East Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Template:Short description Template:Infobox UK constituency main East Dunbartonshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster). It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The seat is possibly best known for formerly being the constituency of Jo Swinson, the former Leader of the Liberal Democrats who was defeated at the 2019 general election.

This version of the constituency was first used at the 2005 general election. There was also an earlier East Dunbartonshire constituency, from 1950 to 1983.

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was expanded and renamed Mid Dunbartonshire, and was first contested at the 2024 general election.

Constituency profile

The constituency covers the northern edge of Greater Glasgow, and includes commuter towns on the North Clyde and Croy railway corridors.

Since 1974, the constituency has had the unusual distinction of having been represented by all four of the main political parties in Scotland, typically with small majorities (under 10%) at each general election.

Boundaries

2005–2024

The existing constituency was created as a result of the Fifth Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, as one of two covering the East Dunbartonshire council area and one of five covering the East Dunbartonshire council area and the North Lanarkshire council area.

The East Dunbartonshire constituency is entirely within the East Dunbartonshire council area, and the rest of the council area is covered by the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency, which also covers part of the North Lanarkshire council area. The rest of the North Lanarkshire area is covered by the Airdrie and Shotts, Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, and Motherwell and Wishaw constituencies.

The East Dunbartonshire constituency replaced most of the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency and some of the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency and some of the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency.

The Fifth Periodical Review did not affect the boundaries of Scottish Parliament constituencies, which retain the boundaries of Westminster constituencies prior to implementation of the results of the review.

Historic

The historic constituency was created under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949, and first used in the 1950 general election.

As created in 1950, the constituency was one of two covering the county of Dunbarton. The other was West Dunbartonshire. The two new constituencies replaced the earlier constituencies of Dunbartonshire and Dumbarton Burghs.

East Dunbartonshire covered the Cumbernauld, Kirkintilloch, and New Kilpatrick districts of the county and the burghs of Clydebank, Kirkintilloch, and Milngavie.

For the 1951 general election the constituency boundaries were adjusted to take account of a change to the boundaries of the burgh of Clydebank.

The results of the First Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission were implemented for the 1955 general election, but there was no change to the boundaries of East Dunbartonshire, and the boundaries of 1951 and 1955 were used also in the general elections of 1959, 1964, 1966 and 1970.

The results of the Second Periodical Review were implemented for the February 1974 general election. The review took account of population growth in the county of Dunbarton, caused by overspill from the city of Glasgow into the new town of Cumbernauld and elsewhere, and East Dunbartonshire became one of three constituencies covering the county. East Dunbartonshire now covered the Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld districts of the county and the burghs of Bearsden, Cumbernauld, and Kirkintilloch, but it lost Clydebank and Milngavie to the new constituency of Central Dunbartonshire. These boundaries were used also for the general elections of October 1974 and 1979.

In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scottish counties were abolished in favour of regions and districts and islands council areas, and the county of Dunbarton was divided between several districts of the new region of Strathclyde. The Third Periodical Review took account of new local government boundaries, and the results were implemented for the 1983 general election.

Members of Parliament

Election	Member	Party
1950	David Kirkwood	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1951	Cyril Bence	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1970	Hugh McCartney	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
Feb 1974	Barry Henderson	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
Oct 1974	Margaret Bain	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1979	Norman Hogg	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1983	constituency abolished
2005	Jo Swinson	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
2015	John Nicolson	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
2017	Jo Swinson	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
2019	Amy Callaghan	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color

Election results

• East Dunbartonshire election history
  East Dunbartonshire election history

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Amy Callaghan	Template:Replace	37.1
		Jo Swinson	19,523	36.8
		Pam Gosal	7,455	14.1
		Callum McNally	4,839	9.1
		Carolynn Scrimgeour	916	1.7
		Rosie Dickson	221	0.4
		Donald MacKay	208	0.4
		Liam McKechnie	197	0.4
Majority			149	0.3
Turnout			53,031	80.3
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 5.3

This was the largest constituency turnout, and the smallest SNP majority, at the 2019 general election.

General election 2017: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jo Swinson	Template:Replace	40.6
		John Nicolson	15,684	30.3
		Sheila Mechan	7,563	14.6
		Callum McNally	7,531	14.5
Majority			5,339	10.3
Turnout			51,801	78.8
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 7.2

General election 2015: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Nicolson	Template:Replace	40.3
		Jo Swinson	19,926	36.3
		Amanjit Jhund	6,754	12.3
		Andrew Polson	4,727	8.6
		Ross Greer	804	1.5
		Wilfred Arasaratnam	567	1.0
Majority			2,167	4.0
Turnout			54,871	81.91
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	Increase 16.0

¹ This was the highest turnout in the May 2015 general election.

