Coatbridge and Chryston (Scottish Parliament constituency)

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Coatbridge and Chryston Scottish Parliament constituency

Coatbridge and Chryston shown within the Central Scotland electoral region
Created:	1999
MSP:	Elaine Smith
Party:	Labour
Council area:	North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire

Coatbridge and Chryston is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It is also one of ten constituencies in the Central Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

1 Electoral region
2 Constituency boundaries and council areas
- 2.1 North Lanarkshire council area
- 2.2 East Dunbartonshire council area
3 Member of the Scottish Parliament
4 Election results
5 Footnotes

[edit] Electoral region

The other nine constituencies of the Central Scotland region are Airdrie and Shotts, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, East Kilbride, Falkirk East, Falkirk West, Hamilton North and Bellshill, Hamilton South, Kilmarnock and Loudoun and Motherwell and Wishaw.

The region covers all of the Falkirk council area, all of the North Lanarkshire council area, part of the South Lanarkshire council area, part of the East Ayrshire council area and a small part of the East Dumbartonshire council area.

[edit] 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^[1].

The Holyrood constituency covers a western portion of the North Lanarkshire council area and a south-eastern portion of the East Dunbartonshire council area.

[edit] North Lanarkshire council area

The rest of the North Lanarkshire area is covered by Airdrie and Shotts, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Hamilton North and Bellshill and Motherwell and Wishaw, which are also within the Central Scotland electoral region. Hamilton North and Bellshill straddles the North Lanarkshire boundary with the South Lanarkshire council area, which is otherwise divided between the Central Scotland, Glasgow and South of Scotland regions.

[edit] East Dunbartonshire council area

The rest of the East Dunbartonshire area is covered by Clydebank and Milngavie and Strathkelvin and Bearsden, which are both within the West of Scotland region. Clydebank and Milngavie straddles the East Dunbartonshire boundary with the West Dunbartonshire council area, which is entirely within the West of Scotland region.

[edit] Member of the Scottish Parliament

The constituency is currently represented by Labour MSP Elaine Smith.

[edit] Election results

Scottish parliamentary election, 2003: Coatbridge and Chryston
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Elaine Smith	13,422	56.25	-3.10
	Scottish National Party	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	+8.01
	Liberal Democrats	Doreen Nisbit	1,637	8.01	-1.69
Majority			8,571	35.92	+1.47
Turnout			23,862	46.32	-11.56
	Labour hold		Swing

Scottish parliamentary election, 1999: Coatbridge and Chryston
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Elaine Smith	17,923	59.35	N/A
	Scottish National Party	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			10,404	34.45	N/A
Turnout
	Labour hold		Swing	N/A