Glasgow Woodside (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Woodside
Former burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of ScotlandCounty of city of Glasgow
1950–1974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Created fromGlasgow St Rollox, Glasgow Maryhill and Glasgow Hillhead[1]
Replaced byGlasgow Hillhead
Glasgow Maryhill

Glasgow Woodside was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 1974.

The constituency was preceded by the Labour held St Rollox, which was composed of the Glasgow City Council wards of Cowcaddens and Woodside. The seat was extended to include North Kelvin Ward, which had been part of Glasgow Maryhill. The name was changed to reflect the new central area of the constituency, which was Woodside.

On the new boundaries, and following a national swing, Glasgow Woodside was narrowly gained by the Conservatives in 1950.

In 1955, Cowcaddens Ward was moved to Glasgow Central while Partick East Ward was gained from Glasgow Hillhead, culminating in an increased Conservative majority of over 4000 in that year.

Despite a national swing to the Tories in the 1959 general election, there was a swing to Labour in Scotland, and four Conservative held seats fell to Labour (Ayrshire Central, Glasgow Craigton, Glasgow Scotstoun and Lanark). The pro-Labour swing saw the Conservative majority in Glasgow Woodside cut in half.

In a 1962 by election, Glasgow Woodside fell to Labour (seeing the return of Neil Carmichael), and was retained by Labour in 1964 and 1966.

Despite winning 7 of the 9 council seats in the constituency, the Conservatives narrowly failed to regain the seat in 1970.

In February 1974, Glasgow Woodside was abolished in name. In fact post Feb 1974 Glasgow Kelvingrove became a combination of 100% of Glasgow Woodside and part of the old Glasgow Kelvingrove (the rest of which was absorbed by Glasgow Central). The Woodside MP Neil Carmichael became the MP for the new Kelvingrove, while the old Kelvingrove MP (Maurice Miller) stood in the new East Kilbride seat which had been formed from much of Lanark.

In 1983, Glasgow Kelvingrove was more or less equally divided between Glasgow Hillhead and Glasgow Maryhill. Neil Carmichael stood and lost against the SDP MP for Hillhead, Roy Jenkins.

Boundaries

1950–1955: The North Kelvin and Woodside wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and the part of the Partick (East) ward which is not included in the Hillhead constituency.[2]

1955–1974: The North Kelvin, Partick East and Woodside wards of the county of the city of Glasgow.[3]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1950 William Gordon Bennett Unionist
1955 William Grant Unionist
1962 by-election Neil George Carmichael, later Baron Carmichael of Kelvingrove Labour
1974 (Feb) constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Glasgow Woodside[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Gordon Bennett 17,075 48.7
Labour Co-op William Leonard 15,966 45.6
Liberal Thomas Ledbetter Woodside 2,005 5.7
Majority 1,109 3.1
Turnout 35,046
Unionist win (new seat)
General election 1951: Glasgow Woodside[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Gordon Bennett 18,533 53.4 +4.7
Labour Co-op Richard McCutcheon 16,210 46.6 +1.0
Majority 2,343 6.8 +3.7
Turnout 34,743
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1955: Glasgow Woodside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Grant 19,846 56.1 +2.7
Labour John McGinley 15,543 43.9 −2.7
Majority 4,303 12.2 +5.4
Turnout 35,389
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1959: Glasgow Woodside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Grant 16,567 49.3 −6.8
Labour John McGinley 14,483 43.1 −0.8
Liberal George Vincent McLaughlin (solicitor) 2,583 7.7 New
Majority 2,084 6.2 −6.0
Turnout 33,633
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

1962 Glasgow Woodside by-election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil George Carmichael 8,303 36.1 −7.0
Unionist Norman Macleod Glen 6,936 30.1 −19.2
Liberal Jack House 5,000 21.7 +14.0
SNP A. Niven 2,562 11.1 New
Independent Socialist Guy Alfred Aldred 134 0.6 New
Socialist (GB) Robert Vallar 83 0.4 New
Majority 1,368 6.0 N/A
Turnout 23,018
Labour gain from Unionist Swing
General election 1964: Glasgow Woodside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil George Carmichael 15,521 49.1 +13.0
Unionist Norman Macleod Glen 11,954 37.8 +7.7
Liberal Jack House 2,443 7.7 −14.0
SNP David J. Stevenson 1,600 5.1 −6.0
Socialist (GB) Robert Vallar 88 0.3 −0.1
Majority 3,567 11.3 +5.3
Turnout 31,606
Labour gain from Unionist Swing
General election 1966: Glasgow Woodside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil George Carmichael 13,540 50.6 +1.5
Conservative Norman Macleod Glen 11,202 41.8 +4.0
SNP Robert Fairlie 1,916 7.1 +2.0
Socialist (GB) Robert Vallar 122 0.5 +0.2
Majority 2,338 8.8 −2.5
Turnout 26,780
Labour hold Swing

Election in the 1970s

General election 1970: Glasgow Woodside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neil George Carmichael 10,785 47.4 −3.2
Conservative Victor J MacColl 9,457 41.5 −0.3
SNP David Rollo 1,912 8.4 +1.3
Ind. Conservative G Ross MacKay 614 2.7 New
Majority 1,328 5.8 −3.0
Turnout 22,768
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. ^ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
  2. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 23 July 2023
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) (Glasgow Scotstoun, Glasgow Hillhead and Glasgow Woodside) Order 1955. SI 1955/25". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2202–2204.
  4. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1950.
  5. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1951.
  6. ^ The Times, 23 Nov 1962