# Coatbridge and Chryston (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Coatbridge and Chryston (Gaelic: Coatbridge agus Chryston) is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament covering part of the council area of North Lanarkshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It is also one of nine constituencies in the Central Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
The seat has been held by Fulton MacGregor of the Scottish National Party since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

## Electoral region

The other eight constituencies of the Central Scotland region are: Airdrie and Shotts, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, East Kilbride, Falkirk East, Falkirk West, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Motherwell and Wishaw and Uddingston and Bellshill.
The region covers all of the Falkirk council area, all of the North Lanarkshire council area and part of the South Lanarkshire council area.

## Constituency boundaries and council areas

The constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.
The Holyrood constituency is one of four covering the North Lanarkshire council area, the others being Airdrie and Shotts, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, and Motherwell and Wishaw; Uddingston and Bellshill spans parts of both North and South Lanarkshire. All five are within the Central Scotland electoral region.
Following the first Scottish Parliamentary Boundary Review the electoral wards used in the creation of Coatbridge and Chryston are:
* In full: Coatbridge North, Coatbridge South, Coatbridge West, Gartcosh, Glenboig and Moodiesburn, Stepps, Chryston and Muirhead

## Member of the Scottish Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1999 | Elaine Smith | Labour |
| | 2016 | Fulton MacGregor | SNP |

## Election results
### 2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Fulton MacGregor | 20,577 | 57.5 | 9.5 | 18,191 | 50.8 | 2.3 |
| | Labour | Michael McPake | 11,140 | 31.1 | 3.6 | 8,724 | 24.3 | 5.2 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Macdonald | 3,028 | 8.5 | 1.6 | 4,546 | 12.7 | 1.4 |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 2,125 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| | Alba | Alba | Alba | Alba | Alba | 684 | 1.9 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mhairi Macdonald | 622 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 534 | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | 248 | 0.7 | New |
| | Scottish Family | Leo Lanahan | 411 | 1.1 | New | 240 | 0.7 | New |
| | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | 220 | 0.7 | New |
| | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | 76 | 0.2 | New |
| | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | 62 | 0.2 | New |
| | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | 54 | 0.2 | New |
| | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | 47 | 0.1 | New |
| | Independent | Paddy Hogg | Paddy Hogg | Paddy Hogg | Paddy Hogg | 43 | 0.1 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 35 | 0.1 | 2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,437 | 26.4 | 13.1 | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 35,778 | | | 35,829 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 113 | | | 75 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,891 | 63.2 | 9.8 | 35,904 | 63.2 | 9.8 |
| | SNP hold | SNP hold | Swing | Swing | | | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency |||||||||

### 2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Fulton MacGregor | 13,605 | 48.0 | 7.5 | 13,775 | 48.5 | 7.0 |
| | Labour | Elaine Smith | 9,826 | 34.7 | 17.5 | 8,369 | 29.5 | 12.6 |
| | Conservative | Robyn Halbert | 2,868 | 10.1 | 4.4 | 3,201 | 11.3 | 6.5 |
| | Scottish Green | John Wilson | 1,612 | 5.7 | New | 1,347 | 4.7 | 2.7 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 503 | 2.7 | 1.4 |
| | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | 394 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jenni Lang | 423 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 353 | 1.2 | 0.1 |
| | RISE | RISE | RISE | RISE | RISE | 184 | 0.6 | New |
| | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | 219 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| | Independent | Deryck Beaumont | Deryck Beaumont | Deryck Beaumont | Deryck Beaumont | 34 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,779 | 13.3 | N/A | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 28,334 | | | 28,379 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 73 | | | 34 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,407 | 53.4 | 7.6 | 28,413 | 53.4 | 7.7 |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | Swing | Swing | 12.6 | | | |
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elaine Smith | 12,161 | 52.2 | N/A | 9,805 | 42.1 | N/A |
| | SNP | John Wilson | 9,420 | 40.5 | N/A | 9,675 | 41.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Jason Lingiah | 1,317 | 5.7 | N/A | 1,123 | 4.8 | N/A |
| | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | 525 | 2.3 | N/A |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 463 | 2.0 | N/A |
| | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | 364 | 1.6 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 342 | 1.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rod Ackland | 381 | 1.6 | N/A | 247 | 1.1 | N/A |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 219 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | 119 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | 90 | 0.4 | N/A |
| | Independent | Hugh O'Donnell | Hugh O'Donnell | Hugh O'Donnell | Hugh O'Donnell | 85 | 0.4 | N/A |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 72 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Others | Others | Others | Others | Others | 183 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,741 | 11.7 | N/A | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 23,279 | | | 23,312 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 105 | | | 76 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,279 | 45.7 | N/A | 23,388 | 45.7 | N/A |
| | Labour win (new boundaries) | Labour win (new boundaries) | Labour win (new boundaries) | Labour win (new boundaries) | Labour win (new boundaries) | Labour win (new boundaries) | Labour win (new boundaries) | Labour win (new boundaries) |
| Notes |||||||||

### 2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elaine Smith | 11,860 | 46.1 | −10.1 |
| | SNP | Frances McGlinchey | 7,350 | 28.6 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative | Ross Thomson | 2,305 | 9.0 | +0.5 |
| | Independent | Julie McAnulty | 1,843 | 7.2 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doreen Nisbet | 1,519 | 5.9 | −1.0 |
| | Scottish Voice | Gaille McCann | 848 | 3.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,510 | 17.5 | −18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,725 | 47.3 | +1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -9.2 | |
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elaine Smith | 13,422 | 56.25 | −3.10 |
| | SNP | James Gribben | 4,851 | 20.33 | −4.57 |
| | Conservative | Donald Reece | 2,041 | 8.55 | −0.94 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Gordon Martin | 1,911 | 8.01 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doreen Nisbit | 1,637 | 6.86 | +0.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,571 | 35.92 | +1.47 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,862 | 46.32 | −11.56 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### 1990s

1999 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elaine Smith | 17,923 | 59.35 | N/A |
| | SNP | Peter Kearney | 7,519 | 24.90 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Gordon Lind | 2,867 | 9.49 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Hook | 1,889 | 6.26 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,404 | 34.45 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,198 | 57.88 | N/A |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based), National Records of Scotland; retrieved 6 May 2021 (accompanying summary notes)
* ↑ See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland Archived September 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
* ↑ Constituencies A-Z | Coatbridge & Chryston, BBC News; retrieved 7 May 2021
* ↑ "Scottish Parliament Elections 6 May 2021". North Lanarkshire Council. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
* ↑ "Central Scotland – 2016 Results and 2021 Candidates". Ballot Box Scotland. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
* ↑ "Results and turnout at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
* ↑ "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 June 2021.