Clare Haughey | 20,249 | 50.5 | 4.3 | 16,970 | 42.3 | 0.8 |
| | Labour Co-op | James Kelly | 15,083 | 37.6 | 2.8 | 11,005 | 27.4 | 1.0 |
| | Conservative | Lynne Nailon | 3,663 | 9.1 | 2.2 | 5,903 | 14.7 | 1.8 |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 2,883 | 7.2 | 2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sheila Thomson | 1,112 | 2.8 | 4.9 | 1,011 | 2.5 | 1.6 |
| | Alba | Alba | Alba | Alba | Alba | 710 | 1.8 | New |
| | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | 356 | 0.9 | New |
| | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | 273 | 0.7 | New |
| | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | 222 | 0.6 | New |
| | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | 204 | 0.5 | New |
| | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | 104 | 0.3 | New |
| | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | 95 | 0.2 | New |
| | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | 88 | 0.2 | New |
| | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | 74 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 61 | 0.2 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 59 | 0.1 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 52 | 0.1 | 2.1 |
| | Independent | Craig Ross | Craig Ross | Craig Ross | Craig Ross | 35 | 0.1 | New |
| | SDP | SDP | SDP | SDP | SDP | 17 | 0.0 | New |
| | Reclaim | Reclaim | Reclaim | Reclaim | Reclaim | 14 | 0.0 | New |
| | Independent | Daniel Donaldson | Daniel Donaldson | Daniel Donaldson | Daniel Donaldson | 10 | 0.0 | New |
| | Renew | Renew | Renew | Renew | Renew | 8 | 0.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,166 | 12.9 | 1.5 | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 40,107 | | | 40,154 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 162 | | | 82 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,269 | 63.5 | 9.0 | 40,236 | 63.3 | 8.8 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | Swing | 3.6 | | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency ↑ Kelly stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote was for Scottish Labour only. ↑ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency |||||||||

### 2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Clare Haughey | 15,222 | 46.2 | 6.7 | 14,256 | 43.1 | 4.1 |
| | Labour Co-op | James Kelly | 11,479 | 34.8 | 11.3 | 9,372 | 28.4 | 10.0 |
| | Conservative | Taylor Muir | 3,718 | 11.3 | 3.6 | 4,269 | 12.9 | 6.2 |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 1,555 | 4.7 | 2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Brown | 2,533 | 7.7 | 3.3 | 1,351 | 4.1 | 1.1 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 719 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | 405 | 1.2 | New |
| | BUP | BUP | BUP | BUP | BUP | 336 | 1.0 | New |
| | Animal Welfare | Animal Welfare | Animal Welfare | Animal Welfare | Animal Welfare | 213 | 0.6 | New |
| | RISE | RISE | RISE | RISE | RISE | 202 | 0.6 | New |
| | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | 188 | 0.6 | New |
| | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | 161 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| | Independent | Andrew McCullagh | Andrew McCullagh | Andrew McCullagh | Andrew McCullagh | 29 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,743 | 11.4 | N/A | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 32,952 | | | 33,056 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 135 | | | 56 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,087 | 54.5 | 7.4 | 33,112 | 54.5 | 7.4 |
| | SNP gain from Labour Co-op | SNP gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | Swing | 9.0 | | | |
| Notes ↑ Kelly stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote was for Scottish Labour only. ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency |||||||||
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Rutherglen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | James Kelly | 12,489 | 46.1 | N/A | 10,411 | 38.4 | N/A |
| | SNP | James McGuigan | 10,710 | 39.5 | N/A | 10,587 | 39.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Martyn McIntyre | 2,096 | 7.7 | N/A | 1,807 | 6.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lisa Strachan | 1,174 | 4.4 | N/A | 815 | 3.0 | N/A |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 710 | 2.6 | N/A |
| | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | 637 | 2.3 | N/A |
| | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | 513 | 1.9 | N/A |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 363 | 1.3 | N/A |
| | Scottish Unionist | Scottish Unionist | Scottish Unionist | Scottish Unionist | Scottish Unionist | 294 | 1.1 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 274 | 1.0 | N/A |
| | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | 206 | 0.8 | N/A |
| | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | 143 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 142 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | Independent | Caroline Johnstone | 633 | 2.3 | N/A | 127 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | 54 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Scottish Homeland Party | Scottish Homeland Party | Scottish Homeland Party | Scottish Homeland Party | Scottish Homeland Party | 30 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,779 | 6.6 | N/A | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 27,102 | | | 27,113 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 94 | | | 82 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,196 | 47.1 | N/A | 27,195 | 47.1 | N/A |
| | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) | Labour Co-op win (new seat) |
| Notes ↑ Kelly stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote is for Scottish Labour only. ↑ Incumbent member for the Glasgow Rutherglen constituency |||||||||
* Previous elections: See Glasgow Rutherglen.