Coatbridge and Chryston (Scottish Parliament constituency)

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

Coatbridge and Chryston
Burgh constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Coatbridge and Chryston shown within the Central Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population72,162 (2019)[1]
Current constituency
Created1999
PartyScottish National Party
MSPFulton MacGregor
Council areaNorth Lanarkshire

The seat has been held by Fulton MacGregor of the Scottish National Party since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region

The other eight constituencies of the Central Scotland region are: Airdrie and Shotts, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, East Kilbride, Falkirk East, Falkirk West, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Motherwell and Wishaw and Uddingston and Bellshill.

The region covers all of the Falkirk council area, all of the North Lanarkshire council area and part of the South Lanarkshire council area.

Constituency boundaries and council areas

Map of boundaries from 2005

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.[2]

The Holyrood constituency is one of four covering the North Lanarkshire council area, the others being Airdrie and Shotts, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, and Motherwell and Wishaw; Uddingston and Bellshill spans parts of both North and South Lanarkshire. All five are within the Central Scotland electoral region.

Following the first Scottish Parliamentary Boundary Review the electoral wards used in the creation of Coatbridge and Chryston are:

Member of the Scottish Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1999Elaine SmithLabour
2016Fulton MacGregorSNP

Election results

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston[3][4]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
SNPFulton MacGregor[a]20,57757.5 9.518,19150.8 2.3
LabourMichael McPake11,14031.1 3.68,72424.3 5.2
ConservativeGordon Macdonald3,0288.5 1.64,54612.7 1.4
Scottish Green2,1255.9 1.2
Alba6841.9New
Liberal DemocratsMhairi Macdonald6221.7 0.25341.5 0.3
All for Unity2480.7New
Scottish FamilyLeo Lanahan4111.1New2400.7New
Independent Green Voice2200.7New
Abolish the Scottish Parliament760.2New
Scottish Libertarian620.2New
Freedom Alliance (UK)540.2New
Reform UK470.1New
IndependentPaddy Hogg430.1New
UKIP350.1 1.7
Majority9,43726.4 13.1
Valid Votes35,77835,829
Invalid Votes11375
Turnout35,89163.2 9.835,90463.2 9.8
SNP holdSwing
Notes

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston[5][6]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
SNPFulton MacGregor13,60548.0 7.513,77548.5 7.0
LabourElaine Smith9,82634.7 17.58,36929.5 12.6
ConservativeRobyn Halbert2,86810.1 4.43,20111.3 6.5
Scottish GreenJohn Wilson1,6125.7New1,3474.7 2.7
UKIP5032.7 1.4
Solidarity3941.4 1.0
Liberal DemocratsJenni Lang4231.5 0.13531.2 0.1
RISE1840.6New
Scottish Christian2190.8 0.8
IndependentDeryck Beaumont340.1New
Majority3,77913.3N/A
Valid Votes28,33428,379
Invalid Votes7334
Turnout28,40753.4 7.628,41353.4 7.7
SNP gain from LabourSwing 12.6
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston[7]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
LabourElaine Smith12,16152.2N/A9,80542.1N/A
SNPJohn Wilson9,42040.5N/A9,67541.5N/A
ConservativeJason Lingiah1,3175.7N/A1,1234.8N/A
All-Scotland Pensioners Party5252.3N/A
Scottish Green4632.0N/A
Scottish Christian3641.6N/A
Socialist Labour3421.5N/A
Liberal DemocratsRod Ackland3811.6N/A2471.1N/A
BNP2190.9N/A
Scottish Socialist1190.5N/A
Solidarity900.4N/A
IndependentHugh O'Donnell850.4N/A
UKIP720.3N/A
Others1830.8N/A
Majority2,74111.7N/A
Valid Votes23,27923,312
Invalid Votes10576
Turnout23,27945.7N/A23,38845.7N/A
Labour win (new boundaries)
Notes

2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourElaine Smith 11,860 46.1 -10.1
SNPFrances McGlinchey7,35028.6+8.3
ConservativeRoss Thomson2,3059.0+0.5
IndependentJulie McAnulty1,8437.2New
Liberal DemocratsDoreen Nisbet1,5195.9-1.0
Scottish VoiceGaille McCann8483.3New
Majority4,51017.5-18.4
Turnout25,72547.3+1.0
Labour holdSwing-9.2
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourElaine Smith 13,422 56.25 -3.10
SNPJames Gribben4,85120.33-4.57
ConservativeDonald Reece2,0418.55-0.94
Scottish SocialistGordon Martin1,9118.01N/A
Liberal DemocratsDoreen Nisbit1,6376.86+0.60
Majority8,57135.92+1.47
Turnout23,86246.32-11.56
Labour holdSwing

1990s

1999 Scottish Parliament election: Coatbridge and Chryston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourElaine Smith 17,923 59.35 N/A
SNPPeter Kearney7,51924.90N/A
ConservativeGordon Lind2,8679.49N/A
Liberal DemocratsJane Hook1,8896.26N/A
Majority10,40434.45N/A
Turnout30,19857.88N/A
Labour win (new seat)

Notes