Glasgow Cathcart (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Cathcart
Former Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
Subdivisions of Scotland City of Glasgow
1918–2005
Number of members One
Replaced by Glasgow South

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

It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.

Boundaries

1950-1974: The County of the City of Glasgow wards of Cathcart and Langside, and part of Govanhill ward.

1974-1983: The County of the City of Glasgow ward of Cathcart, and part of Langside ward.

1983-1997: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of King's Park/Aitkenhead, Linn Park/Castlemilk, and Pollokshaws/Newlands.

1997-2005: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Battlefield/Croftfoot, Carnwadric/Newlands, and Castlemilk/Carmunnock.

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 part 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 Conservative 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 (inline with the national trend in Scotland, which ran counter to that across the United Kingdom). 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.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[1] Party
1918 John Pratt Coalition Liberal
1922 John Primrose Hay Labour
1923 Robert MacDonald Unionist
1929 Sir John Train Unionist
1942 by-election Francis Beattie Unionist
1946 by-election John Henderson Unionist
1964 Teddy Taylor Unionist
Conservative
1979 John Maxton Labour
2001 Tom Harris Labour

Election results

Elections in the 2000s

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

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Maxton 19,158 57.4 +8.0
SNP Mrs. Maire Whitehead 6,913 18.5 −0.5
Conservative Alistair J. Muir 4,248 12.4 −8.8
Liberal Democrat Callan Dick 2,302 6.9 −0.3
ProLife Alliance Miss Zofia Indyk 687 2.0 N/A
Scottish Socialist James Ronald Stevenson 458 1.3 N/A
Referendum Strang W.S. Haldane 344 1.0 N/A
Majority 12,965 38.8 +8.1
Turnout 33,390 67.6 −7.6
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Glasgow Cathcart (Notional)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 18,713 49.3 N/A
Conservative 8,167 21.5 N/A
SNP 7,244 19.0 N/A
Liberal Democrat 2,732 7.2 N/A
Others 1,072 2.8 N/A
Majority 10,552 27.8 N/A
General Election 1992: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Maxton 16,265 48.3 −3.8
Conservative John Young 8,264 24.5 +2.1
SNP William Steven 6,107 18.1 +7.8
Liberal Democrat George C. Dick 2,614 7.8 −7.4
Scottish Green Mrs. Kay M. Allan 441 1.3 N/A
Majority 8,001 23.8
Turnout 33,691 75.2 −1.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Maxton 19,623 52.1 +10.4
Conservative William Andrew Harvey 8,420 22.4 −8.1
Social Democratic Moira Craig 5,722 15.2 −7.3
SNP William Steven 3,883 10.3 +4.7
Majority 11,203 29.7 N/A
Turnout 37,648 76.4 +0.6
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Maxton 16,037 41.4 −0.7
Conservative Douglas J. May 11,807 30.5 −15.8
Social Democratic Keir Bloomer 8,710 22.5 +16.8
SNP William Steven 2,151 5.6 +0.2
Majority 4,230 10.9
Turnout 38,705 75.8 −2.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Maxton 17,550 45.9 +7.8
Conservative Teddy Taylor 15,950 41.8 −0.9
SNP Alex Ewing 2,653 6.9 −9.6
Liberal Henry Wills 2,042 5.4 +2.6
Majority 1,600 4.2
Turnout 38,105 78.6 +1.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.4
General Election October 1974: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teddy Taylor 16,301 42.7 −3.1
Labour J.E. Carnegie 14,544 38.1 −2.5
SNP Alex Ewing 6,292 16.5 +2.9
Liberal H. Wills 1,058 2.8 N/A
Majority 1,757 4.6
Turnout 38,195 76.7 −4.0
Conservative hold Swing −0.3
General Election February 1974: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teddy Taylor 18,247 45.8 −8.4
Labour P.T. McCann 16,152 40.6 −4.4
SNP Alex Ewing 5,410 13.6 N/A
Majority 2,095 5.3
Turnout 39,809 80.7 +6.3
Conservative hold Swing −2.0
General Election 1970: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teddy Taylor 29,093 54.2 +3.5
Labour D.C.H. Mackay 24,188 45.0 −3.4
Independent J. McDonagh 419 0.8 N/A
Majority 4,905 9.1
Turnout 53,700 74.4 −5.3
Conservative hold Swing +3.5

