West Scotland 2021

Contents

Region Overview
Region Map
Overall Regional Result 2021
Clydebank and Milngavie
Cunninghame North
Cunninghame South
Dumbarton
Eastwood
Greenock and Inverclyde
Paisley
Renfrewshire North and West
Renfrewshire South
Strathkelvin and Bearsden
List Seat Allocation Process
West List Candidates 2021
Minor Party Results

Region Overview

Most of this region is made up of the two highly urbanised counties to the north and west of Glasgow – Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire. In Council terms that means the area fully incorporates Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire. In addition, it also includes the portion of Argyll and Bute around Helensburgh which is historically in Dunbartonshire, plus the entirety of North Ayrshire. When first created in 1999, the region didn’t include the area around Irvine in North Ayrshire.

With a mixture of previously industrialised towns and affluent suburbs, Conservative success lasted until the late 20th Century here in a way it didn’t in other portions of the western Central Belt. In particular, they consistently held the seat of Eastwood and tended to be strong in the western portion of Renfrewshire, in Cunninghame North, and in the Strathkelvin area.

Labour generally held the other seats, which had much more of the working class character, though the SNP very narrowly won the East Dunbartonshire seat in the second 1974 election. When the Conservatives were swept out of Scotland in 1997, Labour would win every seat in this part of the country. Though it wouldn’t bear fruit until boundary changes in 2005 which were never replicated at Holyrood, the Liberal Democrats also began to build a base in the Bearsden and Milngavie portion of East Dunbartonshire.

Labour maintained their constituency dominance into the first Holyrood election, sweeping all nine constituencies. The regional seats then followed a neat pattern of four for the SNP, two for the Conservatives, and one for the Lib Dems.


9 Labour (all Constituency)
4 SNP (all Regional)
2 Conservative (all Regional)
1 Liberal Democrat (Regional)

When the Rainbow Parliament came to the West of Scotland, it did so with something very rare indeed in UK politics – an Independent victory in an FPTP constituency, when Dr Jean Turner won Strathkelvin and Bearsden on a platform to save nearby Stobhill Hospital. She’d stood with much less success, though still placing second, in a 2001 by-election there. In addition to Dr Turner, the SNP lost one of their seats to the SSP.


8 Labour (all Constituency)
3 SNP (all Regional)
2 Conservative (all Regional)
1 Liberal Democrat (Regional)
1 SSP (Regional)
1 Independent (Jean Turner, Strathkelvin and Bearsden)

In line with the almost complete reversion to the traditional party norm across Scotland in 2007, the SSP lost their list seat and Labour regained Strathkelvin and Bearsden from Dr Turner. However, they didn’t return to a clean sweep of constituencies, as the SNP gained the Cunninghame North seat from them. The regional seats then fell exactly as they had in 1999, with four SNP, two Conservative, and 1 Lib Dem.


8 Labour (all Constituency)
5 SNP (4 Regional, 1 Constituency)
2 Conservative (all Regional)
1 Liberal Democrat (Regional)

As part of their surprise majority victory at this election, the SNP picked up six seats in the slightly expanded region. That left Labour with just four, in Dumbarton, Eastwood, Renfrewshire South, and Greenock and Inverclyde. Thanks to the Lib Dems haemorrhaging votes across the country, Labour were able to mostly make up for their losses by picking up three regional seats, leaving two apiece to go to the SNP and Conservatives.


8 SNP (6 Constituency, 2 Regional)
7 Labour (4 Constituency, 3 Regional)
2 Conservative (all Regional)

Constituencies continued to churn at the last election, as Labour lost three of their remaining constituencies, narrowly holding onto Dumbarton. Two of those seats went to the SNP, whilst Eastwood went to the Conservatives, returning to its pre-1997 shade. SNP constituency success meant they didn’t need their two regional seats to make up proportionality anymore, and a near tie between Labour and the Conservatives saw them win three each. The Greens then nabbed the last seat, electing 21 year old Ross Greer as the youngest ever MSP.


