# Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Govan was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election.
For the 2011 election, the constituency was abolished. The Govan electoral ward was divided between Glasgow Pollok and Glasgow Southside.

## Electoral region

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 Glasgow Govan 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 covered a western portion of the Glasgow City council and small western portion of Renfrewshire Council.
Glasgow Govan was south of the Kelvin constituency, west of Shettleston and north of Cathcart and Pollok, which were all entirely within the city area.

## Boundary review

Following the First Periodic review into constituencies of the Scottish Parliament for the 2011 election, the Boundary Commission for Scotland recommended the abolition of the Glasgow Govan constituency. The seat created is known as Glasgow Southside formed by the combination of Southside Central, and Pollokshields wards with the addition of the eastern half of the Govan division.

## Member of the Scottish Parliament

The former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, represented the constituency from the 2007 election. She was previously an MSP for the Glasgow regional list from 1999 to 2007, during which time she was Leader of the Opposition at Holyrood from 2004 to 2007.
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1999 | Gordon Jackson | Labour |
| 2007 | Nicola Sturgeon | Scottish National Party |
| 2011 | Constituency abolished; see Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Pollok and Glasgow Southside | Constituency abolished; see Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Pollok and Glasgow Southside |

## Election results

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | 9,010 | 41.9 | +10.7 |
| | Labour | Gordon Jackson | 8,266 | 38.4 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Young | 1,891 | 8.8 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | Martyn McIntyre | 1,680 | 7.8 | −1.1 |
| | Independent | Asif Nasir | 423 | 2.0 | New |
| | Communist | Elinor McKenzie | 251 | 1.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 744 | 3.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,741 | 45.4 | +1.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 1,220 | 5.36 | |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | Swing | +4.7 | |
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gordon Jackson | 7,834 | 37.06 | −6.25 |
| | SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | 6,599 | 31.22 | −5.43 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Jimmy Scott | 2,369 | 11.21 | +6.38 |
| | Conservative | Faisal Butt | 1,878 | 8.89 | +0.01 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Graham | 1,807 | 8.55 | +2.94 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,235 | 5.84 | −0.82 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,136 | 43.46 | −6.06 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
1999 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Govan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gordon Jackson | 11,421 | 43.31 | N/A |
| | SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | 9,665 | 36.65 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh | 2,343 | 8.88 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mohammed Aslam Khan | 1,479 | 5.61 | N/A |
| | Scottish Socialist | Charlie McCarthy | 1,275 | 4.83 | N/A |
| | Communist | John Foster | 190 | 0.72 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,756 | 6.66 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,373 | 49.52 | N/A |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |