Glasgow
Constituencies:
The 2024 general election saw Labour push back in the old Glasgow heartland, but the disillusionment with UK Labour may contribute to keeping the area solidly SNP. Across the region, Reform has overtaken the Conservatives and they are also more likely to syphon votes from Labour than the SNP.
Glasgow Anniesland
- Sandesh Gulhane – Conservative and Unionist Party
- Eunis Jassemi – Labour Party
- Colm Merrick – Scottish National Party (SNP)
- Sean O’Hagan – Reform UK
- James Douglas Speirs – Liberal Democrats
Anniesland was the seat of the father of the Scottish Parliament, Donald Dewar, but it’s been in the hands of the SNP since 2011. Councillor Merrick is taking the reins from outgoing SNP MSP Bill Kidd. Labour took the roughly equivalent Glasgow West seat in the General election with a massive swing but polls are still indicating an SNP hold.
Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston
- Amy Carman – Liberal Democrats
- Thomas Jordan Kerr – Reform UK
- David Linden – Scottish National Party (SNP)
- Pauline McNeill – Labour and Co-operative Party
- John Murray – Conservative and Unionist Party
Former MSP John Mason who latterly sat as an independent for Glasgow Baillieston stepped down at the end of this session. The SNP’s Linden was previously an MP until losing to Labour in the General election. Labour has put forward one of their more high profile MSPs, Pauline McNeill who has been a strong supporter of women’s rights. Reform has also put up one of their better known candidates in Thomas Kerr. Labour and Reform will both hope to do well.
Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok
- Zen Ghani – Scottish National Party (SNP)
- Peter Michael McLaughlin – Liberal Democrats
- Kyle Park – Conservative and Unionist Party
- Adnan Zafar Rafiq – Scottish Common Party
- Yvonne Anne Ridley – Workers Party of Britain
- Anas Sarwar – Labour Party
- Kim Schmulian – Reform UK
The old Glasgow Cathcart seat was held by James Dornan of the SNP. This is the seat which will be challenged by Labour leader Anas Sarwar, although polls still have the SNP ahead. See The Times article: There is anger in the pubs and streets of Glasgow Cathcart & Pollok.
Glasgow Central
- Naveed Asghar – Conservative and Unionist Party
- Paul Bennie – Reform UK
- Paul Donald Kennedy – Liberal Democrats
- Vonnie Sandlan – Labour Party
- Alison Thewliss – Scottish National Party (SNP)
Perhaps the most radically different of the redrawn Glasgow seats, Central covers areas previously in Kelvin, Shettleston & Southside. Thewliss is another former MP hoping to return to Holyrood and she is the strong favourite to win.
Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn
- Audrey Dempsey – Reform UK
- Josephine MacLeod – Conservative and Unionist Party
- Ivan McKee – Scottish National Party (SNP)
- Nicholas Christopher Moohan – Liberal Democrats
- Kenneth Nwosu – Scottish Common Party
- Paul John Sweeney – Labour and Co-operative Party
Polls suggest this is a safe hold for Ivan McKee.
Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill
- James Adams – Labour Party
- Thomas Adkins – Scottish Common Party
- Aimee Hope Alexander – Reform UK
- Daniel Bowman – Conservative and Unionist Party
- Bob Doris – Scottish National Party (SNP)
- Iris Duane – Scottish Green Party
- Daniel Khan-O’Malley – Liberal Democrats
Shockingly, More in Common has this as a marginal between SNP and Greens. The Green candidate Duane is one of the more notorious trans activists. YouGov, on the other hand, thinks Doris will return ahead of Labour.
Glasgow Southside
- Arzoo Waqqar Abdullah – Independent
- Holly Bruce – Scottish Green Party
- Kamran Butt – Scottish Common Party
- Rashid Hussain – Labour Party
- Ross Hutton – Conservative and Unionist Party
- Gordon Millar – Reform UK
- Rachel Mary Byrne Park – Liberal Democrats
- Kaukab Stewart – Scottish National Party (SNP)
With her old constituency reorganised out of existence, Kaukab Stewart has been gifted Sturgeon’s old patch. YouGov has Stewart well out in front, but More in Common thinks it may be tighter with Labour. Stewart, never the brightest button, has called Hussain “misogynist” and demanded an apology for saying “As a father of daughters, unlike the SNP and Green candidates I am also unequivocal in supporting women’s rights to single sex spaces.” Sounds good to us!
Rutherglen and Cambuslang
- Clare Haughey – Scottish National Party (SNP)
- Monica Lennon – Labour and Co-operative Party
- Patrick Logue – Liberal Democrats
- Allan Lyons – Reform UK
- Chris Sermanni – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
- Annie Wells – Conservative and Unionist Party
A target seat for Labour after winning a Westminster by-election and then a UK election in the area. A likely barometer for the central belt.
Regional Lists:
List votes top up the constituency votes. Candidates from political parties are ordered, so if you vote for a party on the list, it’s useful to know who the top candidates are.
Reform: 2 seats
- Thomas Jordan Kerr
- Kim Schmulian
- Audrey Dempsey
Conservatives: 0-1. The conservatives may well lose any representation in the region
- Annie Wells
- Sandesh Gulhane
- Ross Hutton
Labour: 2-3 seats meaning the return of Sarwar and McNeill. Monica Lennon is 4th on the list, so unlikely to return unless she can with in Rutherglen
- Anas Sarwar
- Pauline McNeill
- Paul John Sweeney
Liberal Democrats: Possibly one seat
- Daniel Khan-O’Malley
- Paul Donald Kennedy
- James Douglas Speirs
SNP: 0 seats
- Alison Thewliss
- Ivan McKee
- Kaukab Stewart
Greens: 1-2 seats
- Patrick Harvie
- Holly Bruce
- Iris Duane
Other List Parties:
- Alliance to Liberate Scotland For Independence
- Independence for Scotland Party, Direct Democracy.
- Independent Green Voice – Organic Green Scotland
- Scottish Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship”
- Scottish Common Party
- Scottish Family Party – Standing for Life
- Scottish Socialist Party – Independent Socialist Scotland
- UKIP – Scrap Holyrood
- Workers Party – Scotland
Independents:
- Elspeth Lynn Kerr
- Craig Houston