8 SNP (all Constituency)
4 Labour (3 Regional, 1 Constituency)
4 Conservative (3 Regional, 1 Constituency)
1 Green (Regional)

As with so many other regions, West ended up looking exactly the same in 2021 as it had in 2016. The SNP had set their sights on Dumbarton as the most marginal seat in the country, but Labour’s Jackie Baillie once again proved a remarkable survivor and held on. Likewise for Jackson Carlaw, who remained Conservative MSP for Eastwood. That left the SNP on the same 8 seats at they won the last time, whilst both of those parties held 4. The Greens once again one the remaining seat, though much more securely than they had in 2016.

8 SNP (all Constituency)
4 Labour (3 Regional, 1 Constituency)
4 Conservative (3 Regional, 1 Constituency)
1 Green (Regional)

Region Map

Overall Regional Result 2021

Regional List Vote and MSPs Elected


#1: Labour - Neil Bibby
#2: Conservative - Russell Findlay
#3: Labour - Katy Clark
#4: Conservative - Jamie Greene
#5: Green - Ross Greer
#6: Labour - Paul O'Kane
#7: Conservative - Pam Gosal

Constituency Vote

Total MSPs Elected

8 SNP (all Constituency)
4 Labour (3 Regional, 1 Constituency)
4 Conservative (3 Regional, 1 Constituency)
1 Green (Regional)

Clydebank and Milngavie

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


SNP - Marie McNair
Majority: 5274 (14.0%)
Turnout: 68.1%

2021 Candidates

SNP: Marie McNair
Labour: Douglas McAllister
Conservative: Pam Gosal
Liberal Democrat: Katy Gordon
Independent: Alexander Robertson

Cunninghame North

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


SNP - Kenny Gibson
Majority: 7776 (20.9%)
Turnout: 64.6%

2021 Candidates

SNP: Kenny Gibson
Conservative: Jamie Greene
Labour: Katy Clark
Liberal Democrat: Ruby Kirkwood

Cunninghame South

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


SNP - Ruth Maguire
Majority: 7952 (26.4%)
Turnout: 58.1%

2021 Candidates

SNP: Ruth Maguire
Labour: Louise McPhater
Conservative: David Rocks
Liberal Democrat: Tom Armstrong
Independent: Maurice Campbell

Dumbarton

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


Labour - Jackie Baillie
Majority: 1483 (3.9%)
Turnout: 68.3%

2021 Candidates

Labour: Jackie Baillie
SNP: Toni Giugliano
Conservative: Maurice Corry
Liberal Democrat: Andy Foxall
Independent: James Morrison
Libertarian: Jonathan Rainey
Independent: Andrew Muir

Eastwood

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


Conservative - Jackson Carlaw
Majority: 2216 (5.2%)
Turnout: 76.4%

2021 Candidates

Conservative: Jackson Carlaw
SNP: Colm Merrick
Labour: Katie Pragnell
Independent: David Macdonald
Liberal Democrat: Tahir Jameel
UKIP: Janice Mackay

Greenock and Inverclyde

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


SNP - Stuart McMillan
Majority: 8174 (22.5%)
Turnout: 63.5%

2021 Candidates

SNP: Stuart McMillan
Labour: Francesca Brennan
Conservative: Caroline Hollins
Liberal Democrat: Jacci Stoyle
Independent: John Burleigh

Paisley

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


SNP - George Adam
Majority: 6075 (17.4)
Turnout: 62.6%

2021 Candidates

SNP: George Adam
Labour: Neil Bibby
Conservative: Russell Findlay
Green: Scott Bevan
Liberal Democrat: Eileen McCartin

Renfrewshire North and West

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


SNP - Natalie Don
Majority: 7307 (19.1%)
Turnout: 67.9%

2021 Candidates

SNP: Natalie Don
Labour: Johanna Baxter
Conservative: Julie Pirone
Liberal Democrat: Ross Stalker
Family Party: Marty Bell

Renfrewshire South

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


SNP - Tom Arthur
Majority: 7106 (20.5%)
Turnout: 65.7%

2021 Candidates

SNP: Tom Arthur
Labour: Paul O'Kane
Conservative: Derek Stillie
Liberal Democrat: Christine Cosh
Scotia Future: Andy Doig

Strathkelvin and Bearsden

2021 Results

2021 MSP & Majority


SNP - Rona Mackay
Majority: 11484 (24.8)
Turnout: 72.0%

2021 Candidates

SNP: Rona Mackay
Conservative: Andrew Polson
Labour: Calum McNally
Liberal Democrat: Susan Murray
Family Party: Liam McKechnie

List Seat Allocation Process

To allocate list seats using the D’Hondt method, each party’s share of the vote is divided by one more than the number of seats they’ve won so far in the process. This is an important part of how the list seats then more fairly represent the diversity of views amongst voters. List votes cast for a party that has won lots of constituency seats are not “wasted”, they just aren’t needed to give their voters fair representation.