General election 2010: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jo Swinson	Template:Replace	38.7
		Mary Galbraith	16,367	34.1
		Mark Nolan	7,431	15.5
		Iain White	5,054	10.5
		James Beeley	545	1.1
Majority			2,184	4.6
Turnout			47,948	75.2
	hold		Swing	Decrease 2.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jo Swinson	Template:Replace	41.8
		John Lyons	15,472	33.1
		David Jack	7,708	16.5
		Chris Sagan	2,716	5.8
		Stuart Callison	876	1.9
		Pamela Page	419	0.9
Majority			4,061	8.7
Turnout			46,724	73.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+7.4

UK General Election, 2001 Notional Result: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			Template:Replace	33.3
			11,191	27.1
			9,290	22.5
			6,099	14.7
			1,006	2.4
Majority			2,601	6.2
	hold		Swing

The constituency of 1950 to 1983 has an unusual electoral history, in that in two consecutive general elections it was gained by the party in third place at the previous election. In October 1974 the SNP leapfrogged Labour to defeat the Conservatives, and in 1979 Labour leapfrogged the Conservatives to beat the SNP. Furthermore, the constituency went the opposite way to the nation in two consecutive changes of government. In February 1974, the Conservatives gained it from Labour, though losing nationally, while in 1979 Labour regained the seat from the SNP, though losing nationally. Apart from Ynys Môn in Wales, East Dunbartonshire is the only seat to have been represented by the three main parties and the nationalists.

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Norman Hogg	Template:Replace	37.9
		Michael Hirst	20,944	34.1
		Margaret Bain	12,654	20.6
		R Waddell	4,600	7.5
Majority			2,324	3.8
Turnout			61,466	83.9
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

The October 1974 result was particularly unusual since it produced both the smallest majority in the country at that election, and the closest three-way result since 1945.

General election October 1974: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Margaret Bain	Template:Replace	31.2
		Barry Henderson	15,529	31.2
		Edward McGarry	15,122	30.3
		Alan Thompson	3,636	7.3
Majority			22	0.0
Turnout			49,838	80.6
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election February 1974: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barry Henderson	Template:Replace	36.7
		Edward McGarry	15,416	29.6
		Margaret Bain	11,635	22.3
		J. Cameron	5,936	11.4
Majority			3,676	7.1
Turnout			52,079	85.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election 1970: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Hugh McCartney	Template:Replace	44.6
		Barry Henderson	26,972	37.0
		Gordon Murray	8,257	11.3
		James G Brown	3,460	4.8
		Jimmy Reid	1,656	2.3
Majority			5,555	7.6
Turnout			72,872	77.6
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Cyril Bence	Template:Replace	52.15
		Kenneth B Miller	23,001	36.36
		William Johnston	5,715	9.04
		Jimmy Reid	1,548	2.45
Majority			9,987	15.79
Turnout			63,252	80.62
	hold		Swing

General election 1964: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Cyril Bence	Template:Replace	55.60
		T Warren Strachan	25,137	42.42
		Jimmy Reid	1,171	1.98
Majority			7,811	13.18
Turnout			59,256	81.70
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Cyril Bence	Template:Replace	51.05
		David Anderson	24,593	44.93
		Arnold E Henderson	2,200	4.02
Majority			3,349	6.12
Turnout			54,735	84.26
	hold		Swing

General election 1955: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Cyril Bence	Template:Replace	48.68
		Norman Macleod Glen	23,086	46.40
		Arnold E Henderson	2,448	4.92
Majority			1,130	2.28
Turnout			49,750	81.55
	hold		Swing

General election 1951: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Cyril Bence	Template:Replace	51.22
		William Whitelaw	23,252	44.64
		Arnold E Henderson	2,158	4.14
Majority			3,426	6.58
Turnout			52,088	86.83
	hold		Swing

General election 1950: East Dunbartonshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David Kirkwood	Template:Replace	52.7
		William Whitelaw	21,367	43.4
		Charles E Forrester	1,952	4.0
Majority			4,576	9.3
Turnout			49,262	86.0
	win (new seat)

External links

• East Dunbartonshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2005 – May 2024) at MapIt UK