Glasgow Southside (Scottish Parliament constituency)

For the Westminster constituency, see Glasgow South (UK Parliament constituency).

Glasgow Southside is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood), being one of eight constituencies within the Glasgow City council area. 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 Glasgow electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole. The seat is currently held by Nicola Sturgeon who was First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023, who has held it for the Scottish National Party since the seat was created for 2011 Scottish Parliament election.

Glasgow Southside
Burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Glasgow Southside shown within the Glasgow electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	70,916 (2019)[1]
Current constituency
Created	2011
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Nicola Sturgeon
Council area	Glasgow City

Electoral region

See also: Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the Glasgow region are; Glasgow Anniesland, Glasgow Cathcart, Glasgow Kelvin, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Provan, Glasgow Shettleston and Rutherglen.

The region covers the Glasgow City council area and a north-western portion of the South Lanarkshire council area.

Constituency boundaries and council areas

Map of boundaries from 2011

The electoral wards used in the creation of Southside were:^[2]

• In full: Southside Central, Pollokshields
• In part: Govan (shared with Pollok)

Member of the Scottish Parliament

The former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has represented the constituency since its creation in 2011 election. She was previously an MSP for the Glasgow regional list from 1999 to 2007, and Glasgow Govan between 2007 and 2011 until the abolition of that constituency.

Constituency profile

The constituency has attracted a high amount of media interest over the years due to its status as the constituency of the First Minister. A profile in The Scotsman described it as, "one of Scotland’s most diverse constituencies. It takes in the gated mansions of Pollokshields as well as Ibrox and Govan, which once teemed with shipyard workers. It takes in Strathbungo, with its Greek Thomson terraces as well as the Gorbals, a former melting pot of Irish, Italian and Jewish immigration."^[3]

Problems with slum landlords, vermin and refuse collections have been highlighted as particular issues in the area.^[4] During the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow City Council were accused of dispatching cleaners to the constituency to spruce it up prior to press events in the area.^[5]

Election		Member	Party
	2011	Nicola Sturgeon	Scottish National Party

Elections

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Southside^[6][7][8]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Nicola Sturgeon[a]	19,735	60.2	1.2	13,661	41.6	3.7
	Labour Co-op	Anas Sarwar[b][c]	10,279	31.3	8.4	7,729	23.5	3.6
	Scottish Green					6,063	18.4	4.8
	Conservative	Kyle Thornton	1,790	5.5	6.9	2,901	8.8	2.8
	Alba					636	1.9	New
	Liberal Democrats	Carole Ford	504	1.5	1.8	575	1.7	0.3
	Independent Green Voice					295	0.9	New
	All for Unity					223	0.7	New
	Scottish Family					161	0.5	New
	No label	Greg Energy Adviser	147	0.4	New
	Liberal	Derek Jackson	102	0.3	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)	Carol Dobson	204	0.6	New	99	0.3	New
	TUSC					95	0.3	New
	Women's Equality					88	0.3	0.6
	Communist					81	0.3	New
	Scottish Libertarian					52	0.2	New
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					51	0.2	New
	UKIP					48	0.2	1.5
	Independent	Jayda Fransen	46	0.1	New
	SDP					32	0.1	New
	Reform UK					31	0.1	New
	Independent	Craig Ross				19	0.1	New
	Reclaim					16	0.1	New
	Renew					10	0.0	New
	Independent	Daniel Donaldson				10	0.0	New
Majority			9,456	28.9	9.6
Valid Votes			32,807			32,876
Invalid Votes			220			113
Turnout			33,027	59.78	11.5	32,989	59.71	11.3
	SNP hold		Swing		4.8
Notes Incumbent member for this constituency Sarwar stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote is for Scottish Labour only. Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Southside^[9][6]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Nicola Sturgeon[a]	15,287	61.4	7.0	11,393	45.3	3.2
	Labour	Fariha Thomas	5,694	22.9	12.3	5,002	19.9	9.4
	Scottish Green					3,444	13.7	5.8
	Conservative	Graham Hutchison	3,100	12.4	4.7	2,935	11.7	5.0
	Liberal Democrats	Kevin Lewsey	822	3.3	0.6	516	2.1	0.1
	UKIP					420	1.7	1.2
	RISE					387	1.5	New
	Solidarity					335	1.3	New
	Women's Equality					209	0.8	New
	BUP					190	0.8	New
	Animal Welfare					172	0.7	New
	Scottish Christian					136	0.5	0.0
	Independent	Andrew McCullagh				15	0.1	New
Majority			9,593	38.5	19.3
Valid Votes			24,903			25,154
Invalid Votes			279			68
Turnout			25,182	48.3	4.7	25,222	48.4	4.8
	SNP hold		Swing		9.7
Notes Incumbent member for this constituency

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow Southside^[10][6]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Nicola Sturgeon[a]	12,306	54.4	N/A	9,548	42.1	N/A
	Labour	Stephen Curran	7,957	35.2	N/A	6,648	29.3	N/A
	Scottish Green					1,779	7.8	N/A
	Conservative	David Meikle	1,733	7.7	N/A	1,518	6.7	N/A
	Respect					1,359	6.0	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Kenn Elder	612	2.7	N/A	497	2.2	N/A
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					319	1.4	N/A
	BNP					261	1.2	N/A
	Socialist Labour					200	0.9	N/A
	Scottish Socialist					149	0.7	N/A
	Scottish Christian					119	0.5	N/A
	UKIP					114	0.5	N/A
	Pirate					68	0.3	N/A
	Scottish Unionist					68	0.3	N/A
	Independent	Caroline Johnstone				17	0.1	N/A
	Scottish Homeland Party					16	0.1	N/A
Majority			4,349	19.2	N/A
Valid Votes			22,608			22,680
Invalid Votes			203			147
Turnout			22,811	43.6	N/A	22,827	43.6	N/A
	SNP win (new seat)
Notes Incumbent member for the Glasgow Govan constituency

See also

• Politics of Glasgow