Glasgow Cathcart (UK Parliament constituency)

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Glasgow Cathcart
Burgh constituency
Created: 1918
Abolished: 2005
Type: House of Commons

Glasgow Cathcart was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005. It was replaced by the larger Glasgow South constituency.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

In 1918 the constituency consisted of "That portion of the city which is bounded by a line commencing at a point on the municipal boundary at the centre of Kilmarnock Road, thence northward along the centre line of Kilmarnock Road to the centre line of the River Cart, thence south-eastward and eastward along the centre line of the River Cart to the centre line of Langside Road at Millbrae Bridge, thence north-eastward along the centre line of Langside Road, Millbrae Road and Langside Road, to the centre line of the main avenue in the Queen's Park near Victoria Infirmary, thence northward along the centre line of the said main avenue to the centre line of Queen's Drive, thence northward along the centre line of Victoria Road to the centre line of the Glasgow and South Western Railway about 46 yards north of the centre line of Butterbiggins Road, thence north-eastward along the centre line of the said Glasgow and South Western Railway to the centre line of the Caledonian Railway Main Line from Glasgow to Rutherglen, thence south-eastward along the centre line of the said Caledonian Railway to the municipal boundary, thence south-westward and westward along the municipal boundary to the point of commencement "

[edit] History

For generations, Glasgow Cathcart was an extremely safe Conservative seat and for 56 years the constituency always voted for a Conservative. The area was the wealthiest party of the city and was mainly inhabited by 'well to do' business families and contained large detached houses. It was Glasgow's equivalent of Kensington and Chelsea in London. However, when Labour was elected to power in 1964 Glasgow had a lot of slum clearance and Cathcart had a lot of council housing built and areas which had previously been fields now housed the families from the old slums. These families naturally voted Labour and time and time again the Conservative majorities dwindled. In 1966, the Conservative majority fell to a record low of 1,200 votes.

In 1970, the Conservatives increased their majority to around 5,000 but at the next two general elections in 1974 it soon fell again. In 1979 when Margaret Thatcher took office and the national trend was a big Coservative swing, the Conservatives lost the seat to Labour. After redrawn boundaries were made in 1983 the seat was notionally Conservative but like 1979 the seat went against the national trend and the Labour MP increased his majority. From 1983 to 1997 the Conservatives lost more ground time after time except for a small improvement in 1992 (again this was against the national trend). In 1997, Labour won a landslide and the seat became ultra safe Labour.

Since then the Conservatives have fallen into third and fourth place. The seat still has more Conservative voters than any other Glasgow seat but only 5,000 at the last election when it was replaced by Glasgow South.

[edit] Members of Parliament

Year Member Party
1918 John Pratt Coalition Liberal
1922 John Primrose Hay Labour
1923 Robert MacDonald Conservative
1929 Sir John Train Conservative
1942 Francis Beattie Conservative
1946 John Henderson Conservative
1964 Teddy Taylor Conservative
1979 John Maxton Labour
2001 Thomas Harris Labour

[edit] Election results

[edit] Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2001: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Harris 14,902 54.4 -3.0
Scottish National Party Josephine Docherty 4,086 14.9 -3.6
Conservative Richard Cook 3,662 13.4 +0.6
Liberal Democrat Tom Henery 3,006 11.0 +4.1
Scottish Socialist Ronnie Stevenson 1,730 6.3 N/A
Majority 10,816 39.5
Turnout 27,386 52.6 -15.0
Labour hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1940s

By-election 1942: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Beattie 10,786
Independent W. Douglas Home 3,807
Ind. Labour Party James Carmichael 2,493
Scottish National Party William Whyte 1,000

[edit] Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1931: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Train 26,642
Labour A. L. Ritchie 8,919
New Party J. Mellick 529

[edit] Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Glasgow Cathcart [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Pratt 16,310
Labour Dr G.B. Clark 4,489

[edit] See also

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Westminster constituencies of Scotland
Aberdeen North · Aberdeen South · Airdrie & Shotts · Angus · Argyll & Bute · Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock · Banff & Buchan · Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk · Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross · Central Ayrshire · Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill · Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East · Dumfries & Galloway · Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale · Dundee East · Dundee West · Dunfermline & West Fife · East Dunbartonshire · East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow · East Lothian · East Renfrewshire · Edinburgh East · Edinburgh North & Leith · Edinburgh South · Edinburgh South West · Edinburgh West · Falkirk · Glasgow Central · Glasgow East · Glasgow North · Glasgow North East · Glasgow North West · Glasgow South · Glasgow South West · Glenrothes · Gordon · Inverclyde · Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey · Kilmarnock & Loudoun · Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath · Lanark & Hamilton East · Linlithgow & East Falkirk · Livingston · Midlothian · Moray · Motherwell & Wishaw · Na h-Eileanan an Iar · North Ayrshire & Arran · North East Fife · Ochil & South Perthshire · Orkney & Shetland · Paisley & Renfrewshire North · Paisley & Renfrewshire South · Perth & North Perthshire · Ross, Skye & Lochaber · Rutherglen & Hamilton West · Stirling · West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine · West Dunbartonshire