# Dumbarton (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Dumbarton (Gaelic: Dùn Breatann) is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering parts of the council areas of Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one of ten constituencies in the West Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
The seat has been held continuously by Jackie Baillie of Scottish Labour since being first contested at the 1999 Scottish Parliament election.

## Electoral region

The other nine constituencies of the West Scotland region are: Clydebank and Milngavie, Cunninghame North, Cunninghame South, Eastwood, Greenock and Inverclyde, Paisley, Renfrewshire North and West, Renfrewshire South and Strathkelvin and Bearsden.
The region covers part of the Argyll and Bute council area, the East Dunbartonshire council area, the East Renfrewshire council area, the Inverclyde council area, North Ayrshire council area, the Renfrewshire council area and the West Dunbartonshire council area.

## Constituency boundaries and council area

The Dumbarton 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, the Westminster (House of Commons) constituency was abolished in favour of new constituencies.
The constituency takes in Helensburgh and Lomond from the Argyll and Bute council area and covers Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven in West Dunbartonshire. The rest of West Dunbartonshire is covered by the Clydebank and Milngavie. The rest of Argyll and Bute is covered by the Argyll and Bute constituency, which is within the Highlands and Islands electoral region.
From the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Dumbarton had its boundaries altered to include the following electoral wards:
* From West Dunbartonshire: Dumbarton, Leven, Lomond
* From Argyll and Bute: Lomond North, Helensburgh Central, Helensburgh and Lomond South

## Constituency profile

Dumbarton is the only constituency in the Scottish Parliament to have voted Labour in every election in the devolved era. Ahead of the 2021 election, The Times profiled the seat:
   Dumbarton is a diverse seat split between two local authorities: Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire. Its two biggest towns, Dumbarton and Helensburgh, have very different demographics. Dumbarton has significant unemployment and deprivation. It is a traditional Labour territory but, as with many such heartlands, the party’s one-time supporters have become increasingly disaffected... Helensburgh, with its pretty, blustery waterfront, is more affluent and has benefited from its proximity to [Faslane naval] base.
Incumbent Jackie Baillie has cultivated a profile as a hard working local MSP, a reputation that has helped her retain the seat as the Labour Party has declined nationally. In the 2021 election there was speculation that the seat could vote SNP for the first time, but in the end, Baillie increased her majority from 109 to 1,483. The SNP candidate, Toni Giugliano, blamed his loss on pro-Union tactical voting, tweeting: "The Tory vote in Helensburgh went to Labour in extraordinary numbers to keep us out."

## Member of the Scottish Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1999 | Jackie Baillie | Labour |

## Election results
### 2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Dumbarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jackie Baillie | 17,825 | 46.3 | 6.1 | 10,228 | 26.6 | 1.5 |
| | SNP | Toni Giugliano | 16,342 | 42.5 | 2.6 | 14,766 | 38.4 | 0.5 |
| | Conservative | Maurice Corry | 3,205 | 8.3 | 6.3 | 8,110 | 21.1 | 2.1 |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 2,444 | 6.4 | 1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andy Foxall | 676 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 986 | 2.6 | 1.2 |
| | Alba | Alba | Alba | Alba | Alba | 727 | 1.9 | New |
| | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | All for Unity | 291 | 0.8 | New |
| | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | Scottish Family | 211 | 0.5 | New |
| | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | Independent Green Voice | 192 | 0.5 | New |
| | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | 90 | 0.2 | New |
| | Scottish Libertarian | Jonathan Rainey | 134 | 0.3 | New | 73 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | 70 | 0.2 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 73 | 0.2 | New |
| | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | Reform UK | 57 | 0.1 | New |
| | Independent | James Morrison | James Morrison | James Morrison | James Morrison | 65 | 0.2 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 48 | 0.1 | 1.9 |
| | Independent | Maurice Campbell | Maurice Campbell | Maurice Campbell | Maurice Campbell | 27 | 0.1 | New |
| | Scotia Future | Scotia Future | Scotia Future | Scotia Future | Scotia Future | 16 | 0.0 | New |
| | Renew | Renew | Renew | Renew | Renew | 4 | 0.0 | New |
| | Independent | James Morrison | 183 | 0.5 | New | | | |
| | Independent | Andrew Muir | 94 | 0.2 | 1.7 | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,483 | 3.8 | 3.5 | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 38,459 | | | 38,478 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 106 | | | 58 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,565 | 68.5 | 7.4 | 38,536 | 68.5 | 7.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Swing | 1.8 | | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency ↑ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency |||||||||