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teddy Taylor 26,549 50.7 −2.3
Labour F.L. Foster 25,330 48.4 +1.3
Independent G.A. Barlow 516 1.0 N/A
Majority 1,219 2.33
Turnout 52,395 79.7 +0.4
Conservative hold Swing −1.8
General Election 1964: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Teddy Taylor 27,299 52.9 −6.3
Labour E. McCulloch 24,294 47.1 +6.3
Majority 3,005 5.8
Turnout 51,593 79.3 −1.0
Unionist hold Swing −6.3

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Henderson 30,743 59.2 −13.4
Labour J. Jarvie 21,169 40.8 +13.4
Majority 9,574 18.4
Turnout 51,912 80.3 +4.6
Unionist hold Swing −13.4
General Election 1955: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Henderson 25,265 72.6 +2.1
Labour L.P. Thomas 9,514 27.4 −2.1
Majority 15,751 45.3
Turnout 34,779 75.7 −6.8
Unionist hold Swing +2.1
General Election 1951: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Henderson 26,125 70.5 +5.7
Labour A.M. Patrick 10,912 29.5 +2.2
Majority 15,213 41.1
Turnout 37,037 82.5 −1.3
Unionist hold Swing +1.8
General Election 1950: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Henderson 24,341 64.8 +6.0
Labour I Rosslyn Mitchell 10,269 27.3 −13.9
Liberal Malcolm I Shields 2,984 7.9 N/A
Majority 14,072 37.4
Turnout 37,594 83.8 +16.1
Unionist hold Swing +10.0

Elections in the 1940s

By-election 1946: Glasgow Cathcart[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Henderson 13,695 52.5 −6.3
Labour A.B. Mackay 9,689 37.2 −4.0
SNP Dr. William Taylor 2,700 10.4 N/A
Majority 4,006 15.4
Turnout 26,084
Unionist hold Swing −1.2
General Election 1945: Glasgow Cathcart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Francis Beattie 18,472 58.8 −3.3
Labour N. Jackson 12,923 41.2 +3.3
Majority 5,549 17.7
Turnout 31,395 67.7 −6.6
Unionist hold Swing −3.3
By-election 1942: Glasgow Cathcart[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Francis Beattie 10,786 59.6 −2.5
Independent Progressive William Douglas-Home 3,807 21.0 N/A
Ind. Labour Party James Carmichael 2,493 13.8 N/A
SNP William Whyte 1,000 5.5 N/A
Majority 6,979 38.6
Turnout 18,086
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Glasgow Cathcart[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir John Train 21,331 62.1 −11.7
Labour A.A. MacGregor 12,995 37.9 +13.2
Majority 8,336 24.3
Turnout 34,326 74.3 −5.2
Unionist hold Swing −12.5
General Election 1931: Glasgow Cathcart[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Train 26,642 73.8
Labour A. L. Ritchie 8,919 24.7
New Party J. Mellick 529 1.5
Majority 17,723 49.1
Turnout 36,090 79.5
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Glasgow Cathcart [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Train 15,435 43.1 -21.9
Labour John Primrose Hay 12,983 36.3 +1.3
Liberal Bailie James Gray 7,388 20.6 n/a
Majority 2,452 6.8 -23.2
Turnout 35,806
Unionist hold Swing -11.6
General Election 1924: Glasgow Cathcart[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Robert MacDonald 18,440 65.0 +22.7
Labour Capt John Primrose Hay 9,915 35.0 +0.6
Majority 8,525 30.0
Turnout 28,355
Unionist hold Swing +11.1
General Election 1923: Glasgow Cathcart [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Robert MacDonald 10,817 42.3
Labour John Primrose Hay 8,884 34.7
Liberal Thomas Graham Robertson 5,894 23.0
Majority 1,933 7.6
Turnout 25,595
Unionist gain from Labour Swing
General Election 1922: Glasgow Cathcart [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Primrose Hay 9,137 34.0
National Liberal Sir Andrew Rae Duncan 9,104 33.8
Unionist Robert MacDonald 8,661 32.2 n/a
Majority 33 0.2
Turnout 26,902
Labour gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Glasgow Cathcart[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John William Pratt 16,310 78.4 N/A
Labour Dr Gavin Brown Clark 4,489 21.6 N/A
Majority 11,821 56.8 N/A
Turnout 20,799 N/A
Liberal win (new seat)

References

  1. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 3)
  2. ↑ http://www.by-elections.co.uk/46.html
  3. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1944
  4. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  5. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  6. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  7. ↑ Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
  8. ↑ The Times, 8 December 1923
  9. ↑ The Times, 16 November 1922
  10. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
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