When allocating the first list seat, this starts with the number of constituencies won by each party:

  • The SNP won 8 constituencies, so their vote is divided by 9.
  • Labour won 1 constituency, so their vote is divided by 2.
  • The Conservatives won 1 constituency, so their vote is divided by 2.
  • No one else won any constituencies, so their votes aren’t divided.

That then gives us this (removing the parties that clearly don’t have enough votes for clarity):

Since Labour have the highest total here, they receive the first regional list seat. We add that to their total, giving them 2 seat overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 3.

The Conservatives have the highest total, so they receive the second regional list seat. That gives them 2 seats overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 3.

Labour have the highest total, so they receive the third regional list seat. That gives them 3 seats overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 4.

The Conservatives have the highest total, so they receive the fourth regional list seat. We add that to their total, giving them 3 seats overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 4.

The Greens have the highest total, so they receive the fifth regional list seat. That gives them 1 seat overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 2.

Labour have the highest total, so they receive the sixth regional list seat. We add that to their total, giving them 4 seats overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 5.

The Conservatives have the highest total, so they receive the seventh and final regional list seat. We add that to their total, giving them 4 seats overall. Therefore, the final distribution of seats across the West Scotland region is:

8 SNP (all Constituency)
4 Labour (3 Regional, 1 Constituency)
4 Conservative (3 Regional, 1 Constituency)
1 Green (Regional)

Regional List Candidates 2021

  1. Michelle Campbell
  2. Stuart McMillan
  3. Kenny Gibson
  4. Rona Mackay
  5. Colm Merrick
  6. Lorna Douglas
  7. Annette Ireland
  8. Debra Torrance
  9. Gavin Lundy
  10. Jonathan McColl
  11. Daniel Kennedy
  1. Jackson Carlaw
  2. Russell Findlay
  3. Jamie Greene
  4. Pam Gosal
  5. Julie Pirone
  6. Andrew Polson
  7. Derek Stillie
  8. Maurice Corry
  9. Caroline Hollins
  10. David Rocks
  1. Jackie Baillie
  2. Neil Bibby
  3. Katy Clark
  4. Paul O’Kane
  5. Johanna Baxter
  6. Matt Kerr
  7. Francesca Brennan
  8. Douglas McAllister
  9. Katie Pragnell
  10. Gurpreet Singh Johal
  11. Ed Grady
  12. Nairn McDonald
  1. Ross Greer
  2. Carolynn Scrimgeour
  3. Scott Bevan
  4. Erin Crawley
  5. Ross Collins
  6. Emma Sheppard
  7. Charley O’Hear
  1. Katy Gordon
  2. Jacci Stoyle
  3. Susan Murray
  4. Ross Stalker
  5. Rod Ackland
  6. Eileen McCartin
  7. Ruby Kirkwood
  1. Robert Watson
  1. Chris McEleny
  2. Caroline McAllister
  3. Ellen McMaster
  4. Delia Henry
  1. David Griffiths
  2. Catherine McCall
  3. Paul McLafferty
  4. Senol Jason Ali
  5. Calum Robertson
  6. Rhona Cameron
  7. Robert Aikman
  1. Jill McGowan
  2. Maria Smith
  3. Grant Stirling
  4. Mark Turnbull
  1. John McCallum
  2. Wayne Darnell
  3. Peter Sievwright
  4. Martyn Greene
  1. Liam McKechnie
  2. Martin Bell
  3. Matthew Lynch
  4. Mary Toal
  5. Cecilia Tortolano
  1. Jonathan Rainey
  1. Janice Mackay
  2. Eunice Normansell
  3. Robert Hill
  4. Sharon Boyle
  5. Ian Emery
  1. Ian Inkster
  1. Andy Doig
  1. Peter Morton
  1. Jim Halfpenny
  2. Lynda McEwan
  3. Ian Kerr
  • Maurice Campbell
  • James Morrison

Minor Party Results