### 2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Dumbarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Region | Region | Region |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jackie Baillie | 13,522 | 40.2 | 3.8 | 8,433 | 25.1 | 8.3 |
| | SNP | Gail Robertson | 13,413 | 39.9 | 1.6 | 13,059 | 38.8 | 0.4 |
| | Conservative | Maurice Corry | 4,891 | 14.6 | 2.6 | 7,779 | 23.1 | 10.3 |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 1,683 | 5.0 | 2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Aileen Morton | 1,131 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 1,265 | 3.8 | 0.4 |
| | Independent | Andrew Muir | 641 | 1.9 | New | | | |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 665 | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | 263 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | 212 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| | RISE | RISE | RISE | RISE | RISE | 186 | 0.6 | New |
| | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | Scottish Libertarian | 69 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 109 | 0.3 | 5.5 | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 33,598 | | | 33,614 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 100 | | | 75 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,698 | 61.2 | 7.6 | 33,689 | 61.1 | 7.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | Swing | 2.75 | | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency |||||||||
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Dumbarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Region | Region | Region |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jackie Baillie | 12,562 | 44.1 | N/A | 9,531 | 33.4 | N/A |
| | SNP | Iain Robertson | 10,923 | 38.3 | N/A | 11,178 | 39.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Graham Smith | 3,395 | 11.9 | N/A | 3,668 | 12.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Watt | 858 | 3.0 | N/A | 948 | 3.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | George Rice | 770 | 2.7 | N/A | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | Scottish Green | 786 | 2.8 | N/A |
| | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | All-Scotland Pensioners Party | 507 | 1.8 | N/A |
| | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | Scottish Socialist | 506 | 1.8 | N/A |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 301 | 1.1 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 254 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 254 | 0.9 | N/A |
| | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | Scottish Christian | 212 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | Ban Bankers Bonuses | Ban Bankers Bonuses | Ban Bankers Bonuses | Ban Bankers Bonuses | Ban Bankers Bonuses | 147 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | Pirate | 97 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | Richard Vassie | Richard Vassie | Richard Vassie | Richard Vassie | 69 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | Solidarity | 54 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,639 | 5.8 | N/A | | | |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 28,508 | | | 28,512 | | |
| Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | Invalid Votes | 114 | | | 90 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,622 | 53.5 | N/A | 28,602 | 53.5 | 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 ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency |||||||||

### 2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Dumbarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jackie Baillie | 11,635 | 38.7 | −3.5 |
| | SNP | Graeme McCormick | 10,024 | 33.4 | +14.2 |
| | Conservative | Brian Pope | 4,701 | 15.6 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alex Mackie | 3,385 | 11.3 | −4.2 |
| | Scottish Jacobite | John Black | 309 | 1.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,611 | 5.3 | −17.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,054 | 55.6 | +3.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Dumbarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jackie Baillie | 12,154 | 42.2 | −1.6 |
| | SNP | Iain Docherty | 5,542 | 19.2 | −10.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eric Thompson | 4,455 | 15.5 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | Murray Tosh | 4,178 | 14.5 | −0.1 |
| | Scottish Socialist | Les Robertson | 2,494 | 8.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,612 | 23.0 | +9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,823, | 51.9 | −10.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### 1990s

1999 Scottish Parliament election: Dumbarton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jackie Baillie | 15,181 | 43.8 | N/A |
| | SNP | Lloyd Quinan | 10,423 | 30.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Donald Reece | 5,060 | 14.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Coleshill | 4,035 | 11.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,758 | 13.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,699 | 61.9 | N/A |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |